.308 loads with 169 SMK

[jlorenzo]

Anyone else running them in a gas gun, if so what are your loads?

 

[tonyben]

I'm running them in my M14. I cleaned a 600 yard target last week and shot 1.2 MOA at 600 yards for 11 shots. 100-6X, 110-7X if you count the sighter. I shot six X's in a row before the wind blew me out of the X-ring and into the 10-ring. I managed to hold left and bring it back into the X-ring.

I'm running 42.6 grains of IMR-4064 with Remington 9-1/2 primers and military brass. Muzzle velocity out of a 22" barrel was 2630 FPS. The target indicates a SD of 12. You'll have to play with your seating depth according to your chamber print. I'm running a match chamber and I'm running longer than mag length. It's over 2.850".

Since the vintage sniper match I shoot in is single-feed only, I'm able to get away with running a longer than mag length load.

Here's a 300 yard target with a 15 MPH wind.

300 yard target.

Tony.

 

[Mike Samer]

They have been shooting well at 2630-2640 fps in my new to me M1A with N135. My biggest issue is holding elevation at 600 yards with a sight post and 63 year old eyes. That and remembering the knob directions are backwards from my Warners.

 

[jlorenzo]

I'm running them in my M14. I cleaned a 600 yard target last week and shot 1.2 MOA at 600 yards for 11 shots. 100-6X, 110-7X if you count the sighter. I shot six X's in a row before the wind blew me out of the X-ring and into the 10-ring. I managed to hold left and bring it back into the X-ring.

I'm running 42.6 grains of IMR-4064 with Remington 9-1/2 primers and military brass. Muzzle velocity out of a 22" barrel was 2630 FPS. The target indicates a SD of 12. You'll have to play with your seating depth according to your chamber print. I'm running a match chamber and I'm running longer than mag length. It's over 2.850".

Since the vintage sniper match I shoot in is single-feed only, I'm able to get away with running a longer than mag length load.

Here's a 300 yard target with a 15 MPH wind.

300 yard target.

Tony.

Tell us about that rifle

 

[FrankG]

It's an excellent bullet! Like Tony I've also shot them in my match built M14. Bartlein Barrel of course. Dave Ferrante did the build work. This barrel is an 1-11 twist and 5R rifling.

According to my twist calcs they need a 1-11 min twist.

Also been shooting them in my clone M40A1 build. Also has 5R rifling but it's a 1-10 twist. Pic attached of the rifle. This is to spec... 25" finish length barrel. My chamber reamer set for the 169SMK. At 43.0 of Varget and .015" off the lands with a CCI BR2 2692fps avg with SD's of 6.9 with LC match brass.


My M14....

 

[jlorenzo]

It's an excellent bullet! Like Tony I've also shot them in my match built M14. Bartlein Barrel of course. Dave Ferrante did the build work. This barrel is an 1-11 twist and 5R rifling.

According to my twist calcs they need a 1-11 min twist.

Also been shooting them in my clone M40A1 build. Also has 5R rifling but it's a 1-10 twist. Pic attached of the rifle. This is to spec... 25" finish length barrel. My chamber reamer set for the 169SMK. At 43.0 of Varget and .015" off the lands with a CCI BR2 2692fps avg with SD's of 6.9 with LC match brass.

View attachment 1670612
My M14....

View attachment 1670619

What are you M14 guys running for COAL/CBTO? Max mag length?

 

[FrankG]

What are you M14 guys running for COAL/CBTO? Max mag length?

My chamber is a custom reamer spec. The throat is short. Depending on the bullet I can touch the rifling and still be seated to inside the magazine oal depth.

Mine is like 2.825" and the bullet will touch on a new barrel/new chamber. I start out loading them at 2.810"/2.815" and see how the gun shoots.

Again though... my chamber is a standard case dimension but shorter throat.

I do like the 308 Obermeyer spec reamer as well. If your running box ammo and it's loaded to a 2.800" oal with a 175smk you will be approx. .010"/.015" off the lands depending on the lot of bullets.

 

[jlorenzo]

My chamber is a custom reamer spec. The throat is short. Depending on the bullet I can touch the rifling and still be seated to inside the magazine oal depth.

Mine is like 2.825" and the bullet will touch on a new barrel/new chamber. I start out loading them at 2.810"/2.815" and see how the gun shoots.

Again though... my chamber is a standard case dimension but shorter throat.

I do like the 308 Obermeyer spec reamer as well. If your running box ammo and it's loaded to a 2.800" oal with a 175smk you will be approx. .010"/.015" off the lands depending on the lot of bullets.

I have whatever Krieger uses in their M110 profile 20" 308 barrel, they told me it was a standard 308 chamber. Not have a ton of luck getting the 169s shooting at max mag length with Varget or N140 but need to play with powder charges more and then start working back from mag length seating depth wise.

So far best mag length load is 155 SMKs 2155s w/ 43.0gr H4895

 

[FrankG]

I have whatever Krieger uses in their M110 profile 20" 308 barrel, they told me it was a standard 308 chamber. Not have a ton of luck getting the 169s shooting at max mag length with Varget or N140 but need to play with powder charges more and then start working back from mag length seating depth wise.

So far best mag length load is 155 SMKs 2155s w/ 43.0gr H4895

What twist is your barrel? If it's a 12 twist it's not going to shoot the 169's for sure in my opinion.

Have you tried 175SMKs? That's always been a very good/consistent bullet from Sierra. I'd load Varget at about 42gr of powder.

If they did a standard Saami min spec. reamer in .308win that will have a longer throat vs the two I listed.

If 175's don't shoot?

Barrel is cleaning good? No abnormal fouling?

Being on a AR10 type platform. You double checked the assy of the upper etc..? Gas tube isn't binding or anything like that?

 

[Bamban]

Wilson barrel finished at 26 with SRS 5-port pro Ti.

 

[jlorenzo]

What twist is your barrel? If it's a 12 twist it's not going to shoot the 169's for sure in my opinion.

Have you tried 175SMKs? That's always been a very good/consistent bullet from Sierra. I'd load Varget at about 42gr of powder.

If they did a standard Saami min spec. reamer in .308win that will have a longer throat vs the two I listed.

If 175's don't shoot?

Barrel is cleaning good? No abnormal fouling?

Being on a AR10 type platform. You double checked the assy of the upper etc..? Gas tube isn't binding or anything like that?

Its a 10 twist. Some Nosler 175 CC shot pretty well, but again I have not done much load development, just a few powder charges for a few different bullets.

 

[AckleymanII]

In my Krieger 11 and 10T, 8208, Lapua brass, CCI 200 with the 169 just barely off the lands in a short freebore chamber shoots 3/4" at 300. The load is a warm one, close to top-end pressure. I had the reamer ground where the BT/shank of the 169 is .020 above the shouler/neck junction of the case. Screamer loads abound with this reamer. Not to mention the difficult-to-tune 155g TMK shoots incredibly well also. The rifle is a Rem 700 in the coffee laminate, jewel,Sightron, and brake.
.

 

[Liven The Dream]

200 yd this past fall, have a local 800 yd range when it warms up.
If it shoots there plan on taking it to Williamsport for fun.

Old saying from my Service Rifle Days.

" Friends don't let Friends shoot 168's past 600"

 

[jlorenzo]

Also this is a gas gun