Just loaded up 21 rounds to test with Varget from 47-50gr. Looking to develop a GP hunting load to cover large predator (non-reg game species) and deer for PAC NW & AK. Varget is pretty fluffy with a 106% load density @ 52.0 gr but with a semiauto, I don’t think I will be going that high.
I tried some, with BL-C(2), Win 748, and H335. I didn’t get the groupings I wanted, so I’m looking back towards the 168gr TSX.
Remember that Barnes bullets require a clean, copper-free barrel or you will never find a load that works well.
I’ve not found that to be overly true with any of Barnes’ bullets compared to anything else. I have good loads in .30-06 and 5.56, and have had previous good results with 150gr, and 168gr TSX in .308.
Started @ 47.0 grains up to 50 in 1/2gr increments. Groups started tightening up at 48 and 48.5 and 49 looked promising. Gonna try 5 each @ 48.5 48.8 and 49.1 in the next few days and I’ll post the results.
Got out this past weekend for alittle fun in the sun. All brass fl sized to SAAMI +.005 with .004 neck tension. Federal LR primers.
48.5 resulted in a 2.5" group, 48.8 - 1.75 and 49.1 - 4 in .75 and one flyer opening it up to 2.25. Chrony results were all over the board, went to verify the chrony with some subsonic 22lr and came up with 1180. Time to send it in. The interest part was that each group had the flyer at about 10 oclock opening each group up. I didn’t have a spotting scope with me to determine if it was the first round manually loaded off the mag. When i worked up my 168 Amax load, they all landed in the same group. Going to verify 49., and try 49.2 and 49.5 again. Will post the results