[jaholder]

There are lots of old posts about the right load for an M1A Scout 18" barrel. I had been using 43gr IMR4895 under 168gr HPBT from Hornady with Winchester LPR primers. My brass is mixed - hornady, winchester, lc (with reamed pockets), PMC. What concerns me are the flattened primers. Isn't this showing over pressurization? I worked up some other test loads and was still flattening primers down to 38gr in half grain increments. I tried a Federal 7.62 NATO round and it does NOT flatten the primer. Should I just ignore the flattened primers?

43 grains of IMR 4895 is 1.5 grains OVER maximum in the Sierra book. I would drop that load by at least 2 grains and start over.

I have no doubts that you are well over pressure.

 

[jaholder]

I thought 4064 was used in the FGMM load. I would consider 43 grs of 4895 on the warm side.

43 grains of 4064 is reported to be one of the 'recipes' Federal has used.

43 grains of IMR 4895 in a case as heavy as FC is asking for trouble.

 

[jaholder]

41.5 IMR 4895 under a 168 should get the job done!GI2

It's what I keep going back to after 2 decades of reloading for .308