308 win help

[Icantshoot]

I pulled out my rifle today and decided to try a new load. Well that load grouped poorly. I had a few of last years rounds in my stock shell holder and decided to shoot a group. This load is win cases ccimag primers 46.5 varget 150 sst 2.8 oal. this load shot LAST year very poorly, it is a load i devloped for my wife's gun. This time I shot a .400 5 shot group at the third they were all one hole so i shot 2 more to verify. ALL of the case necks split, and this is the best load i have shot so far in this gun rem 700 compact tact 20 in... the temp was 75 degrees so not a huge differance from last year when i shot this load.
What changed to make this load more accurate and split the necks???? any opinions would be appreciated. thanks. JRG

 

[Johnboy]

let me see.huuuuummm oh yeah CCI mag primers and 46.5 grains of varget.might have something to do with it.or just not annealing the cases necks when they need it.but other than that I cannot say.but again you say you cannot shoot wit your csall name so that just might have something to do with it LOL.do take that bad OK.just kidding really had to its your call name.

getting a really good group is something that just might be a fluke.or the powder and neck tension just worked out this one time.with the necks splitting the necks just ended up really hard.the load does seem hot to me.a coal of 2.800 150gn bullet magprimer top end charge just screems hot to me.but hey you can look at it this way don.t shoot it again.or maybe some one with a better mind will chime in soon.

 

[backwoods83]

I have used as much as 49grns of varget under 155 smk's at 2.845" with cci br2s and had absolutely no pressure signs. 46grns is a max charge of varget under a 180grn bullet at 2.800". And cci 250s are not much hotter than Fed GM210Ms. I started a thread the the other day about my pieced together 308 and my last test load was 178 hornady bthp match over 47grns varget at 2.904( .008") in the lands, that's still a compressed load and it was in win brass with br2 primers and it shot a 7 shot .271" group. Your load isn't hot, actually not hot enough, your brass was very brittle, either from to much sizing, or age and elements.

 

[Johnboy]

ok went back and checked a few things.yes your load was at a max.anything more was not said to use.but will add that the win bras should have given you just enough space to help out.and my data was with a 22 inch barrel not 20.even though the 2 inch difference it still could have been a HOT load for THAT rifel.one thing to remember here is that one rifel from another will not be the likes of another rifel.thats why we always say if out of my rifel be known to this,you should work up to this watching for signs.

now thats been said I still say it could have been to hot of a load for THAT RIFEL.but will even add as said before the brass was work hardened with the hot load or the nimber of loads on the brass.

backwoods you are stateing info with your rifel not his.and even though .045 isn't really a great deal.it still can be for the two different rifels.and yes know the max for a 175-180 grain bullet is 46gn's.but hes shooting a 20 barrel to a 24 inch in my 308.and I am gettin the same as you or close with signs.but the shorter barrels show different.

for me I do not shoot loads from one rifel to another with out testing by working up.its too close to danger for me.just like to be safe.heck for all we know the problem can be totally something else than said from the both of us.but really think its work hardened brass to be the blame.

didn't want to start a ****ing contest just said what I had to offer like the poster wanted.its site's like this one along with others why we ask and tell answers.and when can I offer what I can.jsut hope we both were able to help out.never want to put some one in danger or say some thing off range to add to a problem some one has.just want to offer help and get help.

 

[backwoods83]

Your right it may not be safe in his rifle, ii do not use the reloading manuals with IMR or hogdon powders normally, I tend to go straight to there load data web page and it shows that load maxing at 49grns compressed and still 2500psi under pressure, I'm not arguing because my speer manual says he's at max in a 22" barrel not that it matters, the freebore is what matter. But as stated work upto your personal max. Btw H4895 is a better powder for 150s in a 308, give it a try.

 

[Greyfox]

I have had necks split with Winchester brass in my 308.......it is thinner than Lapua, or Federal match brass. Because the case capacity was greater I backed off about a grain to get the same velocity with Lapua brass. I use 45.3 gr of Varget , 165 gr ballistic tips with Fed Match primers to get 2800 fps. Groups run .25-.5moa. No pressure signs.

 

[Icantshoot]

thanks for info fellas, i loaded some more today same everything except brand new brass. and everything workd good still not under half inch group,but decent. From my manual 47 grains is max but with 210m primers. so i feel pretty confident 46.5 is ok. i have no excessive pressure signs and today it was alot hotter. I really wanted to know why this load shot crappy last year and now it is vastly better after sitting 10 months. what changes???

 

[backwoods83]

The reason most likely is excessive neck tension because your brass got hard/brittle as hell, if you have some H4895 or RE15 they will give you more speed with the 150s and not hinder accuracy.

 

[Icantshoot]

How temp sensitive is rl15? where i hunt temps vary and elevation from 2000 to almost 7000, varget is so stable it never changes on me, i know h4895 is a "extreme" powder but have never used it, the shop never has it when i'm there.

 

[backwoods83]

RE15 isn't to bad, if you develope a load when its 30* and shoot it when its 95* you might flatten a primer.