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Old March 22, 2009, 01:24 PM   #1
Randolph_Howell
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Sierra reloading data for the 308 win

I have the speer reloading manual and really hate to spend 25 or 30 bucks for another manual. Hodgdon put their data online but can't find sierra data.

Does anyone have the sierra data for the 308 win in digital format and be willing to share it?
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Old March 22, 2009, 02:54 PM   #2
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If you are that cheap then don't reload! Geez! Having good resources is of prime importance. Various sources of loading data use different brands of brass. Sierra uses Fed brass and Hodgdon used Win to work up their loads!
Case capacity varies greatley with larger capacity cases! Spend the money!
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Old March 22, 2009, 05:15 PM   #3
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I am frugal not cheap. I can buy a pound of powder or a box of bullets for $25.
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Old March 22, 2009, 05:38 PM   #4
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I've used Sierra and Hornady bullets extensively, and most of the time, I use the same load data for both. Matter of fact, my loads for both bullets, in 165-168 gr bullets, I use the same COAL and powder weights and they produce similar results.
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Old March 22, 2009, 05:40 PM   #5
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Do as you two will, but when you get a stuck case in the gun or case head seperation for not paying attention to details.....do not come a running! Paying attention to details is important.

WA WA WA Invest in yourself there is plenty of good info in full size regular reloading manuals! Worth more then as source of reloading data.
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Old March 22, 2009, 06:07 PM   #6
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G'day. I have the information you are after on disk. I do however have some other issues about sharing it over the 'net'.
1, Copyright.
2, I am not very computer literate and wouldn't know how to do it.
3, To share a couple of details is one issue. To share everything about a particular caliber is another thing all together.
4, Don't believe everything (anything) you read on the 'net' without getting independent confirmation. Especially loading data.

You might be able to pick up a second hand copy of a Sierra manual somewhere. You could even try here at TFL in the Buy/Sell section.
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Old March 22, 2009, 06:44 PM   #7
Randolph_Howell
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The reloading manuals are guides to finding an accurate and safe load for an individual rifle or pistol. I am not going to load a maximum powder charge based on the book. I do not expect to blow up a cartridge case in the process either. My request for information was to compare the published data no more, no less. I am amused at some of the responses though.
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Old March 22, 2009, 06:56 PM   #8
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Skullandcrossbones65, you are correct that it would be copyright violation. On the other hand, if the local library weren't too politically correct to have loading manuals on its shelves, you could undoubtedly photocopy the few pages there without anyone squawking.

M2273's posts included some attitude bonus points that might have better been left off the score board, but he is fundamentally correct that having access to a plurality of manuals has value, especially where safety is concerned. I probably have a dozen I still refer to. It isn't essential to have that many, but each offers some information the others don't have and that turns out to be useful at one time or another. For example, the Sierra manual has over a dozen pages just on considerations for reloading for gas operated guns, while Hornady instead has a separate section of .30-06 loads that are just for use in the M1 Garand. The Vihtavuori manual has a great exposition on how powders work. The Lyman manual has much more cast bullet information than most.

I spoke to one of Sierra's technicians last year who told me he'd recently finished re-firing all the loads in the manual (which him took a year to do). So the current Sierra manual's information is based on relatively recent component lot purchases and will likely be more up to date than some other manuals for having done that. It's a worthwhile investment, partly just because a manual having one or more erroneous entries is not uncommon. If a second manual warns you the first one's recommendations were too warm, then it may have saved you a damaged gun. That strikes me as ultimately frugal, at least as far as gun cost goes.
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Old March 22, 2009, 07:50 PM   #9
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G'day Randolph_Howell. If you told us what projectile and potential powder, that would narrow things down a lot. People could then give more accurate information.
One observation I have made is. The more details that are supplied the better the help seems to be.
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Old March 24, 2009, 05:52 PM   #10
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With the 165 or 168 grain Sierra, try 45.0 to 46.5 of WW748 or BLC2. WW brass and CCI 200s. CB.
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Old March 24, 2009, 08:33 PM   #11
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Quote:
Does anyone have the sierra data for the 308 win in digital format and be willing to share it?
I believe you'll find the data you're looking for here:

http://www.6mmbr.citymaker.com/f/Sierra308Win.pdf

Hope this helps.
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Old March 29, 2009, 07:21 PM   #12
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I too, learned that Sierra retested all their loads; no significant changes. Thanks to powder companies sustaining their same formulas pretty good.

Years ago, I shot many matches with Sierra's head ballistics/testing guy, Martin J. Hull, who was a friend of mine for many years. He had loaded virtually all their test loads and shot 'em in all sorts of rifles as well as test barrels with many powders measuring their bullets' accuracy and developing loading data. He told me more than once that he never got as good of accuracy with any ball powder compared to the best extruded powder for any bottle neck rifle case. His best accuracy in test as well as rifle .308 Win. barrels happened with IMR powders. 4895 was best with bullets less than 160 grains, 4064 best with 160 through 190 grains and 4350 for 200 up through 250 grains. That's what all the best scores in high power matches were shot with when the .308 Win. was "the" cartridge to use.

