Anyone loading Nato 7.62X51 Brass?

[amlevin]

If so, what have you found necessary as a load reduction for your finished loads?

I have about 500 pieces of WRA 68 & 69 headstamped brass that is in like new condition. Want to load some 168 gr A-Max bullets and am looking for around 2650-2700 fps in a 24" bbl. "Water capacity" is 53.5 gr".

Most data calls for loads around 45 gr of Varget for speeds in this range. As this is close to the max of 46 gr, I looking for info from those who have gone down this road before.

Am also wondering if H4895 might be a better choice for this case.

Any info on this is greatly appreciated.

 

[USSR]

Most data calls for loads around 45 gr of Varget for speeds in this range. As this is close to the max of 46 gr, I looking for info from those who have gone down this road before.

That 45gr - 46gr of Varget load, is for brass like Winchester with a large case capacity. With your USGI brass and a 168gr bullet, you are looking in the neighborhood of 42.5gr - 43.0gr with Varget, and 42.0gr - 42.5gr with 4895.

Don

 

[ReloaderFred]

USSR has given you good advice. I try to load as much military brass as possible for my two M1A's, and save the commercial brass for my other .308 rifles. All my .308/7.62x51 ammunition is loaded with IMR 4895.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[foxmeadow]

I recently bought a Savage 10FP in .308. Having no bullets or brass, I bought bullets, 168 SMKs, and LR brass from Southern Belle. It's all Lake City, 2005, with the LR headstamp. Would I be wrong in assuming that this brass is more uniform than regular "machine gun" brass?

I began working up a load, starting with 4064. Velocities were all over the place. Extreme spread of 300 fps or so. I'm still averaging 2500 or so, but would the spread close up as I raise the powder charge? All the brass was sized the same, flash holes deburred, trimmed to 2.005" and chamfered. All the same.

On advice of a friend, I switched to Benchmark. Same story. I have IMR 4895 and I've figured to try that next.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jasper1573]

I load Lake City once fired brass with 43.2 grains of Alliant Reloder 15 powder behind a 175 grain Sierra Match King bullet. Muzzle velocity averages 2625 fps plus or minus about 30-40 fps. I don't reload 168 grain Sierras, but the loads above sound reasonable. I would try the Reloder 15 powder; it is very consistent and similar to Varget. Hope this helps.

 

[animator]

44.5 gr Varget in nato brass has been my go-to load with 168gr A-max and SMK bullets. Accuracy has been impressive, however I've never measured the velocities, as I do not yet have a chronograph.

 

[USSR]

I recently bought a Savage 10FP in .308. Having no bullets or brass, I bought bullets, 168 SMKs, and LR brass from Southern Belle. It's all Lake City, 2005, with the LR headstamp. Would I be wrong in assuming that this brass is more uniform than regular "machine gun" brass?

LC M118 LR brass is a little more uniform than standard M80 brass, but IMHO, still falls below most commercially made brass.

I began working up a load, starting with 4064. Velocities were all over the place. Extreme spread of 300 fps or so. I'm still averaging 2500 or so, but would the spread close up as I raise the powder charge? All the brass was sized the same, flash holes deburred, trimmed to 2.005" and chamfered. All the same.

You don't state what charge weight of 4064 you are using, but if you are only averaging 2500fps, your problem is either you are not using enough of it, or (with ES numbers of 300fps) you have a faulty chrongraph. With that brass and 168SMK's, I would be using 42.5 - 43.0gr of 4064.

On advice of a friend, I switched to Benchmark. Same story. I have IMR 4895 and I've figured to try that next.

Any thoughts?

Try 42.0gr of IMR4895.

Don

 

[MtnCreek]

Try 42.0gr of IMR4895.

That's a great charge with a 168gr SMK.

IMHO, Benchmark is too fast for 168gr projectiles. I've had better results w/ Benchmark & 155gr a-max. If you're looking for a good metering powder for .308, thry 8208xbr. It meters as well as Benchmark and seems to burn a little slower.

I began working up a load, starting with 4064. Velocities were all over the place. Extreme spread of 300 fps or so. I'm still averaging 2500 or so, but would the spread close up as I raise the powder charge? All the brass was sized the same, flash holes deburred, trimmed to 2.005" and chamfered. All the same.

Something's not right w/ ES at 300fps. Are you wieghing these charges?

 

[Cherokee]

I'll be odd man out here - I use H380 for the Sierra 169 in my M1A and get MOA accuracy at 100 yd, from the bench, which is about the best this old shooter could do anyway. IMR4895 did not shoot as well for me in my rifle.

 

[amlevin]

First I want to thank everyone for their answers and recommendations. I took some loads to the range today and have some results I'm quite pleased with.

Since I have a bunch of Varget I decided to give it a shot, literally. Stated out at 42.6gr and worked up to 43.8 in .3 gr. increments. Here're the results:

42.6 gr. 2636 fps avg

42.9 gr. 2635 avg.

43.2 gr. 2681 fps avg.

43.5 gr 2678 fps avg

43.8 gr. 2710 fps avg.

My "goal" was 2675 fps with the 168 gr A-Max bullet. The two "middle" loads were closest but the 43.2 gr load yielded the most consistency, both in speed and group. At 100 yards the group was "dime sized" and I wasn't really trying all that hard. The "Mean Average Deviation" was 9.2 fps or 0.3%.

Absolutely NO pressure signs from even the 43.8 gr load but with the higher loads the groups were starting to open up.

Looks like I've found a load to have some fun with and be able to put these military cases to good use. I've found them to have a surprising level of consistency both in weights and water volumes. Not bad for some "Free Surplus Brass".