curious what you’re getting.
i’m near max load, which is supposed to be 2900+ and my chrono today showed 2500 average, which is less than the starting load is supposed to give.
granted, i’m sure the manual wasn’t testing with a 16" barrel, but still, i think i’m getting shorted at least 200 fps
Most tests are used with a 24" barrel, so it’s very feasible that you are 200FPS slower compared to a barrel 8" longer.
That said, you should tell us what powder, primers and seating depth you’re using. I’m getting a little over 2400FPS with Hornady 75gr OTMs out of my 10.5" so you should be able to speed yours up with the right combo.
I chronographed two 75 grain Hornady loads last weekend. Both with 23.6 grains Varget, but different primers, using a 16" Noveske N4 Light. 10 shots each.
Using Fed 205 primers that have been on my top shelf for ~10 - 15 years they averaged 2,412 fps with a very low SD.
Same load using new Rem 7 1/2s averaged 2,466 fps. SD was so-so, but this load performed well at 400 meters on a 12" plate and showed good potential at 500M.
I’ve since bumped the load it a little and loaded enough to test, but have not tried them yet. (Max load per the Hornday manual using a 20" Colt barrel is 23.5 gr Varget at 2,600 fps.)
It depends on the brass capacity, but the Hornady manual seems a little conservative. I have run 25 grains of Varget under the 75 gr. Hornady and clocked 2590-2617 ft/sec. This was listed as maximum in that particular reloading manual. I have since reduced the charge weight to 24 grs. because the 75 gr. Hornady was compressing the powder too much for my liking. I haven’t chronoed it yet, but I expect mid 2500 ft/sec. velocity from a 16 inch Colt.
What about RL 15? Manuals indicate it pushes the Hornady 75 about 100 fps faster. For my purposes a 100 fps gain would be a good thing if the accuracy stays good.
my exact load is 24.8g of Accurate Data Powder 74 and I’m using the 75g bulk bullets that wideners.com sells. cci 400 primers, and 4x fired RP headstamp brass. Seated barely to magazine length for PMAGs
I’m using the DP74 http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/Data%20Powder%2074.pdf
because i bought a ton of it around $69/8lb a few years back, and being a ball powder, it meters great.
my purpose is finding a load i can make thousands of cheaply, and accurate enough to reliably hit 10" steel plate at 600 yrds from a carbine. something like a DMR load.
Considering the pills are about 10 cents each, powder is 3 cents, primers are 1.5 cents, and i only missed steel once today out of 27 rnds, I’m happy with a 15 cent round.
for today, i actually bumped the load to 25.2 grains, which is the listed max, but i didn’t chrono today.
thanks for the replies all. glad to know it’s not just me.
Most accurate load I found with 75gr Hornady OTMs and Varget was 24.0gr of powder. Any more and the groups opened up. I didn’t chrono it, wish I had. I wouldn’t expect it to break 2500fps out of a 16" barrel though.
My 16" shoots H4895 the fastest. RL 15 was the most accurate, but not by much.
Data is - MAX - from the 7th Hornady. WCC brass, CCI400, 2.250"
16" DPMS 1:9 non-chrome.
23.3gr H4895 2580 fps 22sd
24.1gr RL15 2520fps 15sd
23.5gr Varget 2490fps 19sd
My 14.5" Noveske 1:7
23.3 H4895 2514fps
24.1 RL15 2366fps
23.5 Varget 2422 fps
disclaimer: If you try any of these loads, there’s a good chance you’ll blow up your gun and etc., etc., etc.
Anyone trying w748, BLC2, or WC846 with 75/77 grain bullets? I have a bunch of WC846 (and 844 for lighter weights of bullets) and am loading up 55 grain now but want to load up a bunch of 875 grain wideners bulk (PRVI) and some Sierra 77 SMK/cannelure as well.
I have data from my 20" with BL-C(2)
BL-C(2) 75gr Hornady BTHP 25.2gr COL 2.250" LC brass CCI400 Ave 2758 High 2795 Low 2737 ES 58 SD 20
It was about 100fps faster than H4895 but it shot so poorly that I didn’t even try it in my 16" or 14.5" guns. I would assume it would be ~100fps in the shorter guns too. It was 2.5"+ groups at 100 yards when the other powders were around 1", which is pretty good for this gun.
I’ve loaded up to 68gr with W748 but haven’t gone heavier.
I think it’s nuttier than squirrel turds trying to get 2,700+ fps out of a 16" barrel and 75gr or heavier bullets.
Interesting that your 16" Bbl RL15 load only ran 30 fps faster compared to the Varget load (both at max load per the Hornady manual). Thanks for the heads up.The Hornady Manual recipes were using a 20" Colt barrel, so the RL15 may lose more as barrel length decreases?
I bumped my Varget/75gr Hornady OTM load load up to 24.1 grains today - this is 0.6 grains over book maximum - at least according to Hornady, so don’t try without “working-up”. I again tried two different primers and both averaged a little over 2,500 fps out of a 16" Noveske CL/Mid-Gas barrel.
The load using Rem 7 1/2 primers averaged 2,520 fps (and performed great at 500 Meters), despite a horrible SD. This may not be a good batch of primers.
The load using my old stock Fed205 primers averaged 2,508 fps and continues to have an excellent SD (12.7), but I only had enough to run over the chronograph.
I loaded some 77gr SMK’s with TAC.
18" Noveske 1/7 60 degrees averaged 2675fps
16" Colt 1/7 60 degrees averaged 2573fps
I ran these in a Kreiger 17" RECCE with a 1/8 twist and match chamber in 90 degrees averaged 2726fps.
TWR - mind sharing your load data on TAC?
As always work up…
Rem case
Fed205M primer
24 gr TAC
77 gr SMK
2.260" OAL
Very accurate, low SD.
Need to add, this is still under what Black Hills MK262 Mod 1 ammo is loaded to.
I have seen a report of over 2750fps in an 18" barrel in 30 degree temps from David Fortier. I worked this load up with the 17" Kreiger with a tight chamber and backed off at pressure signs. The same load showed no pressure signs in a Colt NATO chamber but keeping the ammo for all my guns I chose the safe load for all.
When Temps warm up I will start over since I no longer own the 17" Kreiger but I have 500 rounds loaded and ain’t pulling bullets, besides it’s accurate and plenty fast enough for now.
I would like to chrono some BH MK262 Mod1 or 0 ammo and see how close I can get.
TWR,
Have you tried TAC with the 75 gr Hornady BTHP? I just picked up a pound to try in my 16" Noveske N4. The Hornady manual does not show a TAC load for 75 grain bullets, but they list it for the 60 grain bullets. Max load for the Hornady 60s are noticeably less than shown for the same weight bullet in the Sierra manual.
No, I haven’t. Without knowing the bearing surface, you’ll just have to work up to see how they do.
I’d like to know what you find.
I have a feeling Vihtavuori powder might be the answer.
Will do.
I hope TAC works as well as the Varget from a long distance accuracy standpoint. I just had my first case of bridging with Varget, so something that meters better would be welcome.
If it doesn’t, then RL-15 or V.V. N-140 look to be good choices.
Agreed. I don’t think Mk262 even reaches that out of a 16".