150gn .308 loads

[nralifer]

Interesting. That leverevolution is a real sleeper of a powder. I think a lot of folks don't see past the marketing and think it's "for leverguns - 30-30 only" type of thing.

But it shows a lot of promise in my 243 (old savage 99) with hbn treated Barnes X 75 grain (the real old ones from the late 90s or early 2000s with no relief grooves)

Hit 3500 fps out of a 22 inch barrel no pressure signs or issues.

However, @Gingerman has warned of his own experience with it going from 0-60 really fast in the pressure spike department so gonna back off a little and play it safe with this one, especially as I don't know how temp affected it is - what's fine in March is not in July sometimes.

In your experience, is it temp sensitive?

I know it's a progressive burn rate double base like superformance, rl17, rl26….

These powders can definitely allow greater velocity without exceeding max psi. But when you cross the line it can be more disastrous so I'm after information haha.


Also…HOLY SMOKES YOU AINT KIDDING about the similarity to CFE223. Makes me wonder if they're almost the same **** thing. I hope not, cfe 223 has proven spikey and pretty darn temp sensitive.

But point of reference for everyone to back up what @nralifer isnsaying about leverevolution and cfe223 data being interchangeable…I had a hard time believing that and thought it was probably dangerous advise at first.

Then I reviewed my data from last Saturday.

With that 75 hbn Barnes x in that 243….couldn't believe it.

40 grains of cfe223 was 3093 fps.
40 grains of leverevolution was 3090

Come to think of it I don't know that I've ever seen two differently marketed powders be this identical. Heck shot to shot deviation is more than 3 fps haha.

Ima email hodgdon about this…I have some
Suspicions now

As far as LVR being temp stable, it is somewhat temp stable in my experience. Others have noted the same, but it would be foolhardy to take max loads into high ambient temps. To be safe load to a speed 75-100 fps below a load that starts to show pressure signs.

With regard to its similarity to CFE223 its listed as being slower burning and in my experience is a cleaner burning powder. I had trouble with CFE223 soiling my rifle's free bore quickly. That's why I went to LVR which has proven to be excellent.

 

[mkk]

I haven't shot a lot of 150 grain pills in my 308 but the ones I have seen the best groups with have been the 150 Badlands and the 150 Hammer bullets.

I do plan to try the 155 Scenar for a cup/core option. I've heard good reports for on game performance from them.

I've' got some Lapua brass ready for those VLDs!!!

 

[VinceMule]

44g of R#15 with a 150g Hornady BTSP, win primer works very well in a variety of our Rem 700 308s and shoots a bug hole when you get the seating depth tuned. We use about the same load with a Berger 155g VLD Hunting bullet. Length of freebore in 308s, even Rem 700s can vary greatly, best to start off a tad lower and work up. Some of those long free bores can difficult to deal with till you go to a Sierra 165-168g that is very jump-tolerant.

 

[mkk]

I can get away with COAL 2.840, I'll see how close that puts me to the lands. Planning on trying Varget first

 

[K.E.C.]

Hornady 150gr. SST with RL- 15, 46.6gr.
Fed-210 Peterson brass 2.810 oal.
SST is a very easy bullet to tune and the Bc.415 .

 

[VinceMule]

I don't think that we are that near the lands on the 150g Horanady btsp, not a hard bullet for us to tune.

If you get a chance to try the 150g Hornady Sp flat base try it, as this bullet acts like a partition. Also, some barrels prefer a flat base over a boat tail. I get better penetration with the flat base on quartering shots, I can only guess that the core is locked in better to the base of the bullet.

 

[K.E.C.]

Another good one is Sierra 150 Spitzer,
It's a flat base #2130. I've used this bullet
for years to break in barrels, used to get them for around 16. to 20.00 a box of 100. And they are very accurate out to 500yds.

 

[mkk]

Question for those of you that are using RL15. Does it give you any temp sensitivity issues? I have Varget, IMR 4895, and RL15 available

 

[DoneNOut]

Interesting. That leverevolution is a real sleeper of a powder. I think a lot of folks don't see past the marketing and think it's "for leverguns - 30-30 only" type of thing.

But it shows a lot of promise in my 243 (old savage 99) with hbn treated Barnes X 75 grain (the real old ones from the late 90s or early 2000s with no relief grooves)

Hit 3500 fps out of a 22 inch barrel no pressure signs or issues.

However, @Gingerman has warned of his own experience with it going from 0-60 really fast in the pressure spike department so gonna back off a little and play it safe with this one, especially as I don't know how temp affected it is - what's fine in March is not in July sometimes.

In your experience, is it temp sensitive?

I know it's a progressive burn rate double base like superformance, rl17, rl26….

These powders can definitely allow greater velocity without exceeding max psi. But when you cross the line it can be more disastrous so I'm after information haha.


Also…HOLY SMOKES YOU AINT KIDDING about the similarity to CFE223. Makes me wonder if they're almost the same **** thing. I hope not, cfe 223 has proven spikey and pretty darn temp sensitive.

But point of reference for everyone to back up what @nralifer isnsaying about leverevolution and cfe223 data being interchangeable…I had a hard time believing that and thought it was probably dangerous advise at first.

Then I reviewed my data from last Saturday.

With that 75 hbn Barnes x in that 243….couldn't believe it.

40 grains of cfe223 was 3093 fps.
40 grains of leverevolution was 3090

Come to think of it I don't know that I've ever seen two differently marketed powders be this identical. Heck shot to shot deviation is more than 3 fps haha.

Ima email hodgdon about this…I have some
Suspicions now

It would have helped in my over pressure situation if I were to have loaded the intended 46gr and not the 48gr I did in the 243AI.

308 with bigger hole of the case neck would fare better with Lever. This isn't the first time I've read Lever and CFE223 being similar. I also don't know if two powders that produce the exact same velocity are also producing same pressure to get to that that similar velocity.

 

[Calvin45]

I've' got some Lapua brass ready for those VLDs!!!

It would have helped in my over pressure situation if I were to have loaded the intended 46gr and not the 48gr I did in the 243AI.

308 with bigger hole of the case neck would fare better with Lever. This isn't the first time I've read Lever and CFE223 being similar. I also don't know if two powders that produce the exact same velocity are also producing same pressure to get to that that similar velocity.

What bullet weight in the 243 ai

 

[DoneNOut]

What bullet weight in the 243 ai

115 VLD Target

 

[SamuelBerryhill308]

For game I recommend th 152 shock hammers and varget or 150 or 152 hammer hunters with cfe 223.also 150 ttsx and varget that was what I used before switching to hammers.

 

[Calvin45]

115 VLD Target

Well good Lord BFD!!!!

My .243 ain't ai but that alone wouldn't make this much difference. Im hitting pressure if I exceed 45 grains with a 75 grain bullet

 

[DoneNOut]

Well good Lord BFD!!!!

My .243 ain't ai but that alone wouldn't make this much difference. Im hitting pressure if I exceed 45 grains with a 75 grain bullet

I think most of my problem was operator error, but I must blame the powder!