I have about completed my workup with 200, 220Gr. Noslers and 240 gr.Woodleigh PPs in my 24" barrel 30-06..I used Fed 210 and WW and Lapua brass and RL-17 powder
..

I will post the short of it without a lot of detail:

1. 200 gr. Nosler:
53.5 grs.= 2649 at 55,000 PSI
55 grs.= 2703 at about 60,000 PSI
56 grs.= 2801 at about 67,800 PSI

220 gr. Noslers:
59 grs. RL-22 = 2513 54,500 PSI
56 grs. RL-22 = 2420 49,700 PSI
58 grs RL-22 = 2492 53,400 PSI
Nothing spectacular here and MRP gave simular results as expected.

240 gr. Woodleighs:
57 grs. RL-22 = 2401 56,000 PSI
I stopped here as thats as good as it gets, and the full equal to the great .318 W.R. I think I'll really like this one for timber hunting elk, and it'll do across a canyon to 300 yards and thats about as far as I need to be shooting.

VV-`165 POWDER:
After my limited testing with VV-165 and my posts here, I got an email from Daniel Kocur regarding his tests with VV-165 and 200 gr. projectiles so I gave them a try and got favorable results but reached a max much sooner than he did and ran out of powder......


I have deleted this VV-165 data, as I have found it to be incorrect, and my email from Daniel was a typo in the powder used. Afte replenishing the powder, I came to the conclusion that VV165 was no better or worse than many powders suitable for the 30-06 and heavy bullets and with the new lott of powder I found my max was 56 to 57 grs. in my rifle, a considerable difference from the first tests.

I find it hard to get 65 grains of powder in an 06 case. Compressed load?

I would love to get my hands on some RL-17!

The only powder that seems to be on the shelves in my once a year trip to Anchorage is Varget.

Since when did a 30-06 become a big bore?

M

Pegleg,
I didn't get to 65 grs. yet as you will note..but he stated that it was a compressed load, how much compressed would be my question, Compressed loads are sometimes your most accurate but is it overly compressed? I have no problem with 105% Load density for instance.

Wow! But hard to believe. QL predicts for the 200 gr. Accubond, 30-06, 24" barrel, 64 grs Vv165, 2904 fps, BUT at 88,271 PSI.

Also, Daniel Kocur posts the following for the 200 grain Nosler Partition - Vihtavuori N165 - 63 grs. - 2752 fps - 66,800 PSI. I doubt the 200 gr. Accubond will be that much different.

AIU

I can not it isn´t true with these .30-06 "loads"...but I definatly have my thoughts in regards to pressure and casevolume with these powder charges. Normally a good stiff ò6 load will do about 2650 ft/sec with a 200grain bullet and no more within normal service pressure.

Well his data must be correct in that he says the 65 gr. loads show no cratering of primers, no sticky bolt lift, no marks on the case head and after 5 firings the primers are stil tight, that is not 88,000 guestamated PSI, not even close...I know Daniel has the equipment and has been a boon to the reloaders over the years.??? and inasmuch as he has the testing equipment, and most if not all nay sayers here are guesstamating, its complicated..I'll find out who is right or wrong.

My test with the 63 gr. load that I tested was not over the top, and it gave me 2801 FPS..I have gotten that with some old 4831 WW2 powder I have on hand and with a couple of powders btw...at any rate I will be playing in his ball park when I get more VV165. I like the 62 gr. load at 2770 FPS right now and my guess in PSI would be about 60,000 to 65,000 PSI. but thats not much better than a lot of powders..I also know that barrel tightness, chamber tightness all have a great baring on pressure and one starts way low and works up to a tad beyond what he should, then backs off but only if he has been at this stuff for many years and gained a lot of experience in loading..I have blown a couple of primers and lightly stuck a bolt or two but have not damaged a rifle or myself, its an old hold over from the old days of wildcatting, wear gloves and a welders helmet!

I know he used Lapua brass and its powder capacity is more than all but the later PPV in most cases. I suspect Graff will also have more capacity as its made by PPV...

If I get any signs of pressure I back off, Most of the signs don't mean much by them selves but when you put them a few or all of them together its time to duck and cover! .

Velocity is a pressure sign. When cases and primers or sticky bolt throw don't show signs of excessive pressure the velocity itself can.

I did buy some R-17 today to try in my sons 30-06. 2750 with a 180 E-tip would work for me.

I finally located a half can of VV165 to continue testing. My tests revealed my gun was max at 63 grs and after 5 loadings all was well.
but after loads no. 6 and 7 things went to hell in a shoebox more or less and I got a case seperation and loose primers.. Just goes to show what a new lott of powder can do or how fast things can change with the limited and flawed methods were limited to..and your right, velocity should have been a pressure guide.

I found out with what powder I had left that VV165 is a good 2700 FPS powder with 57 grs of VV165 like many other powders if you want your brass to last, and in fact my favorite VV165 load was too hot.

Email from Daniel said he was using MR4000 but I have a hard copy of his email and it states t VV165 loads, not mr4000 so perhaps Daniel had a typo or brain fart!

At any rate I will return to RL-17 as his reports on RL-17 were 110% correct, and amazing.

I deleted the VV-165 data in my original posts in that those that followed my advise of starting 10% below the starting loads would have found max at just a grain or two over that, but to be safe I just deleted all the data in fear that someone would go direct to the max load and skip all the precautions.

Ray, have you tried Norma MRP or N560 with 200 Accubonds? QL suggests that 2800 fps plus is possible with PSI ~65,000. Regards, AIU

I have used Norma MRP with the 220 gr. Nosler partition and I got 2544 FPS with a max load, Settled on a 56 grs at 2437 FPS at mild pressures, about 50,000 PSI, and long case life. But its not a load that I have used much, Loaded some up several years ago for my bear stand, but never saw a bear.

I play with a lot of loads during the summer months and my simi retirement schedule and have a bench in my garage to shoot from, However, my 06 hunting loads are always about 2700 with a both the 180 and 200 gr. bullets..thats fast enough. quite a few powders will get you 2650 to 2700 FPS..The best is RL-17 without a doubt and without the compression most other powders give you. You can easily get a bit over 2800 with a 200 gr. bullet and RL-17 but pressures are in the 60,000 PSI range. Testing in hot 100 plus Idaho weather makes a big difference as compared to the same in the sub zero winter time around here...

Daniel Kocur has some MRP load data posted over in the handloading section for 200, 220 and 240 gr. bullets I believe.