308 loading help

[308_Branden]

Alright guys I was messing around in the lab today and I noticed a few things I loading my 155 tmk to 2.825 and noticed I still had to room in the case looks like everything settled over night or so and it loaded into the rifle clearing the feed ramp no issues! So now I just need to see if they shoot well which I pray they do. And 2 I'm ashamed to admit that my shoulder bump was off because I was unscrewing the die rather than screwing it down to get a bump probably shouldn't admit this but I can't be the only donkey to do this.

 

[E270wsm]

I normally load 150 , 155 and 165 grain bullets with TAC. It runs through the measure so well, gives good velocities and excellent accuracy.

 

[xsn10s]

Alright guys I was messing around in the lab today and I noticed a few things I loading my 155 tmk to 2.825 and noticed I still had to room in the case looks like everything settled over night or so and it loaded into the rifle clearing the feed ramp no issues! So now I just need to see if they shoot well which I pray they do. And 2 I'm ashamed to admit that my shoulder bump was off because I was unscrewing the die rather than screwing it down to get a bump probably shouldn't admit this but I can't be the only donkey to do this.

Cool beans. Honesty is the best policy. It makes it easier to trouble shoot. And we've all made oversights or mistakes. I hope she shoots well!

 

[308_Branden]

Cool beans. Honesty is the best policy. It makes it easier to trouble shoot. And we've all made oversights or mistakes. I hope she shoots well!

I'll post some updates. I wish I took photos of the groups it shot with the 44 gr at 2.855

 

[E270wsm]

Seating deeper will increase pressure and may help efficiency/burn cleaner.

Not necessarily. Deeper seating in rifle cartridges moves the bullet further from the rifling , which can reduce pressure. Thus the saying of kiss the lands to find pressure and reduce COL from there.

 

[Turpentine21]

Alright guys I was messing around in the lab today and I noticed a few things I loading my 155 tmk to 2.825 and noticed I still had to room in the case looks like everything settled over night or so and it loaded into the rifle clearing the feed ramp no issues! So now I just need to see if they shoot well which I pray they do. And 2 I'm ashamed to admit that my shoulder bump was off because I was unscrewing the die rather than screwing it down to get a bump probably shouldn't admit this but I can't be the only donkey to do this.

I got that T-Shirt a long time ago

 

[308_Branden]

I got that T-Shirt a long time ago

Haha alright I'm glad I wasn't the only one

 

[HeyWho]

I have always heard FC brass isn't great but personally I have had pretty good luck with it honestly. I am not one to load super-hot, just no reason for it.

 

[xsn10s]

I have always heard FC brass isn't great but personally I have had pretty good luck with it honestly. I am not one to load super-hot, just no reason for it.

I have had good luck with it too. I do load hot with some cases, but not Federals. I just load for accuracy and decent velocities and it lasts just fine.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

I just post a thread on how I do my load development. Hodgdon's recommendation for the 308 is 2.775" COAL. You started at 2.855" and 44 gr of Varget.(starting load) with 47 gr as being the max.
If you're not showing any pressure signs I would load 3 each of 45 gr to around 47.5 gr in 0.3 gr increments all at the 2.775" OAL and shoot groups. Once you find the tightest shooting load then start adjusting your seating depth again shooting 3 shot groups with depths lengthening in .03" increments (2.775", 2.778" 2.781" etc.) until you reach your lands or max for magazine length. Again you will see your groups begin to shrink or expand just as you did with the powder charges.
In theory now your barrel and load are in as near perfect harmony as it can be.
In the past I was shooting ladder test and checking velocities and extreme spreads but that wasn't telling me anything but just wasting components. IMO velocity nodes don't mean squat unless the velocity is in tune with your barrel. My opinion, again, is that velocity plus seating depth determines the ultimate harmonics for YOUR rifle and your rifle only. Recommendations about loads by other shooters may get you close but you have to do your own testing for optimization.

 

[Guy M]

When working with a new rifle - I'll load some dummy rounds. Resized brass and the bullet of choice, but no powder or primer.

The rounds absolutely must cycle! Load 5 or so of them, try 'em in the magazine. See how they feed. Also - very important - does a dummy round chamber and then extract & eject cleanly?

This can save you from sticking a bullet into the rifling with an overly-long load - which is a bit of a disaster when at a match, while hunting, or just practicing at the range. Sometimes that bullet will remain stuck in the barrel, and the case will be extracted and ejected. You can imagine where all that powder goes... into the locking lug recesses, into the action, into the magazine... It's a mess. So, it's important that the round cycles cleanly from magazine, up the feed ramp, into the chamber, then extracts and ejects properly even if it's unfired and still has the bullet.

With a 308 I simply start at 2.8" and work from there. I've shot bullets as light as 110's and as heavy as 220 grains from my 308 over the years. Varmint bullets, match bullets, deer bullets, bigger game bullets... Jacketed, copper like Barnes TSX, TTSX, Hornady CX, even cast lead bullets. They can all be seated to cycle properly and shoot well. With my Remington 700 & whatever barrel I've got screwed onto it. It's a Krieger now, 24" 1:12 twist. Have had the rifle for 30 years now.

Sometimes it's good to just stick with 2.8" for the 308. Seems to work real well. Yes I've shot high master scores with it in 600 yard prone matches.

Regards, Guy

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

With a 308 I simply start at 2.8" and work from there. I've shot bullets as light as 110's and as heavy as 220 grains from my 308 over the years. Varmint bullets, match bullets, deer bullets, bigger game bullets... Jacketed, copper like Barnes TSX, TTSX, Hornady CX, even cast lead bullets. They can all be seated to cycle properly and shoot well. With my Remington 700 & whatever barrel I've got screwed onto it. It's a Krieger now, 24" 1:12 twist. Have had the rifle for 30 years now.
Sometimes it's good to just stick with 2.8" for the 308. Seems to work real well.
Regards, Guy

I agree. Sometimes the OAL stated in the manuals is the best length but you never know until you try it and others.
Like the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. But in the case of reloading, you should try them all and see which is the best.

 

[Hondo64d]

I have not read of anyone using N150 in the 308; this should be a very, very good powder by just guessing at the burn rate, but I don't know. When this war with Russia is over, our situation should start easing up on the supply/price of many components.

I have been using N150 extensively in my .308 recently. I have found N150 to be a grain for grain match with Varget, giving nearly identical velocity and precision with identical charges, which is a very good thing.

John

 

[Ltbullken]

If it loads in the mag well, feeds ok and maintains accuracy, I wouldn't change a thing. Personally, I wouldn't use TMK for hunting but it sounds like a decent target load. You could always drop tube you're powder in if you're worried about compression. Compression is OK in loading.