Posted: 1/5/2014 7:18:24 AM EDT
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I'm just getting started into reloading and I'm curious if anyone has found any favorite recipes for their Larues. I realize that there is a dedicated reloading subforum...but I thought I'd go to the Larueminati to see what they're finding works best.
I'll be reloading for a 20" 7.62 OBR and a Costa. I also have a 16" 5.56 tOBR and 14.5" 7.62 tOBR that are on order. I'm really looking for loads to squeeze as much accuracy out of the rifles that I can for hunting within 300 yards. I'm not looking for "good enough" plinking recipes. Thanks. |
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41.5g IMR4064 175 Berger OTM WLR primers OAL: don't have it in front of me but it is max a p mag will allow. MV 2515 (18" bbl) SD 2 Very consistent load. Shoots in the .3's out of my OBR and tOBR. I found the same powders shot similar out of both rifles. IMR 4064 and H4895 both shoot the same accuracy-wise, 4064 had a lower SD so that's what I shoot. RL15 and Varget both shot well also averaging @ .5 but with slightly higher SD's between 10-20 fps. In my rifles 41.5g 4064 is not top end, 42.5 was getting close to that area. Of corse all rifles are different but the load listed above of 45g Varget would not be safe in my OBR. 43g Varget flattened primers had severe extractor cutout swipes and ripped case head rims off brass so be sure to work up to these loads. |
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John, that is a really hot load!! Especially out of LC brass, which is thicker and has less case capacity than commercial brass. I know it shoots good, but be careful! Quoted: LC LR brass, 175gr SMK, 45gr. Varget. Shoots better than FGMM, I'm still working on shooting the rifle better on my end. |
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Quoted:
John, that is a really hot load!! Especially out of LC brass, which is thicker and has less case capacity than commercial brass. I know it shoots good, but be careful! Quoted:
John, that is a really hot load!! Especially out of LC brass, which is thicker and has less case capacity than commercial brass. I know it shoots good, but be careful! Quoted:
LC LR brass, 175gr SMK, 45gr. Varget. Shoots better than FGMM, I'm still working on shooting the rifle better on my end. OOPS! In fact I've only been using 44gr. It shows no signs of overpressure on the brass, no blown primers or deformations after ~ 300rds. I think I have a crappy chronograph because the velocities of every round I try have a large spread even the FGMM but this load is slightly hotter than FGMM. ETA: Also just check the Lyman encyclopedia, lists the max load as 45.2+. I have had no problems with 44, that said, its still not as accurate as I'd like, but im sure its me since it is more consistent than the FGMM and SSA I've compared it to.. |
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Quoted: OOPS! In fact I've only been using 44gr. It shows no signs of overpressure on the brass, no blown primers or deformations after ~ 300rds. I think I have a crappy chronograph because the velocities of every round I try have a large spread even the FGMM but this load is slightly hotter than FGMM. ETA: Also just check the Lyman encyclopedia, lists the max load as 45.2+. I have had no problems with 44, that said, its still not as accurate as I'd like, but im sure its me since it is more consistent than the FGMM and SSA I've compared it to.. Quoted: Quoted: John, that is a really hot load!! Especially out of LC brass, which is thicker and has less case capacity than commercial brass. I know it shoots good, but be careful! Quoted: LC LR brass, 175gr SMK, 45gr. Varget. Shoots better than FGMM, I'm still working on shooting the rifle better on my end. OOPS! In fact I've only been using 44gr. It shows no signs of overpressure on the brass, no blown primers or deformations after ~ 300rds. I think I have a crappy chronograph because the velocities of every round I try have a large spread even the FGMM but this load is slightly hotter than FGMM. ETA: Also just check the Lyman encyclopedia, lists the max load as 45.2+. I have had no problems with 44, that said, its still not as accurate as I'd like, but im sure its me since it is more consistent than the FGMM and SSA I've compared it to.. |
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I have been reloading for my 18" 7.62 PredatAR for a few years and have used several powders and bullet combos....
My best results have come with Varget, 3031 and XBR8208 using 175gr SMK and Barnes TTSX... Have also used RL15/MR2000/4064 and a few others but the best results for my rifle were with the 3 listed above... My tAR luvs the Barnes bullets...some of the best groups I have put down range have been with Barnes stuff... ymmv |
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Through my research, AR style weapons function most reliably with 50K pressure. Higher or lower pressures may affect reliability. M1 and M14 type rifles would be better off with 45K, also the pressure curve is more important than the actual pressures in this type of rifle. Equal pressures but the curve rising later (slower burning powders) may cause operating rod damage in those rifles....
