Re: 43.5g of varget with a 175g SMK
CK, I am shooting the same rem 700sps tac and here is what I have found...like everyone has said all rifles are different and work up to these loads.
Hornady 168gn BTHP match, 46.2gn Varget, CCI BR2 primer.
I dont know the velocity, but produces sub .5 moa groups. With the sierra 175's you should end up somewhere in the same area. With this load I see one slight pressure sign which is an extractor mark on the case head.
Sierra Prohunter 150gn spitzer (this is my hunting bullet) 45.6gn varget, CCI BR2 primer. 2.735 col.
This produces 2680fps and quriously accurate. I just worked this one up a few weeks ago for a new hunting bullet. It was a calm day and shot .25-.40 moa.
A note on how I determine bullet seating depth.
You will need a bullet puller, I like the kinetic ones....green plastic hammer from rcbs, but the press ones work fine.. you will need a bolt dissasembly tool, a 1/4" wooden dowel, and of course a set of verier calipers.
1. Remove the firing pin assembly and the ejector.
2. Take sized, empty, unprimed case and barely seat the bullet in it.
3. Place the case head under the extractor in your bolt and slide the bolt/case into the action close to closing. At this point, slam the bolt shut in one motion.
4. Insert the dowel down the muzzle and LIGHTLY push the bullet as you lift the bolt and extract the case. Measure your COL and note, this is called your hard jam col.
5. Wipe the bullet with scotch brite or steel wool to remove the land marks, or use another bullet. If using the same case, size it to regain proper neck tension(very important for consitant readings). Reduce the col in .005" increments loading the round in the same way(although you will not have to slam the bolt closed or use the dowel) until you find a col that produces no land marks.
At this point I will usually go back to the last col that produced land marks and start there and tune my powder charge for accuracy starting 10% below stated max and work my way up until I see pressure signs, and then analyize the groups.
CK, I am shooting the same rem 700sps tac and here is what I have found...like everyone has said all rifles are different and work up to these loads.
Hornady 168gn BTHP match, 46.2gn Varget, CCI BR2 primer.
I dont know the velocity, but produces sub .5 moa groups. With the sierra 175's you should end up somewhere in the same area. With this load I see one slight pressure sign which is an extractor mark on the case head.
Sierra Prohunter 150gn spitzer (this is my hunting bullet) 45.6gn varget, CCI BR2 primer. 2.735 col.
This produces 2680fps and quriously accurate. I just worked this one up a few weeks ago for a new hunting bullet. It was a calm day and shot .25-.40 moa.
A note on how I determine bullet seating depth.
You will need a bullet puller, I like the kinetic ones....green plastic hammer from rcbs, but the press ones work fine.. you will need a bolt dissasembly tool, a 1/4" wooden dowel, and of course a set of verier calipers.
1. Remove the firing pin assembly and the ejector.
2. Take sized, empty, unprimed case and barely seat the bullet in it.
3. Place the case head under the extractor in your bolt and slide the bolt/case into the action close to closing. At this point, slam the bolt shut in one motion.
4. Insert the dowel down the muzzle and LIGHTLY push the bullet as you lift the bolt and extract the case. Measure your COL and note, this is called your hard jam col.
5. Wipe the bullet with scotch brite or steel wool to remove the land marks, or use another bullet. If using the same case, size it to regain proper neck tension(very important for consitant readings). Reduce the col in .005" increments loading the round in the same way(although you will not have to slam the bolt closed or use the dowel) until you find a col that produces no land marks.
At this point I will usually go back to the last col that produced land marks and start there and tune my powder charge for accuracy starting 10% below stated max and work my way up until I see pressure signs, and then analyize the groups.
