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When I'm working up loads for a magazine article, I often have to push the envelope a bit just so I can honestly report what "max" was in that gun. But it makes my shoulder blades squirm when I touch 'em off.
I'm a lot less scared when I back off the powder throttle.
I've also learned something about my much-loved Remington 788 rifles: those with .223-size boltfaces can stand just about any pressure levels, but those with .308-size breeches do NOT like maximum loads. In fact, I find that max loads are two to three grains lower than book in those guns. And three grains in a case that only holds 45 is a good percentage of reduction.
Examples: I once fired a 223 load that was so over max that it blew out the primer, swaged a BELT into the case web and froze the case into the bolt head so hard it had to be hammered out. But the gun was completely fine, and the bolt opened with ease. (No, it wasn't deliberate and I have no idea to this day what happened. Normal hunting load with H335, it was the first round out of a fresh batch of 100 - and when I pulled the other 99, every single one had normal charges.)
With the larger head size, I seldom get much above "start" loads with my 308-chambered 788, and I get a lot of case stretch when I warm up my 25-308 loads by much. No book loads available for that one, so I tread lightly as a matter of course.
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