Hornady 162 book max vs Hodgdon max

[sdupontjr]

H-1000 book max for 7mag in my Hornady manual is 68.5, while Hogdon website states 70 for the 162's. I plan on shootin this evening in my Tikka and I already have some loads worked up. Seated them to just about mag length and cycle just fine. have 66.5, 67, 67.5, 68 and 68.5 loaded up to test this evening. Should I load all the way to 70 as Hodgdon states for pressure testing? And I do have bullet puller if I hit pressure at lower charge.

 

[nobody]

If I was you, I would start at 68 and load up one round each in half grain increments up to probably 71. Start low and shoot each round and inspect for pressure signs. When you see or feel over pressure signs, back off a half grain. Load up 10 and shoot a group. If it doesn’t group well (1-1.25 MOA for 10 rounds), drop another half grain and load and shoot another 10.

 

[TxLite]

Personally, I find Hornady load data in general to be on the anemic side. I usually go off of hodgdon data if available.

I would probably start around 67 since there is such a discrepancy in velocities listed between the two. Same as above, I’d be going up in .5gr increments and looking for pressure signs and would go over hodgdon max assuming I didn’t see pressure before then.

 

[wind gypsy]

Another good example of why treating book data like gospel is a joke. The two companies used different brass, barrels, and lots of powder/bullets to come up with this stuff. The hornady manual lumps every 162 bullet they make together and there's no way they all build pressure the same.

Agree with those saying to load up to and maybe a little over hodgdon max while looking for pressure unless you know the brass you're using has less case capacity than what's typical for hornady or winchester brass.

 

[sdupontjr]

I have noticed other loads "by the book" were well below the powders site. As well as reading tons of threads and seeing their posted loads and thinking to myself "damn". Thus me asking. I should know something by this evening.

 

[sdupontjr]

Ok guys, this is what I have.
Tikka T3
3.365" COAL fits mag and doesn't hang up. Cycles very smooth.
162 ELD match
R-P brass brand new
CCI-250
Its 95* in South Louisiana right now and I figured I'd see something. Nothing. I saw no different in bolt lift from 67 - 71. There was a target already at the range at so I just shot at it for giggles while i checked pressure. 1 of each at those pressures in .5 g increments.

 

[TxLite]

Looks like maybe a slightly shiny ejector at 70? Hard to tell from the pic. Also seeing what appears to be slight primer cratering around 69 but that could just be oversized firing pin hole etc. I’ve got a few rifles that do that regardless of powder charge.

Edit- either way nothing here jumps out as clear and obvious pressure

 

[sdupontjr]

Yeah I thought about that firing pin because my tikka 308 does that with hot loads or factory. I'm kinda the same boat. Nothing really stood out considering damn near 3 grain difference from powder manufacturer and book max.

 

[TxLite]

Yeah I thought about that firing pin because my tikka 308 does that with hot loads or factory. I'm kinda the same boat. Nothing really stood out considering damn near 3 grain difference from powder manufacturer and book max.

Maybe load up a few for groups between 70-71 and see if it likes any of them. I know the target was already shot, but were you able to see your rounds at all? Did they all hang out pretty close or was it a large spread?

 

[doc holiday13]

To turn the tables a little bit, but when I look at load data for a 7prc, the hornady manual is a solid 3 grains MORE than the hogdon load data for H1000 and H4831.... and both manuals are using the same bullets, case, and primer

 

[TxLite]

To turn the tables a little bit, but when I look at load data for a 7prc, the hornady manual is a solid 3 grains MORE than the hogdon load data for H1000 and H4831.... and both manuals are using the same bullets, case, and primer

I actually just went through this a few weeks ago with ADG brass, H1000 and the 165 tgk in my 7prc. Ended up finding pressure (slightly stiff bolt lift) 1gr above Hornady max for the 162. So roughly 3 past hodgdon max.

 

[sdupontjr]

As far as the target, it was only at 50 yards, so instead of just shooting into the burm at 100, I shot at 50. All 9 shots could be covered with a nickel. But again it was just 50 yards.

 

[doc holiday13]

I actually just went through this a few weeks ago with ADG brass, H1000 and the 165 tgk in my 7prc. Ended up finding pressure (slightly stiff bolt lift) 1gr above Hornady max for the 162. So roughly 3 past hodgdon max.

