game on I guess? your best .308 loads

[deadeye1122]

Some how having in my possession a Rem M 700 Tac in .308 has drawn me in to a competition. My friend (LGS employee and reloader) seems that we can out shoot a local person with a kick a** .308. Anyway I'm happy with the way it shoots with factory loads. So any one care to give up there faveroite load data. The only time I reload is when he is standing by watching so I do thing right. I'll just pass any info along .Thanks deadeye

[snuffy]

What works good in my rifle may not,(will not) work good in yours. IOW, there's no free lunch. Or no short cut to accuracy. You have to pick a good bullet, powder, case and primer, them put them together with a quality loader to find out what's accurate in your rifle.

If you're looking for a starting point, most loading manuals list the most accurate load they found for any given bullet they were using. The loads usually list the type case used, primer and bullet. Pick one and start there.

[golfnutrlv]

Hornady 168 Gr Match BTHP, or 168 Gr Amax.
Pushed by 44 gr of Varget, loaded to the length optimal in my rifle.

Rifle is a Remington 700 SPS Varmint, 1:12 twist.

Consult your manual though!!!

[grubbylabs]

I find a 165 grain Speer btsp shoots very well out of mine with 43 grains of IMR 4064 and a magnum primer. You might look in a book and see what loading they give for the 168 grain bullet though. If I am settled down at the range then I can shoot clover leaves with this load. It is the only load I have tried and I got it from another user on here who said it was his favorite load for his Rem 700. I checked it against my Speer #13 book and it is a middle of the road charge for that powder.

[farmerboy]

deleted

[farmerboy]

It sounds to me you're not serious enough to even bother with reloading and your perfectly fine with your factory rounds so I would do just that if I were you until I ever do get serious.

[deadeye1122]

farmerboy if you read my post it states that I do reload using a friends equipment under supervision. All I was looking for was some of your preferred loads from more experienced reloaders. thx deadeye

[firewrench044]

most competitors i have talked to are useing 175 gr bullets
mostly Sierras 10 to 15 off lands and Bergers 5 to 10 off lands
with around 42gr IMR 4064 or 43 gr RE15

my rifle has a smaller patern with 42.0 gr IMR 4064
Sierra 175, 12 off, BR2 primer
at 100, 200, 300 and 600 yards

[farmerboy]

Snuffy's post (#2) is right on for what you are looking for / or not. To get someones elses load and it be the best or extremely accurate in yours as well is next to impossible. Take the time and yall find a load that is best for your particular rifle before you start kicking some serious butt. Because thats probably what you're gonna have to do before taking on that task. Wishing you the best if you decide to take it on.

[deadeye1122]

farmerboy, seems I've hit one of your nerves and I apologize. In rereading my post I could have worded differently. We don't have the opportunity of being in central Texas to go out daily to work up a load. Being in central MN I just shoveled 8-9 inchs snow from the walk/driveway. Temp 11 degrees. The range season is over till april. We were just trying to get a head start on a good load for spring. That said I thank all members who posted a reply. deadeye.

[tkofoid]

Deadeye.. I know all about snow and winter. We are neighbors. Fargo here.
Anyway.... I gave gathered loads online for various calibers. One thing I swear to: An accurate load in one man's rifle is VERY close to being accurate in others. I have taken suggested loads, tweaked them a bit and had excellent results. I have stated this more than once in Firingline forums:"If your .308 don't like 42 grains of IMR4064 with 168gr. pills, throw the barrel away." I personally use 155 gr palmas with 45.4 grains of re15. I am partial to re15 for many calibers. Good luck with your loads. Let us know what your gun likes.

[farmerboy]

Deadeye, trust me you hit no nerve and no offense taken. I simply stated what I truly believe and I understand about your shooting season but simply getting anothers pet load and it performing same in yours is almost impossible without tweeking. It may, but I would'nt go straight to competion without putting in alot of range hrs first. Just for grins, try googling "O C W load recipes". then go to the recipes and who knows, it may work. They are proven loads for alot of others but the question is " will it perform the same for yours"? after shooting them at range or wherever, then you'll really know. Like I said in previous post, wish you all the luck!!!

[deadeye1122]

Thanks tk, we'll throw your recipie in the blender. next summer if your in the lakes area we could hit the sportsman club for a few rounds and then maybe a pitcher and pie at Zorbazs.

farmerboy, I understand what yourself and snuffy are pointing out.I didn't ask for a game winning one shot load, just a starting point above the normal printed data. deadeye.

[grubbylabs]

Deadeye the cool thing about this forum is the input you can get from others, that's how I came up with the 165 grain BTSP and the 43 grains of 4064, it was some one else's pet load for their Rem 308. I am grateful they posted it as it saved me tons of time going through one powder after another and the same for bullets. For hunting it provides great accuracy, and that is all I really need. I have no Idea why people think they should come on a forum and tell you that you are wasting your time asking for loads. If they don't want to contribute then they should including not posting.

[brmfan]

Why do folks post load data (take your pic which forum) and almost never mention which case they're using!?? It sort of makes a difference...

