A few months ago I purchased some WC 846 for 308 and 223 plinking. Yesterday I finally got a chance to try some M80 clone loads, and darn it, if I didn't get there with my first load! I know there is info about this all over the interweb, but I thought I'd share my experience for the benefit of anyone who cares to read. Even as I'm writing this I see that not all of my data saved but I can share what I had written down from the range.
Conditions:
Temp: 55 degrees
Hum: 85%
Firearm: SIG SAUER 716g2 DMR with a 16", 1:10 Twist.
Ammunition: LC13 XM80 149gr (for control group).
Brass: Once Fired LC13 7.62 Brass
Powder: WC 846
Primer: CCI 200 LRP
Bullet: Pulled 148gr M80
I used 4 round groupings because the brass that I had ordered didn't arrive on time (separate thread to come on that.) I had a Caldwell chronograph placed 10 ft from the muzzle. The factory Lake City ammo shot a 4 group average of 2698 fps out of the SIG 716. My first load with the WC 846 was 44.0 gr and shot a 4 shot average of 2700 exactly. I went as high as 45.1 gr and shot a 4 group average of 2778 FPS out of the 16" barrel. At that point I stopped my testing because I felt the velocities to exceeding a safe level...and it was my father-in-law's gun.
I didn't shoot for groups simply cause it's a blaster round and I was just looking to replicate bulk ammo. In the future I'll test this round for accuracy and try this power with a 168 SMK and 175 SMK. If anyone has experience with this powder and bullet combos, I'd be interested in your experience as well.
DISCLAIMER: WC 846 varies from lot to lot more so than canister grade powders. After I run out of this powder my intent will be to determine a new load with the new lot. If you are trying to find an M80 clone load I would start 10% lower and work my way up.
After I did the velocity tests, I took one of the factory rounds and pulled it to weigh the powder charge and the bullet. The bullet ended up being 147 gr (not 149 gr as advertised on the box) and the powder weighed in at 43.1gr. WC 846 is supposedly the same powder used in the LC M80 round, so the fact that we reached the same velocities with nearly a grain more powder is a pretty strong indicator of the inconsistency of this powder (from lot to lot) and that one should start low and work their way up.
Conditions:
Temp: 55 degrees
Hum: 85%
Firearm: SIG SAUER 716g2 DMR with a 16", 1:10 Twist.
Ammunition: LC13 XM80 149gr (for control group).
Brass: Once Fired LC13 7.62 Brass
Powder: WC 846
Primer: CCI 200 LRP
Bullet: Pulled 148gr M80
I used 4 round groupings because the brass that I had ordered didn't arrive on time (separate thread to come on that.) I had a Caldwell chronograph placed 10 ft from the muzzle. The factory Lake City ammo shot a 4 group average of 2698 fps out of the SIG 716. My first load with the WC 846 was 44.0 gr and shot a 4 shot average of 2700 exactly. I went as high as 45.1 gr and shot a 4 group average of 2778 FPS out of the 16" barrel. At that point I stopped my testing because I felt the velocities to exceeding a safe level...and it was my father-in-law's gun.
I didn't shoot for groups simply cause it's a blaster round and I was just looking to replicate bulk ammo. In the future I'll test this round for accuracy and try this power with a 168 SMK and 175 SMK. If anyone has experience with this powder and bullet combos, I'd be interested in your experience as well.
DISCLAIMER: WC 846 varies from lot to lot more so than canister grade powders. After I run out of this powder my intent will be to determine a new load with the new lot. If you are trying to find an M80 clone load I would start 10% lower and work my way up.
After I did the velocity tests, I took one of the factory rounds and pulled it to weigh the powder charge and the bullet. The bullet ended up being 147 gr (not 149 gr as advertised on the box) and the powder weighed in at 43.1gr. WC 846 is supposedly the same powder used in the LC M80 round, so the fact that we reached the same velocities with nearly a grain more powder is a pretty strong indicator of the inconsistency of this powder (from lot to lot) and that one should start low and work their way up.
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