RL26 IN .243 Win
- Thread starter B_Thomas
- Start date
Plenty info here
I settled on 45.5 rl26 on 115dtac in a 7.75 twist benchmark...very good accuracy and 3100+fps
http://www.scout.com/military/snipe...rl26-and-105-in-a-243-at-3400fps-update-dtacs
I settled on 45.5 rl26 on 115dtac in a 7.75 twist benchmark...very good accuracy and 3100+fps
http://www.scout.com/military/snipe...rl26-and-105-in-a-243-at-3400fps-update-dtacs
Wow, great! Thanks!
stacy
2 TIMOTHY 2 VERSE 15
SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL WORK!!!!
Oh, it works alright! I'm burning RL-26 in a .243 AI, among others, and I can easily exceed 3,300 with a 105 out of a 26" barrel with no pressure signs whatsoever. There's room for more, but my barrel shoots 48.8 grs. behind a 105 so well that I stopped right there. One of these days I'll see if I can get 3,500.
At one time I was shooting 105 Amax at 3200 FPS with a standard 243 using Lapua brass. The primer pockets didn't last long. If you're pushing them 33-3400 FPS yours will be even shorter. Since then I backed off to around 3000 FPS. You want to flame throw your bullets out the barrel then expect replacing barrels and buying brass more frequently. Not worth it IMO. Especially in your case with an AI
All rifles are different . . .
By all indications, I'm not close to max with my current load in my rifle and I'm really not comfortable on the ragged edge with any load. I have some cases (Lapua, as well) that have been loaded 11 times and the primer pockets have not loosened at all. I check case head expansion with a micrometer as part of the load development process and I found nothing of concern with this particular load. That's why we develop loads for individual rifles with a given set of components. Heck, I have a 6.5 Grendel that shows pressure very early with my lot of AA2460 and a 123 gr. AMax but easily tolerates charges of H335 that are over published maximum for the same bullet. Go figure.
As for barrel life, a .243 AI is not going to last as long as a 6BR, no matter what you feed it. Barrels are consumables.
If you can handle the hazmat fee, Sinclair has it in stock. Personally, I found a node at 3050 w/ 115 coated DTAC's to be super accurate out of a X-Caliber 27" 1":7" 6-groove model 12 Savage.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-components/powder/rifle-powder/reloder-26-smokeless-powder-1-lb--sku749016408-82476-175846.aspx.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-components/powder/rifle-powder/reloder-26-smokeless-powder-1-lb--sku749016408-82476-175846.aspx.
What free bore do you have to run the 115 DTAC's? Loaded length? Thanks!
My post had nothing to do with rifles. My rifle showed no signs of pressure either at 3200 FPS. The fact of the matter is your barrel will go fast pushing them that quick and the brass wont last long. I personally don't believe your primer pockets are still intact after 11 firings shooting it at that speed. Velocity = pressure as far as I'm concerned and those cases can only take so much until they go south. A 243 AI is already a barrel burner so enjoy replacing your barrel after 800 rounds shooting them that fast. Have a nice day.
Last I checked it, it was .165. I seat to .020 off the lands.
I am happy to see it available again. And i dont care if it is hard on my barrel or brass! I can replace both
The physical characteristics of the entire system influence what is safe and what is not, including the rifle. Chamber dimensions are different, even among 'identical' factory models. Headspace varies. Transition to the lands varies. Tool marks can have an influence, etc., etc.
Yes, chamber pressure and velocity are related but the relationship is not direct. If the two were directly related, then the muzzle velocity produced by two different powders loaded to produce the same chamber pressure would be the same. We all know that is not the case. Pressure over time is what causes the difference in velocity between different powders (H4350 v. RL-15, for example) producing the same chamber pressure, all other things being equal. That's why we have a bazillion different powders from which to choose when we work up loads for our rifles.
As for barrel wear, velocity is not the culprit here. Barrels get 'shot out' by pressure and heat, not the velocity of the projectile, and the area of wear that separates a new barrel from one that is 'shot out' is the area immediately in front of the chamber. One can turn a brand new barrel into junk very quickly by feeding it a steady diet of maximum pressure loads using a powder that is too fast for the application - even faster if the powder has a high heat of explosion. Velocity will be comparatively low in this scenario but the barrel will wear quickly. It is well known that using a slow-burning powder with a low heat of explosion, like H1000, is less erosive to a barrel's throat and will result in longer barrel life. Interestingly, H1000 produces outstanding velocities in many applications, heavy bullet .243 and .243 AI loads among them.
I'm just under 1,000 rounds on my barrel and she still stacks 'em. There's some throat wear, of course, but I figure I'll get another 200-300 before it's time for another tube.
As for brass life, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe my Lapua brass is magic. Glad I bought a few boxes.
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