Loaded my first rifle rounds.

[Palmetto-Pride]

Well I finally loaded my first 308WIN rifle rounds.

My load............................

Case: 308WIN Hornady Match
Primer: Federal NO. 210 Large Rifle (Not the 210M, but its all I could find)
Bullet: 168 GR. Sierra MK HPBT (First choice was AMAX , but beggars can be choosy)
Powder: Benchmark (Not my first choice, but once again had to settle)
Charge: 42.0 GRS
C.O.L: 2.800

I am nervous and excited at the same time......

I measured, measured, and remeasured the powder charge about 20 times before I proceeded to fill all the cases.

Going to the range tomorrow hope I come back with all my fingers....

[Fire_Moose]

Didja check each.case for power before setting the bullet on top?

Good on ya, good luck. That first round is nerve racking.

[Palmetto-Pride]

Yea what I did was take each case and zero it out on the scale dropped the powder checked to make sure each one was getting 42.00 grs none got below 41.80 and the ones that went slightly over 42.00 I dumped the powder and redid them. I have never reloaded before, but I cant see where .20 of a grain of powder will make a huge difference in FPS. I tried to trickle them up, but keep going a little over so for now I can live with it until I see how these shoot.

[Fire_Moose]

That's a round n about way to do it...you have a pan for the scale?

[hooligan1]

Have you tested this load?

[sourdough44]

The Hodgdon site shows a charge range of 38-42 grns of Benchmark for a 168 grn bullet. Other sources may vary, but why the need to go right to max charge weights with your 1st loads? Not ripping on you but the target won't care, your gun, brass & a few other things may thank you for lower charges. Just asking.


OBTW, my Sierra manual tops out at 41.4 with that bullet. Yes, the kids say I drive like a Grandpa at times too.

[Dave P]

"Yea what I did was take each case and zero it out on the scale dropped the powder checked to make sure each one was getting 42.00 grs none got below 41.80 and the ones that went slightly over 42.00 I dumped the powder and redid them."

Whew - that wears me out just reading it! I think you are over-doing it.

If 42 grains is a safe load, then +- .5 grains will be fine too. Maybe weigh every tenth one if you have to, and eyeball the rest with a flashlight.

I only weight the first one (for run of the mill loads).

[Palmetto-Pride]

The Hodgdon site shows a charge range of 38-42 grns of Benchmark for a 168 grn bullet. Other sources may vary, but why the need to go right to max charge weights with your 1st loads?

I was wanting to duplicate the federal factory ammo with this same bullet that pushes this bullet at 2650. I have used this same ammo in my rifle and it is very accurate. Hoping to duplicate or do better with these hand loads........and I cant lie if you tell me I can go 100 MPH I would try and go 101 MPH that just the way I am

[Palmetto-Pride]

So I shot four five shot groups yesterday and I didn't do too bad I would get 3-4 to touch each other and then have one or two touch away from the other three, over all not bad, but I am gong to "work it down a little" anyway no blown up gun...lol

[Bart B.]

Palmetto, your 2/10ths grain spread in charge weight's plenty good enough.

.308 Win. ammo with 3/10ths grain spread in charge weight's shot sub 3-inch 30-shot test groups at 600 yards.

There's many things more important that that much charge spread.