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Posted: 1/10/2013 5:16:02 PM EDT
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Temp 38-40*F with a 15mph wind 59% humidity
I want a load to be close to the 55gr Vmax load from hornady to run for coyote hunting. I also wanted a longer range accuracy load to use in the wind and for some 600yd shooting targets. I shot using a sandbag front and rear. First I wanted to see what the factory Vmax's ran through the chrono out of my 18in DPMS MK12 barrel. I got an average of 2970fps out of the factory 55gr Varmint Express VMAX load. I am using Nosler 55gr flat base varmageddon bullets and Varget powder loaded at 2.250in oal 25.5gr avg 2747 fps and produced the largest group. 26.0gr avg 2786 fps and produced the second largest group. 26.5gr avg 2870 fps and produced the best group. 27.0gr avg 2961 fps and produced the third largest group. 27.3gr avg 2998 fps and produced the second best group. I was not impressed by the accuracy of any of these but I believe it was more due to the weather and not using the rest I normally would use for testing loads. My 55gr Hornady FMJBT load with 24.5gr of Benchmark ran 2922 fps and grouped well. My 75gr Hornady BTHP Match loaded with 24.0gr Varget avg 2604 fps and produced a good group. |
| "I want a load to be close to the 55gr Vmax load from hornady" I see this quote or similar often on this forum and just don't understand why guys are trying to match a factory load? If you are reloading you should be finding the best bullet, powder, seating depth combo for your weapon which 90% of the time is going to be faster and more accurate than a factory load. If you like a factory load so much why bother trying to copy it? In the range data provided in the OP I would take the best and second best group powder charge weight and adjust the bullet seating depth to see if the group size tightened up more although with no group size or shooting distance mentioned the OP data really tells nothing. |
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If I was you I would stick with Benchmark for the 55 gr V-Max, I use 25.0 gr's of BM with the 55 gr V-Max and get an avg of 3058 fps and .5" groups from my 16" BCM SS410 rifle.
24.0 gr of Varget behind a 75gr BTHP avg's 2554 fps from my 16" rifle, I think I'm going to swap to RE-15 or 8208 XBR for the 75gr BTHP's to see if I can get the velocity closer to 2650-2700 fps. I checked my 70 gr TSX load last range trip also and it's producing 2720 fps with 24.5 gr's of RE-15 and produced the smallest groups of the day with 5 rounds just over .3" at 100 yd's. EWP |
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The reason for du;licating a factory load is the money savings. I can load them for less than half the price of buying them, and they match the BDC of my P223 rifle scope. I will be trying a few more loads for seating depth and better accuracy but I need to keep the fps close to the factory Hornady load. Quoted:
"I want a load to be close to the 55gr Vmax load from hornady" I see this quote or similar often on this forum and just don't understand why guys are trying to match a factory load? If you are reloading you should be finding the best bullet, powder, seating depth combo for your weapon which 90% of the time is going to be faster and more accurate than a factory load. If you like a factory load so much why bother trying to copy it? In the range data provided in the OP I would take the best and second best group powder charge weight and adjust the bullet seating depth to see if the group size tightened up more although with no group size or shooting distance mentioned the OP data really tells nothing. |
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