Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

[ReaperDriver]

Hey, all you guys who are loading for a Rem SPS-Tactical and LTR w/ 20 inch barrel - post your fav loads. I've searched through the Reloader's Depot and most of the stuff seems to come from custom chambers and barrels like GAP, Rock Creek and Bartlein. Very few 20" factory recipes to be found.

I'm looking to see what you guys with stock factory guns are doing and having success with. I know even factory guns are slightly different - but we should be close enough to spec that somone else's load should come very close to working for someone else with the same rifle.

Ok, I'll start off with mine. I just did a VERY lengthy load development session and I know I made it more complicated than it needed to be, but I was testing lots of powder, bullet and brass combos. I finally arrived on a couple of loads that seem to shoot really well out of my gun.

My setup:
SPS-Tactical 20", .308
Falcon 5.5-25 scope
HS Precision stock (from a 5R)
EGW 20MOA base, Burris XTR Low rings

Environmentals: 80-85F, 20% humidity, 4000 MSL, Density Alt ~6600, winds LGT/var

175 SMK
45.3 RE-15
Lapua Brass
Fed 210 primer
COAL 2.810
Avg MV 2608 (already corrected for Chrono 10 ft from muzzle)
ES 15, SD 6
5 shot group @ 100yds - .59"
5 Shot group @ 400yds - ~3/4 MOA

168 SMK
46.3 RE-15
Lapua Brass
Fed 210 primer
COAL 2.810
Avg MV 2669
ES 21, SD 9
5 shot group @ 100yds - .61"

168 AMAX
46.3 RE-15
Lapua Brass
Fed 210 primer
COAL 2.835
MV 2690
ES 24, SD 10.5
5 shot group @ 100yds - .76" (4 were < .47" with one called flyer, ugh that was me)

168 AMAX
45.8 RE-15
FC Brass
Fed 210 primer
COAL 2.810
MV 2735
ES 44, SD 12
5 shot group @ 300 yds - 2.09"

I've tried both the 178 AMAX and the 155 Palma's (2155) and have not had much luck w/ either so far.

I think I've got a good load for now using the RE-15, but eventually I want to work some loads up with IMR 4895, 4064 and TAC, since I have lots of both.

Who else has some good loads for a stock Rem 700 20"

 

[chazwise]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

i don't reload but i have good luck with hornady 168 tap. 3 shots in a dime at 100 yards.


sps tactical 308 with a b&c stock

 

[dustinlotz]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Here is my old load on my SPS Tact (it's gone now)

Brass all full sized and trimmed to spec (mixed brass between Federal, Remington, and Winchester)

44.0 gr Varget (I used IMR 4895 sometimes too with similar results)
2.820" OAL
Any primer (whatever I could get my hands on, Winchester, CCI, etc)
155 grain Lapua Scenars

I ran it through a chrono which spit out an average of 2835 fps which I thought was fast, but it did only take about 11 MOA to make hits at 565 yards.

Average groups were all sub MOA at 100 yards if I did my part. With that load, at 565 yards I could make hits regularly on a five inch target if I called the wind right.

 

[ccoker]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

new to me 700 LTR
44.5g of Varget
Lapua brass (new)
CCI BR primers
Sierra 165 GK BTSP

I am glad you posted this because I am interested in trying some 150g SSTs or Accubonds, but only if I can get the velocity about 2800, preferably 2900 as according to the #s I have crunched it's not going to be that much better than the 165s for a flat trajectory out to 400 yards with less wind drift

 

[ReaperDriver]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Forgot to mention in my OP that the virgin lapua brass was neck sized to .335 giving it .003 of neck tension. FC brass was sized with a .336 bushing and Win brass with a .332.

Also the 168s (both SMK and AMAX) seem to shoot slightly better in my gun at 100yds than the 175s. However, my ultimate goal was to have a load that will get me to 1K comfortably, so I'm concentrating on the 175s for now.

Anyone else have any good loads for the SPS/LTR family of 20" guns?

 

[lumberjack149]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

i have the sps tac that i bedded, put a trigger in, and im currently working up loads for.
-- 168 SMK, 43.5grs of Varget, consistantly shoots around 0.5" at 100yds and have shot a couple 3.5" groups at 500yds. Groups where not too sensitive to the load, between 43.5 and 44.5 all shot well so i picked 43.5 and stuck with it since im not trying to push these hard.
Chrono'd at 2,525fps
-- 155 LS, 45.5grs of Varget, shoots around 0.75" at hundred yards. This bullet was more picky on the load and anything above 45.5grs of Varget seem to open way up. Loaded them to mag length (tried loading them close to the lands and it just looked funny b/c of the long throat and shot bad).
Chrono'd at 2,675fps

with the 168SMK's i was shooting at 600yds the other day just fine (a lil over 1 MOA, wind was around 5mph with a few gusts) and then jumped back to 800yds for the first time and it was all i could do to keep the bullets on a 3'x3' sheet.
I then switched to the 155LS to see if they ran better at that distance, it was my first time past 100yds with them. I ended up putting all 5 rounds in my 12"x12" target, so it appears as if the 155’s are my new ticket.

 

[HOSTIL1]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

 

[ReaperDriver]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HOSTIL1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

</div></div>

ANy idea what that load is chrono'ing out at? During my ladder test, I ran 175SMK with 43.0 RL-15 with FC brass and only got about 2515fps. I've definitely found the 2500 fps range to be a really good accuracy node for this gun, but its too slow to get me out to 1K, which is what I'm trying to work up to.

