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- May 2, 2001
- Messages
- 7,485
Does anyone have a good load for Sierra 175 MK's? My rifle loves M852, shoots it in one hole most of the time. I found a good replacement handload for it with 168 MK's. Tried 175's & my rifle either hates them or I'm missing something. I shot them over 43.0 grs of Win 748 & was lucky to hold an inch at 100 yds. Went to 44.0 grs (my load behind 168's) and got a tight bolt. Only fired one of those, so don't know about the group.
I'm using military LC Match (M852) brass and Win primers. Anyone got any loads that work? Thanks!
posted April 14, 2001 07:33 AM
IanM
Member
From: Canada
Registered: April 13, 2001
Posts: 13
175 MK loads
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary,
Work up to 44 grains of Varget or 42 grains of IMR-4064. O.L. should be as long as your magazine will allow, we are shooting very good groups at 2.830" OAL (factory loads are usually closer to 2.800"). Start a couple of grains below and work up to these loads, every rifle makes its own rules. I also use the Varget load with 168 grain Hornady A-Max and the Nosler 168 J4 Match bullets but we go up to 46 grains. That is in our rifles, yours might prefer a little less or a little more.
Did you know that Barnes is introducing a very accurate 168 grain HPBT "X" bullet. We shot it last week, it performed well out to 1000 yards. Also Swift is shipping the new Scirocco 165 grain bullet and is about ready with their new 150 grain Scirocco - they are very nice looking projectiles.
ian
posted April 15, 2001 11:37 AM
Chris Jamison
New Member
From: Memphis, TN, USA
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 3
175MK Loads
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary -
That load I was telling you about the other day at the club that shoots so well in my rifle is:
LC 93 Match Brass
175 MK (moly)
43.0 gr AA2520
Fed210M Primer
Seated to Federal GM Match 175 gr. OAL
If you need some AA2520, Let me know-- I have about 3# left. Good Luck! Chris
posted April 15, 2001 10:16 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
Ian-
I put together some of the loads with Varget today (41, 42, 43, and 44 grs). I'll try them out tomorrow. I've got some IMR 4064 here as well, I'll try it next.
Chris-
If these don't work, I'll be getting in touch with you. You saw the results last time!
If I can't get it going, I'll go back to my 168's. May be having a fire-sale on about 475 out of a 500 round box.
posted April 17, 2001 04:21 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
Well, shot the Varget loads at 100 yards yesterday. MUCH better. At 42.0 grs, it shoots 5 shots into the .4"s (best being .408" for 5 shots), 43.0 grs goes just over .5" (best of .501"). (41.0 grs & 44.0 grs had nice size to the groups, but not as "round" or consistent).
I feel a lot better. Guess the rifle just didn't like the 175's & Win 748 AT ALL.
Thanks for the info Ian!
posted April 20, 2001 11:38 AM
IanM
Member
From: Canada
Registered: April 13, 2001
Posts: 13
175 come-ups
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary,
Here are some come-ups for the 175 out to 1100 yards, I'll start at 800 since you said you are good to 750. Just shot these a couple of weeks ago, using Black Hills and Fed. Gold Medal.
800 24 minutes
900 31 minutes
1000 38 minutes
1100 44 minutes
These should get you close.
Glad that your rifle likes Varget, I would play a bit with O.L. now that you have your powder charge.
posted April 20, 2001 12:01 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
Thanks Ian!
My rifle was cut with a reamer specifically for M852 Match military stuff. (I'm a military/National Guard shooter). I don't have a lot of leeway with OAL. I seated the 175's .010" longer than the M852 (168 MK's), which has me just off of the lands. I'm probably looking at a range of forward .002" (to stay safely off the lands) to deeper by maybe .015" (.005" deeper than "factory"), that's it. Any deeper & I'm pushing that 175 back in the case too far.
(The rifle was built with the primary intent of shooting M852 Match well, as we are restricted to military issue stuff in matches. But, I want to get a good 175 MK load for my own play time).
posted April 20, 2001 08:09 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
BTW, the above figures are comparator (ogive) length, not OAL.
posted April 20, 2001 08:11 PM
IanM
Member
From: Canada
Registered: April 13, 2001
Posts: 13
Gary,
My armourer buddy does a neat trick that makes finding correct overall length easy. When you buy a barrel there is always a piece cut off one end - as a matter of fact there is usually a hacksaw cut on one end to force the gunsmith to lop that end off - has something to do with lapping.
Anyhow, he runs the chambering reamer into the little 2-4 inch piece of barrel, depth is not too important say half the length of the case. I can then determine my O.L. using the little guage rather than sticking loads into the rifle chamber. Essentially he makes a shortened "chamber" that has the same dimensions as my rifle chamber.
