Re: Federal Gold match in M1a
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yes. For the M1A, my handload uses commercial .308 brass, match primer, 175gr MatchKing projectiles, and 42.2gr of IMR-4064. Loaded for the magazine at 2.810"-2.815" OAL.
Greg </div></div>
Greg:
If you have previously posted what velocity you get with that load, I've long forgotten. What's your speed?
I was at 42.0 but found the velocity a bit soft and groups maybe a quarter-minute larger with the next lot of powder, so I went up to 42.5. Then each chrono session with warmer temps yielded less and less speed all over again. Yup, changed batteries, too. Depending on which test 2530 to 2580 fps, but each session has nice small ES and SD...almost always less SD in velocity than Varget loads.
BTW, when I consider port location, bullet travel, and comparisons with the reported CUP measurements of port pressure with some NRA loads published back when I was starting out, QuickLOAD predicts safe M1A port pressures with Varget and RE-15 all the way up to 2600-2620 fps. The "too slow" stories we sometimes hear about those two powders in the M1A may be, in the words of Sam Clemens, "greatly exaggerated".