47.0g's for a 175 SMK 308 load too much?

[CK_32]

Do you guys think for a 175 SMK HPBT 308 load for my ladder test do you think 46 or 47g's is too much??

I was talking to some people on another forum and there were a few people saying they went up to 47g's and at 45.5g's was their sweet spot load. But then some people tell me 46 grains is for sure going to be way too high pressure... I know every rifle is different but you can always stop at a point if the pressure is too major but at the same time I dont wanna have 8 rounds left over if I see pressure signs at 43.0g's..

I have already checked 2 reloading books one says max load is 41.7 and another says max is 45.0C.. I was told one is on the safe side and the other was a good reference. But some people said they shot about 47g's with no pressure signs and their sweat spot was 45.5 shooting out of the same rifle I have or close to it.

I have already loaded from 39.0 to 45.0g loads in .5g incraments for my testing loads.. I just keep thinking well what If i just make those other 2 grain more loads to be on the safe side...

Im fairly new to reloading and cant get a straight answer.. Do you guys think it would be better to load up to 47g and if I see too any major pressure signs just stop short and at least fully get the max and sweet spot for my rifle rather than have that chance of going out and see no pressure signs at 45.0g's and not complete a successful ladder test and come up short of my max load and waste a day at the range??

Im stuck between a rock and a hard place with this one..



Put simpely whats the most you guys have gotten from a varget load with 175g SMK. Or around what loads have you gotten up to saftly did you see pressure signs to stop at??

Shooting out of a Rem 700 SPS tactical 20" 1:12 twist.

[Jim Watson]

Wow, it took me a while to read down to were you say what the powder is.

Hodgdon's maximum for .308 is 45 gr Varget and a 175 gr SMK.
I load a grain under at 44; 45 is excessive in my rifle. 47 is too much even for a 155 in my rifle and would be a severe overload for a 175.

Im fairly new to reloading and cant get a straight answer.

Straight answer: Go by the book, not what a bunch of strangers on the Internet say.

[firewrench044]

Depends on what powder you are useing

I just worked up loads for my 308 useing SMK 175, SGK 180 and
Horn. 180SST
24 inch barrel, 1/10 twist
Most others that I talked to recomeded about 42.0 IMR 4064 or
43.0 RE 15 and they have 24 to 30 inch barrels and 1/10 or 1/11
twist

for me 4064 gave smaller paterns
( IMR 4064- 1 1/2 inch per 5 shot group at 200 yards(SGK 2 inch ) )
( RE 15- 5 to 7 inch per 5 shot group at 200 yards(SGK 7 inch ) )

my loads are--
SMK 175
42.0 IMR 4064
Lapua case
BR-2 primer
10 to 15 off lands
no crimp

SGK 180 & HORN.180 SST
42.2 IMR 4064
Lapua case
BR-2 primer
10 to 15 off lands
no crimp

[firewrench044]

just saw you are useing Varget

Sierra's manual gives 41.7 of Varget as max!!

so 47.0 would be too much!!

[RWNielsen]

Straight answer: Go by the book, not what a bunch of strangers on the Internet say.

I checked every source I could think and could not find any load above 45g Varget with a 175 SMK.
Please be cautious

[TXGunNut]

47gr Varget sounds a stiff 30-06 load w/ this bullet, don't go there or @ least approach w/ extreme caution. Hodgdon's max loads for cartridges I'm familiar with are truly max loads and won't work well in most rifles.
CK_32, the only place you're going to get a straight answer is from your rifle at the range, with chrono as necessary. Most answers you'll get here are anecdotal, loading manuals are based on research and careful testing in a controlled situation. Folks who post here or write manuals haven't had the opportunity to shoot your rifle so it's up to you to find a good, safe starting place and work up to a load your rifle likes.
The test loads you have already loaded sound like a good starting place. Let us know how it works. Don't be surprised if you find your rifle's sweet spot well south of the 45gr mark.

[CK_32]

Thank you guys. Yea I was going to start from 39.0 and if I saw severe pressure signs obviously stop there. It was just I got 47g from at least 5 people and figured thats a good number of people to make the same typo so I figured it could be possable..

Ill just stick to my 45.0 max load. I was some what curoius to try it because of how many said it works for them but you guys pushed me back to the thats doubtfull side of the fence.

Thanks you.

[Slamfire]

I try to compare factory ammunition with my reloads. I know that the factory has pressure equipment and I am making the assumption, valid or not, that if my velocities are close to factory than I am approaching a maximum load.

In this case the LC ammo has the military bullet but 44.0 grains Varget with the 175 Sierra is so close in velocity, I consider this a maximum load.

