.308 favorite target loads ?????

[Gordon]

Can some of you experienced shooters out there share your favorite .308 hand loads with me.
I am figuring on running a batch this week using some Sierra 168 grain Boat Tail Match bullets that I bought at the gun show this weekend.

[john e]

The usual "gold standard" is IMR 4895 with a load starting at about42 grains. Remember to work up the load. Using Military Match brass may need more careful work up. The primer of choice would be Fed 210 Gold Medal Match Primer seated to OAL 2.82".

[Sam06]

I have to say I really love the 308 Winchester. It is my go to round of choice in almost all Big Game hunting and i really enjoy shooting it at targets too. So what are your favorite Target loads for a 308.

Here are mine, these are shot out of either a Remington 700PSS or 40X. Cases are LC Match either 84 or 87. Cases are neck turned to be consistent, all charges are weighed as are bullets. All these shot under MOA at 300yds and COAL is just off the lands depending on the gun/bullet combo, Primers are either Fed Match or CCI Match;

1. 168gr S BTHP
44gr IMR 4895
2860fps
2. 175gr S HPBT
40gr IMR 4896
2530fps
3. 168gr Hor. HPBT
45.5gr Varget
This load suprised me as I am not a big Varget fan but it shot good in the 700PSS
4. 173gr FMJBT(Military bullets, I have a ton of these)
40gr IMR3031*
2660fps. This is my duplication of the old LC Match but faster
5. 155gr Palma
47gr IMR 4320
2900fps
6. 155gr Palma
43gr 3031*
2790fps

*I am not that big a fan of 3031 but it does shoot good for me in my 40X

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

Sorry if no one wants to play but I get tired of the "will this primer work" or "Can I shoot lead in a Glock"questions. This is about reloading! Rant over

[Slamfire]

First I ought to say, what the heck are you shooting?

If you are shooting an M1a, than a 168 with a charge somewhere between 40.5 grains to 41.5 grains IMR 4895 is going to be a very accurate load in your rifle.

If you are shooting a bolt gun, I am going to recommend 4895.

I shoot at 200 yards, and at 100 yard highpower matches, a load of 168 Match, 39.0 grains IMR 4895. I used several kegs of AA2495, and it is charge for charge, the same as IMR 4895. Stupidly Accurate arms calls it 2495 and confuses the heck out of anyone.

As you can see from the lower targets, which includes a target with surplus 4895, this load is very accurate.

At 300 yards I bump the load to 41.0 grains. At 600 yards I would go to 41.5 grains with a 168 SMK and LC brass.

[Sam06]

Slamfire, Thanks for playing and good damn shooting!!

Now Did you read my post????

Here are mine, these are shot out of either a Remington 700PSS or 40X. Cases are LC Match either 84 or 87.

I have an M1A also. I did not post any gas gun loads but I can later on. I have shot Service Rifle Matches since 1985 off and on. I shot in the US Army small arms Championships in 1988 and 1989(I have the coffee mug to prove it LOL). I didn't win but I was on the 2nd relay so that's not too bad. I have a M1 Garand and an M1A built by Glenn Nelson and Man do they shoot. I shot at Camp Perry in 1992 the only time I could get away to do it. I was not in a MTU(I was a Ranger Instructor at that time)

I Have never used AA Powders in the 308. Here are my Go To powders in the 308:
IMR 4895
Imr 4064
IMR 3031
Varget
RE 15

Thats it. I guess I am a little old school but I have about 300# of IMR powder at the house and a LOT of 168 and 173gr bullets. Maybe enough to last my life(if I keep on the way I have been). Thanks for playing and I am going to post some targets on thursday.

RLTW HOOOOOOOOOOAH! TOO much beer tonight I have got to slow down!

[margiesex]

Gordon, I didn't see what rifle chambered for the .308 you were going to use. I just love that Sierra 168 Matchking for my .06 - I can punch one hole all day long out of a shelf bought Rem. 760 pump of my father's (now mine) using that bullet and 4064 and a BR-2 primer.

However, my father in law gave me a Win. lever action (sorry, it's put away, but it's the real familiar lever gun - I want to say 88?) - in any case - the 168 doesn't shoot worth a good diddly in that thing. It only gets slightly better as you go down in weight of bullets - 150's shoot the best, but I can't top about a 2 and 1/2 inch group with it - I even re-scoped it.

My brother tells me I should try H380 in the Winny with 150 grain bullets, but I got too frustrated to try it.

Good luck.

Margiesex

[Sam06]

Margiesex, This was a very old Thread that I hijacked and resurrected. I was looking at some of the old posts and found this one. I am a Big Fan of the 308!