Back in 1991 when a few of us developed loads for Sierra's new 155-gr. Palma bullet for its first use in international competition, the popular ball powders for the .308 were tested as well as extruded ones. A box of ammo using AA2520 powder was sent to an ammo test lab for pressure and velocity evaluation. We'd already done the accuracy tests. That load had the lowest spread in metered charge weight, peak pressure and muzzle velocity. Excellent data indeed! But it had about the worst accuacy. We ended up using IMR4895 with more spread in charge weight, peak pressure and muzzle velocity. Pressure tests showed a larger spike at its start with AA2520 compared to 4895. Convinced us that the bullet was being slammed into the rifling harder with AA2520 than 4895 did. We believed that's what deformed the bullets too much for good accuracy. Other handloaders using Oehler's peizioelectric pressure gages have also found out ball powders have a harder initial push to the bullet than extruded powders.
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Old August 18, 2013, 10:52 PM   #13
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Reloading 308 240 grain sierra match king bullets

I'm looking for information on where to find what powder and load data for a 240 grain sierra match king bullet. I usually load 168 or 175 grain bullets and have the data for them from my manuals. A friend wants to load 240 grain bullets and I can not find any load data for these heavy bullets. I did see these bullets must have a 1 in 9 twist barrel. I told him I would see if I can find some kind of data or if anyone has ever loaded any of these. Any suggestions? Besides bigger isn't always better. Thanks.
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Old August 19, 2013, 12:51 AM   #14
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Sierra reloading data for the 308 win

Don't they have the caliber specific booklets available out there that have data from most of the companies? Cheaper than a manual if you are only loading for one cartridge.
When a single magazine is going for $6 each I find the reloading manuals to be a good bang for the buck b
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Old August 19, 2013, 01:12 AM   #15
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@the OP:

Look again at the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center, online. Pull up the data for the .308 Winchester cartridge. Wherever you see in the bullet description "SIE", that's a Sierra bullet.
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Old August 19, 2013, 12:32 PM   #16
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I AM GLAD I DO NOT SHOOT WITH CHEAPSKATES !!! I wonder what else they're taking the cheap lazy way out of while trying to manage propellent pressures right in front of their last two very own eyeballs. YEE gads !!!
And ANYONE....ANYONE, who takes and uses loading data off the internest without checking it against a half dozen printed sources or so is an ignorent fool. You are on short time...go kiss all the family goodbye now while you still can do so.
And so it goes...
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Old August 19, 2013, 01:12 PM   #17
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Good Lord fellows! Join us in the 21st century where just damn near everybody lists their load data on the internet and updates as needed. Loading manuals have their place, but check your load data at the manufacturers website as well. Never saw a load manual that automatically updated itself.
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Old August 19, 2013, 01:52 PM   #18
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Quote:
ignorent fool
Cracked me up.
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Old August 19, 2013, 03:33 PM   #19
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Purchase fiearms and all of the components needed to produce a projectile but don't purchase a reloading manual
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Old August 19, 2013, 03:48 PM   #20
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Decades ago, Sierra Bullets never worked up a load fore each bullet's lot number. They used the same powder and charge weight, primer and case, albeit different lots, and shot those same, tiny bug hole groups from their rail guns. My recent contacts with Sierra revealed they still do not work up loads. Nor do they prep cases. Still, as decades ago, their best 30 caliber match bullets average 1/4 MOA at 200 yards.

Try working up to 42 grains of Re17 or IMR4350 under Sierra's .308" 240-gr. HPMK bullet. If you cannot seat the bullet without crunching the powder to fit your chamber, you'll need a longer throat in the barrel. David Tubb shot 250 gr. HPMK's in his long-throated .308 Win. with 42(?) grains of IMR4350, as I remember, he got 2150 fps from his 28" barrel with it. Note you'll need a 1:8 twist to stabilize that bullet enough for good accuracy. Some web sites listing loads for the .308 Win. using that bullet list more powder and muzzle velocity; I'd avoid them like the plague!!!!!!!

Last edited by Bart B.; August 19, 2013 at 07:18 PM.
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Old August 19, 2013, 06:09 PM   #21
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I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this already but...www.loadbooks.com. I have several manuals for specific calibers and it is a compilation of bullet and powder manufacturer's load data. I love them.
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Old August 21, 2013, 06:38 PM   #22
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Um...Wil...really?

A couple of things....

First: The Hodgdon Data Center lists up to date information for almost every commercially available cartridge--and even some that are not. The data is available for Hodgdon, Winchester and IMR powders.

Alliant does the same thing for their powders. The data is updated automatically to reflect changes in powder performance from time to time.

Written/printed data is invaluable as well, and I heartily recommend that any reloader accumulate a collection of data sources. As an example, I have (and consult) the Speer manuals from #10 upward; the current Nosler manual, Hornady reference manuals one and two and a few more.

But I find it very helpful to obtain a starting point--or actual load data--from an online source that I can pull up and cross reference in a matter of seconds.

"Ignorent fool"...really?
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Old August 21, 2013, 06:44 PM   #23
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Sierra reloading data for the 308 win

Back when the Internet was just getting started I contacted Sierra about an unlisted powder to try with my 264 mag and they sent me some results and loads that hadn't been published in their manual.
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