I simply squeeze a case slightly out of round, insert a bullet and push it into the guage. Twist it slightly to break the bullet loose from the throat and measure up the O.L. They throw away the little barrel stub otherwise. When you get a barrel job ask if the smith will make a guage, it is simple and works - until your throat or lead elongates.
posted April 20, 2001 10:12 PM
I'm using military LC Match (M852) brass and Win primers. Anyone got any loads that work? Thanks!
posted April 14, 2001 07:33 AM
IanM
Member
From: Canada
Registered: April 13, 2001
Posts: 13
175 MK loads
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary,
Work up to 44 grains of Varget or 42 grains of IMR-4064. O.L. should be as long as your magazine will allow, we are shooting very good groups at 2.830" OAL (factory loads are usually closer to 2.800"). Start a couple of grains below and work up to these loads, every rifle makes its own rules. I also use the Varget load with 168 grain Hornady A-Max and the Nosler 168 J4 Match bullets but we go up to 46 grains. That is in our rifles, yours might prefer a little less or a little more.
Did you know that Barnes is introducing a very accurate 168 grain HPBT "X" bullet. We shot it last week, it performed well out to 1000 yards. Also Swift is shipping the new Scirocco 165 grain bullet and is about ready with their new 150 grain Scirocco - they are very nice looking projectiles.
ian
posted April 15, 2001 11:37 AM
Chris Jamison
New Member
From: Memphis, TN, USA
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 3
175MK Loads
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary -
That load I was telling you about the other day at the club that shoots so well in my rifle is:
LC 93 Match Brass
175 MK (moly)
43.0 gr AA2520
Fed210M Primer
Seated to Federal GM Match 175 gr. OAL
If you need some AA2520, Let me know-- I have about 3# left. Good Luck! Chris
posted April 15, 2001 10:16 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
Ian-
I put together some of the loads with Varget today (41, 42, 43, and 44 grs). I'll try them out tomorrow. I've got some IMR 4064 here as well, I'll try it next.
Chris-
If these don't work, I'll be getting in touch with you. You saw the results last time!
If I can't get it going, I'll go back to my 168's. May be having a fire-sale on about 475 out of a 500 round box.
posted April 17, 2001 04:21 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
Well, shot the Varget loads at 100 yards yesterday. MUCH better. At 42.0 grs, it shoots 5 shots into the .4"s (best being .408" for 5 shots), 43.0 grs goes just over .5" (best of .501"). (41.0 grs & 44.0 grs had nice size to the groups, but not as "round" or consistent).
I feel a lot better. Guess the rifle just didn't like the 175's & Win 748 AT ALL.
Thanks for the info Ian!
posted April 20, 2001 11:38 AM
IanM
Member
From: Canada
Registered: April 13, 2001
Posts: 13
175 come-ups
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary,
Here are some come-ups for the 175 out to 1100 yards, I'll start at 800 since you said you are good to 750. Just shot these a couple of weeks ago, using Black Hills and Fed. Gold Medal.
800 24 minutes
900 31 minutes
1000 38 minutes
1100 44 minutes
These should get you close.
Glad that your rifle likes Varget, I would play a bit with O.L. now that you have your powder charge.
posted April 20, 2001 12:01 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
Thanks Ian!
My rifle was cut with a reamer specifically for M852 Match military stuff. (I'm a military/National Guard shooter). I don't have a lot of leeway with OAL. I seated the 175's .010" longer than the M852 (168 MK's), which has me just off of the lands. I'm probably looking at a range of forward .002" (to stay safely off the lands) to deeper by maybe .015" (.005" deeper than "factory"), that's it. Any deeper & I'm pushing that 175 back in the case too far.
(The rifle was built with the primary intent of shooting M852 Match well, as we are restricted to military issue stuff in matches. But, I want to get a good 175 MK load for my own play time).
posted April 20, 2001 08:09 PM
Gary Rihn
Member
From: TN
Registered: April 14, 2001
Posts: 17
BTW, the above figures are comparator (ogive) length, not OAL.
posted April 20, 2001 08:11 PM
IanM
Member
From: Canada
Registered: April 13, 2001
Posts: 13
Gary,
My armourer buddy does a neat trick that makes finding correct overall length easy. When you buy a barrel there is always a piece cut off one end - as a matter of fact there is usually a hacksaw cut on one end to force the gunsmith to lop that end off - has something to do with lapping.
Anyhow, he runs the chambering reamer into the little 2-4 inch piece of barrel, depth is not too important say half the length of the case. I can then determine my O.L. using the little guage rather than sticking loads into the rifle chamber. Essentially he makes a shortened "chamber" that has the same dimensions as my rifle chamber.
I simply squeeze a case slightly out of round, insert a bullet and push it into the guage. Twist it slightly to break the bullet loose from the throat and measure up the O.L. They throw away the little barrel stub otherwise. When you get a barrel job ask if the smith will make a guage, it is simple and works - until your throat or lead elongates.
posted April 20, 2001 10:12 PM
