Pressure problems?

[varminter.223]

My mates running a remy 700 (.308) and has just starting experimenting/working up a load with Vectan 3000 in the rifle. He started at about 8-10% down on book load but noticed that even with a load that was lower than book was producing a shiny extractor mark on the case head? The primers are were not flattened on firing but there was a small degree of primer flow. Extraction was fine. Case head stamp was not flattened. Chambering and extracting a live round without firing it left no marks.

 

Other powders he has used have not produced extractor marks so logic would dictate that every thing is point towards the powder as the likely culprit.

 

Is there some else that he may have missed?

[duey]

Too low a powder charge can also produce a pressure problem I believe, not that i'm encouraging an increase in powder just pointing out it could be something to consider if you have gone 10% below lower book charge

 

Ian

[Andrew]

Check out Friday's thread on "Pressure signs" in the Reloading section. I don't think 10% reduction will cause detonation (pressure) problems. ~Andrew

[Laurie]

Check out Friday's thread on "Pressure signs" in the Reloading section. I don't think 10% reduction will cause detonation (pressure) problems. ~Andrew

 

+1 on that. Anyway, low-charge 'detonation' effects don't apply to small cartridges like the 308, and especially using such a fast-burning powder as Vectan 3000. It's a large-case magnum cartridge problem with very slow burning powders.

 

I gave this range of powders a try in various cartridges some years back for 'Target Sports' features, but never got the TuXXXX (tubular, extruded) types to deliver their promise in anything I tried for some reason. I pierced several primers in .223 Rem with Tu3000 at what should have been moderate loads which didn't impress me overly! It may be this powder 'spikes' suddenly in some applications.

 

Laurie