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General accuracy load question

pepperbelly

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 7, 2006
871
0
Fort Worth, Texas
I realize this is a very general question, but. The load manuals always show a wide range of charge weights. Are the loads usually more accurate in the middle of the range shown, near max, or is evrry single barrel that different.
I need to work a load up. I have some SMK Palma 155gr bullets, some Sierra GameKing 165gr bullets on hand now. I have some Nosler BT 180gr bullets coming and will be buying either SMK 168gr or 175gr when I can find them.
I have Varget, IMR4895, H4895, H4350 and RL15.
Those different bullets combined with having several powders to try makes me really hope there is a quicker way to find an accurate load.
My rifle started as a Remington SPS Varmint, .308, which gives me a nice, long heavy barrel.

I don't want to use the word shortcut, but is there anything that might make finding a good load easier?

Jim
 
Re: General accuracy load question

work up the load with one mid-range bullet and powder combo. that will give you an idea of the velocity that that bullet likes to run from your rifle. you can then extrapolate for the rest of the listed powders what powder range you are going to look for to match that velocity.

the best thing to do is figure out what you want the rifle to do. if you want to go to 1000m then i suggest you skip the 165 and 168gr. if you plan on hunting then drop the 155. without more info it is difficult to give you any recommendations. try looking in the 308 loads section and try a few of the loads that list your exact components. drop them 2% and work back up from there. you can burn out a barrel just testing all the component possibilities so it's best to have some limiting factor. for me it is the availability of powders. RL-15 is the only one i had on hand when i went to work my load so i just used it. you have to have an accuracy threshold. if you are looking to get .1 moa then you may need to test all the components for the "perfect combination", but i only require a load to do .5-1 moa. under those guidelines i don't feel that the component choices are as important as the load work up. yes, occasionally you will get a barrel that just doesn't like a certain powder or projectile. but most of the time it's just a matter of finding the correct powder amount to make it sing.
 
Re: General accuracy load question

I don't hunt. Most of my shooting will be at 200 yards, but I hope to go to a few matches over that. I doubt I will get out to 1000 yards though.
I want a load as accurate as possible.
I remember reading an article a while ago that said that while decades ago the most accurate loads were around 10% under max, now with the powders and bullets we have the besta ccuracy is near max.

I guess what I am hoping for is a load that tends to be accurate in most rifles. I have a .45acp load like that. It's very very good in my pistols and in dad's pistols. It's just a good, accurate target load.
I know rifles are different, but I hope. I will do it the hard way. My biggest problem is time. My wife and kids don't give me much.

Jim
 
Re: General accuracy load question

I'm starting to look into Optimal Charge Weight (OCW)/ Optimal Barrel Time (OBT) in order to avoid the guess work and blind alleys. Basically, it hurts my brain! But eventually I'll get it and look back and wonder why I was so dense!

I found good loads with RL-15 and Varget as well for several calibers in the trial and error method and by using recommended loads. Frankly, the .308 is pretty easy to load for with Varget or Rl-15.

My object is to minimize barrel wear and wheel spinning with the myriad other suitable powders available. The appeal of the OCW methodology, in conjunction with Quickload, is that a total of 25 to 50 trial rounds may be all you'll need to find your accuracy load for a given powder and bullet.

Perhaps if you find the time to investigate it, you'll be a quicker study and can teach me!