There’s something about a .308 Win and 168 SMKs

FireFlyFishing said:

I shot this group today with my Tikka 20" CTR. This is the first time I've taken it out to some distance. I think this is a keeper load. It's about a 3.5" group at 600 hundo!
View attachment 564910

Click to expand...

I shot "across the course" as well as long range competition to 1,000 yards using several different .308 rifles. If your rifle would not produce excellent groups and scores with the 168 gr. SMK at 2.80" COL, 40gr. to 41 gr. H4895 in LC Match brass it was time to rebarrel and/or rebed. I still have three .308s that love this load. Give it a try! -Ed

I have a Rem 700 in .308 that will shoot the Fed Match 168 ammo into single holes at 100. I've used it in matches out to 800 yards with no issues. I can get handloads going a little faster with 1/2" groups also. I'm currently shooting the 175 SMKs but the 168s are one of those magical combinations that just works.

For a change from the 168,169 I went to a 175g Tipped match king, 42g of 8208, CCI 200, Lapua brass drills a hole.

FireFlyFishing said:

You might be surprised. My M1As are fantastic shooters. The one I have in a sage chassis will shoot pretty well at 600.
View attachment 565283

Click to expand...

I have one of these and it shoots sub moa with gold medal match. Before I dropped it in the sage chassis it couldnt do better that 3moa with the wood stock.

I have a first year USA Repeating Arms Winchester M-70 Featherweight 20" barrel 308 Winchester. Oddball rifle with long action, but shoots most any 150, 165 and 168 grain with little ragged 3 shot groups. I have this rifle in years because for some reason it kicks like a mule and is not pleasant to shoot off any bench. Shooting at game I don't notice the recoil, but resting on a bench Ouch! If you have ever shot a Remington 600 in 308, well this rifle is just as bad. I had change the scope on this rifle and was at the range with a friend sighting in the rifle. 5 shots had it where I wanted it. About the third shot I told him I was about done with that punishment. He said "Ooh it's just a 308 quit being a candy @ss"! He sat behind it for one shot and said "Your Not Kidding, this thing is Brutal"! But, for a hunting rifle I know anything within 600 yards is dead.

Oldtime Shooter13 said:

I have a first year USA Repeating Arms Winchester M-70 Featherweight 20" barrel 308 Winchester. Oddball rifle with long action, but shoots most any 150, 165 and 168 grain with little ragged 3 shot groups. I have this rifle in years because for some reason it kicks like a mule and is not pleasant to shoot off any bench. Shooting at game I don't notice the recoil, but resting on a bench Ouch! If you have ever shot a Remington 600 in 308, well this rifle is just as bad. I had change the scope on this rifle and was at the range with a friend sighting in the rifle. 5 shots had it where I wanted it. About the third shot I told him I was about done with that punishment. He said "Ooh it's just a 308 quit being a candy @ss"! He sat behind it for one shot and said "Your Not Kidding, this thing is Brutal"! But, for a hunting rifle I know anything within 600 yards is dead.

Click to expand...

Some rifles are just unpleasant to shoot. The Tikka I have pictured actually has a pretty healthy kick without a brake or suppressor. It doesn't hurt, but quite a bit of jump. It's a cream puff with the suppressor though.

I'm sure there are other loads but 41.5 gr 4895 and a 168 always worked in an M1-A and if it doesn't work well in a bolt gun there is something wrong with the rifle. I think for anyone who wants to learn to shoot long range the 308 might be the best choice as you should get 5000 rnds out of a barrel and very easy to tune so you don't have to waste brrl life and time getting a load, lots of cartridges will eat a brrl in 1000 rnds which is only maybe 12 matches or so ,so way sooner than you want a new brrl could be needed. The brrl's can often still shoot well up close when the get worn but at longer range they start throwing flyers badly.

After reading this thread, I decided to give the 168SMK a try . I have been shooting the Hornady 168 A-Max , which shoot extremely well, .75 moa . After seating the first 168SMK , I noticed the bullet is extremely easy to seat , to the point that the bullet can be moved in and out by hand . I measured the diameter of the SMK and it measures .306 . Now to load these I need to change my neck sizing bushing down .002 . Now shooting a .306 bullet vs a .308 is going to drop my velocity. They shoot very accurate but I'm going to do a side by side comparison of the 168 SMK and the Hornady 168 A-max . It seems odd to advertise a .308 bullet that measures .306.

My Sons Remington 700 used to kick like a mule until we got rid of the 20 dollar crap stock that it came with and put it in a stockys stock with a straight
comb. Its actually a pleasure to shoot now.

Mike D Texas said:

Try the ABLR close to the lands. I chased precision with them following internet lore with them seated .050-.100" off the lands and had nothing but frustration. When fireforming for an improved cartridge I seated them to the lands and got one hole groups.

Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me, I tried several seating depths and they shot best closer.

My 700 LTR. I found it used at a local gun shop almost twenty years ago now. Only thing I changed was the stock. I put it in the hs police stock that it's in now. It always loved 168GMM.


This group was right after putting the rifle back together. I had robbed the bolt for another build and it sat as a barreled action in my safe for years. Low right shot was first round after boresighting. Adjusted and sent the next four through the same hole.



This group was shot a year later. Five shots. 168GMM again.



The rifle shot amazing out to 600 but it started throwing crazy fliers after 700. This is the rifle as it sits today. Same stock, rebedded with steel bed, I trued the reciever and put a 1:9 lilja on it, finished at 20"
Chambered with an m852 match reamer.



PWS MK216. Also a 308. It's gone now but man was it a shooter. I regret letting it go.



300 yards cold. Hornady black 168 Amax.


Sold the PWS because I got a screaming deal on this LMT.


I think it's gonna do okay.


Yeah, I like my 308's.

Sierra has a new 175 gameking out this year. Same dimensions and bc as the 175 smk. I've never shot the 175's but I'm going to pick some of them up to try.

DustThroughaFan said:

Sierra has a new 175 gameking out this year. Same dimensions and bc as the 175 smk. I've never shot the 175's but I'm going to pick some of them up to try.

Click to expand...

Let us know how they go!!!

The 169s from Sierra are fantastic, they take up where the 168s leave off past 600!

175smk in federal gold match in 308 will shoot under 3 inches at 600 yards out of a Ruger bull barrel and leupold scope