Make sure I'm safe!

[GhengisAhn175]

Hey guys have a length to post here so first and foremost I'll start with these parameters:

1. Keep me safe! I'm not a professional shooter; I'm just an active duty
Soldier who shoots in his offtime to be
Proficient. Don't need rounds to kill my throat or blow my face away.

2. Accuracy > speed.

3. My rifle info as follows:
260 remington bolt gun
26" barrel from AINA
H4350
Ssa/lapua brass COAL around 2.910-2.930, all brass trimmed to 2.015" I believe (not home), and max length by book was 2.035
Fed 210m primers
Berger vld 140gr

After doing my research and communicating, need the public help. I am shooting 260 remington in a bolt gun and a 308 win on a semi.

260 remington: I am using two sets of brass. Lapua and SSA head stamp (from southwest ammunition). I am doing load developments for both and would like similar results if it can happen. I started at 42.0 grains and going up in .2 increments up to 43.8

For the SSA brass I got up to 43.4 and had 3 primers fall out of my brass as I ejected my round . Bolt was slightly hard on the lift for some. When I experienced this I stopped shooting the higher charges and am going to pull those bullets but I have a feeling it may not be over pressure. The primers that fell out were not pierced, I had no pieced primers and no signs of cratering. My guess is that the brass was weaker and met it's life span as the other 7/10 didn't have any issues. But the bolt lift was a concern. I'm confused on this because the SSA ammo I had loaded from swa had a couple pierced primers so not sure if the primers falling out is my hot load or those cases are done. But 3/10 is a concern.

As far as reloading book, I have a Speer book but doesn't list h4350, has imr 4350 and says for a 140 grain (not Berger vld) 44.0C is the max charge (btw can still hear powder jingling inside. But because of what I experienced I did not test any further. Am I doing right?

Currently I dumped all my 43+ charges and starting again from 42.2-43.0, seeing if I can settle with something there. I have ten rounds of each charge , per brass (so 20 total). Should I go for best group of each or matching velocity to keep same dope?

Another question that comes to mind... I measured my bullets and made 3 separate piles. 3.890-3.900", 3.905-3.915", 3.916-3.925". At first I was seating all my unless to have the same COAL but realized that they are different lengths from the lands, so instead of going for a 2.945" COAL, I set the max coal lower and fixed my micrometer so that they all seat around what's mentioned above . I was told that then OaL Is different BUT They all are same as far as distance to the lands. Is this correct?

__________________________
.308 win semi auto
16.5" barrel
Mixed brass (this is my battle rifle so not looking for gnats ass , just better than factory)
Fed 210m primers
175gr SMK
Brass trimmed to 2.005" (book says max is 2.015 or 2.020")
Imr 4064

Not much issues here but the book says 43.0C is Max load but I'm worried about pressure signs I may be overlooking as I am still new to reloading. My 308 load development was from 43.0-43.8 and 43.4 was great, 43.6 was decent and 43.8 opened up. Anyone else have different info from books?

I did notice one or two of my brass had some type of jagged cut at the case head , wondering if this is something of concern.
-------------------------

Again my goal is to shoot the most accurate load but would like decent velocity to work out at long distances. With factory ammo I was averaging 7 3/4" spreads at 1k and was told it was due to factory loaded ammo. I believe those fps was at around 2650-2700 with 139gr scenars , but now moved
To the 140 vlds.

Thanks fellas for the read and responses!

 

[witchhunter]

Don't mix headstamps is the first rule of accuracy. Pick one and go with it. There are enough variables without mixing volume/capacity into it. Brass prep is mandatory for accurate ammo. Pick a load and use the seating depth to fine tune it by .002 increments. Be careful if you get into the lands, pressure will spike quickly.

 

[LR338nut]

Did you do any load testing for the 260 with Lapua brass?

As for sorting your bullets by Ogive length, not overall, and seating depth by Ogive length you need this tool: Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Tools & Gauges :: Lock-N-Load Gauges-Formerly Stoney Point :: Bullet Comparators :: Bullet Comparator Kits :: Lock-N-Load® Comparator Set Body & 14 Bullet Inserts 1 Each

 

[GhengisAhn175]

Witch hunter: I got mixed brass for my semi auto , just wanted to get a good all around load for it.
My 260 remington is my
Bolt and i keep my ssa/ lapua separate.

