69gr smk load question

[beast556]

I'm gonna be trying some loads for the 69gr smk in the next few weeks. I can't find Varget any where up north. Been doing some research and looks like ram shot tac and ar comp have got some good results. Just wondering if anyone here has used ar comp or tac, and what type of results you got. I'm open to other powders but I found ar comp and tac for sale locally. Thanks in advance for any info or help.

P.s this will be the first time I'm loading rifle rounds, any tips or secrets are greatly appreciated.

[powerstroke79]

I did some load ladders with Ram Shot Tac and Varget using 75gr BTHP pills. Shot ok , ended up with a load I really like using Reloader 15

[esaabye]

Rl15 has worked well for me in the past. I run Shooters World now, the match or the precision both run well with the 69 but the tie goes to match as it is a ball powder and meters nicely.

[RANGERRON72]

Started in 99 and told to use Varget with Sierra 77 SMK and 80 SMK for the long line 600 yard in Service Rifle XTC. Pretty much Varget 23.8 gr gives me the 2750 fps muzzle velocity that I am looking for, but I weigh every charge. Once fired LC brass for 77 and Lapua for the 80 gr

Now, Varget meters terrible, have to weigh each charge and trickler, so for my practice loads, lots of practice at 100-300 yards using the 77 SMK, I went with H335 which was an original powder in the M-16. It meters without measuring each load to within .02 grains. Some temperature sensitivity, but since its practice, not a big deal.

I have found H335 to be available, kind of an old standby and out of favor powder, and it works for me, cutting the load time on all those practice rounds. Needless to say, start with the Hodgdon data on the web and work up...…..ALL ABOVE IS PERSONAL OPINION AND FWIW...….Good luck and good shooting

[Irving]

It's been a while since I've loaded anything, and have only really developed one load. I went into the garage to see what I was doing and it was for a .55gr Hornady SSX (crap) and it grouped well with Tac. I have a box of partially used powders that sit around doing nothing, and I'll likely never use them, but none of them were Varget.

[mjzman]

It was about three years ago I did a ladder test with AR-Comp and 69 gr matchking in both my heavy barrel AR and a bolt action Savage. At 200 yards I got about 1/2 moa groups (1" to 1 1/4") with both guns.
At 21.6 grains and again at 23.1 grains. (23.1 was a max load). 21.6 grains was 2655 fps in the AR and about 200 fps faster in the bolt gun. Other loads expanded a little to 1 moa.

[beast556]

Thanks for the info guys. I went to go buy the tac and ar comp to test both powders but the were already sold out of the tac. So I got a pound of the ar comp and a pound of cfe223 to test out. The loads I'm working on now will be for bolt guns, maybe in the future I will work some up for my ar's. Thanks again to everyone who has replied.

Mjzman thank you, I will try the 21.6 load and see how it pan's out. I'm not the greatest shot so I will be happy with any loads that shoot sub moa or right at moa. Shooting fgmm was killing my wallet so it will be nice to shoot some rounds that are quality and not a buck a round.

[SA Friday]

I think I am running 23.5gr TAC with 69gr SMKs. It's all I normally use, but reload 77 SMK way more. Both shoot .5-.75" groups at 100 yds out of my long distance guns.

[Hoser]

I always got the best results from Varget, RL-15 and Vhit N-140.

[Great-Kazoo]

AA2230 or Xterminator for the 69's and 75 gr bullets has worked for me. But look at the burn rate chart and you'll see those 2 and TAC are neighbors to each other .

[beast556]

Got a chance to shoot the rounds I loaded. 24gr of varget with 69gr smk and 68gr hornady otm did not produce good groops they were 1in- 1 1/4in groops. 24.5 & 25gr of varget produced 10 five shot groops ranging between 1/2 - 3/4in groops. surprisingly the hornady 68gr otm had the best groopings. I'm gonna go with 25gr of varget the groops were marginally better than 24.5gr.

It was freezing cold and windy so I didn't shoot the loads I did with ar comp. I will shoot them next weekend and hopefully things go as good as today. A huge thank you to all that have replied and sent me IM's and called me.