I asked the board here if anyone had a load for 125 gr BTs in a 308 Bellm. Well, I think I just found the load. I shot last night at 200 yards using a 6" shoot and see target. First shot was way low and way right. Reset the scope and hit top left in the circle. Shot a few more and they grouped low left, so I moved it up some more and back to the right a bit. Fired 3 more shots that grouped within 3 inches inside the 6" shoot 'n see! I'll take that any time! I was shooting off a backpack, as that's how I'll be shooting in the field.

Almost forgot the load! 51.5 grains Win 760, win large rifle primer, fed 444 Marlin brass, Nosler 125 BT. Now for some practice - I leave in 4 weeks, YEEHAW!

Were you able to chrono the loads? I am shooting a .308 Bellm with 51 grs. of W760 out of a 16&7/8 Fox Ridge barrel and getting 2,639 fps. Haven't shot it at 200 yet, hopefully this weekend.

Federal 444 brass? I've only ever seen RP and Hornady. Where did you get that brass?

Good shooting on your part there!!!

v.r.
Graycg

My bad, Graycg! It is RP brass, not Federal. Darn CRAFT anyway! They say memory is the last thing to go...

Haven't chronyed this load yet, but all else the same but the charge of 51 grains of 760 was giving me just under 2600 fps.

I noticed the recoil was a little stouter - might be pushing it a bit, but no cratered primers (yeah, I know, I know, not a reliable pressure sign), the brass just fell out of the chamber when I tipped the muzzle upwards, the action wasn't difficult to open, and no extraneous marks on the case head. (This is a sign Mike B says to look for, think it's caused by the rimfire firing pin hole.)

I'll load up a bunch for my pre-hunt practice sessions and throw a few over (hopefully not through) my chrony to see what they're doing - I expect them to be a bit over 2600. BTW this is a 14" former 30 Herret barrel with the old style lands and grooves. Mike said it would probably be a little faster than the 8 land and groove barrels Don S worked the loads up with. So far it's proved out.

I'll get back to y'all sometime next week on the speed.

ttfn

Tony D ><>

Good going, Tony!

Where is the hunt? Wyoming?

Ref. pressures:
Hard opening (unlocking) is due to the case setting back hard against the breechface, and ultimately the final determination as to how hot you should load. At the first indication of hard unlocking.... BACK OFF! Do not proceed to keep shooting such loads if they occur.

Cratered primers.... if you ever get cratered primers with large diameter chambers in the Contender, you are way too hot. You can crater primers with small diameter chambers like .223 Rem, but NEVER with large RIFLE primers. The diameters of the chambers that take large rifle primers restrict your pressures to those well below the point where the primers crater.

"Signature" on the primer face, either from the surface finish of the breechface or the rimfire firing pin hole, is an indication you are pretty close to max.... probably within 5% or thereabouts.

Hope you have a great hunt!

Mike

Shucks,
I thought you had found a new source of brass. I have no problems with the RP brass, but would like options too look at. I got a handfull of Hornady 444 brass and I'm gonna play with it to see if there is any difference. Too bad Hornady doesn't make it.

nice load data, I'm gonna see if I can work up to in my barrels.

regards and good luck hunting,
Gene

Hi Mike, I figured you'd chime in when I mentioned non-scientific pressure signs in my first post above - thanks for setting me straight.

The hunt will be in Area 38,near Cheyenne. A buddy from work has parents living there. I hear there are quite a few p-dogs in the area also, so I'll need to bring the .223!

Graycg - let me know how you like the Hornady 444 Marlin brass. I too have had no problems with the RP brass, but always willing to try something else.

Tony D ><>