Hunting load for M1A?

[HogCommander]

About to work up a deer hunting load for my M1A. Will be using 165 SGK's and have Varget and BLC-2 powder to choose from. Leaning toward Varget based on past success with 168 SMK target loads but open to ideas.

Anybody use these bullets/powders in M1A? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[lee2]

i would personally stay in the 147gr area when it comes to bullets.

 

[stu929]

I pretty much exclusively run 155s through mine. I dont push them very hard as I found great groups in some lower charge amounts.

Make sure you start with M1A approved loads. For 4895 I ended up at 42.1 which is low for 308 but the groups were great.

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

Varget and BL-C(2) will both do well with a 165 grain bullet. My hunting load (for a bolt gun) uses BL-C(2) and 165 grain Nosler Accubonds.

 

[coopermania]

i would personally stay in the 147gr area when it comes to bullets.

Why Lee do you think that is necessary ?

308 Lake City Match and Long Range Ammo has used bullets from 168 gr, 172 gr 173 gr and 175 gr. Starting around 1958 if I remember correctly.

 

[8milimeter]

I have not loaded SGK in 308 but have had good success with Varget and 168's.
168 Nos 42.4g Varget CCI34 LC09 2.805
168 Nos 42.7g Varget CCI34 Remington 2.805

I would start out at 41.5 and come up slow. The SGK has a different profile (blunt) with slightly longer bearing surface.
The Sierra manual lists 41.5 Varget and 165 SGK 2600fps. It lists the 168 SMK at 41.9 Varget for 2600fps.

 

[Pinecone]

The normal recommendation is to use a powder no slower than IMR 4064 in an M1A. Slower powders increase the pressure at the gas port and can batter the op rod.

http://www.zediker.com/downloads/14_loading.pdf

Both Varget and BL(C)2 are slower than 4064. But, IIRC, BL(C)2 is pretty much the powder that was loaded in the military 7.62 rounds.

4064 is 95 on the Hodgdon burn rate chart. Varget is 99 and BL(C)2 is 102.

http://www.hodgdon.com/burn-rate.html

A 169 or 175 grain bullet is fine, and the basis for the match rounds.

My accuracy round is a 169 gr Sierra Match King over 41.5 grains of H4895.

Substitute (of course, starting lower and working up the load) a Hornady 169 gr Amax would be a nice hunting load for an M1A. Or one of the 165 gr hunting bullets.

 

[byf43]

My M1A really does well with 168 gr Sierra MatchKings and 41.5 grains of H-4895 - OR - 43.0 grains of W-748.

Substitute the 165 gr Sierra GameKing and you have a superb hunting load, that is just as accurate.


Brass used is either Remington or Lake City (LC) with Winchester LR primers.