308 reload questions advice appreciated

[manitou210]

thanks for all the responses, i will put them to good use.

has anyone seen a big realworld difference with the lapua palma brass vs the regular lapua 308 brass?

Benchrest shooters in 70s all used Rem brass with small rifle primers, because it was better than large rifle.
Todays Lapua palma is way better brass than Rem most all shooters shooting FTR in Canada have switched to Palma brass.
Her is a target shot with Palma brass at a locale shooting event at 200 yards, shot with a stock older Rem 700 HV Model
Varget, CCI br4 neckturned lapua palma, 168 gr berger hybrids

 

[roninflag]

i would use large rifle primers lapua brass. i got hangfires when i loaded .243 ammo with small primers. load varget , i 4064 and re-15 are the top three. but the 308 is a very forgiving accurate round. i4320 h/i4895 benchmark and others . what are you shooting at??

 

[wackinandstackin243]

44 grains of varget and 168 Amax shoots accurate in my FN SPR. However Federal Gold Medal factory load shoots as good as anything I have tried provided you are not hunting. I have read that Federal uses R-15 in the gold medal loads, but I don't know if that is true.

 

[MudRunner2005]

oops, forgot to click upload button

Yes, it appears to be a Remington 700 PSS. They were made for many years and came with a 26" non-fluted heavy barrel in a solid black HS Precision stock, just like the rifle in your pictures.

However, I'm pretty sure someone has painted yours or had it cerakoted, because they didn't come in green.

Also, for strictly target shooting, it's hard to beat the Nosler 168 Custom Comps. You can buy a 1000 pack for around $250, or Berger 168 VLD's.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/17...n-hollow-point-boat-tail?cm_vc=ProductFinding

I have shot both with the same load, same brass, and same powder charge, and in my rifle the results were nearly identical.

I use Lapua brass, Federal 210M primers, 44.0gr of Varget, and seat the bullets to 2.810" for my plinking rounds.

I have some heavyweight performance rounds that shoot 1 ragged hole, and I use Berger 210 VLD's, 39.1gr of Varget, Federal 210M primer, Lapua brass, and pushed into the lands. They have to be single-fed, since they are too long for the magazine.

 

[MudRunner2005]

44 grains of varget and 168 Amax shoots accurate in my FN SPR. However Federal Gold Medal factory load shoots as good as anything I have tried provided you are not hunting. I have read that Federal uses R-15 in the gold medal loads, but I don't know if that is true.

I have found that 44.0gr of Varget seems to be a pretty common sweetspot for most .308 Wins using 168 or 175gr bullets.

It works awesome in mine with both Nosler 168 and 175 Custom Comps. Both loads (same powder charge) will put 5 bullets in a ragged hole at 100.

 

[liltank]

I use 175 custom comps with 44.5grns of RL15. Was using F210m's, but when they became unavailable I switched to CCI BR2's. Mine measured 2.300" to the ogive.

 

[LRNimrod]

308 is one of the easiest cartridges to get shooting well quickly anywhere. The advice above is excellent in terms of bullets and powders. 4064, MR-2000 (not mentioned but very good and meters well), Varget, 4895, CFE223, RL-15, all work well. You didn't mention the purpose of your load development - hunting or paper. If hunting, 150 grain ballistic tips or accubonds are superb and I like VV540 (48 - 49 grains) which delivers high velocity (2925 - 2950) and accuracy with Fed 210 primers. I always use Lapua brass. Not as a brass snob, it just seems to have perfect neck tension and workability…and delivers with accuracy. Good luck.

 

[rockwind]

it is my practice gun, so target is my goal here.

i will be hunting with a 338, just figured since i have the 308 and it is substantially less to shoot, i would practice with it 50% of the time.

i have lapua brass, winchester primers, 4064 powder and hornady amax 178 gr, redding dies and rcbs press and chargemaster.

i picked the 178 gr because it is windy here and hoped the few extra grains would help.

any tips on first load for this combo for my pss? thanks again

 

[manitou210]

308 is one of the easiest cartridges to get shooting well quickly anywhere. The advice above is excellent in terms of bullets and powders. 4064, MR-2000 (not mentioned but very good and meters well), Varget, 4895, CFE223, RL-15, all work well. You didn't mention the purpose of your load development - hunting or paper. If hunting, 150 grain ballistic tips or accubonds are superb and I like VV540 (48 - 49 grains) which delivers high velocity (2925 - 2950) and accuracy with Fed 210 primers. I always use Lapua brass. Not as a brass snob, it just seems to have perfect neck tension and workability…and delivers with accuracy. Good luck.

Developed load for Target shooting use the same load in my Model 7 for deer,bear & moose not a hot load but works good.
That load of yours with VT 540 is on the warm side, my model 7 at 6.25 lbs with scope, would be to much for me to handle

 

[Wachsmann]

Gator 45....

Have you been able to chrono your loads. I have the same gun well I think its the same. 26 inch heavy barrel. Don't know the velocity yet but suspect it's around 2700fps?

44grns IMR4895 168 amax. Shoot sub MOA at 100 yards. acutually about .5moa at 200yrds yesterday. Gun has 26 inch barrel. I'm loading to the same length at the hornady 168 amax match loads.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

it is my practice gun, so target is my goal here.

i will be hunting with a 338, just figured since i have the 308 and it is substantially less to shoot, i would practice with it 50% of the time.

i have lapua brass, winchester primers, 4064 powder and hornady amax 178 gr, redding dies and rcbs press and chargemaster.

i picked the 178 gr because it is windy here and hoped the few extra grains would help.

any tips on first load for this combo for my pss? thanks again

IIWM I'd use the data for the 175 or 180 from Take Aim at Rifle Reloading Data | Hodgdon Reloading

Basically 41 to 45 grains of 4064. With caution. the A-Max is a very different shape bullet. At the specified COAL more bullet is in the case.

If you can measure your max COAL or max Mag Len I can help with a sanity check.

I don't remember what charge I'm using at the moment but it's for 4064 under 168 Nos CC.