Reloading for Savage 10fcp- 5r Rifling 11.25 twist .308 cal

[Tony Simmers]

Hey everybody,
I'm new to the site, and wanted to see if anyone out there may have experience with running these Sierra 168gr TMK out of a .308 savage 10 fcp with 5r rifling (11.25 Twist) 24" Threaded Barrel. I have read my eyeballs out on this and many other sites trying to answer a few "simple" questions:
1. Does anyone with this rifle come up with a COAL around 2.920" Seated just off or touching the lands using the 168gr. TMK??
(TMK (Tipped Match King) not smk...I have plenty of info on the smk. Not to mention, sneezing would dislodge an smk at that OAL...lol)
2. Am I the only person that owns this rifle?????

3. If anyone does own this rifle do you happen to have any chamber specs??

This is the first bullet I have had problems reloading for this rifle. I have loaded the 165 GK over 42.5gr of 4064 with excellent results(COAL @ 2.775) gives me .375" groups at 100yds if I do my part. With the TMK I am lucky to keep it under 2" at 100 yds....I hear this bullet is super picky about jump whereas the tangent ogive bullets are more forgiving...Any help or prior experience with this rifle/barrel/bullet combo would be greatly appreciated!

P.S> I am NOT seeking load data, everyone's rifle is different, I enjoy the trial and error of finding what works best for mine. Just curious if anyone else has played with this particular combo before.

 

[Rsadams]

You will have to find the lands yourself , every rifle is different.... You are correct on the TMK not liking to jump like the SMK does... Plus since the TMK has more bearing surface you need to back off the charge a little and test , this is what I was told by Sierra... I own a Savage 10 T 1/10 and have such good results with the 168 SMK I have never even opened the box of TMK I bought awhile back.... Also using imr-4064 but at 42gr....

 

[Tony Simmers]

You will have to find the lands yourself , every rifle is different.... You are correct on the TMK not liking to jump like the SMK does... Plus since the TMK has more bearing surface you need to back off the charge a little and test , this is what I was told by Sierra... I own a Savage 10 T 1/10 and have such good results with the 168 SMK I have never even opened the box of TMK I bought awhile back.... Also using imr-4064 but at 42gr....

Thanks man! Thats what i figured...well OAL gauge will be purchased on payday...lol

 

[Rsadams]

You really don't need to spend money on finding lands... There's tons of free info on how to do it with your brass and a dremel tool etc right here with the search button.. Or casting your chamber to find specs...These guys shoot a TON of distance , these days everyone thinks it's easy , to damn much TV and movies... My range is 300 meters , most are shrinking not growing...

Most people that are new here think putting 5 rounds in a 3 inch group at 300 is easy and that is actually not asking much..BUT it's not with an out of the box rifle and regular rest and bags a $1000 with optic vs $ 5000+++ or alot more with a ton of money in everything else.... Just have fun with what you doing , accuracy will come with trigger time , find a load that works and get behind it for awhile , it's the guy behind the trigger more than anything... Good or great equipment helps but nothing beats trigger time , nothing... Just like absolutely nothing beats seat time in a race car..

The guys who shoot 20 rounds a month with a very nice setup can not figure out how someone with nothing and is blind basically kills them everytime... It's because an old hack like me that shoots 2500 to 8000 rounds a year in pistol , rifle , shotgun and rimfire beats them with experience not money...

 

[Tony Simmers]

I couldn't agree more about the trigger time. I run a minimum of 1000 round per month between pistol rifle and rimfire. Mostly rimfire...so i get what you are saying. Its amazing how much money and time one has without a wife/girlfriend...lol. I have never had an issue with locating my lands before now untill i started playing with this TMK...i just bought a gauge...and low and behold...still getting a variance of almost .080". So i used the old school marker method and fire formed brass and i see the lightest land marks at .935 and throat marks at .920 but my bolt doesn't give any resistance closing or opening until .965. So riddle me that batman? Im not being an a**, i am genuinely confused and i appreciate you taking the time to respond. This is the only bullet i have ever run into this with and i feel like it has to do with the fact that the TMK is a secant ogive rather than a tangent ogive like the smk and gk. Thanks again!

