|
Forum Rules | Firearms Safety | Firearms Photos | Links | Library | Lost Password | Email Changes |
Register | FAQ | Calendar | Today's Posts | Search |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
July 18, 2012, 09:47 PM | #1 |
Junior member
Join Date: July 13, 2012
Posts: 179
|
.308 Winchester Reloading Help..
I have been reloading alot of handgun rounds with my Dillon 550 and now that I plan on doing some long range shooting, I naturally wanna get into making my own custom loads for that as well.
My Rifle is a Remington 700 SS R5 Mil Spec chambered in .308 Winchester. If anyone has any insight as what works great, lease lemme know. A major question I have here is, I like using lead cast in my handgun rounds mainly because of cost, theyre super low... But, I also try to keep the fps lower to avoid lead fouling in the barrel, Is there a lead alternative to .308 (ie. copper plating protection) to avoid lead fouling at high fps needed for rifles and still keep the accuracy, quality and price good? Thank You for your help by the way. |
July 18, 2012, 10:27 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 9, 2005
Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills.
Posts: 3,779
|
Use the search function. This question has been asked many times over.
Sent from HenseMod6. |
July 18, 2012, 10:33 PM | #3 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 9, 2008
Location: Woooooshington
Posts: 1,797
|
Quote:
Please take the time to read this. Cheers, C
__________________
Shoulder Drive Nicholson Club |
|
July 19, 2012, 03:34 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 24, 2010
Posts: 364
|
My .308s are 1:10 and 1:12 twists.
Using (bulk) pulled 147 gr military ball bullets (which when I weigh them come to 149 grs pretty consistently) I can ring the 18" metal swingers at my range all the way out to 600 yds. Depedning on where you find them they're around $150 for 1,000. Mind you they might contain steel that may not be allowed in certain ranges. Will they group better or hit the same spot on the target as well as the more expensive bullets: no. You pay for the better design and consistent manufacturing. I think the 250 PC 168 gr Hornady Match pills are a good bargain. Locally $65. Where as a box of 100 is $30. |
July 19, 2012, 07:00 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 1, 2010
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 4,556
|
What Creeper said.
No cheap shortcuts for long range shooting... $.25-$.50 a bullet... If you want cheap, stick with plinking. You need precision manufactured, jacketed, high BC boattail bullets. |
July 20, 2012, 07:08 AM | #6 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 24, 2010
Location: Central Louisiana
Posts: 3,137
|
Quote:
You can get really fine accuracy with cast bullets, but you've got to be willing to accept the limits of your casting technique, your reloading technique, your lube, and your rifle. Velocities are necessarily slower than with jacketed and you can learn a lot about yourself and your rifle. However, it's a whole lot easier to buy good jacketed bullets. |
|
July 21, 2012, 09:53 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 4, 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,943
|
Lead bullets are good in SOME 30 calibers, but if I had an R5, I'd be loading 168 grain bthps from Hornady or Sierra in match prepped brass over 46.0 of WW748 or BLC2. Yes, you can shoot lead in it, but why? Both bullets will hold 1 hole groups farther than my diabetic vision will allow today.
__________________
If you want your children to follow in your footsteps, be careful where you walk. Beware the man that only owns one gun; he probably knows how to use it. I just hope my ship comes in before my dock rots. |
July 22, 2012, 09:17 AM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 18, 2006
Posts: 7,097
|
The cheapest bullet for long range shooting is going to be Nosler Custom Competition 175gr BTHP bought in bulk. The old M72 match 173gr FMJBT just won't shoot as tight. The various 168gr BTHP offerings out there don't shoot very well past 800 as they don't handle the transition to subsonic very well.
Good luck shooting. Jimro
__________________
Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one. |
July 22, 2012, 03:15 PM | #9 |
Staff
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,061
|
DASHZNT,
A lot of .30 cal competitors have been moving to Reloader 15 powder. I would give that a look. It's what is in the M118 Long Range military sniper load, behind the 175 grain Sierra MatchKing bullet. That's the combination your barrel is designed for. The Noslers likely will work well, too, and the Hornady 178 grain A-max is worth trying. I get the lowest velocity E.S. from the inexpensive Russian KVB-762 primers, but the Federal 210M's work well, too. You also have the option of buying Lapua Palma brass, which has small primer pockets, and using a Federal 205M in those. Whether it's a large or small primer pocket type, Lapua brass is the most consistent I've found. It's expensive but lasts if you take care of it. That small primer pocket is because long range (1000 yard) Palma match shooters get lower velocity ES from the small primer (though you do need a load that fills the case well, too). If you're not familiar with it, check out Dan Newberry's site for a systematic approach to developing accurate loads. Paw Paw, Hornady has the gilding metal plating thing figured out. It's apparently at least part of their AMP (advanced manufacturing process) for jackets. The name is probably a play on the fact you need amps of current to electroplate. They've used it to replace their ENC line of handgun bullets, as the plating can be made to surround the whole bullet. They now also use it for their HP match bullets, their A-max match bullets, and on their Z-max line, claiming it virtually eliminates jacket runout and unevenness.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle |
July 22, 2012, 06:03 PM | #10 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 24, 2010
Location: Central Louisiana
Posts: 3,137
|
Quote:
|
|
July 22, 2012, 07:51 PM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 18, 2006
Posts: 7,097
|
Unclenick,
The 175 SMK and the Remington 5R barrel do go together, but it was the M24 sniper rifle that came first. Sierra created a replacement for the 173 FMJBT that they were making for the 118 Special Ball loading, the 175 SMK was the result and the sniper ammo was redesignated 118 LR, for Long Range. Jimro
__________________
Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one. |
July 22, 2012, 07:58 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,539
|
I didn't know Sierra made 173 gr M1/Match FMJ bullets.
|
July 22, 2012, 08:03 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 18, 2006
Posts: 7,097
|
I recall that Sierra was the one that made the 173gr M118SB bullets, although I'm positive that other bullet manufacturers over the years made projectiles for the M72 match load, and the M1 Ball before it.
Jimro
__________________
Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one. |
July 22, 2012, 09:20 PM | #14 |
Staff
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,061
|
Yes, the barrel was originally for the 173, but the 173's design influenced the 175 design, so in a way it all goes around in a circle.
Actually, I'm pretty sure all the 173's for M118 SB and M118 Match were made by Lake City. When they first took over manufacturing National Match ammo from Frankford Arsenal starting in 1962, they put a lot of effort into improving how they made that bullet, so LC has the tooling for it. But the 168 grain SMK proved consistently more accurate in service rifle matches (600 yards maximum range targets) when it was substituted for the 173 (so-called "Mexican match" ammunition), so they came to recognize the military match load was at a competitive disadvantage without that bullet, and started making M852 match ammo for which they did buy the 168 grain bullets from Sierra. But that had the not-for-combat open tip warning on the boxes. Then in the 80's, the Adjutant General issued an opinion that the small match bullet open tips were non-expanding and therefore not a violation of the Hague Accords. They then tried M852 in the M24 sniper system, but because its 13° boattail tends to make it dynamically unstable in the transonic range (starting around 700 yards in .308) it didn't hit at long range reliably. So they went back to the 173 grain BT FMJ and started working with Sierra to develop the 175 using the 9° boattail that proved stable through the transonic range on the 173 grain bullet. That's why the 175 does well at distance.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle |
|
|