308 Loading tips

[Roach300]

I posted a letter a while back about gathering info on how, what and how much about reloading 300 Win Mags. Well my childhood rifle is coming out of the cabinet and into my hands again, its a Model 70 308 Featherweight. I never {NEVER} reloaded for this particular cartridge/caliber, I was wondering if there are any 308 junkies here... all tips on reloading welcome, grains, powder, bullet etc..I also need new optics and new mounts, so help me there also if anyone could....

[somerled]

Alliant's Reloader 15 with 150 through 180 grain bullets would be a start, but there are so many good choices. A lot depends on what purpose you'll be pointing the rifle at. The groups open up after three rounds in the slim barrel. Working up a load might require more patience.

The Model 70 Featherweight is a beautiful rifle. I wish I still had one in 6.5 Swede or .257 Roberts. I traded off one in .257 Roberts several years ago. I still regret it. I'm glad you kept yours.

[leadburner]

Hodgdons Varget,between 42 or 47 grns,and Hornadys 150 grn SST is an exceptionally good combination.

[Bullet94]

You might look here -

http://www.6mmbr.com/308win.html


.

[Bogie]

Lapua brass. You won't even have to sort it.

165 grain Nosler for game, 168 grain Sierra matchkings for range day.

4895. Start with 39 grains, and work up. Look to see where the groups tighten.

[Dave R]

For a cheap, but reasonably accurate plinking load that hits the same POI as my hotter hunting load, I use 147gr. "pulled" milsurp bullets, with 43gr. of H335, lit by a CCI 250 primer. Cheap bullet (which is the biggest savings) cheap powder and cheap primer. But its a good load in my rifles.

.308 is as easy to load as any certerfire rifle can be.

[Bowhunter57]

Roach300,
Like what has already been mentioned, it depends on what you intend to hunt or plink and with the feather weight barrel, you may have to wait between shots for it to cool.

I had a Remington 788 that shot a "cloverleaf" group at 100 yards with 110gr. Hornady V-Max bullets, 46.3gr. of IMR-3031 @ 3040 f.p.s. Anything over 150gr. bullet weight it shot better with IMR-4895. Faster burning powders for lighter weight bullets and slower burning powders for heavier weight bullets.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

[odsixer]

Bogie, are those 165gr accubonds? Do you get the same poi with both bullets?

Thanks

[Unclenick]

POI tends to be the same with same weight bullets. Since the MK bullet is boattail, get a hunting bullet that is, too, for best match. Sierra's own #2140, or 2145 for example.

Those bullets, by the way, will shoot well with a number of powders. The exact quantity will be dependent on the brass brand used. The Lapua and Norma brass have the best dimensional consistency and are virtually bench rest prepped as they come. They also cost 2.5 times more than domestic brass, so you might consider, say, bulk Winchester brass if you get a gage for sorting it. Keep the best 20% for target work and the rest for hunting or plinking. The Winchester is made with a semi-balloon head design, so it has the most powder capacity for longer range shooting. In the Winchester case, 43.6 grains of IMR 4895 over a Federal 210M primer is one of the optimum charge weight loads listed on Dan Newberry's site. You must not substitute the heavier Lapua case or pressure will go up.

[ForneyRider]

BL(C)-2 was a military powder for .308 Win.

H-Varget is good performer.

Both work in a variety of calibers.