Range Report: 225 grain .308 reloader 17

[Xtremegunnr]

Hello all,
Figured i would throw up a little information after hitting the range last week. I have been doing some searching and see that most people do not shoot anything bigger than the popular 208 amax. I loaded two different loads (based on results i have had in my 16" dta perviously).

Brass: Winchester
Bullet: Hornady 225 HPBT
Primer: Federal 210M
Powder: Reloader 17
Charge: 45.5 Grain
Velocity: 2400 FPS 10 ft chrono


Brass: Winchester
Bullet: Hornady 225 HPBT
Primer: Federal 210M
Powder: Reloader 17
Charge: 46.5 Grain
OAL: Mag Length with modified feed ramp and modified aics mags. 2.962" (.20 off lands)
Velocity: 2430 FPS 10 ft chrono

According to my calculations it should stay supersonic until roughly 1350 yards, which is a good 300 yards further than most 175 grain loads.

Accuracy was no slouch. Remington 20" aac-sd with 1-10 twist at 200 yards was shooting .5" -1.5" groups depending on how i was pulling the trigger. Rifle bedded in factory stock, timney trigger and box mag. Nothing special. It was 95 degrees, darn near 100% humidity, and i could hardly keep the sweat out of my eyes. 45.5 was giving me a little bit more consistency but it could have been me. There were no pressure signs. Primers were a LITTLE flatter than when they went in but not much at all. No sticky bolt. Last year i used the 45.5 grain load out of the 16" dta with 1-8 twist at an f class comp. I did get some funny looks, but they were all surprised when we got done. 186 score on a pretty windy day when it all was done. A few other shooters took a stab with it and had similar results. Score could have been better if my wind calls were a bit better. I was chasing every shot.

NOTE: 230 grain berger OTM to mag length are real hammers too. MOA at 1000 yards at 2375 fps (muzzle) .5 moa at 200 to 600

Hope this inspires some of you to try something heavier than the old 155, 168 and 175.

Cheers

 

[Surgikill]

I wanted to try the 178 a max or hpbt but try to find them.

Sent from GS3 Synergy

 

[Dan Newberry]

very interesting... wind drift numbers match 6.5mm 140's @ 2750 fps, and it'll hit with close to 300 more foot pounds of energy at 1000 yards.

Recoil would need to be mitigated some way, however, in order to shoot with the 6.5's.

But it is do-able.

Dan

 

[Surgikill]

very interesting... wind drift numbers match 6.5mm 140's @ 2750 fps, and it'll hit with close to 300 more foot pounds of energy at 1000 yards.

Recoil would need to be mitigated some way, however, in order to shoot with the 6.5's.

But it is do-able.

Dan

Isn't it dropping like a rock though?

Sent from GS3 Synergy

 

[Dan Newberry]

Yes, it's dropping pretty hard... which puts it at a disadvantage in UKD competitions. But if distance can be known, you can just dial the drop and you're on.

The advantage for such a load, to my way of thinking, is the power it delivers downrange from a .308 platform--versus lighter bullets of smaller caliber. If you're just dinging steel, then this is no real advantage. But if you're really wanting to put something on the ground, it's a pretty significant advantage... foot pounds, sectional density... DRT

Dan

 

[Xtremegunnr]

Yeah it is not as flat is a 155 going 3000 fps out of a super long barrel but it has some ballz. It would be a good load for a person who doesnt necessarily want a 300 win mag but is interested in shooting past 1000 yards. It is strange, however; when i calculate my drop with "ballistic AE" or similar program i am ALWAYS off when it comes to drop and wind. I feel that the BC or something must be off. At 1000 yards the program was calling for 11.5 or something and it only took 10. A little more than 4 feet is quite different in my book.

Another thing to think about is that when many shooters use a really fast, flat shooting bullet to 1000 or so, they used 26-29' barrels. I got 2375 out of a 16" barrel with this load last year and had no pressure signs. It would only shoot a 175 to 2500 or so, yielding 800 yard potential.

It is by no means the BEST load out there but it shoots very consistently, has a crap ton of energy, and provides plenty of fun for those who like a little recoil.

