Thread: Reloading For short barrels

150gr GMX superformance factory ammo doing 2700fps out of my 16” .308.

Must add, the Winchester super x 180gr factory load only does 2250fps out of this setup.

May seem slow but zeroed at 175 yards (2MOA up from 110yrd zero/2” high at 110yrds) made it a point and shoot load out to 200yards (1 MOA/2” low), and some may say that makes it a pretty much perfect bush load.

Originally Posted by Echo

Thanks what powder and grains? (obviously I'd need to start lower)

It was an imr powder, I'll have a look in the shed tomo and let you know


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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

The best powder for velocity is the best powder for velocity.
Maximum pressure is obtained in the first few inches of barrel.
If you are getting more by going from say 2208 to 2206h you are loading to higher pressures and may as well just up the 2208

Happy to be proved wrong by anyone who can back it up with hard data.

Good luck mate, but the idea that you benefit from a faster powder in shorter barrel is ingrained in many and, in general, humans are hard to shift from their initial belief. Much like caliber vs cartridge.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

The best powder for velocity is the best powder for velocity.
Maximum pressure is obtained in the first few inches of barrel.
If you are getting more by going from say 2208 to 2206h you are loading to higher pressures and may as well just up the 2208

Happy to be proved wrong by anyone who can back it up with hard data.

I agree with you Cam, I think however that you can get a more efficient load by going to a slightly faster powder.

For example a load that is tailored to a 24” barrel that gets almost a complete burn will likely throw a lot of unburned powder out the end of a 16” barrel, which could be quite hard on a suppressor as it will likely ignite in the suppressor.
A lower charge of faster powder would possibly give you the same initial pressure and similar MV while not wasting as much out the front and being kinder to the suppressor.


I have no data to back this up but would seem logical? Happy to be corrected though!

Originally Posted by Spudattack

I agree with you Cam, I think however that you can get a more efficient load by going to a slightly faster powder.

For example a load that is tailored to a 24” barrel that gets almost a complete burn will likely throw a lot of unburned powder out the end of a 16” barrel, which could be quite hard on a suppressor as it will likely ignite in the suppressor.

That scenario is something I'd prefer to avoid.

I'd rather have a milder load, sacrifice a few fps and have a lower mpbr with a powder that has burned out in a short length of barrel, than turn it into a flame thrower.

Then again...my sense of humour begs to differ with my desire to avoid a fried suppressor.

(Kind of like a "Malcom In the Middle" episode when Malcom throws his lunch box into a bark chipper. It comes out in a shower of blue plastic.
His fathers reaction:" MALCOM !! .....actually that was kinda cool " )