Got out to the range Monday to test some loads and had a great time. I put 8 groups though my Rem VSSF and 8 through the XR100. Both rifles are in .223 and have Bushnell 3200 Elite 6-24x scopes. All groups were 5 shots from a bench over sandbags and at 100 yards. Only 2 of the 16 were over .625 and I managed to get 8 "bug hole' with all 5 shots touching! Those 8 were all .25 to .5". Bullets were Hornady and Sierra 52 and 53 grain except for 3 groups with Nosler 50 grain BT's. Powders were 335 and Varget running 25 to 25.5 grains. Conditions were near perfect and for once my eyes worked and I did not blow too many shots. Both rifles have 3 or 4 loads that have averaged around .625" or a little less, but this was the most consistent I have been by far. Since it so rare for me, I had to post. Now I have got to try and get my .308 VLS and my 6.5x55 to get closer.

Thanks guys.

Room, the best load I have found so far for the VLS is 47.5 grains of H380 behind a 168 match bullet. That is a little under max, but I have not been trying to push the envelope. I use match primers and other than keeping the brass(standard commercial) trimmed and sorted by make and # of firings, I have done nothing else except debur the primer flash hole. I have tried match bullets from Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, Speer and Berger VLD with the Nosler comps being slightly better. This load will better facory match from Hornady, Remington, Balck Hills and Federal by about 20% or so which is probably as good as this rifle and shooter can accomplish.

My hunting .308 is a Remington model 7 stainless with 20" barrel and it likes 150 grain bullets better than the 165's. I use 46.8 of Varget or 50 of H380 and get 1" 3 shots groups at factory velocity so I quit trying. I use magnum primers in my hunting loads.

Your project rifle sounds like a real winner. There used to be a show on the sportsman channel about Christensen arms and they were impressive. Good luck with it and the hunting.