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Posted: 11/1/2008 3:58:08 PM EDT
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Does anyone know what the recipe for this load is? I know since 98' there have been at least (3) different loads so specific load identification would also help. Thanks guys. Perry |
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A standard accuracy hand load for the M1A is 41.5 grains of IMR 4895 under a 168 grain Sierra Match King bullet. There are also other powder and bullet combinations that will do as well or better depending on how well the particular rifle likes them. However, the above load is well known and has been used very successfully for many years. The 175 grain Match King is also widely used when the range you are firing is well beyond 600 yards. Arcane6-1 |
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According to nationalmatchshooting.com it is 44 grains of RE15. I loaded 100 rounds of 44 grains of RE15 driving a Sierra 175 grain bthp in Lapua brass and fired 10 rounds from a NM M-14 with Leupold 4.5-14 LR/T from a sandbag and had 9 rounds in a half inch, one called flyer. I posted it somewhere on this site. |
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some info The US Armed forces is currently in a transition to M118LR, which fires a 175gr Sierra Match King bullet, exactly like the Federal Match ammo, but it fires it 20 fps slower at 2580fps · M118 = M118 Special Ball - 173gr FMJ-BT (2550fps) · M118LR = M118LR Special Ball - 175gr HPBT (2580fps) · F-175gr = Federal Gold Medal Match .308 175gr HPBT (2600fps) · F-168gr = Federal Gold Medal Match .308 168gr HPBT (2600fps Federal uses RE-15 for their FGMM 175 ammo m118lr load LC brass with 44.0 of Reloader 15, and a Federal 210 Match primer. |
| The best info we have come up with in regards to M118LR loadings is that the early M118LR was loaded with non-cannister WC750 (not 760) until WCC/Winchester lost the contract to run Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in 1998. ATK/Federal took over production at LCAAP in '99 and very quickly set about using their products in LC ammo to the greatest extent possible. I have not been able to find any '99 M118LR to pull apart, but '00, '01, '04, & '05 M118LR uses non-cannister RE-15. I weighed each charge I pulled and the RE-15 charges all weighed somewhat LESS than 44.0 gr. with small variation to compensate for lot to lot powder burn rate variation. WC 750 is a ball powder and looks completely different than RE-15. The TM info on M118LR powder and velocity is long out-of-date. |
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I use 42.7 grains of Hodgen 4895 and i have cut the group size in half on a M-14 . CCI military primer to set it off . M-118 is always around a inch and a half group out of my M-14 and my load is consistently under a inch and on a dead wind day I can shoot 3/4 inch groups all day long with my load . Too many people obsess over whether they have the exact same powder as the M-118 round and I could give two shits whether I am using the same powder , the accuracy and repeatability matters to me . My ammo with my wrong powder also groups better at 800 yards than the precious M-118 round does .
My round is at 2,650 fps and is under 50,000 PSI . Overall cartridge length is the exact same as the M-118LR round . |
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