Good load for my 7.62 AI

[ColinR]

Spent the afternoon at Bisley yesterday at 300 yds on Century firing off some odds and sods of reloads in my AI AW 7.62. I usually use 155 grain SMK's (2155) with 42.5 grains N140 in Lapua cases, but found 40 168 grain SMK's in new Winchester cases with 42 grains of N135. I only use Federal primers. I remember loading them up, but never tested them. I wish I had done sooner. Absolutely fantastic!! The wind was mostly down range and for the most part very light. Two sighters brought the third round into the V bull and that's exactly where the rest of them went - 33 V bulls at 300 yards; 5 'flyers' in the bull due to over excitement and amazement. The best I have ever shot at this range.

With this sort of accuracy on tap from cheap Winchester cases I question buying expensive Lapua cases. Unfortunately unable to reload a further batch to test at longer range due to basement walls absorbing water during the winter and everything now packed up or in store while drying out in progress.

Usual reloading precautions apply.

[ovenpaa]

The 168 SMK and the 167/168 Scenar both worked very well at shorter distances in my AI, the latter with a modest charge of N140 being my preferred McQueen load. The 168 SMK does have an issue once pushed beyond 800 and I could never get satisfactory results with the Scenar either.

Favourite load for the AI has to be a stout charge of N140 behind the Lapua 170 Lockbase.

[ColinR]

I also use 170 Lock Base with 45.5 grains of N140 in Lapua cases - do you use more - and they work well, but these 168 SMK's/N135/Winchester are even better. Do you think Lapua cases will have an influence on accuracy over Winchester, or just more reloads out of them.

Interesting what you say about 168 SMK's over 800 yards, but for me an advocate of N140 in 7.62 I think I'll be looking at trialling N135 further when my bench is back in operation

[Rburro2]

Buy RWS cases there excellent value and load up well. One fired are about 20 quid a hundred

[rox]

I usually use 155 grain SMK's (2155) with 42.5 grains N140 in Lapua cases, but found 40 168 grain SMK's in new Winchester cases with 42 grains of N135.

I finally had time to test a very similar load last weekend at 300m: 42.0 TR140 behind a Nosler CC 168 (basically a clone of the Sierra 2200 168 MK). I normally shoot my (much stiffer) long range ammo at 300m, but after a fairly grueling 55 round session I switched to the softer 168 load and managed to carry on for another 30. They were much more refined, had no problems holding the tight 300m bull and the majority were within the elevation of the little X ring (those outside it were almost certainly placed there by the tired and out-of-practice shooter).

The Sierra 168 was designed specifically as a 300m round and its boat-tail angle is different to that of the 155s and other bullets designed for longer distances. At longer distances they destabilise and tend to go through the target sideways - never a good thing. Consequently they are rarely recommended for use beyond 600 yards.

..

[ColinR]

Hi Rox Interesting what you say about the 168 SMK - I had not realised they were designed for shorter range shooting and had I not been shooting at 300 yds yesterday would probably have blasted them off at 1000 and thought they were rubbish. I would have assumed as a heavier bullet they would be ideal for long range and probably what I loaded them for originally.

I'd not used N135 before or Winchester cases, so was particularly surprised how well this combination worked. I've no idea how well Winchester reload compared with Lapua, but these results are a convincing argument to go with cheaper Winchester cases for this load although when my bench is back up and running I'll certainly be trying the same load in Lapua cases. These 168's were shot at the end of a busy afternoon firing off odd bits of ammo and were surprisingly comfortable to shoot and a perfect end to a lovely calm day in the sun.

[ovenpaa]

I also use 170 Lock Base with 45.5 grains of N140 in Lapua cases - do you use more - and they work well, but these 168 SMK's/N135/Winchester are even better. Do you think Lapua cases will have an influence on accuracy over Winchester, or just more reloads out of them.

Interesting what you say about 168 SMK's over 800 yards, but for me an advocate of N140 in 7.62 I think I'll be looking at trialling N135 further when my bench is back in operation

I always shot the 170 Lockbase in Lapua brass with a lot of N540 and CCI primers, later I moved to Fed210M with fine results. Frome memory they were built to 2.890" for the AI however I would need to check my reloading log. I am just about to start building with the 170 Lockbase with TR140 and will be running a full case to CIP dimensions, 72,12mm/2.800" as a standard round plus running longer to suit the chamber of the rifle (SSG 69 P1)

[Sim G]

As Rox said, 168gn SMK's were designed specifically for 300m UIT/CISM.

There's been a lot of 168 SMK's sold in the UK under the guise of being a "long range" bullet.

[Maggot]

As Rox says the 168SMK has a boat tail that is way too steep, so it slows more quickly and gets very squirelly slowing down and does not usually like long distances.

I am pretty sure it was used in some US sniper loads but not all sniping is long range.

This fault is also apparently seen on many of the "Direct rip offs" of the 168 that appeared at the time (its amazing what you read in the bog!!!).

My advice would be to get yourself a handfull of HBC 155s to test as well.

They are well priced and the more stable than most (according to Litz's data). Probably due to the weight being down the arse end like the 2155. I dont know anyone as yet who has found them to be sensitive to OAL either. BC is very near the 155.5 Berger (or better depending on who tests it).

45+ of N140 or 45.5+ of TR140 should do the trick without breaking anything.

Another angle if you cant quite get enough welly for 1000 would be to try a heavier bullet if the rifle will stabilise.

The 2156 SMK works well enough in my old M67 with a 26" 12" twist.

[ColinR]

Thank you all for such informative posts. Had I not benefited from your wealth of experience and knowledge I could have wasted a lot of time trying to make these 168 SMK's work at longer ranges, but I do at least know I now have a very accurate and reliable load for 300 - as it shoots it will be ideal for McQueen. Thanks again for practical information.