I too have a Winchester M88. Mine was made the 1st year they were produced and is almost too nice to hunt with. My 88 likes 165gr Hornaday SP. The Cheap ones with no weird plastic tips or Boat tails. It also likes IMR 4350 Powder. I have shot some very good groups with it. Now sadly its a safe queen. I take it out once a year to shoot and confirm the zero but thats it. I am afraid the stock is going to crack as so many do.

Winchester could not build that rifle for under 1000 bucks now. The Machining alone would be cost prohibitive. They are fine guns and there is no faster lever action out there.

Thanks for playing....................Sam

[kraigwy]

Since I went to Sniper School I learned from the AMU about Mexican Match. Or pulling the bullets out of M118 and putting in SMKs doing nothing else to the case. The AMU also reloaded some of their match ammo, using (at that time) 41.5 grns of 4895, Fed Match Primers, and Sierra 168 Matchkings. I ran the AK NG Marksmanship Unit for years and when there was a shortage of Match 308s, I used state funds to buy components and loaded the same load.

The Arm then came out with M852 which like Mexican Match and our handloads was 4895 pushing 168s. Note though, this is for the M14-M1As. The only differance is for 1000 yard service rifle matches is the bullet. Using the same powder charge we used 180 SMKs. That was the older 1970s-80s 180 SMK. The newer 180s arnt the same nor are they as good. The 175 SMKs are more like the older 180s they replaced.

This load, LC Brass, 41.5 Gns 4895, Fed Primers has been the standard for 308 Match for years. I still use it to day in High Power. I have found out, switching the fed match primer with the federal mag primer didnt seem to change much on my guns.

I'm not one to buy the ideal of one load fits all guns but this load seems to be the excepton. We used it in 24 NM M14s (and a few M1As) and it seemed to work in all of them. Half of our M14s had the military 4 grove barrels that shot the 173 military match bullets and the other half had the 6 grove Barrnet barrels that shot the 168s. But the powder charge was the same for both bullets.

[velocette]

+1 for Kraigs load of 41.5 grains of 4895 & 168 SMK. Only I used Fed brass that weighs a bit more than the LC which I also have.
Fired in my DPMS LR 308B, I get 3/4" groups consistently when I do my job.
Also found that 42.5 grains of RL 15 with the SMK & fed brass works nicely too.

Roger

[Sam06]

Kraig, For a Gas gun load 41.5gr IMR 4895 and 168gr SMK are hard to beat. I have 2 M1A's one is an old one set up with a Douglas 4 groove Air Gauged barrel and the other has a Pac-Nor SS Barrel in the heavy Super Match contour. I don't shoot HP much anymore with a gas gun and I am sad to say I rarely shoot either of these 2 fine guns. I have gone to a Bolt Gun built around a 1903A3 Action and shoot it in 30 Cal. As an official old fart I don't even try to be competitive any more but at least they can hear my shots in the butts

Back to the 308...........Anyone have a good load using Reloader 15? I have heard good things about this powder?

[ISP 5353]

45gr of Varget under a 168 Sierra MK have been the best out of my Hart / 700.

[Sam06]

I was surprised that Varget shot as well as it did in the 308. I have not been all that impressed with it in other cartridges, I have loaded it in; 45-70, 30-06, 223, 30-30, 257 rbts, 243, 220 and 22-250. It is one of those " It does a lot of things but none of them well" kind of powders. That said when I used it in the 308 I was surprised at how well it shot and it was very consistent more than I can say for IMR 3031. I still cannot beat 4895 or 4964. I am looking at Reloader 15 to be the powder to replace IMR but its not happening yet.

Thanks for the load..................sam

[paknheat]

My go-to load for my .308's are the same: 46.0 gn Varget, a 150 gn Hornady SST, or 150 gn Nosler BT or the Siearra 150 BTSP, Winchester brass and Winchester Lg rifle primer. I read somewhere that Hogdon developed Varget as a match grade type powder specially for the .308 Win. I have noticed that when i use Varget in any cartridge that has the .308 Win. as the parent, i get rather fine accuracy. Nice shooting there Slamfire1

[velocette]

Sam 06;
Reloder 15 for 308. I found that 42.5 gr of RL 15, SMK 168 gr bullet, RP brass & fed match primer gave me results almost as good as the 41.5 gr load of IMR 4895 both sub moa in my DPMS LR 308.
YMMV but both are well under max and consistently accurate.

Roger

[Sam06]

I really want to try Reloader 15. One of the places I shop at has some and I think i am going to pick some up.

I also want to try some of the Ramshot powders. They look good on paper and are fairly inexpensive when you can find them. I have heard good things about TAC anyone use it with success???

I had good luck with VV N-150 also:

46.1gr N-150
168gr Nosler HPBT Match

This shot good out of my 700PSS. Notes say 2.8" Group @ 300M. I was using up some N150 that I got for my 6mmBR. It did not work out so I was trying it in other cartridges. It works good in the 30-30 winchester also and 243.