5R and 168 Amax questions 20"

[groundhogbuster]

I been shooting the 168 smk's at 2.8" OAL using 46g Varget and the thing shoots same holes, and same goes for the 175's with 45g. I loaded some Amaxes to the same specs but I'm not getting the same consistency. Do these pills like to jump as well or do I need to put em closer to the lands? I don't wanna waste my whole box just getting a load for it. I tried 44 45 & 46g with the smk's and found a winner 1st thing. The thing shoots as good as my BR rigs to 300yds. Anyone shooting the 168 Amax over Varget? Where are you seating? Thanks much

 

[Bayou]

I been shooting the 168 smk's at 2.8" OAL using 46g Varget and the thing shoots same holes, and same goes for the 175's with 45g. I loaded some Amaxes to the same specs but I'm not getting the same consistency. Do these pills like to jump as well or do I need to put em closer to the lands? I don't wanna waste my whole box just getting a load for it. I tried 44 45 & 46g with the smk's and found a winner 1st thing. The thing shoots as good as my BR rigs to 300yds. Anyone shooting the 168 Amax over Varget? Where are you seating? Thanks much

I seat the 168 gr Amax's 10 thou off the lands and push em with 43.6 gr of Varget. My groups opened up with more powder. But I'm using a 26" 3 groove barrel so I don't know how useful this info will be for you.

 

[JoshcBoucher]

I shoot 44.7 Varget, out of my 5R. I load the 168, to 2.96 Oal. Just me, Josh.The SMKs always shot "better, than the Amax's did. Tried the 208 Amax, in my 300 Win Mag, and they were "all over the place". Groups were an inch, or larger, at 100. The SMK's held to 1/2, in the 308, and the 300. Sierra makes a good bullet.

 

[No1]

I shoot the 168 Amax in an AR10T, they are seated to fit the mag and they don't really mind the jump since they shoot <.5. If I remember, OAL is 2.815". I use enough Varget to compress it a little when the bullet is seated. something like 46.3-46.5g. varget likes to be compressed a bit. Sorry I can't look up the load data right now, it's 9200 miles away. Also using Fed Match primers and use Redding competition dies to keep everything nice and straight.

I recently bought some 168smk's and use the same load and they shoot about as good as the Amax.
If you really want to find out if your rifle likes the Amax bullet, get a box of Hornady Superformance Match if you can find it. That is some of the most accurate factory ammo I've ever shot. I had to buy some to qualify with once and that is what turned me onto the 168 Amax.

 

[Rob01]

They don't mind a jump but if you wanted to play with the seating depth load them out a little longer. I usually start .020" off the lands with all my AMAXs.

That said, when switching bullets, even of the same weight, you need to work with the load being used. You can't just switch the bullet with the same powder charge and expect the same results every time. Sometimes you get lucky. I would say drop to 44.5grns and work up with the 168 AMAX. You will likely find a load between 45-46grns.

 

[exx1976]

I bought a couple cases of Hornady 168gr AMAX Match ammo last year to use the brass for reloading (and to get some trigger time). My AAC-SD really liked it, one-hole groups were quite common at 100 yards.

When I began reloading the brass, I went with Bergers due to the much higher BC.

 

[Niles Coyote]

GHB, my load is varget 45.8 in winchester brass and primer (non mag) loaded to a OAL of 2.828", its jumping a long ways but this is the load that I have pics of at 1000 with less than 3" of vertical. I forget what my velocity is right now but its in the 2630-2670 area out of my 20" rem tactical.

 

[NoFail]

I run the 168 AMAX in a .308 AR. I found one my gun likes a lot with Varget @ 42.9 grains, Winchester brass & Remington #9 1/2 LRP.

Magpul Pmags allow me to run OAL's out to 2.815" but that's really pushing it, I maintain 2.810" OAL & the AMAX seems to like I there ok, in my LR-308.

You should find a node around 45 gr Varget. And when you do your load developement use smaller adjustments in charge increments. Jumping 1 whole grain of powder is just too much, you will miss some nodes. I do .3 gr increments usually using the OCW method of handload decelopment.

My barrel 1 in 10" twist, AMAX gets job done well.

 

[groundhogbuster]

Thanks for all the replies, I shot 43 and 43.5 today of varget, still jumping them from 2.810" but the 43g load was .4's and the 43.5 was in the .9's. I guess I've found my Amax load. I will play with the seating depth some more, but today's shoot to 500 they were holding 3" groups at 500 on steel. I like them alot, but I swear that 175 smk is hard to beat in these guns. I know what my 6BR will do at 300 on a bench, and it was right along there from the prone pos. at 300. .246" . Thanks guys. What's up Ncoyote, good to hear from ya, it's been a while.

 

[NoFail]

Yeah that's about I thought you'd find a good one around at 43 gr. You can deviate that a little and try +- .1 or whatever. It seems to make a difference for me. 42.9 gr Varget is great in mine. I try .1 +- and groups grow, wouldn't think it makes such a difference but it seems too.

 

[groundhogbuster]

Yea it's amazing what .1gr will do. But when shooting BR I was always told to concentrate on OAL instead of load. I talked to Dan at OCW about the smk's and he said try 45 for 175 and 46 for 168's. I did 43, 44, 45, and bam 1 hole groups. I always start in 1 gr increments, find the best group and start tinkering. Niles gave me his load for 243 (45.9 H1000) and same thing, clover leaf groups. I asked Dan and he said try magnum primers and see, and it gave me an extra 60fps and went to one hole groups. I used to load 20-30 test loads, but with pills so hard to find now days, I'm satisfied with .3"s -.5"s @ 100. I'm still amazed at what this lil 5R can do, just can't wait to get my 260 and 243 back from Beanland's. I'm loaded on powder and primers, thanks to the little gun shops around. I just got back from a lil dinky reloading store, and he was loaded out with R17, Varget, BLc2 , and about anything I was looking for. The net is a bust for me, can't find anything.