Hornady load data over max pressure in QuickLoad

[StoneHendge]

Great minds think alike, Patrick. I've been using Varget with 105 gr RDF's in a 16" Lilja since March here in Phoenix. I put a velocity of 2446 in my Kestrel in March and my dope has been spot on (even when I'm not) in my monthly AR match out to 700, from chilly March mornings in the 50s to getting over 100 as noon approaches in the summer. Several spring matches had a 30 degree temp delta between first and last stages, but my dope and zero never noticed. Conversely, I shot a match with my Grendel with CFE the summer before last and it was a disaster. It was one of 4 cloudy days that summer and 20 degrees "cooler" than expected. My velocity dropped about 40 fps, my zero shifted, and a 1/2 MOA load opened up to close to 2 MOA. I had to bite my tongue like I often do when ball powders were referred to as "better" above. They may be better for AR-15 hunting distances, but not for target shooting. And with all the small groups with high velocities and low sd's with ball powders I've seen on the interwebs, I can't recall more than one or two that were clustered around the aiming point, which is the mark of repeatability.

FWIW, I was at 26.8 grains in a Starline Grendel case with a Hornady sizer die to get the 2446. That was as high as I could go. I switched to the RCBS small base sizer and am at 26.5 grains now.  I got an occasional ejector mark from timing (my 16" is a middie) with the old load but strangely, I haven't yet with the base sized load.