 

[918v]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Why is the third group on the other side of the box?

 

[03psd]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

LTR 42.8gr IMR4064 168gr SMK Federal Brass CCI200 Primers 2.905 COAL = .5 MOA

 

[bdh308]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

SPS-V w/ Choate Tac stock 20"bull Burris XTR 3-12x50 Harris bipod
trigger set at 2.5 lbs.
Neck size only

168amax
cci200
43.3 gr RE15
lapua brass trimmed to 2.05
OAL-2.820 mag length
.337 at 100yd all day
Very slow but accurate
Quickload is in the 2550 to 2575 range I believe. Dont quote me on that.

168amax
cci200
Hornady match brass trimmed to 2.05
47gr Varget
OAL-2.820
.333 at 100yd
Fast and accurate. Will reach out to a grand. Dont have a chrono but had a quickload sent to me and its roughly in the 2700s and all you need 2650 or more to get to a grand. The 175 will stablize and cut the wind better than a 168 but the 168 is managable.

 

[HOSTIL1]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 918v</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why is the third group on the other side of the box? </div></div>

First trip to the range with a new scope. Made a small windage adjustment for the last group.

 

[Heshin]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR

Setup:
Rem. 700 SPS Tactical
EGW 20 MOA Base
Burris Extreme Rings
B&C Light Tactical Stock
Millet TRS-1 Scope

Load:
175 SMK
44.7 Varget
Winchester Brass
CCI #34 Primers
COAL 2.810
2605 FPS average
Best 100yd 5 shot group 0.354

 

[ReaperDriver]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR

Thanks everyone for contributing. I see some are going with COALs of around 2.82 or so. I haven't maesured my distance to the lands yet, but I figured a factory Rem chamber would be pretty long. Are you guys loading to 2.82 or longer see better accuracy than loading to the standard 2.810-2.815?

And keep the loads coming for the 20-inchers.....

 

[Exhaust3]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

I've shot this load for the past 3 years w/ my 308.

175 SMK
44.0gr. Varget
Federal brass (preped of course!)
Fed 210M primer (I've even had good luck w/ CCI-200's)
2.825" OAL

I've found that if you can't get this load to shoot, it's not the load!

 

[okiefired]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Factory LTR, B&C tact stock unbeded, 45.0 Varget, FGMM brass, 210M's or BR2's, 178 A-Max's, 2.810 OAL, makes sub MOA easy.

okie

PS, Your right, factory chamber is LOOOONG and I refuse to single load.

 

[bdh308]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Ive tried goin to the lands with not much accuracy increase at all in these rifles. Mag length is good enough with a little more Velocity Pressure added. The longer you seat the more powder you will use. In some rifles it is needed but in these when you can get a 1/4 inch accuracy out of factory barrel loaded to mag length...I ask...Why rack your brain anymore or load like the mad scientists to find that one load that goes threw the same hole everytime? The guys that do that are truly blessed with talent not of loading there ammo but shooting there rifle to perfection.

 

[ccoker]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

I hear ya.. my first loads at 2.80 COAL were very accurate, 3rd powder charge test and 5 shots covered with a dime

I am done

 

[scott123456789]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

tagged.

 

[Rlbol]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Tag

 

[Aimsmall55]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

168 smk 46.0 varget. Lapua brass. Rem 9 1/2 lr primer. 2.845". 2675 with a 1/2 moa. 168 amax. 45.0 varget. Lapua. ". 2.875 oal. 2630 fps. Best groups. 1/4 moa at 100. I always tell people that's the best 580$ I ever spent on my spst

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

I have the standard tactical, replaced the stock to a B&C, skim bed the action to it myself and replaced the firing pin with a PTG model and swapped the trigger to a timney.

Target
175 smk @ 2.825
Varget @ 44.5gr
winchester case and primer
= 2550 fps and shoots very well.

180 smk @ 2.825
varget @ 44.4gr
winchester case and primer
= 2535 and you wouldn't beleive the size of the 5 shot groups at 100y if I told you. I'll just say it rivials my best custom barreled action groups.

Hunting
168 berger vld @ 2.815
varget @ 45.8gr
Winchester case and primer
=2630 fps and almost shoots as tight as the above 175gr load and a proven mule deer killer.

 

[jagged77]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

SPS Tac

168 SMK
43 grains VV N140
2490 fps
2.82" COAL
Lap Brass
CCI 200's
very slow but half MOA out to 200 yards

175 SMK
44.5 gr N150
2550 fps
2.82" COAL
1000 yard capable

 

[Aimsmall55]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

168 smk 46.0 varget. Lapua brass. Rem 9 1/2 lr primer. 2.845". 2675 with a 1/2 moa. 168 amax. 45.0 varget. Lapua. ". 2.875 oal. 2630 fps. Best groups. 1/4 moa at 100. I always tell people that's the best 580$ I ever spent on my spst

 

[K_4c]

Re: Post your best loads specific to SPS-T and LTR 20"

Sps tac cut to 18"


Powder: CFE223
Gr weight: 45.3 gr
Bullet: 168 smk
Primer:cci 200
Brass: Lupua/2.008"
2.800" col
2580 fps


Solid moa load