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155gr. SMK's


survivalshop

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  I've been wanting to try some , just to see how well they do out of my 308's , mostly because I really don't shoot all that far & why use heavier bullets & wanted a bullet weight closer to the M80 ball . Well that was until I read the prices of them , why are they more expensive then the more weighty cousins ?

  Are they magic bullets or something ? I know its not much of a price difference , but still , WTF.

  I know I'm going to have to buy some to try , before I buy in quantity , but for the price of the 155's , I just as well get 168's .

 

  Who's using them in a 1-10 twist ? Are they shooting as well as the 168's at moderate ranges ? I know they should !

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Most like i, use the 155smk bc we don't have a 1/10.my Fulton is a 1/12 so 168 is the most it can handle at 22". Also it can be pushed harder in order to make those 1000 yd shots where as at lower altitudes out of most 308s the 168 begins to go trans sonic and destabilize in the 850-950 yard range. Im guessing more expensive bc of the lower production numbers.

Edited by bubbasks
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The newest version of the 155 MK I believe comes with a plastic tip and new BC of .519 , which is real good.

 

Older version should cost a little less, but it depends on where you buy them.

 

If you are not shooting very far, the 168 would work just fine, just shoot a lighter charge of powder.

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The newest version of the 155 MK I believe comes with a plastic tip and new BC of .519 , which is real good.

 

Older version should cost a little less, but it depends on where you buy them.

 

If you are not shooting very far, the 168 would work just fine, just shoot a lighter charge of powder.

The new Sierra you are describing is the Tipped Match King. Very impressive BCs on all of them. Here in the next couple weeks im gonna pick up some 175 gr Sierra TMK. Very excited about them. Will report back when I test them.

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SS, you looking at the Sierra #2155, or the #2156?  Significant difference between the two bullets.

 

sierrapalma1.jpg

  I have read the Palma's are real touchy on how they are loaded & the chamber config.. Never used Palma type bullets of any Cal.. Seems like they are another long range Bullet configuration. 

  If the std MK are pricey , the tipped ones will be more & I'm cheap now a days , trying to get the best bang for my buck , but don't want 147-149 gr. Ball bullets.

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    If the std MK are pricey , the tipped ones will be more & I'm cheap now a days , trying to get the best bang for my buck , but don't want 147-149 gr. Ball bullets.

 

That's the very reason I've been loading ALL my 300BLK and "range-ammo .308 Win" with the Hornady 150gr FMJBT projectiles.  Those little bastards are pretty impressive. 

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  • 5 weeks later...

 New Bullets , can't wait to play with them . The 155 gr. Nosler's are nice , the A Max's have a distinct taper , with a quick transition to the Bullet diameter. Unlike the Nosler's that flow from tip to Bullet diameter .

  This will be interesting

  AMax      0.435 BC

  Nosler     0.450 BC

post-11255-0-98982900-1433356730_thumb.j

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OK! ... Give up your recipe !!

155 AMax

43 gr R12

Winchester brass

Fed 210 primer

COAL 2.795

Since they no longer make Reloader 12 the next best thing I have found is 43 gr Varget.

I bet R15 would be better I just can't seem to find any.

I found out the lgs had some R12 hidden away in the closet last year so I bought it all ;)

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155 AMax

43 gr R12

Winchester brass

Fed 210 primer

COAL 2.795

Since they no longer make Reloader 12 the next best thing I have found is 43 gr Varget.

I bet R15 would be better I just can't seem to find any.

I found out the lgs had some R12 hidden away in the closet last year so I bought it all ;)

Try <gunbot.net/reloading/powder>

They have Reloader 15 right now. It's expensive, but has been available for a long time. I can get it locally for ~$28/lb.

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  Went to the range with the 16" 308 AR today with some 155 gr. test loads . After adding some extra sun shades on the Chrono , it worked ok .

  I was talked into swapping out my Geissele G2S out & install the MechArmor Modular FCG & it took a little to get used to it , but started to get better with it , in this rifle , as the testing progressed . I was very reluctant to replace the Geissele & the two stage will go back in once I test the pull weight on the MechArmor FCG while its in this rifle , out of curiosity .

   Temp . 88 degrees , little to no wind & I had a bench in the shade . All COL were 2.797" or close to it . All brass was Annealed & sized in a Redding FL Bushing die . Criterion 16" HB , rifle gas system with Smith Enterprises Brake .

  I have to photo the Targets & post . 

 

 

 

#   Case  Primer   Powder    Chg. WT./grs .   Bullet wt/.grs.    Type   Manuf.    Avg. Vel./fps     ES /fps         SD /fps

 

1     FC      CCI      TAC            43                    155                AMax       Hornady         2493         94                 33

 

2     FC      Fed.      TAC            42                    155                match       Nosler           2492          17                  7

 

3      FC     WW       TAC            42                    155               match         Nosler           2481         14                  7

 

4       FC     CCI      TAC             43                    155               match         Nosler         2527           19                 8

 

5       FC     CCI       TAC             43                    155                Amax        Hornady       2602           19                9

 

6       LC     Fed.       4064            42                   155                match        Nosler          2361          62                27

 

7        LC    CCI        4064             42                   155                match        Nosler          2384          24                11

 

8        LC    CCI        4895             41                   155                match        Nosler          2350            7                   3

 

9         LC    Fed.       4895            41.5                 155                match        Nosler          2433           32                 13

 

10       LC     CCI       4895            41.5                  155               match        Nosler           2431          36                 18

 

 

 Some interesting results , I added the  20 + yr. old  WW primers in for 98 . 

