Anyone here besides me try it? I've read the 208g AMAX thread, the 6mmBR forum article on RL17, and I've looked at Alliant's very limited data, as well as Federal's limited data; there is nothing for the 175 that I can find.
About a month ago I tried a preliminary OCW test with it to see what they would do with the 175s. A month or so before that I tried them with the 210g SMK (where did all the 208 AMAXs go?) with inconclusive results. This is what I used:
20" barreled LR308 gas gun
175g SMK
Winchester case, new
CCI BR2 primer
2.285" OAL ogive
Looking between Montana Marine's data for the 208s and Alliants data for the 180s, I started at 46.5 grains and worked up to 48.9 with no pressure signs. I used a 4" drop tube and loaded them as long as the C-Products magazines would allow to keep any pressure in check. Here are my results:
46.5 - 2,422; 2,422; 2,491; ave 2,445
46.9 - 2,477; 2,484; 2,482; ave 2,481
47.3 - 2,498; 2,489; 2,549; ave 2,512
47.7 - 2,533; 2,549; 2,566; ave 2,549
48.1 - 2,543; 2,565; 2,597; ave 2,568
48.5 - 2,583; 2,635; 2,618; ave 2,612
48.9 - 2,618; 2,626; 2,616; ave 2,620
Temp was 50 degrees and sunny with no wind, about 50' ASL. Range 100 yards.
Jumping charges in .4 grain increments gives you a fairly large place to start looking, so now I have some loads to narrow it down between 47.8 and 48.4 in .2 grain increments.
Here's the rub though - I get over 2,600 fps from 45 grains of Varget, but that stuff is all over the place in accuracy and consistency from pound to pound. I thought all that had been worked out, but I've gotten a 185 fps difference from that load using all the same components, and sometimes it shoots little bugholes, and another day it will wreck brand new Winchester cases and shoot 1.5". I've used Reloder 15 a lot, and find that as my gun heats up, velocity goes through the roof, and my accuracy suffers. I just want something consistent.
The $65k question is: is it worth working up for more velocity? I really don't care about speed as much as I do about accuracy, but what I hear it seems that RL17 likes to be pushed pretty hard. The only reason I'm using it is because it seems very consistent, and that gives me hope.
MM is pushing 33 more grains with 50+ grains of powder. Federal lists a 180 grain bullet in a Federal case with 50 grains of RL17 loaded to 2.700"!! I don't know how they accomplished that; I get a little crunch loading 48 grains under the 175 if I don't use a drop tube, and that's at 2.865". I already have cases loaded, and I will try to shoot them tomorrow, but I'm letting curiosity get the best of me.
What say you?
About a month ago I tried a preliminary OCW test with it to see what they would do with the 175s. A month or so before that I tried them with the 210g SMK (where did all the 208 AMAXs go?) with inconclusive results. This is what I used:
20" barreled LR308 gas gun
175g SMK
Winchester case, new
CCI BR2 primer
2.285" OAL ogive
Looking between Montana Marine's data for the 208s and Alliants data for the 180s, I started at 46.5 grains and worked up to 48.9 with no pressure signs. I used a 4" drop tube and loaded them as long as the C-Products magazines would allow to keep any pressure in check. Here are my results:
46.5 - 2,422; 2,422; 2,491; ave 2,445
46.9 - 2,477; 2,484; 2,482; ave 2,481
47.3 - 2,498; 2,489; 2,549; ave 2,512
47.7 - 2,533; 2,549; 2,566; ave 2,549
48.1 - 2,543; 2,565; 2,597; ave 2,568
48.5 - 2,583; 2,635; 2,618; ave 2,612
48.9 - 2,618; 2,626; 2,616; ave 2,620
Temp was 50 degrees and sunny with no wind, about 50' ASL. Range 100 yards.
Jumping charges in .4 grain increments gives you a fairly large place to start looking, so now I have some loads to narrow it down between 47.8 and 48.4 in .2 grain increments.
Here's the rub though - I get over 2,600 fps from 45 grains of Varget, but that stuff is all over the place in accuracy and consistency from pound to pound. I thought all that had been worked out, but I've gotten a 185 fps difference from that load using all the same components, and sometimes it shoots little bugholes, and another day it will wreck brand new Winchester cases and shoot 1.5". I've used Reloder 15 a lot, and find that as my gun heats up, velocity goes through the roof, and my accuracy suffers. I just want something consistent.
The $65k question is: is it worth working up for more velocity? I really don't care about speed as much as I do about accuracy, but what I hear it seems that RL17 likes to be pushed pretty hard. The only reason I'm using it is because it seems very consistent, and that gives me hope.
MM is pushing 33 more grains with 50+ grains of powder. Federal lists a 180 grain bullet in a Federal case with 50 grains of RL17 loaded to 2.700"!! I don't know how they accomplished that; I get a little crunch loading 48 grains under the 175 if I don't use a drop tube, and that's at 2.865". I already have cases loaded, and I will try to shoot them tomorrow, but I'm letting curiosity get the best of me.
What say you?
