the hottest load on the site?

Offroad Gary

Well-Known Member
just wondering who shoots the hottest load on the site?

anyone going to put their head above the parapet and start the ball rolling?

post should include calibre, bullet and achieved velocity
 
well you no some 220 swifts or 22/250ai can push the 40 grain bullets to 4400 fps if that aint fast i dont no what it.
 
7MM wsm 100 Grain hollow point 3,500 - 3,650 ....... 40 Grain Nosler BT .224 cal 3,700 - 3,800 ish, no real point pushing any harder , just for deliberate ruination as opposed to useful velocity.
 
I had a 100gr Hornady 6.5mm SP at over 3300 in the 260. Load was under book max, but I thought it was a disaster waiting to happen. I backed of about 1.5gr and I was still getting around 3250.
 
there is a 300wsm or 7mm i cant remember on 6br site that i was reading about. it is set up to do 120 grain nostlers at 4000fps !
 
My F class rifle in a 7mm WSM variant sends a 180grain Berger downrange at 3180 fps - (I'm on with re-barrelling it now- just over 1100 rounds untill its toast)

The 338 LM sends a 250 SMK downrange at a shade under 3000 fps.

I'm on with a build (for myself) which will send a 370g solid downrange at 3200 fps.


Hasten to add that all the above (except the 375 CT load - which is predicted) are tried and tested in UK temps, show no excessive pressure signs and are safe in my own rifles.
 
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Guy I know works a 6.5x68 with a 93g bullet,think it did about 3600 fps.fast enough to blow a hole in roe the size of your fist:rolleyes:if he hit bone on way what a mess.dropped about an inch at 200,zero at 100
 
My old 5.6X61 Vom Hofe Super Express using bullets made by Klaus Mayer fired the 77gr projectile at 3708 fps with a muzzle energy of 2350 foot/pounds.
When the law only permitted .22cfs in Southern Ireland for Deer shooting this was probably the most powerful commercial .22cf available.
I used to re-load it with the 70gr Norma projectiles intended for the .22 Savage High-Power as both of these cartridges were .228 in diameter and not the conventional .224 .

HWH.
 
I have a 25/06 that's pretty snappy fastest load is a Berger 87 HP at 3612fps accuracy is not great next is a Hornady 100 at 3422fps and a Berger 115 VLD
at 3213fps best accuracy is with it backed off to 3154fps
Robert.
 
Must say muir the guy has had at least 2000 rounds fired thru his 6.5x68,so in answer to your question no,however the 6.5x68 is a magnum calibre and he uses factory ammo not reloads so if you were tweaking them the throat of the barrel could get burned out if you were upping the load.horses for courses I suppose.I would agree with you if you use a "hot"load your barrel or throat won't last as long as a "normal"load
 
Does it matter? They are after all just inanimate objects that can be replaced with better ones.

Well. I think there are some rifles I'd like have last a lifetime...

Barrels and throats are one thing, and firing factory ammo is fine, but hot loads (by definition: hotter than standard spec) will most definitely wear out a firearm -and not just the barrel. The action will eventually give way. The US Army Ordnance labs did extensive tests with this in both small arms and artillery. They found that with a steady diet of over-loaded rounds, the metallurgical changes they brought about eventually caused breech failures which were very abrupt: All was working fine and then, catastrophic failure.

Firearms are like any other mechanical device. Push it repeatedly beyond it's limits and it will give out. Their life span is finite. "Proofing" is just that: It is a proof that in worst case scenario, such as the accidental overload of a factory cartridge, a firearm will not fail. It is not a limit set for the practical,sustained strength of firearms.

Growing up around handloaders -both good and bad, and the hunting camps they frequented- there was always someone who boasted of hot loads, and how his rifle could take it in stride and how well it shot, etc., etc. It was not uncommon to eventually hear that old Joe had a blow up with his old pet rifle: blaming the powder maker, or the bullet maker or the brass... everyone but himself and his persistent hot loading of cartridges.

There used to be an axiom in handloading whereby you should load to the lowest pressures that would deliver the ballistics needed to do the job. It was prudent and economical and intelligent handloaders learned to load for efficiency. Funny how people these days largely ignore this most basic premise of handloading.~Muir
 
Quick question muir would you not normally find some loss of accuracy before failure of action,ie your throat or barrel going first or are you saying action could go BANG without any warning.I reload and am just back from the max load for powder and bullet,I also shoot an R93,hence the question,there are no pressure signs.cheers,ATB
 
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