New to reloading, got some measurements and would like some input

[MattyG]

Okay, so after being lucky enough to have come across 3k rounds of M118LR from my father and shooting most of it..... I need to start reloading and trying a few things. I am using the Lake City once fired bras I have accumulated from my H-S Precision HTR 2000 (match chamber so tight I could barely extract 1 in 5 rounds after firing), a good amount was fired through my TRG 22 and I have sold both my other rifles and have picked up an AIAX in .308 so now I must resize my brass. The fired brass of course fit fine in the rifles it cam from but the AI chamber is a bit tighter than the TRG (about .002" larger OD measured .340" from the base of the case).

What I have come up with is to FL size using RCBS dies in an Orange Crusher press. I ran one piece of brass through the die a little at a time while checking it in the AI until the brass would chamber just fine without excess pressure without sizing all the way down to prevent working the brass unnecessarily.

I also measured for COAL in the AX mag and found a max ID of 2.975" so I will load to 2.955" (anyone have any reliability issues with feeding round only running .020" mag clearance?).

I will be testing 178 and 208 AMAX bullets with Fed Primers and Alliant 2000MR powder. I prepped two empty cases and put a 178 in one and a 208 in the other and left them long in the case with no crimp just neck tension and found the 208 is in the lands at 3.005" and the 178 at 2.908" (gives 0.067" clearance in the mag loaded to the lands).

I am thinking of starting with a 0.010" jump for the 178's and since all rounds must feed in the mag I will load the 208's to 2.955" which means they will be jumping 0.050".

I have a bullet comparator coming for precise ogive to base measurement for loading consistency and have only cleaned the primer pockets and flash holes (no reaming). Also I debur the necks inside and out but have no plans of doing any neck turning. I will be doing a ladder test for both rounds in 0.5 grain increments at 300 yards and then breaking it down finer once I have found a smaller margin in charge that shows promise.

I found the M118LR had a SD of about 20 fps with ES in the 80-90's and that is over several years and many conditions with two different chronos. I needless to say saw many rounds go above or below my target that were not shooter error.

Anyone have any advise or warnings with anything I am doing so far???

 

[milo 2.0]

Sounds to me like you have the process thought out well, right on not overworking the brass.
As for the SD & ES of M118, your handloads will tighten those numbers up considerably. Just don't ignore pressure signs, it gets hot in the summer!

 

[MattyG]

Thanks. I have my father to thank for coaching me but the last hand loading we did was over ten years ago and that was just pulling 173 gr FMJ bullets from issued LC M118 Special Ball and putting in 165 grain Sierra Game Kings for hunting. I have to admit we just reweighed each powder charge we dumped from the case and recharged. Doing that took the ES of the factory loaded rounds down from 80-90 to just 15 fps with a usual 3-4 fps change per round. I was impressed with the consistency and this experience has been coming back from to memory every time I watch one of my rounds fly astray at those 800+ yard plates.

My shooting takes place in temps from in the teens up to over 100 degress. I have been reading loads of info on the 2000MR powder and heavies in the .308 and I believe the temp sensitivity is around .7-.8 fps per degree. I also do not plan on pushing this round to the edge pressure wise, just getting consistency and with less windshift.