308 powder advice help helping a friend

[Wolf76]

4895

 

[emp1953]

3031 is tried and true for years in .308

 

[JWgroups]

I like 8208 XBR with 168 & 178 gr bullets. Last load was 42.5 gr behind 178 gr Hornady ELD's, shooting 1/2 MOA at 400 yards.

 

[xsn10s]

As a side note IMR 4895 has been a great powder for the 175 SMK in the past. I have used H4895 with good results. I used to use IMR 4064 but trickling the powder got old. H4895 flows pretty good out of a powder dispenser. TAC flows like butter.

 

[Sasman]

My friend has just acquired a used but LNIB Ruger Precision Rifle, set of Redding dies and around 400 175/SMK, 100 1x fired Lapua brass and 100 unfired Lapua brass. He has Large rifle primers and all other needed reloading tools. All he needs is powder and he asked me what powders I felt best to get and I recommended IMR 4064 as #1 then #2 RL15, or Varget as #3.
Unfortunately he can not find any in stock anywhere. BIG surprise.

Well I have an abundance of 308 suitable powders just not RL15 or Varget and not enough IMR 4064 left to be able to part with any as I can not replace it. I am willing to give him what other 308 suitable powders I have but have no reloading experience with any them for the 308 Winchester.

So could those with the most experience reloading 308 Winchester and 175 grain SMK please suggest which of the fallowing powders would most likely give the best accuracy for 308 and 175 SMK.

I have these fallowing powders in sufficient abundance I can easily part with minimum of two pounds of one or two but not all.
Hodgdon CFE 223
IMR 4166
Ramshot Tac
Accurate 2520

Thanks to all for your help.

I use the 175 g SMK in my Tikka T3 Tac and have found excellent results using IMR 4320 powder . For the lighter 155g and 168g Bullets i was having excellent results using IMR 3031 and IMR 4350 .

 

[CoachChris]

4166 was designed to compete with Varget and I've had some excellent results with it.

I've had great results with 4166 also. I'm shooting 168 & 175 TMK's and 168 & 178 ELD-M

 

[KSB209]

IMR® 4064

IMR 4064 is a medium-range burn speed powder and is one of the most versatile propellant in the IMR line, used for 223 Remington, 22-250 Remington, 220 Swift, 6mm Remington, 243 Winchester Super Short Magnum, 308 Winchester, 338 Winchester Magnum, and the list goes on and on. Versatility with...

shop.hodgdon.com

I have had success and have seen it available on Hodgdon's website for 4064 a few times in the last 30 days or so. I got 4#'s last month.

 

[Bucklowery]

4895

This. It creates great accuracy in my savage and it seems a little more available

Thanks

Buck

 

[ajkellerusmc]

BLC-2 might be available because it is no longer that popular. It was created for the 308 for military use. I have found it very consistent and accurate. While not as popular as the Gucci powders He might find some somewhere.

 

[GUNNNN]

My friend has just acquired a used but LNIB Ruger Precision Rifle, set of Redding dies and around 400 175/SMK, 100 1x fired Lapua brass and 100 unfired Lapua brass. He has Large rifle primers and all other needed reloading tools. All he needs is powder and he asked me what powders I felt best to get and I recommended IMR 4064 as #1 then #2 RL15, or Varget as #3.
Unfortunately he can not find any in stock anywhere. BIG surprise.

Well I have an abundance of 308 suitable powders just not RL15 or Varget and not enough IMR 4064 left to be able to part with any as I can not replace it. I am willing to give him what other 308 suitable powders I have but have no reloading experience with any them for the 308 Winchester.

So could those with the most experience reloading 308 Winchester and 175 grain SMK please suggest which of the fallowing powders would most likely give the best accuracy for 308 and 175 SMK.

I have these fallowing powders in sufficient abundance I can easily part with minimum of two pounds of one or two but not all.
Hodgdon CFE 223
IMR 4166
Ramshot Tac
Accurate 2520

Thanks to all for your help.

I've had really good success with aa2520 and alliant mr2000

My friend has just acquired a used but LNIB Ruger Precision Rifle, set of Redding dies and around 400 175/SMK, 100 1x fired Lapua brass and 100 unfired Lapua brass. He has Large rifle primers and all other needed reloading tools. All he needs is powder and he asked me what powders I felt best to get and I recommended IMR 4064 as #1 then #2 RL15, or Varget as #3.
Unfortunately he can not find any in stock anywhere. BIG surprise.

Well I have an abundance of 308 suitable powders just not RL15 or Varget and not enough IMR 4064 left to be able to part with any as I can not replace it. I am willing to give him what other 308 suitable powders I have but have no reloading experience with any them for the 308 Winchester.

So could those with the most experience reloading 308 Winchester and 175 grain SMK please suggest which of the fallowing powders would most likely give the best accuracy for 308 and 175 SMK.

I have these fallowing powders in sufficient abundance I can easily part with minimum of two pounds of one or two but not all.
Hodgdon CFE 223
IMR 4166
Ramshot Tac
Accurate 2520

Thanks to all for your help.

I've had really good success with aa2520 and alliant mr2000

 

[johngibbs222]

CFE 223 all day long, 165 or 168 grn bullet (my go to is speer 165 btsp) it's the most accurate load I've managed to shoot out of my ruger #1 in 308. Powder meters so consistently and the performance with those bullets is stellar.
I also use cfe 223 with 130 grn barnes TSX with good results in my 308.
today I just picked up some 2520 at my LGS along with some 147 grn bt fmj for paper punching, yet to use it.

 

[Gstew1930]

CFE 223, TAC & H4895

 

[sheephearder]

IMR 4895 & IMR 8208 XBR are my favorites

 

[hoot1848]

My friend has just acquired a used but LNIB Ruger Precision Rifle, set of Redding dies and around 400 175/SMK, 100 1x fired Lapua brass and 100 unfired Lapua brass. He has Large rifle primers and all other needed reloading tools. All he needs is powder and he asked me what powders I felt best to get and I recommended IMR 4064 as #1 then #2 RL15, or Varget as #3.
Unfortunately he can not find any in stock anywhere. BIG surprise.

Well I have an abundance of 308 suitable powders just not RL15 or Varget and not enough IMR 4064 left to be able to part with any as I can not replace it. I am willing to give him what other 308 suitable powders I have but have no reloading experience with any them for the 308 Winchester.

So could those with the most experience reloading 308 Winchester and 175 grain SMK please suggest which of the fallowing powders would most likely give the best accuracy for 308 and 175 SMK.

I have these fallowing powders in sufficient abundance I can easily part with minimum of two pounds of one or two but not all.
Hodgdon CFE 223
IMR 4166
Ramshot Tac
Accurate 2520

Thanks to all for your help.

I have had good success with IMR 4064 also H380 and also IMR 4350 good luck finding any powder hope this helps