Berger 80.5, RL-15 in 223 - maximum charge help

[Roarke]

I've purchased 500 of the 80.5 bergers and plan on doing some ladder testing with my service rifle. I can't find any specific load information from Alliant regarding max charge weights of reloader 15 for this bullet weight. Sierra lists 23.8 as the max charge weight of the SMK 80 but the bearing surfaces of the bullets are different so I hesitate to use that number both for that reason and because I realize its probably very conservative. Obviously I could just step up from 23.0 to 24.5 and keep watching for pressure signs.

Anyone have any official information?

Thanks,
Roarke

 

[memilanuk]

24.2-24.6 worked as 'max' for the B82BT in a couple guns for me... IIRC the 82 and the 80.5 are pretty much the same other than a bit less lead to comply with certain rules that specify 81gn and below for particular disciplines - so the powder charges will likely be similar. One rifle was a bolt gun; the other a WOA space-gun / match rifle upper w/ 26" 1-7tw barrel with a Wylde chamber.

HTH,

Monte

 

[Roarke]

What brass were you using?

 

[memilanuk]

For the gas gun, Winchester. The bolt gun, Winchester or Lapua. Current load in the bolt gun (30" 1-7" twist Wylde chamber) is 24.5gn N150 behind a B82BT seated 10 thou into the lands w/ 0.002" neck tension, lit by Rem 7-1/2 primers. Biggest reason for using N150 was Varget (and to a lesser degree RE-15) were hard to get for a while a few years back and I started using Vihtavouri powders. As far as I can tell in a .223 or .308, the three (Varget, N150, and RE-15) use very similar charge weights. If your gun prefers one over the others, run with it

From what I've seen... despite some very real differences in bullet shapes, most of the 80-82gn bullets use about the same charge weights of those powders in a .223 Rem. Sierra's load data is very, very safe... and as you've noticed, about a half-grain under what most people tend to use in the real world. If you're comfortable with loading heavy bullets in a .223, then you can probably short-track the load development like you described. Otherwise... I'd say start down around 23.5 or so and go up in 0.2gn increments.

 

[cb1229]

yes i think i can help we shoot 223 in1-7 1in a lrpv and 1 in a f/tr we came across articals in target shooter mag and there reloader guy did 5 part artical in late2010 to early 2011 on 223 we ended up with a load of 25gr reloader 15 and used magnum primers and90gr burger vld but he also had load data on 80 gr also we got our load up to 2850 no real pressure problems we shoot that load 1k go to that magazine site and check out past mags and you will see a very in depth work up of the loads for 223 he holds uk record for 1k small group so check it out it helped us alot good luck

 

[Roarke]

Thanks, Monte