Forty seven grains is beyond madness.

Ruger M77 MKII
26 " Barrel 1:10 twist

174 FMJBT LC79 Match M118 White Box
18 May 2008 T = 71 °F

Ave Vel = 2590
Std Dev = 11
ES = 35
High = 2609
Low = 2574
N = 9
excellent

175 Sierra Matchking 44.0 grs Varget wtd Lot 4295 W/W new cases Fed 210S
OAL 2.800"
30 April 2008 T = 71 °F

Ave Vel = 2606
Std Dev = 13
ES = 28
High = 2621
Low = 2593
N = 4

[farmerboy]

welcome first off to reloading! And one of your first lessons should be Safety is always #1. Always go by a manual and always start at the lowest charge for that particular powder. Dont go by what certain indiv. say or do. Remember its data from Credible manuals and try and get the latest up to date because some powders change from time to time. I personally start low in my own tests and am looking for groupings, nothing else at that time. then proceed up and still looking for groupings and at same am looking for pressures. If I can get say, between min. and max and start punching a sinle hole I stop there because thats what I am looking for especially if I havent even seen any pressures starting. I first want any and all want mine to be safe and second, want them to be the most accurate I can find. I personally do not care about speeds, deviations and sure not pushing it when it comes to pressures when its damaging to your gun as well and hate to even think about what if something happened to my arms, eyes are whatever to my body or even worse if a family member or a friend got hurt shooting my stuff. All over what???? Pusing a few grains for speed when accuracy is really where youd think most should be pursuing. I guess you got into this for whatever reason,Please let personal safety be your top priorty. Just find your own guns sweet spot and then shoot against buddies or others at the range or wherever and just laugh to yourself when you hear others with these blowhard stories and when its time to prove this youll hear every excuse you can amagine...

[CK_32]

Yea I was wondering. Does anyone know the grin count and powder the FGMM 175's use?

[CK_32]

Farmboy: Well put.

[e4for2]

Has mentioned the PRIMERS being used !!!

[blackhawk45]

I load 44.5grs of varget,with a 165gr, hornady interloc,and my primers are flat ! DONT LOAD A 47gr CHARGE,unless you like trips to the EMERGENCY WARD,possibly the MORGUE !!!

[TXGunNut]

A few other good points: moderate loads allow longer brass life and use less powder. Barrels last longer as well. I'm a tightwad, that's important to me. Throw these in on top of safety and accuracy and max loads solely for the sake of max velocity just don't make sense.

[CK_32]

Haha I feel you on the being a tight wad. But the whole point of having this precision rifle is for accuracy.. Im just trying to hit that dam 1000 yard mark.
And my primers are CCI 200's

[TXGunNut]

1000 yds? Why didn't you say so? Quite honestly I haven't a clue but as you have already figured out the bullet is a major part of the equation. Speed, however, is not as important as stability. Stability is a product of matching bullet to barrel and both of them to the task at hand. It's hard to imagine but some bullets apparently stabilize at a point somewhat beyond 100 yds and a bullet that's stable @ 200 yds should do well at longer distances as well, maybe even out to the magic 1000yd mark. Some folks who play the BPCR game hurl huge chunks of lead out to 1000 yds and beyond so it's not all about high BC.
Capt Kraig and Scorch play the long range game. Read their responses carefully.

[CK_32]

I know speed isnt everything but I am just looking at a load to get me to the 1000 to 1100 mark.. I shot cheap factory ammo out to about 675 to 700 and it just wasnt doing it.. My main focus now is to find that sweet spot and build that optimum load to stap steel at that 1000 mark. Thats basically my main goal for reloading right now with savings on the back burner of that goal..


So if you guys have any tips or what to look or what to try for with these loads to get me to that 1000 yard load please I'm all ears..

[lefteyedom]

All this to save 8 rounds??

You can always pull the bullets and adjust the powder load.

Do it right, go slow and in the long run you will healthier, happier and wiser. So will your rifle.

I have nice thread of shame going about a 257WBY that I did not want to spend the time to build up a load for. Load up rounds 1 grain under max from one load book and 4 1/2 grains under max from another manual touch off the first round and locked it up. Gun is still at the gunsmiths!

[CK_32]

Ouch^

[Wildalaska]

Quickload posits 71,000 psi from your load.

WildwearafaceshieldAlaska ™©2002-2010

[mehavey]

QL also says you start compressing [Varget] powder at 42.5 ......

There's a reason God made the 308 case the size he did.
That's one of them.

[CK_32]

Thats wierd because at 45.0g I didnt get any crunch at all. Or at least it was so minor I didnt feel or hear any..