Highest round count LMT 308?

[Corse]

The MEN 147gr shoots pretty good for me too.

Federal brass, CCI No 34 primers, IMR 4064. OAL 2.790

Best groups were with 44.2 gr, 45.0, and 45.4 (the 44.6 wasn't good, maybe shooter error?)

Sierra's manual has OAL around 2.775 and so does hogdon's but that is for the regular MK. I load a little longer since there is no actual data for the TMK. I had a primer pop at 46.6 gr (.9 under hogdon's max) but it was a hornady case that I must have mixed up. I did not fire the rest in that charge weight.

I was jumping .4 gr between charges, I plan to go back to 44 gr and try smaller steps to see what I get and get some velocity data.
I should also have a better optic mounted by the, So that may help. Then it's on to 200yrd groups.

[Pappabear]

Corse, As a MEN shooter, I will tell you that we have been very impressed with MEN brass for reloading. Do you use any of your MEN for reloading? We use it for my LMT MWS slinging ammo and it shoots MOA. That MEN ammo when using the brass to reload is the best deal in the country. I have about 1,000 rounds on stash. Mark loaded up a batch for his bolt gun just to see and it performed very well in his bolt gun.

Keep us posted on your progress.

PB

[Corse]

Corse, As a MEN shooter, I will tell you that we have been very impressed with MEN brass for reloading. Do you use any of your MEN for reloading? We use it for my LMT MWS slinging ammo and it shoots MOA. That MEN ammo when using the brass to reload is the best deal in the country. I have about 1,000 rounds on stash. Mark loaded up a batch for his bolt gun just to see and it performed very well in his bolt gun.

Keep us posted on your progress.

PB

I have been saving the brass with the intention of reloading it once I get enough. I assume I need to decrimp the primer pocket and I haven't pulled out the decrimping tool yet. I need to get some more of the MEN either way. What bullets are you loading?

I was resizing the brass from the last outing and it appears the hotter loads were definitely too hot. The one that popped the primer no longer fits in the Shell holder. I goty best groups near Sierra's max so I'm loading more I that range. I wouldn't use hogdon's.

[Hootiewho]

Try some TAP 168 grain ELD's. Try some FGGM 175's. Its not uncommon for guns to prefer slightly then 168 vs 175 SMK or vice versa. Maybe some TAP 178 ELD's if they make that. I bet one will get under MOA. ELD's are my new favorite, but FGGM is a Gold Standard still. I do think a better scope might help, some reticles don't do it for me. Make sure you good contrast between target and reticle. bla bla bla

I shop Bonefrog for premium ammo at good prices. Good luck.

PB

This is extremely solid advice. I tried the factory Hornady 155 ELD, 168 ELD, AND 178 ELD in several gas guns including a MWS with 18” SS barrel and AIAX. For a gas gun the 168 & 178 is hard to beat. I also got exceptional accuracy from the 178 gr ELD-X. I shot it in a 1000 yd match with the AI and a 16” barrel and got 2nd or 3rd in my division. It seems to be a fine hunting bullet as well.

For precision 308 the 168 ELD and 178 ELD are currently my go to. I remember Rob01? on the hide saying the 168 ELD was extremely stable from a 20” barrel out to 1100-1200 IIRC when that load first appeared.

I’m curious if any of you having issues have noticed any damage to the tip of your gas tube from the gas key?

[Hootiewho]

Corse, As a MEN shooter, I will tell you that we have been very impressed with MEN brass for reloading. Do you use any of your MEN for reloading? We use it for my LMT MWS slinging ammo and it shoots MOA. That MEN ammo when using the brass to reload is the best deal in the country. I have about 1,000 rounds on stash. Mark loaded up a batch for his bolt gun just to see and it performed very well in his bolt gun.

Keep us posted on your progress.

PB

Yes I do. Honestly the stuff reminds me a lot of Lapua brass. I did a little playing around reloading for a SR9T with a few batches of various mfgs. Men and Lapua seemed to take the most abuse and last the longest. I’ve also used a portaband and cut a couple MEN cases in half to compare them to Lapua. It is absolutely my brand of choice of M80 type ammo to stock. Seems to do great for Mexican Match and swapping out to a better bullet. I’ll see if I can find the targets where I did accuracy testing with my AI using MEN. If you pull a bullet from a MEN case the base of just the ball bullet looks damn near perfect, or all mine do. I have never saw a ball round so uniform at the base. IIRC it was also pretty consistent on the chrono too. It did shoot very well in the roller lock HK.

[Corse]

This is extremely solid advice. I tried the factory Hornady 155 ELD, 168 ELD, AND 178 ELD in several gas guns including a MWS with 18” SS barrel and AIAX. For a gas gun the 168 & 178 is hard to beat. I also got exceptional accuracy from the 178 gr ELD-X. I shot it in a 1000 yd match with the AI and a 16” barrel and got 2nd or 3rd in my division. It seems to be a fine hunting bullet as well.

For precision 308 the 168 ELD and 178 ELD are currently my go to. I remember Rob01? on the hide saying the 168 ELD was extremely stable from a 20” barrel out to 1100-1200 IIRC when that load first appeared.

I’m curious if any of you having issues have noticed any damage to the tip of your gas tube from the gas key?

I had no luck with the ELD bullets or ammo I tried. I may re attack at a later date, but so far the preliminary results are that 155gr TMKs will be the most accurate.

I'll look at the gas tube and let you know.

[thehun]

Those 3.5X35 ACOGS are my favorite. Great eye relief and reticle to go 800, if my memory serves me. Good to hear promising results. Send your load data with Brass used, primers used and powder and we can try some too. Markm has a ton of brass clean and ready to load up so your timing is good for a new great load. The fact that we have had success with MEN 147 ball ammo at 1,000, suggest some TMK's could be pretty cool.

PB

Correct...eye relief is about twice as much as the TA31...so its much for usable...you give up a couple of feet in FOV...but that is ok.

[Corse]

More 155gr TMK testing.

Best 10rd groups at 100 yrds were with 45.0 and 45.2 gr of 4064. Both at approx 1.5"
I might be able to get these smaller with some more load prep. I was having some issues with consistent charge weights from the chargemaster.

Muzzle velocity measured with a magnetospeed was:
45.0 - 2781 fps (highest velocity)
45.2 - 2699 fps ( not sure why the velocity is lower)
45.4 - 2744 fps

MEN 147gr was 2589 fps

Another issue is the rifle has issues feeding from a full 20rd mag.

With around a 2700fps avg, the bullet should stay supersonic to about 1100 yrds according to JM Ballistics

[Pappabear]

Those seem to be solid velocities. Should be easy 1,000 yard hits. I see you are in AZ, where are you in the valley? 10 shot groups are tuff as shinola , my hats off

What kind of issues with full mag?

PB

[Corse]

Those seem to be solid velocities. Should be easy 1,000 yard hits. I see you are in AZ, where are you in the valley? 10 shot groups are tuff as shinola , my hats off

What kind of issues with full mag?

PB

I'm down in the Tucson area.

Three shot groups are so much easier and I can definitely get more impressive numbers. I would like to get them a little tighter though. There were a few unexplained flyers.

All failure to feed for the first 4-5 rds. If I pull the charging handle back and release it, the round will chamber.