Lr338nut, just ordered a sinclair comparator nut instead! My question to you is once I have it sorted with comparator, do I need to adjust my micro die so they all eventually sit at same seat depth/different cartridge OAL?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Ditch the SWA brass first of all and stop sorting bullets. Buy bullets of the same lot and load the damn things. Run lapua brass and start with a nice safe charge (42gr will do) and do the Berger seating depth test to determine where the VLD's want to be seated in your rifle. Once you have that do a pressure workup. There's so much data out there on 260's with H4350 you should only have to test a 1-1.5gr window. I'd load 5 up starting at 42gr every .2gr ending around 43.5gr and see where your rifle likes it.

If it were me though, I'd shitcan the VLD's and order some hybrids. Find your lands with them, load them .020 off and start your load workup.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

First, do as directly above.

The 140-ish range of available bullets does not require velocities higher than 2700fps in order to arrive supersonic at 1Kyd. So working at or around max loads (44-ish gr of H-4350) is not required. I use 140 A-Max, 142 SMK, and where magazine feeding is a must, the 140SMK allows a better magazine fit without backing the bullet as far back into the case in order to reach a better land/ogive relationship. Find an accuracy node around 42gr, and you should be good to go, as well as treating your barrel's throat with more respect.

Greg

 

[GhengisAhn175]

Thanks guys just got myself the sinclair bullet comparator hex nut.

My lands distance is 3.264" so my comparator OAL should be at / around 3.244" for 20 thousandths off the lands?

 

[Pinecone]

BTW Hodgdon has loading data online.

From running their info on .260 using 140 gr (their data is for Nosler Partition bullet) and H4350 you get this (emphasis mine):

Hodgdon H4350 .264" 2.780" 39.0 2,530 51,900 PSI 42.0 2,677 58,800 PS

Data here - https://www.hodgdon.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html

 

[GhengisAhn175]

Thanks pine. Didn't consider that info because it wasn't for the bullets I was loading but I did consider the grain charges.

 

[Assault116]

1. if you were getting some pierced primers on the SSA brass ammo from SWA, that brass is probably 75-90% junk now anyway. SSA is notorious for having fairly soft primer pockets, so go to the Lapua, and stay with it.

2. 42gr especially in Lapua brass with 140 class bullets is toward the top of the spectrum in many barrels. My barrel's max is about 43 and has a great accuracy node at 42. In Winchester brass that same speed/node is at 42.3 gr. These loads get me to about 2830 fps, which is more than sufficient for my needs.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

My barrel is a L-W 28" SS 1:8" Savage pre-fit. 43.8 gr. H-4350 achieves 2800-ish fps with the 142SMK. My chamber is strictly SAAMI, and can handle this load. It has hammered out sequences of X's at 1Kyd when my wind calls work out.

Greg

 

[GhengisAhn175]

Thanks fellas. Waiting for my comparator to arrive to do my cbto measurements.

Just to clarify, once I find the right seat depth / jump to lands and lock my die in place, I just check a couple more rounds and they should all be ideally +\-.001" difference in cbto length ?

And the cartridge overall length wouldn't matter as long as they fit in my magazine?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

My load for the M1A (when I had one) was 42.2gr IMR-4064, 175SMK at 2.815" OAL, WLR primer, F/L Rem Case. Supersonic at 1Kyd out of the standard length M1A. I don't consider using Match primers to be cost effective in a basic service rifle.

 

[culater]

Shoot over a chonograph with your testing dont guess on yor speed. Take out some factory loads out to shoot and get some speed tests and then handload from the bottom up to match the factory load speed if it shootin 8in at 1k with factory. Last keep good notes for yourself.

 

[Clark]

When you get over worrying about pressure and reading published loads.....

Loose primer pockets and stiff bolt lift are the problem, but the most accurate precursor is extractor groove growth.
With the dial calipers bevel aligned with the extractor groove bevel, and the case turning, anywhere in the rotation an increase is a precursor, even it the pocket still seems tight to primer.
With H4350 I back off 4% powder charge from any indication or precursor to find my useful load.
That 4% is a margin for powder temp sensitivity, other component variables, and variables in my reloading process.
Vernon Speer wrote in 1958 about how to write a reloading book, and he said back off 6% from any pressure sign on the brass.
I reduce margins to 4% because the more modern H4350 has temp compensating coatings and I am only loading for my rifle, not everyone that reads Vernon's book.