308 Loads

[ScottG1911]

Well I've finaly got my butt in gear and am going to start reloading my 308. I have a savage model 12 1/10 twist. So far I've bought the RCBS die set, 168gr. Sierra match kings, and a pound of IMR 4064. I havent looked in the books yet, plus I'm a newb to reloading, so the only load I know so far is the 168's plus 42.0gr of the IMR 4064. If anybody has some good experiance especially with the savages' I could sure use the help.

 

[NCsmitty]

Here's some info from the Hodgden site. As you probably know they make IMR powders. Consider Varget too as it's an Extreme powder and not affected by air temperature changes. Near identical loads as the IMR4064.

308 Winchester

168 GR. SIE HPBT IMR 4064 .308" 2.800"

MIN 41.5 gr.
VEL 2518 fps
43,800 PSI

MAX 45.9 gr. Compressed
Vel 2766
58,800 PSI


NCsmitty

 

[04JRB]

I am developing .308 loads for my new rifle too. I am working with re15 and 168 SMK though.42.1gr of Re15 @2.800" has been my best so far. This weekend Im trying som 168 Hornady Amax and Hornady 168 BTHP match loads as well.

 

[Sunray]

Hi. You have to work up the load from data in your manual. Don't worry about compressed loads. The rifle doesn't matter. You're tailoring the load to your rifle.
Do this.
Beginning with the starting load given in your manual, load 5 rounds only. Go up by half a grain of powder, loading 5 of each, keeping them separate until you get to the max load in your manual.
Then go shooting. Shoot at 100 yards, for group only, slowly and deliberately off a bench.
Change targets between strings of 5 and allow time for the barrel to cool.
When you find the best group, sight in.
You'll also find that the .308 loves 165 grain hunting bullets. Sight hunting bullets in 4" high at 100 and you'll be in the kill zone on most large game out to about 300 yards.
Your 168's are great for distances up to 600 yards(target shooting only). 175 grain Matchkings with IMR4064 past 600. Deal with one bullet type at a time though.

 

[Bitswap]

Here's my pet load for 308, just a little hotter than Federal Match Gold, but much more accurate:

Cheap Winchester Brass
CCI BR-2 Primers
43.6 Grains Varget
165 Grain Sierra Gamekings HPBT
Seat 0.030 behind lands
FPS: 2570 out of a 24" barrel

That may be a good starting point for your OCW load Sunray is talking about (ocw is the way to go imo). Should be very close. This load has worked well in all my 308's.

 

[cpttango30]

With a 10 teist you can shoot up to 180gr bullets maybe 190gr SMK. You might try hat as well. I like varget and Reloader 15.

 

[45ACPUSER]

To the OP what ever you do, you need to:
1. Get several relaoding manuals! Not just buy them, read them! A good book to have is The ABC's of Reloading!
2. You need to realize in the 308 there is lots of data, but you have to be mindful of what case it is loaded in! This can be a big difference in pressures....ie Sierra Manual uses Federal Brass and Hodgdon online uses Win!
3. Remember that you need to work up loads, copy cat reloading if FOOLISH! What works in one gun might be fine, but not in yours!
4. If you do not have the time and inclination, please do not reload! It takes time! It takes range time! Most of all enjoy your hobby! There are no short cuts!
5. The 168 SMK originally designed for 300 meter shooting. It can be used to 1K, but you need to make sure the velocity is in excess of 1000fps at 1K. The 175gr SMK is great choice.....

 

[NCsmitty]

You first need to establish the COL for your rifle, not just the published generic COL. I use .010-.020 off the lands as the base. The 308 is a great cartridge but suffers from a very short case neck which forces the longer bullets to intrude on the powder space.You need to utilize as much powder space as possible. Powder selection for the 308 is important because the window for achieving higher velocity loads within safe pressure levels is a balancing act and is more limited with the 308 compared to the longer neck rounds such as the 30-06. Read as much information and data as you can and then apply your skill in testing different loads. Do not be discouraged if your first attempts do not meet your expectations. We have all been through this situation.

NCsmitty

 

[ScottG1911]

How do I find out how long my cartridge needs to be to fit perfect in my rifle?

 

[Bitswap]

How do I find out how long my cartridge needs to be to fit perfect in my rifle?

You don't need to be 'perfect' you just need to be consistent. Finding the right formula for your rifle is a science.

There are three lengths you need to be concerned about. First is headspace. That's pretty easy to find by adjusting your sizing die till it chambers easily.

Second is trim length. Stoney Point makes a tool to find this. This is the one that will ruin your day if you get it wrong.

Third is COAL. Again Stoney Point makes a tool to find this along with a case length guage that measures the ogive of the bullet rather than the tip.

Tip to tip (as I call it) is important if your loading the round in a magazine and will trump COAL.

Take a look at this site for some ideas. Yes it deals with match prep but goes into detail for the questions your asking.

 

[NCsmitty]

Tip to tip (as I call it) is important if your loading the round in a magazine and will trump COAL.

Absolutely correct! I sometimes forget that some magazines will not handle the longer seated bullets. I shoot only off the bench and do not hunt anymore and NEVER run my reloaded ammo through the magazine. I hand insert single rounds to avoid disturbing the runout on the bullet which can happen running ammo through the magazine. That's just me and the reason that I load my ammo with a longer COL. I try to eliminate one more possible issue affecting accuracy.

NCsmitty