Gents I have a plan to irritate some jacket-and-sling target shooting friends of mine.

I intend to keep up with them for at least five shots or so at 1000 yards using my 30.06 hunting rifle vs. their 308 palma style, the closest I think you guys have to the style, rifles.

I need a good 1000 yard load for the 30.06, my first thoughts ran to a heavy, high BC bullet and a case full of slow powder, so to speak.

Does anyone have any experience with this bullet in this calibre or suggest any suitable alternatives?

With thanks,

GH

RL 17 and the 208 A Max is popular locally with long range shooters locally here..

Hornady has a 208 grain HP now also..

several indicated it was more accurate than the A Max.. I picked up a box of them, but haven't had a chance to load and shoot them yet..

Hornady also recently released a 225 grain HP in 30 caliber...anxious to try that also in the 06....

I think I saw on Snipers Hide that a guy was loading them in his '06 but using some slower powders (which I think you'll have to do) like H-4831sc

I've no experience at all with that Bullet. Let us know how it works for you.

Ghubert, if you wanted to be REALLY annoying to your buddies, and say I'm here with my hunting rifle, and hunting ammo, I'd consider the 180gr NBT's and the suggested H4831. On your side of the pond, I'd strongly consider Norma MRP, and Vihtavuori N560.

208gr AMAX looks really good with Norma MRP:

Cartridge : .30-06 Spring. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 208, Hornady A-MAX 30712
Useable Case Capaci: 59.273 grain H2O = 3.849 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.340 inch = 84.84 mm
Barrel Length : 29.0 inch = 736.6 mm
Powder : Norma MRP

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.847% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-08.5 95 54.00 2519 2930 39966 7767 97.5 1.638
-07.6 96 54.50 2543 2987 41146 7829 97.8 1.616
-06.8 96 55.00 2567 3044 42364 7888 98.1 1.595
-05.9 97 55.50 2591 3101 43623 7945 98.4 1.574
-05.1 98 56.00 2615 3159 44923 7999 98.6 1.553
-04.2 99 56.50 2639 3217 46265 8050 98.9 1.533
-03.4 100 57.00 2663 3276 47657 8098 99.1 1.513
-02.5 101 57.50 2687 3335 49093 8144 99.3 1.493
-01.7 102 58.00 2711 3394 50580 8186 99.4 1.474
-00.8 103 58.50 2735 3454 52117 8225 99.6 1.455 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 103 59.00 2759 3514 53708 8261 99.7 1.436 ! Near Maximum !
+00.8 104 59.50 2782 3575 55352 8293 99.8 1.417 ! Near Maximum !
+01.7 105 60.00 2806 3636 57058 8323 99.9 1.399 ! Near Maximum !
+02.5 106 60.50 2829 3697 58824 8349 99.9 1.381 ! Near Maximum !
+03.4 107 61.00 2853 3759 60653 8372 100.0 1.363 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.2 108 61.50 2876 3821 62549 8391 100.0 1.345 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
I think I saw on Snipers Hide that a guy was loading them in his '06 but using some slower powders (which I think you'll have to do) like H-4831sc

I've done work with the 200 grain Match Kings in the 06 with H 4831 SC...

wouldn't be hard to extropolate some charge recommendations..to work up from..

as Mike the chief Ballistician over at Nosler said on here once... you can't get enough 4831 SC in an 06 case to exceed SAAMI specs...

Thanks guys.

I ran the simulation through quickload and came up with something in the burn range of H4831( which I happen to have ) and H4350 ( which I also happen to have ) due in main part to a 22" barrel.

From what I can see one would start on the minimum for a 200 grain bullet and work up in the usual manner.

Like seafire however I have noticed that one almost invariably gets good performance, if one hell of a flash, from a full case of slow( for the cartridge) powder.

Examples that spring to mind is 62gr of H4350 behind a 150 grain bullet and 60 grains of H4831 behind a 180 grain bullet.

With a B.C. of around .65 I should easily be supersonic at a thousand if I can start this off at 2400.

I'll post results, I may even do my first ladder test at 300 if the wind is not too bad.

Noted that you mention 5 rounds w/ sporting rifle in '06 at the 1000yd mark. Assuming they are shooting 15rnds per stage as in Palma matches, 8,9, and 1000, the sporting rifle barrel will definitely get super hot and most likely will deliver some flyers?? On your side of the pond would also assume the Palma shooters are using 155's, Sierras?? Doubt that you will have any velocity advantage(155's work well at 2950fps) but you should be able to handle wind a bit better with that heavier bullet. If by chance some of the 308 shooters would "sneak in" some Sierra 190's it would be tough to beat unless using cartridges as 6.5/284 or 300WinMag. You might want to consider the Sierra 190 in the '06. Just a suggestion.

MRP has worked well for me with the 210 Berger VLD, Lapua case, Fed 210GM, 60.8 gr MRP--

-can't see why it would not be a good choice for the 208 AMAX.

Good points MFD.

Those guys will be shooting 155gr palma bullets , Sierras I think but maybe Lapua - depends on the guy, at around 2900-3000 fps.

I will plan on them having to correct around 12 and a quarter minutes for a 10mph 9oclock wind whereas if I can get 2400 fps with the Amax I will be on 11 and half minutes, 2500 eleven dead, 2600 10 and a quarter minutes correction for the same wind.

As to the heating issue I know what you mean and this is the bit I'm most nervous about. I ahve taken it to 600 and put at least two mags full through it, three rounds in each mag plus the initial one in the chamber and it held the v-bull at 600 easily with 155grain Amaxes. The rifle itself is a M690 Tikka which have small ejection ports and enough meat in the action and barrel to be shooters.

This is an honest, ie delivers them all year round, half inch gun for five with it's favourite hunting loads. I have great hopes but know that the more rounds we shoot the more in trouble I'm likely to be.

We will not be shooting for group but rather for score, the possible being 25x5. The bull is a touch bigger than a minute at all ranges.

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:
MRP has worked well for me with the 210 Berger VLD, Lapua case, Fed 210GM, 60.8 gr MRP--

-can't see why it would not be a good choice for the 208 AMAX.

Nice one mate.

Guhbert,
I can appreciate your Tikka being accurate for I have one of the T3 Tactical in 308 which is only 20" barrel length, but it will deliver extreme accuracy out to 800yds with the Sierra 175's. Been several years since I shot '06 in matches, but back then the preferred powder was IMR 4350. Assume you are single loading and older shooters using the '06 would always tilt upward their barrel a bit to bring the powder charge back closer to the primer. Also some would place a mark on the case to have the round enter the chamber the same each time. Does all of this work, can't say for sure, but there were some excellent scores turned in by those folks. Sounds a little bit like "black magic" but guess it made them feel good to do these tricks.

Those 208's would do nicely with any slow powder. I'd say you should get 2800+ fps.

With Reloder 17 and a 30" barrel, my 308 does 2800+ fps.

Check out the 155 Lapua Scenars. They are blowing away anything shot in a .308 and in the 06 would be awesome!