Load ideas for 18 inch Satern bbl

[Tipsymutt]

Hi all.
Looking for some hand load ideas for my new 18 inch Satern bbl. Will be an AR build. I know every bbl is different, but looking for some starting points for most accurate loads.

Thanks

[IescapedCali]

Welcome to the forum, Tipsymutt. Scroll down to the AR15Buildbox heading, and order the Grendel Handbook vol. 1 & 2. Literally dozens of answer to that question, plus a whole bunch more info.

[grayfox]

+1 ^^^ This.
This is the best all-around info source imo. Of course there's also the Nosler, Hornady, Sierra and Hodgdon load data books/mag... have to mention those, but the handbooks are the best 40 bucks you'll spend in the grendel world...

[mdewitt71]

I have a 18 inch Saturn Grendel Hunter that I will be doing some loads for myself. My plan so far is to try out 90 gr TNTs, Sierra 107 TMKs &120 gr. SBTs... With Xterminator, Rifle Match (2520) and 8208XBR powders.

[outbreaker]

Hi all.
Looking for some hand load ideas for my new 18 inch Saturn bbl. Will be an AR build. I know every bbl is different, but looking for some starting points for most accurate loads.

Thanks

What bullets? What is the intended use? Plays a lot into answering the question.

[Mad Charlie]

What do you have in the way of measuring tools and other loading equipment? The reason I ask is Satern's seem to run long in the chamber. The cases fired from my Satern are .015-.017 longer than unfired Lapua cases. If your fired cases are shorter or longer than mine then a load that is a bugholer in mine might not shoot for crap in yours. All bbl's are different and there is no real substitute for carefully developing loads for your rifle. About all we can do is help with the technical aspects of developing an accurate load. You haven't given us a clue as to how much loading experience you have, so I personally don't even know where to start. There is a goldmine of knowledge here, but we need more info. I recommend that you start with some known to be good factory loadings.

[Tipsymutt]

Sorry guys, paper punching is the goal. I'm open to any bullet make, type, construction, or weight.

I have reloaded for 30-06, 30-30, and. 223 in the past, and have reloaded for my old 24" AA grendel, but not for years now. Have no powder, primers, or bullets so I'm starting from scratch. I have mitoymoto calipers and dial gauges. Realising in Forster press with Forster dies.

Was going to start with load from my old data, but was really looking for 18" barrel loads, preferably for Saturn barrels...

Just didn't want to buy a bunch of different powders, primers, bullets, etc.

Thanks

[Mad Charlie]

Hornady ELD-M bullets seem to have a pretty good rep. There are about ten different powders in the Hornady 10th, I think that the loads you used in your 24 might be a starting point...
Get a Hornady Comparator for your calipers, need it to set up shoulder bump correctly for your chamber.
I use a lot of CFE223, but I am building hunting loads with 129gr ABLR's and they are shooting into a little less than an inch.

Good Luck

[grayfox]

Hi Tip, so welcome to the horde (or welcome back...)!
Can't recommend those handbooks enough... having said that, yes the hornady's are some great, and economical, pills to work with.
95 Vmax, 100 Eldm, 123 Eldm and 123 Sst, are good ones to consider for starters.
Also with their Black (123 Eldm) and Custom (123 sst) you have some decent ammo to benchmark with.
Hornady vol 9 or higher bases their data on an 18" barrel, vol 8 is on a 14.5. Of course your actual MVs may vary!

The handbooks will also give you a method to estimate MV for your barrel length, when the test length and MV is known, they have a family of curves to estimate with.

Lots of CFE223, AA2520, and 8208xbr gets put behind grendel pills. Do a search or 2 on here and you'll find a lot of info on them as well as maybe see another powder that might be your fave.
cci 450's - see lots of usage here. And several kinds of brass available.

Depending on the distance, you could well start with the Vmax or 100 Eldm's and see where they lead you, pretty economical.
But there are, what?, 60 or more bullets to choose from so you have lots of options.
I don't want to sound like there's only 1 or 2 ways to go here.
If you have a favorite bullet maker they probably have a couple of bullets you'll like...

[BjornF16]

Satern barrel?...chambered by Satern?

Get yourself some Manson Go/No Go gauges and confirm headspace first...then follow Grendel Reloading Volumes 1 and 2

[outbreaker]

Cut rifled satern or Liberty?

[roor]

[BjornF16]

Not to throw things off to a tangent but do the grendel loading handbooks have data related to bolt actions? I know it’s mostly an AR cartridge but how does load data translate over to bolts?

those reloading manuals are for ARs.

ARs have a max pressure of 52k psi (IIRC) with the AR bolt being limiting factor; whereas bolt actions should be limited by brass strength. With Lapua Grendel brass, should be ok up to approx 58k psi. Using the AR data should be safe starting point for bolt actions.

(As always, start low and work up looking for pressure signs)

[Tipsymutt]

Barrel is Saturn cut rifled, double flutter, with SAAMI chamber.

[BjornF16]

Barrel is Saturn cut rifled, double flutter, with SAAMI chamber.

Ummm...Satern doesn't do SAAMI Grendel chamber/throat: https://shop.saternbarrels.net/t/65-grendel?page=1

Even their 28" Liberty barrels says "Match throat" which is code for "not SAAMI compound throat" (in the words of a now banned member, the "throat is not part of the SAAMI spec").

Just saying.

I'd advise you to get Manson go/no go gauges and go from there.