308 Win. RL15 needed

Cheap 870 · December 18, 2011, 05:03 PM

I need load data for 308 win. using 125gr. BallisticTips & 130gr. Barnes tipped bullets with RL15 powder.
I've search quite a few manuals & the web & come up empty.

4runnerman · December 18, 2011, 05:22 PM

Cheap870. Can'thelp ya on that weight,butif you shoot a 168 or 175 let me know.

Toxdoc · December 18, 2011, 08:16 PM

Alliant has the least data of all the powder manufacturers online, but here is what they list for a 125 gr Speer HP. They have nothing online for a 130 gr bullet. I've actually deliberately started using Accurate and Hodgdon/IMR/Winchester powders due to their online loading data.

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...d=138&bdid=555

TheNatureBoy · December 18, 2011, 08:23 PM

Go 6mmbr.com, click 308 tab on left side a scroll down.

William T. Watts · December 18, 2011, 08:27 PM

Alliant list a load of 50grs of RL15 with Speer 125gr soft points using IMI cases which is a MAXIMUM CHARGE, usually when a max charge is listed you can reduce that by 8% -10% and use that as a starting load. Go to www.alliantpowder.com you may be able to find the info you seek! I do have a couple of pounds of RL15 which I purchased for a 30/06, in my opinion it will do nothing I can't do with either IMR4895 or IMR4064!! Good luck William

langenc · December 19, 2011, 04:13 PM

Alliant gives loading data freely to me. If dasta needed not on line, email em and ask.

Cheap 870 · December 19, 2011, 05:04 PM

Thanks langenc,never thought of doing that.

**Unclenick** · December 19, 2011, 05:26 PM

Agree with much of the above commentary, except that the Alliant data is of recipe's and not maximums. I'm not sure why they settled on that approach. IMI cases are tight, having about the least water capacity of all .308 choices on the market. QuickLOAD shows that load getting about 50,000 psi in one. Any other case brand you use will produce lower pressure and velocity.

All that said, RL15 is really too slow for good performance with light bullets in the .308. The ballistic efficiency is likely to be about 15% below what you usually get from a .308, meaning you are throwing away powder. Alliant's data shows just 42 grains of Reloader 10X would get you slightly over the same velocity. Being faster it will tend to give you more consistent muzzle velocity and, being a lighter charge, will not produce as much recoil.

Cheap 870 · December 19, 2011, 05:39 PM

Uncle nick maybe that's why I can't find any loads.
I reloaded the 125's & 130's behind 49gr. of Varget.
I was asking for a recipe using RL15 because I have a
pound of it & I'm out of Varget. And I've still got bullets
in those weights to load. If I have to I'll pick up more Varget.
Also what's your opinion on win.748 for 308?

**Unclenick** · December 19, 2011, 10:33 PM

And I would suggest even Varget is slow for that bullet weight, too. Again, 7 grains less powder to get to the same velocity with RL10X. In QuickLOAD Varget isn't winning on ballistic efficiency at about 26%, so you're still throwing more unused powder energy away than you need to. You should be getting 30% or even better in .308. An inbetween choice would be H322 at 45 grains maximum under a 125 grain bullet in a Winchester case (but again, less in another make of case).

748 is a good powder. Like most spherical propellants it's a little harder to light than a stick powder and may want deburred flashholes or magnum primers for the most consistent performance, but you'll need a chronograph or long range targets to see that. Looks like 52 grains is the maximum charge weight listed for 748 with Winchester brass with 125 grain bullets. From that high maximum charge weigh, as you might guess, again its a powder whose burn rate is really best suited to bullets of about 150 grains and up.

I'd be looking in manuals for powders that have maximum loads listed of around 42 to 48 grains or thereabouts with your 125's and 130's. A compressed load of IMR3031 looks like it may do alright at the heavy end of that range. So might Vihtavuori N530. Ramshot X-terminator is one possibility if you want a spherical propellant.

Cheap 870 · December 20, 2011, 06:25 AM

So basically your saying I'm wasting powder($$$$).
Also the max. load using Varget with the 125gr. B.T. &
130gr. Barnes that I found called for 52gr. of Varget which filled the case to the rim. I didn't like the looks of that so
that's why I backed it down to 49gr.

**Unclenick** · December 20, 2011, 02:14 PM

Yep. Wasting powder. Powder that needs a charge weight that heavy with bullets that light just isn't being used efficiently. It's too slow. You would be able to fit more Varget in with a 3 foot drop tube, but it's still a waste of money. Reloader 10X and H322 are the candidates I would try. Even one of the 4198's would do well, but I left them out because they will need to run another 4% higher in peak peak pressures to arrive at the same velocity.

jimkim · December 20, 2011, 02:26 PM

I copied the wrong caliber. Sorry, I make mistakes, but I did find this.
http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/re...-win-load.html

**Unclenick** · December 20, 2011, 02:40 PM

You're suggesting he try to force a .30-06 case into his .308 chamber? You're sure right about taking this Internet data with a grain of salt.

zeke · December 22, 2011, 07:34 AM

Have had good results reloading 308 bolt rifles (slower twist) with 748, CCI 34 or Fed 215 primers and 125 gn BT's. Good velocity and very good accuracy with slightly less than max load.

If memory holds, 748 is listed as the accurate powder for 125 grainers in several manuals.

December 18, 2011, 05:03 PM	#1
Cheap 870 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 159	308 Win. RL15 needed I need load data for 308 win. using 125gr. BallisticTips & 130gr. Barnes tipped bullets with RL15 powder. I've search quite a few manuals & the web & come up empty.

