168 ELDM .308 loads. All Lies

[swampratt]

I shot 4 loads today and the wind was brutal.
It was shaking me and the car. I used the top of the car as a rest.
I forgot my bags and my bipod so the gun was rocking back and forth.

I stopped and took the shovel out of the car and the kitchen plastic bags I had in the trunk.
(Yes I had a shovel in the trunk found it on the highway)

I put a few scoops of mud and sticks into the bag and tossed it on top of the car to rest the gun on.
Too wet and it was only marginally better. Man we had a lot of rain.

I tried holding still and just could not pull it off.

Load #1 proved it with a 2.670" 4 shot group.
Many times fired mixed Lapua cases with very loose primer pockets 42.6 gr IMR 4064 CCI 200, 2.800" OAL
Cases all felt different when seating bullets and chambering 3 cases the bolt was hard to close and 1 case it was easy.

I moved the shooting bench (car) and tried to get a wind block from trees.
My target paper was blowing on the corners a bit but I was a little better blocked from the wind.

Load: 42.6 Imr 4064, Winchester cases, 168ELDM 2.818 OAL CCI 200.
1 case marked as a flier as when i seated it the pressure was way off.
first 4 rounds went into a .888" group then I took the case marked flier and it went way left made the group 2.590"

Yea I called that one before it even went into the ammo box.
Gun rest time and I went off into the woods to look for mushrooms. (one Found)

Wind is now shifted a bit and really picking up some gusts.

I had 1 last load I wanted to try and figured I would send them as quick as I could.
All loads were chambered from the magazine by the way.

4 Lapua cases that were kept in their own group firm seating primers on these and Neck turned.
42.6 Gr. Varget, CCI 200, 2.818 OAL This was the best group of the day .675" center to center for the 4 shots.

I did not make 5.
No rest between shots. Just get all of them down range quick before the wind changes direction.


But my camera is not functioning anymore the lens wants to open but just jacks back and forth so I can't prove any of the above.
So pretty much lies all lies.

But those ELDM 168 gr do work for me in my Savage 10SR with 18" fat barrel.
I just need to sort brass better and not use this used up Lapua stuff with fat primer pockets.

Looks like 2.818 OAL will work well and that is the same OAL my 168 A-Max likes in this gun and those loads with the A-Max shoot under an inch also
as does the 165 game king HPBT but that one is set at 2.680 OAL and that bullet is just stupid accurate.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

I guess when I said my groups were terrible with the 168ELD bullet I was lying. They’re decent groups, but they just aren’t as tight as the 168HPBT. (I still need to get pictures of my targets from the other day. Been sick since I got back from the range Saturday)

At least this is the case with the 168 ELD’s for my .308 rifle which is a Ruger Precision Rifle. 20” barrel. 1:10 Twist.

I’ll try some more testing maybe but I’m pretty set on the 175grain Sierra MatchKing now. I could try the 168’s out of my old Mossberg 100ATR and see how they do. Maybe it will love them.

 

[swampratt]

After I find a load that will shoot another day the same group size or better at 100 yards.
Like the 2 above groups under 1"
I will then stretch the loads legs.
I will shoot paper at 200 yards and see if the group stays tight or falls apart.

My accurate 200 and 300 yard loads do not look spectacular at 100 usually in the .75" group size area.

So I give them a chance at longer distances.
Those 42.6 gr loads of Varget and 4064 have always impressed me at longer distances.
I love my Mossberg 100 ATR rifles and will never sell them.
I have 3