Why aren't I seeing more/earlier pressure signs?

Jeffpatton00

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Aug 29, 2016
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Location
King County, WA
I'm doing a load workup for my Savage 10 in 6.5 Creedmoor, and I've far exceeded the maximum recommended load while trying to see where I hit pressure signs.

Hogdon recommends 38.8 - 41.5 grains of H4350 for SMK 142 gr HPBT. I had previously done a workup up to 42.5 gr without seeing signs so I did another from 41 - 43.4 in .3gr increments.

I started to see flat primers beginning at about 42.2, and saw a small shiny spot one one brass at 43.4, although in the photo it looks like a dark wedge between the O and the R. There's also a small nick in the edge of the base by the H.

I'd have expected to see more obvious signs in the primer or the brass much earlier so I'm perplexed, I'm not sure what I should be seeing, or at what point in the series.
 

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I know there will be replies saying the lawyers make manufacturers set the upper limit at a conservative level, but my last load at 43.4 seems higher than I would expect above the published 41.5gr maximum load. Do others see pressure signs closer to the published maximum load, or is my experience somewhat typical? And would it make sense for me to take it further to try to find where more pronounced pressure signs become visible? I'm trying to avoid the old "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" routine.
 
if you have already seen slight pressure signs i would stop there and figure out what it likes. i would do the scott satterly ladder test up to where you see pressure and find your node then you can load them from there.
im sire i could load hotter in mine but it shoots one hole where it is.
 
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