Pet .308 Loads

[Mike Liane]

I considering a new project and wonder is some of you .308 shooters would be willing to share your favorite loads? I've heard good things about the 155 grain Scenar. Can one get it to 3000 fps? Powders? Primers? Best brass for the money? I'm looking for something better than 1/2 moa. Your suggestions would be most appreciated.

 

[sewwhat89]

47.5 gr Varget 155 gr Nosler CC WW brass (Lapua would be best) GM210M primers 2795 fps out of 20" barrel.

That load will shoot in the .3s as long as you can hold a steady rifle. It should be close to 3k fps in a 26" barrel. To hit 3k, I am pretty sure you will have to have 26" minimum barrel length.

44 gr Varget 175 gr smk is sweet too! 43.5-44.5 gr should put you in the money for best group.

 

[Mike in Texas]

WIn brass, 47.3 varget,155smk, fed 210m primers, 26 inch barrel.
2945fps. This is an extreme load and you need to work up to it. Case life is about 4 firings.
My advice is run the bullets at 2850 for accuracy and long range extreme accuracy. Should print under 1/2 minute at 1k at 2850, at least it did for me. Case life is about 15 firings.

Alternate, and much better load is 190 smk and 42 grains of Re15 over a fed210m primer in a lapua case.
It's 2600fps and accurate at 1200 yards.


Mike
Granbury, Tx

 

[LOBO]

hoodcountry,
your 190 grain SMK load sounds good. Is it a max load? What charge of RL 15 would you start at w/ Lapua cases and 190 grain SMK from a factoryu M700 VLS?

 

[Mike in Texas]

I'd start at 40 and not try to get above 2600 in that factory tube, since they tend to run slower than aftermarket stuff.

 

[LOBO]

Sounds good! Is the higher B.C. of the 190 w/ the slower fps worth it when my 175 gr SMK is going 2684 fps?

 

[Charles A]

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds good! Is the higher B.C. of the 190 w/ the slower fps worth it when my 175 gr SMK is going 2684 fps?

[/ QUOTE ]

For 800+yds yes. But the 155gr scener at close to 3,000fps beats them all.

 

[Mike in Texas]

I used to run 175's at 2800 fps and found that they have a tendancy to be upset easily by head/tail winds so they get alittle unpredictable as you increase range. As I slowed them down they got less touchy but still exhibited that trait.
The 190's go where you put them and outperform the 155s easily without exhibiting any tendancies to be disrupted by head and tail winds. When you're calling shots to within a couple inches at distance those little things ad up for you or against you quickly.

edited to ad;
Don't think of BC as the be all end all of shooting. It's a nice reference point for static comparision, but on target terminal performance should be your deciding factor.
The 190s for me @ 1100 ASL shoot 32 moa at 1000 yards, where as the 155's at 2950 shoot 28 moa.
In theory the 155 would be superior but with it's instability in slighty wind changes the 190 has the edge. It's a stable and predictable bullet.