Question regarding hand load for 26 Nosler

[Clark33]

So I recently purchased an MOA Rifle Evolution.  They are made down in Oregon.  The rifle is freakin sweet and from what I was told the gunsmith down there is awesome and will give you the load data they use to test their rifles.

I called him up and he gave me the load data they used to test their 26 noslers, its listed below:

140 VLD Berger
Nosler or Norma Brass
Fed 215 or CCI 250 primers
74.5 grains of H1000
COAL 3.450"

He said this would get me around 3,300fps out of the 26in barrel.

Before loading these up I did some searching on other shooting and hunting forums and also checked berger, nosler, hogdon and a few other manufacturers load data.  Everything I found suggests that 74.5 grains of H1000 will get me a little over 3,000fps maybe 3,100 at the most.  So my question is where is he getting 3,300fps from?  Just seems very strange to me no one else is experiencing this velocity with that charger and powder.

I plan to chrono it next trip out but the brass and primers showed no sign of pressure and no sticky bolt.  It also appears that the 3.450" coal is just kissing the lands in my rifle.  The load he provided didn't group as well as they suggested it would but I was also doing the barrel break in so I wasn't expecting stellar results today.

I'm just perplexed as to how he got almost 300fps faster velocities than others with the same bullet, powder and 26" barrel???

[carpsniperg2]

I was going to say compare your barrel length to the ones listed on load data. Per every inch you can see on avg 25-35fps gain. A lot of customs will have 28" barrels or so and a lot of load data will be 22-24" barrel that's usually 100-150 more then the fps in the manuals. It varies a lot in powder and each load but that's kinda a middle of the road gain from what I have seen with many rounds down range. If there barrel is 26" and yours is 26" and same load data that is a pretty big stretch to hit 200-300 fps faster then the books list.

[Magnum_Willys]

That sounds about right maybe 50 fps less but in the ball park for peak velocity.  Google "26 nosler 140 vld loads" and you will see a lot of guys right around this velocity.  Now whether that exact powder and charge will get you there is a question but you should be there with some combo.   Remember temperature and elevation makes a difference - summer in Bend might add 150 fps over book data?

[Clark33]

Not mine, I pilfered it elsewhere.

My loads: The US869 has shown the best groups and lack of psi. 26 Nosler 3/9/14

Headspace guage D .400 Go=2.239 Actual is 4.241

4.248" after 1st firing No=2.245 Actual is 4.252

4.245" after FL Sizing

Per Drawing Trim 2.590"

Factory 129gr ABLR 20 rounds supplied Advertized 3400fps

20 rounds fired: ALL 20 rounds were fired using the Magnetospeed

Max FPS 3351fps

Avg FPS 3317fps

Min FPS 3291fps

ES 60

SD 15

Results in grouping were poor, guessing the Magnetospeed was the majority of this.

Suggested Loads Supplied by ML on 3-11-14

140gr Loads, 3,300fps to 3,350fps with 26" barrel, 58,000 to 59,000 psi

89gr US869 WLRM Primer 140gr Nosler CC 3.340" OAL

80gr Retumbo Fed 215 Primer 140gr Nosler CC 3.340" OAL

129gr and 130gr, 3,350fps to 3,400fps with same psi as 140gr loads.

74gr H4831SC Fed 215 Primer 130gr AB 3.320" OAL

82gr Retumbo WLRM Primer 129gr ABLR 3.340" OAL

82gr Magnum WLRM Primer 129gr ABLR 3.340" OAL

100gr bullet, not specified

88gr Retumbo NA 100gr bullet??? NA

Bullet measurment with 5-26 Hornady bullet guage.

140 Berger Hybrid 1.722"

123gr Sierra HPBT 1.795" 1.793"

142gr Sierra HPBT 1.712"

OAL OGIVE Seating depth .015" off lands.

140 Berger Hybrid 3.497" 3.816" 3.801"

123gr Sierra HPBT 3.408" 3.820" 3.805"

142gr Sierra HPBT 3.391" 3.798" 3.783"

Actual 1st Reloads

140gr Berger Hybrid 3.8" OGIVE .015 off lands

F215M Primer

9 at 79gr Retumbo 3314fps avg HOT HOT

10 at 79.5gr Retumbo HOT HOT

3/14/14

140gr Berger Hybrid 3.8" OGIVE

F215M Primer

78gr Retumbo 3278fps avg Still Hot

78.5gr Retumbo 3292fps avg HOT

3/15/14

140gr Berger Hybrid 3.8" OGIVE

F215M Primer

75gr H1000 3202fps avg

75.5gr H1000 3223fps avg

76gr H1000 3237fps avg

Below is from ML on 3-18-14.

140gr Custom Comp – 74.0gr/H1000/Fed 215/3.320” OAL – 3,132 fps (starting load)

140gr Custom Comp – 76.5gr/H1000/Fed 215/3.320” OAL – 3,234 fps (MAX load)

With US869, I was running 89.0 grains in front of a WLRM, and getting 3,375 fps and shooting ½” groups all day long. I zeroed at 300yds, which gave me some ridiculous drops out to 1,000yds..!

3/23/14

140 Berger Hybrid F215M, 7RUM Case 3.8" Ogive

88gr US869 3 shot avg 3232fps avg

88.5gr US869 3 shot avg ***Retest 3233fps avg

89gr US869 3 shot avg 3264fps