About 1 month ago I posted a thread on shooting 64, 65 and 66g of IMR 4198 using a 300g Barnes Origonal SSP (Spitzer Soft Point) using .452 Black Crushed Rib and a Federal Primer. The thread is here if your interested: http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2733904&mpage=1&key=&#273390 4

Some of the folks over on the Savage forum shoot up to 76g of 4198, but I determined ahead of time that I would stop at about 69 or70g. Well today I shot 5 shots each of

66.5g (66g shot well for me last month)
67g
68g
69g
all at 100 yards. No swabing, first 5 shots was no waiting between shots.

Loading procedure was:

lay out 5 bulletswith 5 sabots (cover from the sun so they don't get soft)
lay out 5 primers
lay out 5 loads of 66.5g of 4198

Short starter allthe way to the end of short starter. Then XS Power rod about 1/2 way down, then rest of way down. Put a lot of weight into bullet to seat firmly. Tapseated bullet 3x with breech plug wrench (learned from Wilmsmeyer, who has never had a 4198 misfire)---this is new for me--I have never done this before. BCR is very tight in the fouled bore of my Savage, shaves a bit of the CR off of the sabot sometimes.

Shooting with a Lead Sled withtwo 4 lb sandbags.
Here is the first targetat 66.5g of 4198, BO, BCR. Not very good, surprised me since I expected to see it do about what the 66g did a month ago.