NOTE: This load is not for a suppressor rated for a "308". I found out the hard way. After shooting 400 or so through my aac cyclone last year on the DTA I was disappointed to find that i blew the blast baffle loose. I now am sporting a thunderbeast 338 ba. That should teach it. AAC was very accommodating and worked out a quite generous deal with me. Only downside, it took a year and a few months to complete....without the new transfer. BOOOO

 

[Surgikill]

Yeah it is not as flat is a 155 going 3000 fps out of a super long barrel but it has some ballz. It would be a good load for a person who doesnt necessarily want a 300 win mag but is interested in shooting past 1000 yards. It is strange, however; when i calculate my drop with "ballistic AE" or similar program i am ALWAYS off when it comes to drop and wind. I feel that the BC or something must be off. At 1000 yards the program was calling for 11.5 or something and it only took 10. A little more than 4 feet is quite different in my book.

Another thing to think about is that when many shooters use a really fast, flat shooting bullet to 1000 or so, they used 26-29' barrels. I got 2375 out of a 16" barrel with this load last year and had no pressure signs. It would only shoot a 175 to 2500 or so, yielding 800 yard potential.

It is by no means the BEST load out there but it shoots very consistently, has a crap ton of energy, and provides plenty of fun for those who like a little recoil.

NOTE: This load is not for a suppressor rated for a "308". I found out the hard way. After shooting 400 or so through my aac cyclone last year on the DTA I was disappointed to find that i blew the blast baffle loose. I now am sporting a thunderbeast 338 ba. That should teach it. AAC was very accommodating and worked out a quite generous deal with me. Only downside, it took a year and a few months to complete....without the new transfer. BOOOO

My drops are different as well, but not many common 308s have a 1-8 twist. I have a 1-12. I may have some heavier bullets in 308 that may stabilize but I'll have to try it. The 178 hpbt was supposed to stay supersonic to 1250 coming out @ 2800.

Sent from GS3 Synergy

 

[VKC]

Interesting, this would be pretty nice in a shorty 308win. Handy and deadly.

 

[Xtremegunnr]

I shot again today a good amount with both. The 208 grainers were more accurate but the 225 had more umph. 47 grains of rl17 got me 2450 fps. might try more.

 

[J-ROD]

Thanks for your post, good info.
I've been shooting berger 230 hybrids and H4350 at 2515-2530fps out of my 30" 1-10 savage with great success. It cuts over a full moa of wind versus my 185 hybrid/varget load at 2800fps.
I can get 2490 with varget but it's significantly harder to shoot accurately. I think the slower powder gives much more manageable recoil and a wider node. The last 4 charges in a 300yd ladder were clover leafed.
Performed awesome at 1060yds since i stink at wind reading.
I have been wanting to try rl-17 but the temp sensitivity people talk about has me worried. Have you noticed less sensitivity with the heavier bullets?

 

[VKC]

Thanks for your post, good info.
I've been shooting berger 230 hybrids and H4350 at 2515-2530fps out of my 30" 1-10 savage with great success. It cuts over a full moa of wind versus my 185 hybrid/varget load at 2800fps.
I can get 2490 with varget but it's significantly harder to shoot accurately. I think the slower powder gives much more manageable recoil and a wider node. The last 4 charges in a 300yd ladder were clover leafed.
Performed awesome at 1060yds since i stink at wind reading.
I have been wanting to try rl-17 but the temp sensitivity people talk about has me worried. Have you noticed less sensitivity with the heavier bullets?

I've been using RL17 for some time in varying temperatures from freezing to over 110F. It isn't any more temperature sensitive than our powders in my experience. The problem is that RL17 allows you to load to max pressures without as much of an extreme spike as other powders, so people load at or over max, then when the temperature rises they say it is temperature sensitive but really they were loading too close to max or over max.

 

[Dan Newberry]

I've been using RL17 for some time in varying temperatures from freezing to over 110F. It isn't any more temperature sensitive than our powders in my experience. The problem is that RL17 allows you to load to max pressures without as much of an extreme spike as other powders, so people load at or over max, then when the temperature rises they say it is temperature sensitive but really they were loading too close to max or over max.

I think this may very well be the issue. Interesting point.

 

[P7id10t]

I shot again today a good amount with both. The 208 grainers were more accurate but the 225 had more umph. 47 grains of rl17 got me 2450 fps. might try more.

At 47grs with a 225 projectile, aren't you compressing the load? Curious.