Lots of conflicting information out there about what people say, vice what the military specs and pays for by contract.
PLEASE NOTE:
M118 7.62 Special Ball Long Range (DOD Ammunition Identification Code AA11) is produced at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant and is meant for Army and other service weapons.
Mark 316 Mod 0 7.62mm Special Ball Long Range (DODIC AB39) is a Navy and USSOCOM cartridge purchased under contract with Federal-ATK.
These two cartridges, while 7.62mm loaded with 175-grain Sierra Matchking bullets are
separate, unique ammunition items. Note on the Army's current M118 Long Range drawing the original dates back to 1960 when M118 Match used the 173-grain Match bullet (modeled after the 30-06 machinegun bullet). It states 44 grains of propellant, which back in the 60s was / may have been IMR 4895.
7.62mm Special Ball was adopted when Lake City ammo could no longer hold Match-specified precision. Boxes went from white box M118 Match to brown box M118 Special Ball. Perhaps Special Ball was a spin-off from Special Olympics.
When Federal loaded M118 Long Range with 44.3 grains of RL-15,
24-inch M24 and M40 rifles were pushing 2750 fps at the muzzle, while 22-inch M14s and M21s were getting 2685 when the heat in Iraq averaged 115 Fahrenheit. This punished the M14/M21 semi-auto gas system and the Leupold M3 BDC turret engraving no longer matched bullet drop.
In 2003 or 2004 (after the start of OIF) the load was backed down to 43.1 of RL-15, and is now at a nominal 42.8.
Mark 316 Mod 0 is for all intents and purposes 175-grain Federal Gold Medal Match 2. The late Roy Meketa noted GM762M2 was loaded with 43.0 grains of 4064. MK 316 Mod 0 headstamped FC 11 was loaded with 43.7 of 4064, while 2009 ammo was loaded with 41.7 grains.