 

[Tony Simmers]

Update: well i am over wasting money and time on these bullets. I just got back from the range and i have to say i am guessing my rifle doesnt like these at all...i have ladder tested in .2 grain increments from 40.6 up to 42.4 with 10 of each for a total of 100 rds. No discernable node anywhere. All COALs at 2.935" I did another 100 rds in a ladder stepping up to 2.940" and another 100 rd ladder at 2.930". Then just to make sure it wasnt me or my rifle i used some tried and true 165 gk btsp at 2.775 COAL over 43 grains of 4320 and low and behold my dime sized group returned. I dont know a way to have run a better overall test with these TMKs. Well ill chalk that up to experience to not get caught up in the hype... next up 175SMK...

 

[JFrank]

Update: well i am over wasting money and time on these bullets. I just got back from the range and i have to say i am guessing my rifle doesnt like these at all...i have ladder tested in .2 grain increments from 40.6 up to 42.4 with 10 of each for a total of 100 rds. No discernable node anywhere. All COALs at 2.935" I did another 100 rds in a ladder stepping up to 2.940" and another 100 rd ladder at 2.930". Then just to make sure it wasnt me or my rifle i used some tried and true 165 gk btsp at 2.775 COAL over 43 grains of 4320 and low and behold my dime sized group returned. I dont know a way to have run a better overall test with these TMKs. Well ill chalk that up to experience to not get caught up in the hype... next up 175SMK...

Most of the benchrest members here are using a CBTO Datum to establish the lands then work from there.
I run a Tikka 308 with a 1/11 twist
Tikka chambers are generous It likes every bullet from 147-175
Tangent ogive also likes AMax over 44.2 grains of Varget.010 OTL
Shoot Small
J

 

[mike06]

I have a Rem 700 Milspec 5r Gen 2 308 11.25 It likes 41.0 grains ArComp 175 SMK , Nosler Custom Comp and the RDF Peterson Brass SRP CCI BR4

 

[Tony Simmers]

I have a Rem 700 Milspec 5r Gen 2 308 11.25 It likes 41.0 grains ArComp 175 SMK , Nosler Custom Comp and the RDF Peterson Brass SRP CCI BR4

How are the groups at 100yds and how fast are you pushing them? I have 4064 and 4320 at the moment so im trying to be as fiscally responsible as possible...lol.

 

[Tony Simmers]

Most of the benchrest members here are using a CBTO Datum to establish the lands then work from there.
I run a Tikka 308 with a 1/11 twist
Tikka chambers are generous It likes every bullet from 147-175
Tangent ogive also likes AMax over 44.2 grains of Varget.010 OTL
Shoot Small
J

Is that common for the throats on the 5r barrels to be HUGE? Mine is a savage 10 fcp but it seemed like the secant ogive bullets take forever to find the lands. (2.935 COAL) My 165 gk are .005 off the lands at 2.805 and its a tangent ogive bullet.

 

[JFrank]

Is that common for the throats on the 5r barrels to be HUGE? Mine is a savage 10 fcp but it seemed like the secant ogive bullets take forever to find the lands. (2.935 COAL) My 165 gk are .005 off the lands at 2.805 and its a tangent ogive bullet.

5 R is just the rifling,
My Savage 308 had a tight chamber with 168 smk 2.217 2.785 OAL with a .015 jump CBTO 2.202was if memory serves the 175 smk fit better I'd have to check the records. Tikkas seem more generous for whatever reason.

 

[mike06]

How are the groups at 100yds and how fast are you pushing them? I have 4064 and 4320 at the moment so im trying to be as fiscally responsible as possible...lol.

Tony FPS is in my Rem 700 Milspec. 2575 to 2600. IMR 4320 I got it to 2715 out of my Ruger Precision with a 20 inch barrel. 5 at 100 with ArComp

 

[Tony Simmers]

Tony FPS is in my Rem 700 Milspec. 2575 to 2600. IMR 4320 I got it to 2715 out of my Ruger Precision with a 20 inch barrel. 5 at 100 with ArComp

Very nice sir! Thanks! I will post up some results as soon as i make it to the range