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Palma Reloads

I am hoping to be ready for Palma matches this year at Lodi. Got my stock back from alteration late last fall, and only got about 30 rounds thru the gun before I ran out of time shooting. Looks like she will hang in the 0.3-0.5MOA range with 46-47 grains of Varget. Usual components, Redding .337 bushing, Lapua brass, CCI BR primers, Sierra 155 Palma bullets, 0.010" jump.

Looking at my notes, 5 rounds of 155gr with 47.0gr of Varget [30 inch tube] averaged 3030fps but very poor ES/SD of 31/12 respectively. Wondering what folks "magic recipes" are for Palma reloads? I suppose I can back off the charge a bit, so long as I am above about 2950fps.

I'm also wondering if folks know of any Sierra 2156 bullets available? I'm down to a couple boxes, enough for a few matches, but doesnt allow much practice. I plan on mostly smallbore practice early spring, but should get some fullbore time in as well. I do have a few Sierra 175s however, but i just "tight patched" my barrel and its either 1:12 or 1:13 twist, I am not sure that will stabilize a 175. Assuming it will, what are folks 175gr load recipes as a suitable 155 replacement?

Thanks for the help! Needing this snow to go away!
 
My loaded is 44.4 grains of8208 xbr. It's get me 3020 fps with single digit SD's regularly from thrown charges.

Looks like your load isn't too far off, just need to fine tune it a little bit. I've always heard 46-47 grains of varget was the sweet spot.
 
My loaded is 44.4 grains of8208 xbr. It's get me 3020 fps with single digit SD's regularly from thrown charges.

Looks like your load isn't too far off, just need to fine tune it a little bit. I've always heard 46-47 grains of varget was the sweet spot.
47gr of Varget is usually too much for a tight bore 308. I'd back it down to 45gr and work my way up. Bet you'll find a sweet spot around 2925-2950 that shoots well and gives good numbers. The extra 75fps doesn't help if your extreme spread is large.
David Mayfield
 
The accuracy window with palma bullets is huge. Generally speaking, anything between say 2930 and 3100 will shoot great. 47 grains of Varget is very typical, my current lot needs 47.2 to get me to 3030, and that is perfect palma speed. If you are getting .3-.5 groups with that load, I’d just go with that. ES and SD numbers may be a little high, but it’s nothing crazy. I really don’t even look at those numbers, I just load to the velocity I want - which is 3030.

Just remember that the Palma target is big, and unless you are one of the best shooters in the game, you are going to lose a lot more points to bad shots and bad wind calls than you will to your SD being 12 instead of 7. In fact, I don’t believe you’ll lose any points at all to the 12 SD.
 

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