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Same powder and charge weight for different bullet weights?

Southwind

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Minuteman
Nov 9, 2009
61
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Wellington, KS
I have had and currently own several Savage model 10/12 .308 Win. My go to load for paper/hunting has always been 43 gr of IMR 4895 pushing both 150gr Nosler ballistic tips and 155gr A-Max. The POI's are a bit different, but both group extremely well on paper at 100yds. I have recently started shooting 168 SMK's with Varget powder as now I have access to a range where I can set out steel from 500-800yds. I found the node at 44gr of Varget with the SMK. 3 shot group was right around .25". Just for grins I worked up the 4895 for the smk and 43 grains was the sweet spot with that bullet too and the group was right around .25" as well.

I know the charge is not pushing the 150's very fast at all compared to all of guys shooting 155's in the F class matches, but my question is it very common for the same powder charge to accurately group different brands and grains of bullets?

thx, Steve
 
No not usually common from my experience anyways.
Also be careful using a heavier bullet w/a charge for a lighter bullets can be dangerous. Typically the heavier bullet takes a smaller charge so keep an eye out for pressure signs & stay safe.
 
Thanks for the heads up, but there shouldn't be anything dangerous about this load. With the 150's, the 43gr of powder is at the starting point and with the 168's it is still half way between starting point and max. I started at the min and worked my way up with both loads. I just thought it to be very odd too that the 43gr charge would be the most accurate for all three types of bullets.

I don't have a chrono, so I can't tell how wide of variation the velocities are in among the different bullets.
 
Thanks for the heads up, but there shouldn't be anything dangerous about this load. With the 150's, the 43gr of powder is at the starting point and with the 168's it is still half way between starting point and max. I started at the min and worked my way up with both loads. I just thought it to be very odd too that the 43gr charge would be the most accurate for all three types of bullets.

I don't have a chrono, so I can't tell how wide of variation the velocities are in among the different bullets.

I agree that your load is not at or near the danger zone. I was just throwing the info out just in case you didn't know that's all.
I still say chances of 2or more rounds of different bullets liking the same load is unusual at least from my experience.