joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
I have a Tikka 595 that I made a stock for and had Bob Green put a new 6br chambered barrel on. I set it aside for a few years and now I’m working up a load.
My first try was with Viht -135. A 2011 batch open container. I had the throat set for The Sierra 85 grain HPBT. It’s an 8 twist Rock Creek cut for a 270 neck. My brass is turned for a 265 loaded round. ( For some of you that remember, I thought it was a .268 neck. Dummy me! I did a chamber cast and it’s 270 neck and !duh! so marked on the barrel! So much for my memory!)
I puled 50 count brass, same lot, that was turned and set the shoulder to fit the gun. Bushing was .262. I loaded per Berger book specs for the 85-87 grain bulet with v135 from 28.2 to 30 grains in .2 increments. I shot 2 of the 28.2 and got high pressure signs. I stopped.
I pulled the rest apart, reformed the brass with a .263 bushing and loaded them with v135 from 25.9 to 28.3 in .3 grain increments.
The first shot at 25.9 was loud, with hard bolt lift. I figured I got flash over from the low charge. I shot a 26.5 grain charge and it was good. I shot another. OK. The next one gave hard bolt lift. I then shot a 26.8. Ok. Bolt lift was good. Shot a second one. OK. The third gave me hard bolt lift. I stopped, brought them home and pulled the rest.
I resized the lot of them, dumping the primers, annealed, resized and tumbled.
I loaded them with Varget this time. 28-30.4 grains in .3 grain increments. CCI-450 primers. The brass is Lapua. Sierra 85 bullets, touching the lands.
We’ll see. I think my viht-135 is too old or hot batch.
My first try was with Viht -135. A 2011 batch open container. I had the throat set for The Sierra 85 grain HPBT. It’s an 8 twist Rock Creek cut for a 270 neck. My brass is turned for a 265 loaded round. ( For some of you that remember, I thought it was a .268 neck. Dummy me! I did a chamber cast and it’s 270 neck and !duh! so marked on the barrel! So much for my memory!)
I puled 50 count brass, same lot, that was turned and set the shoulder to fit the gun. Bushing was .262. I loaded per Berger book specs for the 85-87 grain bulet with v135 from 28.2 to 30 grains in .2 increments. I shot 2 of the 28.2 and got high pressure signs. I stopped.
I pulled the rest apart, reformed the brass with a .263 bushing and loaded them with v135 from 25.9 to 28.3 in .3 grain increments.
The first shot at 25.9 was loud, with hard bolt lift. I figured I got flash over from the low charge. I shot a 26.5 grain charge and it was good. I shot another. OK. The next one gave hard bolt lift. I then shot a 26.8. Ok. Bolt lift was good. Shot a second one. OK. The third gave me hard bolt lift. I stopped, brought them home and pulled the rest.
I resized the lot of them, dumping the primers, annealed, resized and tumbled.
I loaded them with Varget this time. 28-30.4 grains in .3 grain increments. CCI-450 primers. The brass is Lapua. Sierra 85 bullets, touching the lands.
We’ll see. I think my viht-135 is too old or hot batch.
