Thread: What Have You Loaded Today

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
GPM finally got out to the shed today to do some preliminary loads for load development for a friends .308. A few rounds were assembled with 150 grain Interlocks and the last of my old lot of AR2206H to use as fouling shots. I have not done this previously but why not. Next two rounds each using the 150 grain SST and 44 grains of AR2206H and 45 grains of AR2208. These will be shot for velocity and not for group. The idea is to validate the load data that I am working with. AR2206H has been used extensively in my .308 and other rifles so there is a good level of data here already but this is a new lot so a test is needed. AR2208 has been used in other calibres but not the .308. The test cases are R-P. Hopefully the test rounds will be shot and chronographed at a range day on Saturday and further testing during next week.
Regards Grandpamac.

Greetings again,
Got the chronograph out today to test the .308 loads,
45 grains of AR2206H with the 150 grain Hornady Interlock 2,865 fps
44 grains of AR2206H new lot with the 150 grain SST 2,827fps
45 grains of AR2208 with the 150 grain SST 2,766 fps

The purpose was to establish which powder was likely to give the best results. The rifle, which belongs to a friend, has the most unusual barrel length of 24 inches so a direct comparison can be made with book data. Only one shot of each load was fired as this was just to establish a baseline velocity and validate the data.

The learnings. Both lots of AR2206H were close to the same speed and just a little faster than book data in this rifle. AR2208 is slower than book data for this lot and it would take an additional 2 grains to match AR2206H. While no attempt was made to test accuracy the shots were fired at 200 metres and the interlock shot about 90mm higher than the two SST loads. These shot about the same height and 35mm apart even with the old geezer doing the shooting having forgotten his specs. So there we have it. Three shots fired and a proposed load of 45 grains of AR2206H with the SST delivering around 2,870 fps. Time to load some loads to test for accuracy.

I need to say that I have done a lot of previous testing, including chronographing with the .308 and AR2206H and its predecessors over many years and would have shot a test string starting lower in an unfamiliar cartridge or powder but the technique would have been the same.
Regards Grandpamac.