Is Hodgdon Lil Gun 300 blackout load data too conservative

[willymc]

I finally rounded up some Hornady .308 cal 150 gr FMJ-BT bullets to load for my 300 blackout. I'll be using Hodgdon Lil Gun. The Hodgdon website says 13.9-15.2 grains of Lil Gun for the Hornady 150 gr inter-bond bullet. From what I've read, that seems a little wimpy. I've seen recipes 'starting' at 15 gr and working up to 16.5 gr and even some at 17 . Not wanting to waste too many components while working up a load, I was thinking of starting at 14.6 gr and working up in .2 grain intervals until I achieved decent grouping without excessive pressure signs. Anyone else load 150 gr FMJ-BT, using Lil Gun, for their 300 blackout?

 

[Walkalong]

Hodgdon has a lab to go by, but all the folks around the web making up their own recipes do not. Just saying.

Go over the Hodgdon data and you are on your own.

I load the 147 Gr FMJ (Pulls) in 300 BLK, but have not used Lil Gun, so I cannot help there except to say I would follow the Hodgdon data. I am running them around 1900/1950 FPS. Enforcer will push them a little faster than that.

 

[willymc]

Thanks, Walkalong. The Hodgdon data says 1932 fps at max loading for the Hornady 150 gr inter-bond bullet. I'd like to see what Hornady says for their FMJ-BT with Lil Gun, but I'm not ready to put out $40 for another manual. I don't even know if the latest Hornady manual has 300 blackout recipes.

 

[sevt_chevelle]

Hornady 9th edition contains 300 black out info.

for 150 pills
11.8 to 17.0 for Lil gun

 

[Jlr2267]

You have no way of knowing the pressure if you exceed the *do not exceed* load.

 

[willymc]

Thanks chevelle, I may just have to get Hornady #9, since it does have the info.

 

[kilibreaux]

On various load sites there are published loads showing Lil'gun at 17 grains behind a 147-150 grain bullet. At that charge velocities are above 2,000 fps from 16" barrels.
The Hogdon website lists just 46K for the 150 grain bullet over 15.2 grains of Lil'gun which is a bit mild, but then it doesn't take much to go up another 10K psi.

Hogdon Lil'gun is right beside H110 for burn rate.

 

[orangeman]

Not conservative

I loaded up some 147grn pulls for my rifle (Daniel Defense 16"S2W carbine gas barrel).

14.8 grains and, after noticing what you did with 'others on the internet' loading 16-17 grains, tried 16 grains of lil gun.

16 grains of lil gun was a much hotter load and all cases had flattened primers. I've backed it down to 15 grains. Rifle cycles perfectly and, no pressure signs.