Any hardcore long range reloaders?

[Kirkd]

I reload for long-range and I'm in Greenwood if you need help. Forget lake city brass. I have used Lapua and Winchester brass. Let me know if you want to get together and talk. I shoot in long range competitions at Atterbury. We have out first event at the end of the month.

CIHPRS - CIHPRS Home

 

[Cerberus]

Oh snap!
No room for egos among professionals. [woobie dismounts soap box, sticks the landing]

Having been around professionals on several occasions in my life, ego is all they have room for in their lives often times. Sad really.

 

[Woobie]

Having been around professionals on several occasions in my life, ego is all they have room for in their lives often times. Sad really.

Oh, for sure. I guess I'm drawing a distinction between people paid to do a job, and people with a continuous improvement mentality. Certain professionals strive for excellence without regard for ego.

 

[Woobie]

I reload for long-range and I'm in Greenwood if you need help. Forget lake city brass. I have used Lapua and Winchester brass. Let me know if you want to get together and talk. I shoot in long range competitions at Atterbury. We have out first event at the end of the month.

CIHPRS - CIHPRS Home

OP, this is the differing experience thing you have to figure out. Kirkd obviously has had great success with winchester brass, and is shooting competitively with it. Who am I to argue with that? But based on my limited experience with win brass, you almost couldn't pay me to take it. I would encourage you to try a few things, take what guys like me say with a grain of salt, and between the lessons we've learned and your own, you'll figure things out and be shooting tiny groups in no time.

 

[Broom_jm]

I won't use Federal 308 brass, but have shot 1/2 MOA groups to 300 yards with Winchester brass. Yep, it's one of those deals where different experiences will result in different advice given.

 

[Indyfishyak]

I will be interested to see where you end up with your rifle and loads. I am working up loads for a 308 rem 700 26" in a bell and Carlson medalist stock. I am still learning best practices but I have had 5 shot groups sub 4/10" and one 4 shot group that was sub 1/4" ctc. My next step will be weighing brass and uniformity flash holes and match primers. But I have to say for a factory barrel/action setup I couldn't be more impressed.

using 168 smk, Varget. One thing I can say hornady match brass sucks and have had massive primer pressure signs where other brass shows no sign at all with the same load.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

So basically everybody's advice is: Nobody can do it for you. You're gonna have to spend a lot of time finding out what works for your rifle. Sound about right?

 

[USMC-FF]

So basically everybody's advice is: Nobody can do it for you. You're gonna have to spend a lot of time finding out what works for your rifle. Sound about right?

You pretty much nailed with that comment. Everyone has something to offer as far as their recipe for reloading for their rifle. I think that's the best part about reloading, finding out what works and what doesn't work.

 

[Woobie]

So basically everybody's advice is: Nobody can do it for you. You're gonna have to spend a lot of time finding out what works for your rifle. Sound about right?

I know that part turns some guys away, but for me, it's a big adventure. And now, a word from master Yoda:

If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wans apprentice.

You've been warned.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Took some rudemenatary measurements on my new Remy today and it looks like I got the dreaded long throat. Max COAL for 175 SMKs measured around 2.910". I put my micrometer in an AI mag and it looks like I can squeeze a 2.890" in there so we'll see.

 

[oldpink]

It looks as if Remington had long bullets in mind with their .260 cartridge.
It's probably not all that bad.
If you're loading for hunting, just seat as far as your throat/magazine allow.
If target shooting, seat as far out as the throat allows and single load to avoid magazine issues.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I remember reading somewhere the max for an AI was 2.880". I really want to utilize the magazine so I'll see what I can do.

 

[Woobie]

I remember reading somewhere the max for an AI was 2.880". I really want to utilize the magazine so I'll see what I can do.

2.880" is what my AI mag measures at.

As an aside, I shot the new 168 sierra tipped match kings last week. I loaded four 5 shot groups, two each of two different charge weights. Powder was IMR 8208 xbr. COAL was 2.860. I may load them a bit shorter next time, as one round got tipped downward in the mag. No big deal, I just had to reach in and fix it. Wouldn't want to do that on a hunt though. All 4 groups measured around 2.250" at 300 yds. One group had 3 shots in one hole. I was ecstatic, but to be realistic, since I couldn't replicate that, I had to call it a fluke. This was from the prone with a bipod, and a rem factory barrel. My criteria for the equipment in these conditions is 3/4 moa, and this is well inside that. Your desires might be different, but for my purposes, the equipment needs much less improvement than the shooter at this point.

 

[USMC-FF]

Have you worked up your load using Varget yet?

The reason I ask is because I'd work up a load that the rifle likes then play with bullet seating depth.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Have you worked up your load using Varget yet?

The reason I ask is because I'd work up a load that the rifle likes then play with bullet seating depth.

I picked up some projectiles from Profire this evening but no go on powder. I'll likely just stick with the longest that will fit in the mag and deal with some jump. I'll never have the time to eek out every last ounce of accuracy from myself or the rifle. But whatever I can develop over the years will be sufficient for me.

 

[USMC-FF]

Sounds good. I've been told the the 175 SMK is very forgiving with jumping the lands. I've had good success loading to magazine length and never bothered with bullet seating depth.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

2.880" is what my AI mag measures at.

As an aside, I shot the new 168 sierra tipped match kings last week. I loaded four 5 shot groups, two each of two different charge weights. Powder was IMR 8208 xbr. COAL was 2.860. I may load them a bit shorter next time, as one round got tipped downward in the mag. No big deal, I just had to reach in and fix it. Wouldn't want to do that on a hunt though. All 4 groups measured around 2.250" at 300 yds. One group had 3 shots in one hole. I was ecstatic, but to be realistic, since I couldn't replicate that, I had to call it a fluke. This was from the prone with a bipod, and a rem factory barrel. My criteria for the equipment in these conditions is 3/4 moa, and this is well inside that. Your desires might be different, but for my purposes, the equipment needs much less improvement than the shooter at this point.

I am very intrigued by the new tipped stuff. It sounds awesome.

 

[Woobie]

I am very intrigued by the new tipped stuff. It sounds awesome.

I got mine from OK Weber, and I couldn't be happier with his service. Not everyone has them yet. The ogive is secant, meaning, in effect at least, that it is almost a straight line from the tip of the bullet to the point the bullet is at its full diameter. Typically these profiles are more finicky about seating depth, as opposed to the smk for instance, which has a more tangent, or radiused ogive. In spite of this, they seem to shoot well in my rifle, and I'm fighting the Remington jump like you are.

As USMC-FF said, you might give Varget a try. I don't find it to be as accurate for me in the 308 or 243, but a lot of people swear by it. It has a fantastic track record. I have fallen in love with this new 8208 xbr. It's pretty high pressure, but the groups I'm getting with it are beating RE-15, Varget, and 4064. Shot a 5 shot group from the bench last week at 100 yds with the 243 that measured .417. And that's another factory Remington 700.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

How serious do you guys get about brass and projectiles? I picked out a handful (20 out of 100) of projectiles and they were all within .1 grain of each other (between 175.1 and 175.2). The Lapua brass is showing about a 2 grain discrepancy (between 173 and 175). How picky are you guys when sorting?

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Also, projectile overall lengths vary from 1.230" to 1.250". Big deal? I don't have a comparator to compare ogive.