RFtinkerer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2011
- Messages
- 61
A little preface, I've been somewhat giddy in being successful at hitting 1000 m targets with my 0.308 and 178 BTHP Superformance ammo this past month. But where I shoot, the wind is switchy and *****y and I would like to reload anyway to save money, so I've been looking into WHAT to load. Mainly, what has the least wind drift.
So I whipped out Applied Ballistics and performed some test cases with the ASSUMPTION I can generate equivalent bullet energy to a 175 SMK load at 2650 fps, pretty standard. I soon came to a conclusion, as no doubt many of you have, that the highest BC load is best (focusing at 1000 m) even with higher weight, and in fact the 230 MHT bullets from Berger look mighty good, at least on paper. Even though the muzzle velocity is quite a bit lower (2311 vs. 2650), the retained velocity is higher (1313 vs. 1101), and the retained energy of course is close to double. As a bonus, the wind drift with a 10 mph cross is a full mil less. Brilliant! My rifle twist is 1:10, so I should be able to stabilize them well.
But as I search, I see the only ones really loading these 230 MHTs are people with 300 RUMs or some such. I...have a 308. My question then is:
1) Am I making the right assumption that I can load to equivalent energies with the 230 MHTs? Will I be killing my case capacity with these long bullets?
2) Should I get the 230 OTMs instead to fit in my DBM? They're only a little worse and say they can fit better.
I know recoil is worse, 11.5 ft lbs vs. 9.5 ft lbs in my rifle, but I think I can handle it. I had problems with 20 ft lbs, not being able to watch my impacts, but 11.5 is still much lower.
So I whipped out Applied Ballistics and performed some test cases with the ASSUMPTION I can generate equivalent bullet energy to a 175 SMK load at 2650 fps, pretty standard. I soon came to a conclusion, as no doubt many of you have, that the highest BC load is best (focusing at 1000 m) even with higher weight, and in fact the 230 MHT bullets from Berger look mighty good, at least on paper. Even though the muzzle velocity is quite a bit lower (2311 vs. 2650), the retained velocity is higher (1313 vs. 1101), and the retained energy of course is close to double. As a bonus, the wind drift with a 10 mph cross is a full mil less. Brilliant! My rifle twist is 1:10, so I should be able to stabilize them well.
But as I search, I see the only ones really loading these 230 MHTs are people with 300 RUMs or some such. I...have a 308. My question then is:
1) Am I making the right assumption that I can load to equivalent energies with the 230 MHTs? Will I be killing my case capacity with these long bullets?
2) Should I get the 230 OTMs instead to fit in my DBM? They're only a little worse and say they can fit better.
I know recoil is worse, 11.5 ft lbs vs. 9.5 ft lbs in my rifle, but I think I can handle it. I had problems with 20 ft lbs, not being able to watch my impacts, but 11.5 is still much lower.