 I had three other test loads ,one with the WW primers, but knocked the holder over & mixed some of them up , so no idea what was in what , so didn't even shoot them .

Edited by survivalshop
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 #   Case  Primer   Powder    Chg. WT./grs .   Bullet wt/.grs.    Type   Manuf.    Avg. Vel./fps     ES /fps    SD /fps

 

1     FC      CCI      TAC            43                    155                AMax       Hornady         2493           94               33

 

5       FC     CCI       TAC          43                    155                Amax        Hornady       2602           19                  9

 

Those 20-yo primers held their own!  Something happened in the two groups above, though.  Something else is different.  You gained over 100fps, but nothing else is different in the load data... 

 

Those Nosler Match projos are beating the Hornady AMAX projos - same fps but a full grain lower in charge weight.  You have to up the charge on the AMAX to gain the speed, but the ES and SD grow with the AMAX...  Very interesting...

Edited by 98Z5V
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  The only thing I can think of is , the warmth of the Barrel  <dontknow> , there were five rounds in the middle of the target , just to see where the 155's would impact , barrel had a dry patch ran down it after each test group & I had no loads of TAC higher then 43.0 gr. ,so you guess is as good as mine . ES & SD are also strange .I do not let the Barrel have a cool down period , swab it & then the next test .

  I at least know after looking at the brass , that I can go with more of a charge wt. ,even though I was using my 16", my target fps with the 20" Barrel was 2750 fps ( more or less ) & will get close to that when I load some more refined loadings & put them through both Barrels .

  Below are the Targets , don't mind the flyer's , I was getting used to a single stage MechArmor FCG , sucker would go off before I was ready , still thinking I had the Geissele in there . I will keep the MechArmor in for the next testing which will be on Monday .

 

    On Target test # 1 ,I had two rounds of Fed. mil Spec that had been damaged from my exploits with the CMMG Lower & Pmags , that had a nice dent in them from failing to feed & I pulled the Bullets ,dumped the powder & resized & loaded 43 gr. Tac , seated the MiSpc 149 FMJ into & shot them next to the 155AMax . 

  I had to shoot them to get the dent out for reloading .

 

post-11255-0-97188300-1434119802_thumb.j

 

post-11255-0-73368200-1434119866_thumb.j

Edited by survivalshop
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 I will probably load the Amax's a little shorter COL , they bare real close to touching & may be rubbing the inside of the Pmag. The next test loads will be with just TAC & 50/50 Amax & Match Bullets only , from the 16" & the 20" 

 

post-11255-0-82968500-1434121928_thumb.j

 

Nice & shady to shoot from .

 

post-11255-0-37922800-1434121994_thumb.j

 

 

 

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    I had to shoot them to get the dent out for reloading .

 

I'm all about that, all the time.  Fire Form that thing, and get it to the press!  :hethan:   So many buddies in the range, "Oh, my ammo dented and it's not safe to shoot now..."   :'(    Gimme that thing.  Single it into a mag, drop bolt, BOOM.  Now, that's MY brass you chickenshit.  <lmao>

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 98

 

   When I was trying to get the Chrono working with the five shots in the center aiming point , the last shot did give a reading , the Amax,with 43gr. of TAC did register , my notes read it was 2505 fps  & another thing is the # 5 group only had two shots & that may have made a difference in avg. vel. , the others were three shots , ( It was # 3 that had only two shots) my normal way of testing is five shot avg.. I was just testing for Velocities & didn't care if I had two or five , just wanted to see what they were doing .

  I knew there was something wrong when my first shot of the day was over 5000 fps !

 

 The dents were real good ones , the kind that will not chamber , the kind that look like the BCG wanted to bend the case in half, <laughs>  I had to pull the Bullet & dump the powder & remove the recapping pin on the sizer die to resize the case to get that dent out enough for it to chamber .

 

 I was also impressed with the IMR 4895 Powder , but will not be using it for further testing , as said, I'm going all TAC on my 308 ammo , it is as close as I have came to the WC 846 .

Edited by survivalshop
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  This was something I didn't expect from a match Bullet , I was getting slightly varying COL's with the Nosler 155 gr. Match Bullets , so I measured ten of them & of the Hornady 155 gr. Amax Bullets .

 

Nosler 155gr. Match

1.151 " ( 3 )

1.153"  ( 2 )

1.154"  ( 1 )

1.155"  ( 2)

1.156"  (1 )

 1.161" ( 1 )

 

Hornady 155 gr. AMax

1.212 " ( 1 )

1.213" ( 3 )

1.214" ( 3 )

1.215" ( 3 )

 

 I always thought that the Polymer tipped bullets would be the ones not so uniform  <dontknow> The two Bullets are of different configurations , as far as the shape of the Bullet & its ogive .

post-11255-0-42219800-1434640145_thumb.j

 

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