December 18, 2011, 05:22 PM	#2
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	Cheap870. Can'thelp ya on that weight,butif you shoot a 168 or 175 let me know. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

December 19, 2011, 05:26 PM	#8
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Agree with much of the above commentary, except that the Alliant data is of recipe's and not maximums. I'm not sure why they settled on that approach. IMI cases are tight, having about the least water capacity of all .308 choices on the market. QuickLOAD shows that load getting about 50,000 psi in one. Any other case brand you use will produce lower pressure and velocity. All that said, RL15 is really too slow for good performance with light bullets in the .308. The ballistic efficiency is likely to be about 15% below what you usually get from a .308, meaning you are throwing away powder. Alliant's data shows just 42 grains of Reloader 10X would get you slightly over the same velocity. Being faster it will tend to give you more consistent muzzle velocity and, being a lighter charge, will not produce as much recoil. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; December 19, 2011 at 05:30 PM. Reason: typo fix

December 19, 2011, 10:33 PM	#10
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	And I would suggest even Varget is slow for that bullet weight, too. Again, 7 grains less powder to get to the same velocity with RL10X. In QuickLOAD Varget isn't winning on ballistic efficiency at about 26%, so you're still throwing more unused powder energy away than you need to. You should be getting 30% or even better in .308. An inbetween choice would be H322 at 45 grains maximum under a 125 grain bullet in a Winchester case (but again, less in another make of case). 748 is a good powder. Like most spherical propellants it's a little harder to light than a stick powder and may want deburred flashholes or magnum primers for the most consistent performance, but you'll need a chronograph or long range targets to see that. Looks like 52 grains is the maximum charge weight listed for 748 with Winchester brass with 125 grain bullets. From that high maximum charge weigh, as you might guess, again its a powder whose burn rate is really best suited to bullets of about 150 grains and up. I'd be looking in manuals for powders that have maximum loads listed of around 42 to 48 grains or thereabouts with your 125's and 130's. A compressed load of IMR3031 looks like it may do alright at the heavy end of that range. So might Vihtavuori N530. Ramshot X-terminator is one possibility if you want a spherical propellant. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

December 20, 2011, 02:14 PM	#12
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Yep. Wasting powder. Powder that needs a charge weight that heavy with bullets that light just isn't being used efficiently. It's too slow. You would be able to fit more Varget in with a 3 foot drop tube, but it's still a waste of money. Reloader 10X and H322 are the candidates I would try. Even one of the 4198's would do well, but I left them out because they will need to run another 4% higher in peak peak pressures to arrive at the same velocity. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

December 18, 2011, 08:16 PM	#3
Toxdoc Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2008 Posts: 106	Alliant has the least data of all the powder manufacturers online, but here is what they list for a 125 gr Speer HP. They have nothing online for a 130 gr bullet. I've actually deliberately started using Accurate and Hodgdon/IMR/Winchester powders due to their online loading data. http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloade...d=138&bdid=555

December 18, 2011, 08:23 PM	#4
TheNatureBoy Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2007 Posts: 1,204	Go 6mmbr.com, click 308 tab on left side a scroll down.

December 18, 2011, 08:27 PM	#5
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	Alliant list a load of 50grs of RL15 with Speer 125gr soft points using IMI cases which is a MAXIMUM CHARGE, usually when a max charge is listed you can reduce that by 8% -10% and use that as a starting load. Go to www.alliantpowder.com you may be able to find the info you seek! I do have a couple of pounds of RL15 which I purchased for a 30/06, in my opinion it will do nothing I can't do with either IMR4895 or IMR4064!! Good luck William

December 19, 2011, 04:13 PM	#6
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	Alliant gives loading data freely to me. If dasta needed not on line, email em and ask.

December 19, 2011, 05:04 PM	#7
Cheap 870 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 159	Thanks langenc,never thought of doing that.

December 19, 2011, 05:39 PM	#9
Cheap 870 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 159	Uncle nick maybe that's why I can't find any loads. I reloaded the 125's & 130's behind 49gr. of Varget. I was asking for a recipe using RL15 because I have a pound of it & I'm out of Varget. And I've still got bullets in those weights to load. If I have to I'll pick up more Varget. Also what's your opinion on win.748 for 308?

December 20, 2011, 06:25 AM	#11
Cheap 870 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 159	So basically your saying I'm wasting powder($$$$). Also the max. load using Varget with the 125gr. B.T. & 130gr. Barnes that I found called for 52gr. of Varget which filled the case to the rim. I didn't like the looks of that so that's why I backed it down to 49gr.

December 20, 2011, 02:26 PM	#13
jimkim Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2008 Location: middle GA Posts: 326	I copied the wrong caliber. Sorry, I make mistakes, but I did find this. http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/re...-win-load.html __________________ Jan. 4, 2007 gasoline $2.10 gal....HMMM? Last edited by jimkim; December 20, 2011 at 06:20 PM.

December 20, 2011, 02:40 PM	#14
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	You're suggesting he try to force a .30-06 case into his .308 chamber? You're sure right about taking this Internet data with a grain of salt. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

December 22, 2011, 07:34 AM	#15
zeke Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 1999 Location: NW Wi Posts: 1,671	Have had good results reloading 308 bolt rifles (slower twist) with 748, CCI 34 or Fed 215 primers and 125 gn BT's. Good velocity and very good accuracy with slightly less than max load. If memory holds, 748 is listed as the accurate powder for 125 grainers in several manuals.