I would question the IMR 3031 with a 175gr SMK. This powder would seem to be more at home with a 125gr projectile than the heavier 175. Makes for a very nice powder for the 55gr 5.56 or the 85-100gr 6.8spc. There are powders that are better for any given load, but I am condensing my powder selection down to IMR 4895, IMR 3031, XBR 8208 for my various rifle calibers. Unique, H110 (.30 carbine) and bluedot for the pistols. I pretty much just use bluedot for selfdefense 12 ga loads.... Again, there are other powders that may work better for any given projectile for any given caliber, but these powders will pretty much cover all calibers reasonably well. Since the federal government limits most of us to #25 of smokelss powder and #5 of black powder, I can't justify owning everyone of those other powders in quantity...... |
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Quoted: how about loads for light bullets. I would like to get a fast, light load for Coyotes. I loaded 130's with Varget but could not find a sub MOA load with it. I would love to flnd a load for 110 Amax. |
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Quoted:
I'm still working on shooting the rifle better on my end. OP, In all honesty, you'd be better off buying a case of "good enough" plinker ammo. 147gr FMJ ball or whatever you like, and fire every single round of it. Focus on getting a solid shooting position that you are going to use while hunting. Breath and trigger control. Develop solid shooting fundamentals so when that trophy buck (or whatever your game of choice is) steps into view, you can focus on keeping your cool and not have to think about the shot. Why do I say that? Let's talk about how accurate these rifles really are. Granted, I received my OBR about a month ago and have only been to the range with it once. But that one trip was amazing. I live in Alaska. The firing line was covered in a solid 1" sheet of ice. Bipod loading was nowhere to be found. I wore a big puffy jacket to stay warm, making it difficult to get a solid purchase on my shoulder or use my rear bag. I couldn't buy a good shooting position. My OBR was straight out of the box. Mounted and bore sighted the scope and slapped in a magazine of FGMM (175 gr SMKs). No barrel break-in or anything. So how did it go? Shots 1 & 2 were .36", made a sight adjustment, and shots 3 & 4 were .34" at 100 yds. Recognizing that 2 shot groups aren't exactly considered a measure of accuracy, I ditched the jacket and fought for the best shooting position I could get. The following 5 shot group, including the one called "flyer," measured .535". Even in the cold of an AK winter with crap for a shooting position, my 18" OBR (762) with a "Field Grade" barrel is shooting 1/2 to 1/3 MOA with factory ammo. I'm confident these rifles can shoot better than we can every day of the week. Now don't get me wrong, reloading is great. I've been doing it for over 10 years now. Generally speaking, you can make more consistent and higher quality ammo for significantly less $ than you can buy. But there is no magic recipe. You'll be better off spending more time behind the trigger and less time behind the reloading bench. |
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While I appreciate the reply and agree 1000%...this is not really the point of my post here. I preach breath control, trigger control, and proper position to everyone I take to the range or hunt with....that's not my purpose in this thread.
I'm just looking to find what people have had success with in their Larues. Quoted:
OP, In all honesty, you'd be better off buying a case of "good enough" plinker ammo. 147gr FMJ ball or whatever you like, and fire every single round of it. Focus on getting a solid shooting position that you are going to use while hunting. Breath and trigger control. Develop solid shooting fundamentals so when that trophy buck (or whatever your game of choice is) steps into view, you can focus on keeping your cool and not have to think about the shot. Why do I say that? Let's talk about how accurate these rifles really are. Granted, I received my OBR about a month ago and have only been to the range with it once. But that one trip was amazing. I live in Alaska. The firing line was covered in a solid 1" sheet of ice. Bipod loading was nowhere to be found. I wore a big puffy jacket to stay warm, making it difficult to get a solid purchase on my shoulder or use my rear bag. I couldn't buy a good shooting position. My OBR was straight out of the box. Mounted and bore sighted the scope and slapped in a magazine of FGMM (175 gr SMKs). No barrel break-in or anything. So how did it go? Shots 1 & 2 were .36", made a sight adjustment, and shots 3 & 4 were .34" at 100 yds. Recognizing that 2 shot groups aren't exactly considered a measure of accuracy, I ditched the jacket and fought for the best shooting position I could get. The following 5 shot group, including the one called "flyer," measured .535". Even in the cold of an AK winter with crap for a shooting position, my 18" OBR (762) with a "Field Grade" barrel is shooting 1/2 to 1/3 MOA with factory ammo. I'm confident these rifles can shoot better than we can every day of the week. Now don't get me wrong, reloading is great. I've been doing it for over 10 years now. Generally speaking, you can make more consistent and higher quality ammo for significantly less $ than you can buy. But there is no magic recipe. You'll be better off spending more time behind the trigger and less time behind the reloading bench. Quoted:
Quoted:
I'm still working on shooting the rifle better on my end. OP, In all honesty, you'd be better off buying a case of "good enough" plinker ammo. 147gr FMJ ball or whatever you like, and fire every single round of it. Focus on getting a solid shooting position that you are going to use while hunting. Breath and trigger control. Develop solid shooting fundamentals so when that trophy buck (or whatever your game of choice is) steps into view, you can focus on keeping your cool and not have to think about the shot. Why do I say that? Let's talk about how accurate these rifles really are. Granted, I received my OBR about a month ago and have only been to the range with it once. But that one trip was amazing. I live in Alaska. The firing line was covered in a solid 1" sheet of ice. Bipod loading was nowhere to be found. I wore a big puffy jacket to stay warm, making it difficult to get a solid purchase on my shoulder or use my rear bag. I couldn't buy a good shooting position. My OBR was straight out of the box. Mounted and bore sighted the scope and slapped in a magazine of FGMM (175 gr SMKs). No barrel break-in or anything. So how did it go? Shots 1 & 2 were .36", made a sight adjustment, and shots 3 & 4 were .34" at 100 yds. Recognizing that 2 shot groups aren't exactly considered a measure of accuracy, I ditched the jacket and fought for the best shooting position I could get. The following 5 shot group, including the one called "flyer," measured .535". Even in the cold of an AK winter with crap for a shooting position, my 18" OBR (762) with a "Field Grade" barrel is shooting 1/2 to 1/3 MOA with factory ammo. I'm confident these rifles can shoot better than we can every day of the week. Now don't get me wrong, reloading is great. I've been doing it for over 10 years now. Generally speaking, you can make more consistent and higher quality ammo for significantly less $ than you can buy. But there is no magic recipe. You'll be better off spending more time behind the trigger and less time behind the reloading bench. |