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73 ELDs have gone 200-14x for me twice from an AR, but that was on a sling face, so make of that what you will.Wind would decide for me.
90 smk if the wind is bad.
80 -80.5 if things are normal
Sierra 77 TMKs shot my best 300 ever, 200 with 12 or more x, can't remember exactly
Thanks guys! I'm going to try 80SMK and 85.5 hybrids to start. While looking at my Quickload for suitable powders, RL17, CFE223, and IMR4895 all are at the top of the chart for velocities with these bullets @ 50K psi. Do any of you use those powders, or stick with the old standby....Varget?
Just be certain your rifle is throated long enough for the very long bullets you intend to try before putting a great deal of time and $$$ into it. If you have to seat the long heavy bullets way down deep into the case due to a short freebore chamber, their advantage is effectively lost. As far as powders, I'd strongly suggest starting with either Varget or H4895. It's not solely about velocity, although either of those two powders should give you plenty. You also need to take into account the long strings of fire we shoot in F-Class, so powders with minimal temperature sensitivity are usually a good idea.
I’m hesitant at all to disagree with Ned, so let’s call this another view instead.
I'm not so sure that the second sentence above (if you have to seat long...) is always correct. Often correct, perhaps even usually. The case capacity penalty might or might not be consequential to you. It depends on your case fill and such. And it also depends on where the accuracy nodes of the next lighter and next heavier bullets are with your particular powder. I'd suggest you test for yourself. I found accuracy with an 80 ELD at only 2.432" in my rifle. And I'm able to push it lower mid 2700s in an 18" AR. Warm load, yes. But it went 193 at 500y. Now, I know that's nothing special to most F-classers, but this was an 18" AR off a light folding bipod with a squeeze bag and a 15x scope in some pretty awful conditions, such that a 193 was the 3rd highest score at 500y in all of F-class. This is not a match rifle, it is a heavy barrel 18" AR with a NATO chamber. I'd expect normally it wouldn't be competitive even in FTR, never mind F-open.
This is why I don't think at all that it's a given that you have to have a rifle throated to the moon to run a heavy bullet effectively. It really depends on the OAL and powder charge wt where you find accuracy in your gun.
Varget and H4895 are super popular powders for a reason--they work well. I've personally had great luck with 8208xbr also and AR Comp too, so don't shy away from them if you have some on hand.