Getting some awesome velocities and accuracy out of a 20” barrel (plus suppressor) but it seems too good to be true. No obvious pressures on my new Lapua brass (CCI BR2 primers are slightly cratered, see attached pic, but that seems to be somewhat normal for this rifle, strong firing pin?)
Could someone please run these 3 scenarios through quick load and let me know what psi it says I’m at?
Rifle: CA 308 Winchester (rem 700 clone) Barrel: 20” carbon Bullet: Scenar 155 loaded at 2.800 Brass: New and once fired Lapaua. Once shot brass with primer average 54-55 grains of water Shooting range elevation: 5500’ Weather: 35-45 degrees
Scenario #1: 155 Scenar, 44.5 grains of H4895 Scenario #2: 155 Scenar, 45 grains of H4895
Scenario #3: 150 SST, loaded at 2.790 with 42.5 grains of Benchmark powder
Thanks all! For reference, scenario #1 produced 2857 FPS, #2: 2915, #3: 2795
I use H4895 exclusively in .308s. I've tried a variety of 150 grain bullets and it seems 44 grains is usually around a maximum load or pretty close to it. I have gone slightly higher, but best accuracy is usually with the 44 grain load. One example is with my 22"-barreled NULA. My favorite elk bullet is the Barnes 150 TTSX BT. Muzzle velocity is just under 2850 as I recall. With other 150 bullets, MV will vary from about 2810 - 2875.
CC, Quickload doesn't have internal volume by headstamp. If we have a measurement in grain of H20 it can be entered.
Here's what the Sencar's look like.
Code
Cartridge : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 155, Lapua Scenar GB491 7073
Useable Case Capaci: 47.070 grain H2O = 3.056 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch = 71.12 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm
Powder : Hodgdon H4895
Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.111% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !
Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms
-11.1 92 40.00 2502 2155 44216 8475 95.0 1.133
-10.0 93 40.50 2533 2208 45831 8584 95.4 1.115
-08.9 94 41.00 2563 2262 47504 8689 95.9 1.096
-07.8 96 41.50 2594 2316 49239 8792 96.3 1.078
-06.7 97 42.00 2624 2370 51039 8891 96.7 1.061
-05.6 98 42.50 2655 2425 52906 8987 97.1 1.044 ! Near Maximum !
-04.4 99 43.00 2685 2481 54842 9079 97.5 1.027 ! Near Maximum !
-03.3 100 43.50 2715 2538 56852 9168 97.8 1.010 ! Near Maximum !
-02.2 101 44.00 2746 2594 58938 9253 98.1 0.994 ! Near Maximum !
-01.1 103 44.50 2776 2652 61104 9333 98.4 0.978 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 104 45.00 2806 2710 63354 9410 98.7 0.963 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.1 105 45.50 2836 2768 65691 9483 98.9 0.948 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.2 106 46.00 2866 2827 68120 9551 99.1 0.933 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.3 107 46.50 2896 2887 70646 9615 99.3 0.918 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.4 108 47.00 2926 2947 73273 9675 99.5 0.904 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+05.6 109 47.50 2956 3007 76006 9730 99.6 0.890 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Results caused by ± 3% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 3% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 104 45.00 2846 2787 66909 9375 99.5 0.941 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 3% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 104 45.00 2762 2626 59829 9404 97.5 0.987 ! Near Maximum !
And the SSTs: There's two versions of the SST, you will want to check your part number
Code
Cartridge : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 150, Hornady SST InterLock 30302
Useable Case Capaci: 49.156 grain H2O = 3.192 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch = 71.12 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm
Powder : Hodgdon H4895
Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.111% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !
Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms
-11.1 88 40.00 2467 2028 39851 8462 93.3 1.170
-10.0 89 40.50 2498 2078 41249 8580 93.9 1.152
-08.9 90 41.00 2528 2128 42694 8695 94.4 1.133
-07.8 92 41.50 2558 2179 44190 8807 94.9 1.115
-06.7 93 42.00 2588 2231 45739 8917 95.3 1.097
-05.6 94 42.50 2618 2283 47341 9024 95.8 1.080
-04.4 95 43.00 2648 2335 49000 9128 96.2 1.063
-03.3 96 43.50 2678 2389 50718 9229 96.6 1.046
-02.2 97 44.00 2708 2442 52496 9326 97.0 1.030
-01.1 98 44.50 2738 2497 54338 9420 97.3 1.013 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 99 45.00 2768 2552 56247 9511 97.7 0.998 ! Near Maximum !
+01.1 100 45.50 2798 2607 58224 9598 98.0 0.982 ! Near Maximum !
+02.2 102 46.00 2828 2663 60273 9681 98.3 0.967 ! Near Maximum !
+03.3 103 46.50 2857 2719 62398 9760 98.6 0.953 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.4 104 47.00 2887 2776 64601 9836 98.8 0.938 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+05.6 105 47.50 2917 2833 66886 9907 99.0 0.924 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Results caused by ± 3% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 3% relative to nominal value:
Code
Cartridge : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 150, Hornady SST InterLock 30303
Useable Case Capaci: 50.194 grain H2O = 3.259 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch = 71.12 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm
Powder : Hodgdon H4895
Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.087% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !
Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms
-10.9 89 41.00 2504 2088 41150 8724 94.0 1.152
-09.8 90 41.50 2534 2138 42564 8839 94.5 1.134
-08.7 91 42.00 2563 2188 44027 8952 95.0 1.116
-07.6 92 42.50 2593 2239 45539 9062 95.5 1.099
-06.5 93 43.00 2623 2291 47103 9169 95.9 1.081
-05.4 94 43.50 2652 2343 48720 9273 96.3 1.065
-04.3 95 44.00 2682 2395 50393 9375 96.7 1.048
-03.3 96 44.50 2711 2448 52123 9472 97.1 1.032
-02.2 97 45.00 2741 2502 53914 9567 97.4 1.016 ! Near Maximum !
-01.1 98 45.50 2770 2556 55768 9658 97.7 1.001 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 99 46.00 2800 2611 57686 9745 98.1 0.986 ! Near Maximum !
+01.1 100 46.50 2829 2666 59672 9829 98.3 0.971 ! Near Maximum !
+02.2 102 47.00 2858 2721 61729 9909 98.6 0.956 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.3 103 47.50 2888 2777 63860 9985 98.8 0.942 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.3 104 48.00 2917 2834 66067 10058 99.1 0.928 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+05.4 105 48.50 2946 2890 68356 10126 99.3 0.914 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Results caused by ± 3% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 3% relative to nominal value:
Thank you sir!
Measuring about 8 cases of the new Lapua brass that was shot in my chamber, I got between 54-55 grains of water weight (spent primer was left in the cases when cases were filled with water)
Sorry if I wasn’t clear, I was using Hodogen Benchmark powder with the 150 SST
I use H4895 exclusively in .308s. I've tried a variety of 150 grain bullets and it seems 44 grains is usually around a maximum load or pretty close to it. I have gone slightly higher, but best accuracy is usually with the 44 grain load. One example is with my 22"-barreled NULA. My favorite elk bullet is the Barnes 150 TTSX BT. Muzzle velocity is just under 2850 as I recall. With other 150 bullets, MV will vary from about 2810 - 2875.
Is that 44 grains with Lapua brass. If not, I’m wondering if I need to reduce the max load by 3-5% because of the reduced case capacity of Lapua