Anyway, one of my pet loads (Remmy 700 PSS, 22") is:
Federal or Black Hills match cases (fire formed & neck sized)
168 AMAX seated at 2.800"
42.5 (Federal) or 44.5 (BH) Varget
CCI BR2 primers (flash holes reamed & pockets squared)
both clock in at ~2600 fps & print sub 1/2 moa

[TXJohn]

One of my pet loads for the 308 win is 44 grs of R-15, 168 gr Hornady A-MAX, CCI-BR-2 Primer, Hornady Match Brass. This is max load so if you work from 42 up you should find the sweet spot somewhere in between.

Good Luck John

[Doodlebugger45]

Varget seems to be the most favorite powder for .308 loads and there are a number of pet loads published that will give you pretty good starting points to fine tune around your own rifle. I personally only started loading for the .308 this past fall and so I haven't had a chance to evaluate all the combinations that I have loaded up yet. I had concentrated on my .270 and .325 WSM and 7 mm mags before I got interested in loading for the .243 and .308. After reading a lot of things, I started with Varget as my powder of choice.

However, a few weeks ago, 2 of my mentors who do a lot of precision shooting for the .308 both told me that while Varget is able to deliver "good" loads, there is always a powder that does just a little bit better. Both of these guys now favor RL-15. Food for thought.

[RKG]

Thus far, my favorite load is 168 grain SMK, 42.2 grains of Reloder 15, Winchester brass and CCI LR primers.

However, you will quickly find out that the variable that seems to have the biggest impact on group size is COAL, which is a surrogate for the distance the bullet has to move before the ogive begins to contact the lands. After experimentation, I have thus far settled on a jump of 0.015" (15 thousandths). My rifle is a Savage Model 12, which like most Savages has a short chamber, so the COAL corresponding to a 15 thou jump in my rifle is 2.791". Remingtons, on the other hand, tend to have long chambers.

What you want to get is a so-called Stoney Point gauge, now sold by Hornady. For your rifle and your selection of bullet, this will enable you to determine a COAL that just touches the lands. Subtract 15 thou as a starting point and do some experimentation.

[dodge]

:"If your .308 don't like 42 grains of IMR4064 with 168gr. pills, throw the barrel away." Well you can if you want to but with my Winchester 70 it likes 45 grs of Varget and Sierra's 1656 gr Gameking. It just won't shoot 4064. I have 5 shot groups at 1'' =/- 1/4" when I am on my game.

[snuffy]

"If your .308 don't like 42 grains of IMR4064 with 168gr. pills, throw the barrel away."

That's just not true. No more than someone asking for somebodies pet load to cut corners so he can just load some and expect to achieve the best groups. If somebodies load DOES shoot really good in your rifle, buy a lottery ticket, you're one lucky SOB!

Variations in barrel bedding and other rifle problems, can and will make rifles shoot differently. To say nothing of shooting rests and the skill of the shooter.

[Tim R]

"If your .308 don't like 42 grains of IMR4064 with 168gr. pills, throw the barrel away."

I'm going to throw a wrench in the works. I shoot NRA Highpower. I have found if someone finds a good load for his AR, chances are it's going to shoot good in my AR too. Tuned up M1A'a and M-14's are often times are the same way. Remington LTR's and PSS's happen to like the 42 grains of IMR 4064 with 168 SMK's using Federal match primers.

Point is using a like rifle TODAY often times means it was made close enough in tolerances to shoot something the rifle made a 100 sn's down the line will also shoot. I mean if every rifle was so different why does Federal Gold Medal shoot so well in every rifle I have tried it in? Why can in the old days at least, a group of GI shooters know what lot number of M-852 shot better over another but different lot number of M-852. Knowing what lot number was even a greater need when shooting match '06. or the 308 loaded with the 173's.

I have a couple of Springfields a H&R and a Winchester, (well springer barrel) that all shoot my match load very well. This is 46.7 grs of IMR4064 under a 155 "palma" SMK and lite with a CCI LR primer using GI brass. The barrels are made by Springer, LMT and VAR.

Now having said what I said, this doesn't mean if Joe Blow said his load shoots good in his rifle and then finding out his load is over published tables would I go try it in my rifle. I also believe the OP would find his rifle liked the 42 grs of IMR 4064 with a 168 or at least within a couple of 10th's of a grain on either side.

[deadeye1122]

First I hope everyone had a great day of family,food,football and a nap. I did. Thanks everyone for your input. Comments,opinions and load data are all appreciated. Now we will have to put it all to use. I didn't think my OP would generate so many different response's. Anyway thanks again and have a GREAT holiday season. deadeye.

[50of4064]

Dear Deadeye1122: Thanks for the post, and for stirring the pot, and I mean that in a good way. All the reply's were fun and informative.
with that said.....
YOU STARTED THIS...
YOU ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE TO FINISH THIS,
YOU MUST POST THE RESULTS OF YOUR SHOOT!!!
( WITH PHOTOS) ....

and BRBQ if that's OK...

[deadeye1122]

Good morning 50of4064,you all may have to wait till spring for results and pics. As I replied earlier the local range is locked down during the winter. We may get to the farm for some shots if some balmy 20 degree weather comes around. I will most definitely put a reminder in my outlook calendar. deadeye