Good to know
I'll be sighting in my seekins 7prc tomorrow. I'm doing my first 160ish rounds using hornady ammo. I assume by the time I get to 160 rounds down the tube I'll have some ADG brass and dies.
I plan to load the new Hornady 160CX and Berger 180 VLD Hybrids

 

[TxLite]

Berger 180 VLD Hybrids

If you mean the standard 180 hybrid target, I found 67gr H1000 with ADG to shoot incredible in my rifle. Barrel is only 18” so velocity is slow but it has been consistent and accurate. No experience with the 180 VLD though.

Keep an eye on the Hornady factory ammo. They’ve had some QC issues and excessive pressures in quite a few rifles with the factory 7 prc ammo.

As far as the target, it was only at 50 yards, so instead of just shooting into the burm at 100, I shot at 50. All 9 shots could be covered with a nickel. But again it was just 50 yards.

Sounds like you’ve got some more testing to do. I wouldn’t go chasing velocity unless that’s just what you want. You should be plenty fast as it is.

 

[sdupontjr]

No not chashing velocity, more chasing which one was actually max. I think I'm going to load a few from 70 to 71 and see how they group.

Another thing I measured was brass stretch with my headspace bushing. The new brass was 2.109" from base to shoulder. The once fired was 2.122". Pretty good growth.

 

[doc holiday13]

If you mean the standard 180 hybrid target.......

yes meant that one . I have a 22" barrel so I expect near box advertised velocity

Kep an eye on the Hornady factory ammo. They’ve had some QC issues and excessive pressures in quite a few rifles with the factory 7 prc ammo.

I've seen that's its mostly been the 175eldx.. but I'll keep an eye on it. I have a case of 180 eldm. has hornady been decent about replacing ammo?

 

[TxLite]

has hornady been decent about replacing ammo?

I know they have in the past but I haven’t followed up to see if anyone has had their 7 PRC ammo replaced. I was just shooting it for barrel break in and to save brass before I got the ADG so I ended up pulling the rest. With the 175’s I was getting really stiff bolt lift and decent ejector marks. I don’t recall if people were having the issue with the 180’s.

 

[nobody]

Looks good to me.

I would load 10 rounds up at 71 grains and go shoot a 10 round group at 100. If it doesn’t shoot 1.2 MOA or better, drop to 70 and load 10 and shoot another group.

If it still doesn’t shoot good, change powders and repeat.

If you do the same process and the same thing happens, change bullets and repeat with the same powders.

If you do all that and it STILL doesn’t shoot well, spin up a new barrel. You don’t wanna have to deal with a rifle that’s that picky. But I bet it’ll shoot, so you can most likely ignore this last portion haha.

 

[Bomberodevil]

Looks good to me.

I would load 10 rounds up at 71 grains and go shoot a 10 round group at 100. If it doesn’t shoot 1.2 MOA or better, drop to 70 and load 10 and shoot another group.

If it still doesn’t shoot good, change powders and repeat.

If you do the same process and the same thing happens, change bullets and repeat with the same powders.

If you do all that and it STILL doesn’t shoot well, spin up a new barrel. You don’t wanna have to deal with a rifle that’s that picky. But I bet it’ll shoot, so you can most likely ignore this last portion haha.

I probably load more alternative groups when load testing, but I load 3 round groups at 0.3 grain increments when I get close. If I went at 1.0 grain increments, I’d likely miss a potentially great load.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Looks good to me.

I would load 10 rounds up at 71 grains and go shoot a 10 round group at 100. If it doesn’t shoot 1.2 MOA or better, drop to 70 and load 10 and shoot another group.

If it still doesn’t shoot good, change powders and repeat.

Agreed, except I think a more drastic change in powder charge is needed if there's an improvement to be made. I'd drop to 68, and if it don't shoot any better there swap a component.

I probably load more alternative groups when load testing, but I load 3 round groups at 0.3 grain increments when I get close. If I went at 1.0 grain increments, I’d likely miss a potentially great load.

Shoot larger samples and that goes away, despite traditional folklore nodes don't exist.