...and as a newer reloader, I guess it doesn't take much to confuse me.. Anyway, Using once-fired Lapua cases, CCI Large Rifle No. 200 primers, Hornady 155 Gn. Amax bullets and Varget powder, I started load development for my Hog Hunter. A buddy who reloads and the gunsmith he uses both suggested that with the type of bullet I'm using, in my gun, 43.0 Gn. of Varget should give me a great grouping. Neither of them have a similar gun; they both have AR10 varients, although their barrels are shorter as is my Hog Hunter. I pointed that out but both insisted that around 43.0 Gn. would be great.

So I loaded 25 rounds; 5 each using the above components, and 42.5 Gn.; 42.7 Gn.; 43.0 Gn.; 43.2 Gn. and 43.5 Gn. C.O.A.L. = 2.8015
At the range I mounted five "sight-in" Birchwood Casey style targets. Started out shooting groups of three rounds each; the 42.5 Gn. load (WOW!) dead center bull and .4075" center to center. I'm excited! The 42.7 Gn. load opened up to .7545" center to center, and the rest of the loads continued to open up incrementally.

JUST to make sure I'm not messing up, I shoot the two remaining 42.5 Gn. rounds at the first target, now aiming for the "small bull" upper left hand corner; they overlap each other just touching the right of that small "dot". I think to myself "COOL, I'll go home and load some from 42.5 Gn. going lower, as I'm looking for a good "Node".

I have a Speer reloading manual, and a "One Book, One Caliber" manual the latter for .308 Win. So I see in the One Book..." that Hornady, for their 155 Gn. Amax, lists starting Varget load at 35.9 Gn., Max. load at 44.9 Gn. Again good- plenty of "room" to go down. BUT THEN...

I check the rest of the manual. In the Hodgdon section, for their listed 155 Gn. Sie (Sierra?) BTHP bullet, the STARTING load is 44.0 Gn., Max. listed at 47.0 (compressed)!! Well, smack my grandmaw, kick my pet armadillo and slam the back door!! What gives?

Hornady makes the bullet I'm using. Hodgdon makes the powder. One's starting load is the other's max. Pass the bourbon...

Seriously, what do I do? I'll try to post pictures tomorrow time permitting- but the only other thing I can say is the loads "above" the 42.5 Gn. grouped right and slightly higher. Conditions were crappy; about 33 degrees F, tail winds gusting up to about 20 MPH but not steady; there were lulls in the wind- enough to get some well sighted rounds in.

I'm a pretty decent shot...so I don't think it was all me. I felt that although there was only a one grain spread that the opening up of the groups would be less dramatic. AND the variance in listed start and max. weights blows my mind.

Any help or suggestions are appreciated. I know I should have loaded more and spread the weights out more. And I know most folks shoot 5-7 rounds but I've had 3 round / triangulation drilled into me courtesy US Army, Pa. only allows 3 round loads when hunting; I've only got 2 pounds of Varget (getting more soon but not soon enough), and I don't wait minutes in between shots. I'm kinda stuck in a purgatory between hunting / real world application and target / accuracy shooting.

Thanks and sorry so long. I can't say anything succinctly
Brian