16.5” 308

[Mayhem 487]

Fellas, it's been a while since I've been on, but I'm looking for some advice.

I have a Ruger Precision 308, 1:10 twist cut down to 16.5" w/ a 9" TX Silencer Co suppressor. The only reason I had it cut down was so it would fit in and around the truck better.

I am set to attend a LEO SWAT Sniper course in may. They require factory ammunition, no hand loads. I can hold really tight groups with 180gr hand loads. I've tried the Hornady match 178's. They're so/so, little over 1moa. The department rifle is a REM 700 18". It was shooting great when I first got it, but it has since gone to another shooter. He immediately started changing stuff to make it tacticool, now he can't even hold minute of barn door. So I'm going to use my personal instead, but I have little to no factory load data for 16.5".

I can't afford to buy a s#!+ load of different boxes to play with, plus there really ain't much on the shelves around here. I'll end up spending a fortune on shipping.
Has anyone had any luck with short barrels and factory loads?
I'm thinking about the Fed GM w/ 185g Bergers. Thoughts?

I know this seems silly, but I've gotten more knowledge from this forum than I have anywhere else.

 

[FEENIX]

Fellas, it's been a while since I've been on, but I'm looking for some advice.

I have a Ruger Precision 308, 1:10 twist cut down to 16.5" w/ a 9" TX Silencer Co suppressor. The only reason I had it cut down was so it would fit in and around the truck better.

I am set to attend a LEO SWAT Sniper course in may. They require factory ammunition, no hand loads. I can hold really tight groups with 180gr hand loads. I've tried the Hornady match 178's. They're so/so, little over 1moa. The department rifle is a REM 700 18". It was shooting great when I first got it, but it has since gone to another shooter. He immediately started changing stuff to make it tacticool, now he can't even hold minute of barn door. So I'm going to use my personal instead, but I have little to no factory load data for 16.5".

I can't afford to buy a s#!+ load of different boxes to play with, plus there really ain't much on the shelves around here. I'll end up spending a fortune on shipping.
Has anyone had any luck with short barrels and factory loads?
I'm thinking about the Fed GM w/ 185g Bergers. Thoughts?

I know this seems silly, but I've gotten more knowledge from this forum than I have anywhere else.

I think the 185 Berger is an excellent choice. You might also want to consider HSMs offerings.

https://hsmammunition.com/trophy-gold/

Good luck!

 

[Lonewolf74]

Hard to beat the federal gold medal match 168 or 175 grain for factory 308 ammunition.

 

[Patton63]

I've had very good performance out to 550 yds from Federal 165gr Trophy Copper and the Federal 168 gr Gold Medal Match out of a Remington 700 with a 16.5" barrel.

 

[Roughrice]

I agree with Lonewolf74.

Federal Gold Medal Match SMK 168 and 175 is excellent ammo at a reasonable price.

It shot well in every factory 308 rifle I've tried it in from 18" to 24".

 

[17CalFan]

Rogers Sporting Goods has 18 308 ammo options in stock right now. Orders over $99 ship free to lower 48.

 

[Revolting Peasant]

I carried Federal Gold Medal Match SMK 168. Later some officers went to Federal 165 gr soft point Sierra Gameking for better penetration on glass.
Back then I found the trajectories and zero were almost identical. Now maybe not so much with some boxes nickel plated brass, some not, I found the zeros shifting a bit between the two.

 

[hankle]

Norma 175gr match are getting around 1moa in an 18", AR-10 of mine.

Here is a good price on 168gr

Norma - .308 Winchester Golden Target Match 168gr BTHP Ammunition - 20ct

Norma, .308, 168, norma match, norma 308

sentryammo.com

 

[rharfo]

Hard to beat the federal gold medal match 168 or 175 grain for factory 308 ammunition.

 

[Mayhem 487]

Good advice. Thanks fellas

 

[undert0e]

168 SMK. IMO it's the gold standard for paper punching. Very consistent ammo for production stuff.

 

[cohunt]

Doesn't the leo/swat team have a department issued ammo? I would think that liability/attorneys would have certain specs for ammo.

Maybe you are in a smaller rural department that doesn't have those issues.

 

[sable tireur]

I have a Ruger Precision 308, 1:10 twist cut down to 16.5" w/ a 9" TX Silencer Co suppressor. The only reason I had it cut down was so it would fit in and around the truck better.

Was the cut off barrel crowned properly (professionally)? Do you have a framework of tests showing that this short barrel + suppressor is even accurate now that it's been cut?

I can't afford to buy a s#!+ load of different boxes to play with, plus there really ain't much on the shelves around here. I'll end up spending a fortune on shipping.
Has anyone had any luck with short barrels and factory loads?
I'm thinking about the Fed GM w/ 185g Bergers. Thoughts?

How else are you going to be able to decide which loads are most accurate? You have to shoot 'em to test 'em. Use your phone to call around to other nearby LGS to find more available ammunition.

I was shooting 18" barrels in .308 long before it became all the rage like now. We had excellent accuracy out to 1,000 yards when we set our tables up correctly.

FGMM can be good ammunition if your barrel likes it. I used it in Palma matches for a while.

Don't forget to look at Black Hills:

http://www.black-hills.com/shop/bh-gold-ammo/308-winchester/

Enjoy your training!

 

[dogbuster0006]

My rem 700P 308 shot Hornady match 168 good enough I never bothered hand loading it until now. I'm replicating that load with the 168a-max until my supply runs out, a little better SD but out to 800yd it was great.