30-06 - am I too fast?

[tlk]

Loaded by brass with 58.4 gr of h4350, hitting 2996 fps avg. Groups are very good at this point. No pressure signs at all, and everything seems to come together for the rife right there. I have talked to a couple of guys that are bench shooters and they get these huge eyes when they see the data, and say that is very fast for this caliber.

What gives? Is there something here I dont know that I should?

[dskd]

what bullet ?

[Kevin Thomas]

I'm hoping that's a 110, or a 125 at most????? You may reach this with a 150, but that'll be pushing it a bit in most guns. Have you checked your chronograph? Could be a screen spacing issue.

Kevin Thomas
Lapua USA

[tlk]

Here are the load specs:

58.4 gr H4350
165 gr SGK
CCI large rifle primer
Lapua brass

No sticky bolt, no primer cratering, nothing. Kicks like a freaking mule though (and I have been kicked by a mule).

I will check the chrony and use another one to verify the data.

[Kevin Thomas]

TLK

A quick check of the Sierra Manual (5th edition) shows you to be about 4.0 grains over their listed max. You're about .5 grain over Hornady's max, but that is a different bullet, of course. Hard to say without actually seeing the brass, but I'd be inclined to back this down a bit. At the very least, it'll cut that recoil back a tad. Just watch your pressure signs, and adjust accordingly.

Hope this helps,

Kevin Thomas
Lapua USA

[tlk]

Kevin, will do.

This all came about from doing some load testing. At the 58.0 grain max I am still at 2983 fps avg. , so the speed delta is not that big. HOWEVER - the ES was the issue: At 58.4 I got 6 fps ES!! At 58.0 I got 18.3. Both got fairly good groups, around a half inch. All the way to this load we were watching for pressure signs - nothing.

I will jack it down to the next best of 58.0. Stil will re-chrony it.

[RockyMtnMT]

Out of curiosity, what are the rifle specs?

Steve