What do you think of this 7.62x51 service rifle load?

[uneasy_rider]

I am working up loads to use in an M1A and FAL.

What do you think of this load:

Hornday 150g FMJ BT
Winchester 748, 43.0 grains
OAL 2.735"
Winchester Large rifle primer


Would that be a good load to run though the M1A and FAL?

I would also like to use the same load of powder but with the Hornady 150g Interlock SST Bullet for whitetail deer in a Tikka T3. How will that load work for that?

 

[USSR]

I don't use ball powder (not noted for accuracy), so I can't comment on that, but why are you loading your cartridges to such a short OAL? You can load them out to 2.810" and still have them fit a FAL mag.

Don

 

[uneasy_rider]

Thats what the book said to do.

 

[Grump]

S/B OK, even in military brass

I used that charge over CCI 200s for years, topped off with a Sierra 168-gr Matchking. Shot 2 inch benchrested groups at 200 yards, iron sights, every time I tested it.

That was with LC brass.

With 147-gr bullets, I used 45.5 WW=748, and they shot fine, too.

Both were published by the NRA as "military shoot-alike" loads sometime back like 1983-85 or so, with a warning "not to be exceeded in military brass", IIRC.

My only complaint was 1 fps change in velocity for every 2 degrees F in temperature change. During the course of a typical 600-yard SF stage, I would usually have to crank elevation down 1 MOA somewhere between shots 12 and 15...between the day warming up and the rifle heating up a bit.

I'm about *this close* to loading more of those match loads with 748.