210gn Sierra Matchking Load workup for 308win?

[rap36case]

I am expecting my Shilen built rifle soon, 1to10 twist, Manners stock.

I have been reading books by Bryan Litz on ballistics. I came across the Sierra 210SMK stats and compared them to the Berger 210 offerings. I like that the Sierra 210 is tolerant of seating depth. The G7 is amazing for both the Sierra and Berger bullets. Bryan suggests that the 210gn Berger is good out to 1000yards for game around 150LBS. Here is my proposed load:

210gn Matchking 308Win, moly coated by NECO process
base to Ogive 2.230
WW brass, 0.011 wall, 0.330, trim to 2.010
CCI BR2,
IMR 4064 41.2gn at 2450fps (no Varget )

Any comments, ideas, caveats??

 

[rap36case]

CORRECTION:

0.012 x 2 = 0.024

0.024 + .308= 0.332

:. tension of .332-.330 = 0.002 for this reload.

 

[eric32]

Have you run the numbers to see if you can truly get the advantage you are looking for against lighter bullets at a fast speed.

Also have you run the windage numbers in a 2-3 mph wind rather than the 10 mph that if suggested. Reason I say this I was loading the 208 Amax a while back. And realized I can tell a wind shift of 10 mph but the 2-3 mph shift were a bit harder when I started. And the recoil for such a large round offset what I gained in wind advantage.


And ditch the moly NECO process and search the WET method here on the board

 

[Sniper338]

JMO but I think a 200+ grain bullet for a 308 is just too much bullet and best left for 300 win mags and such with a little more boiler room... 168 or 175 gr bullets is where I would play. The heavier bullets like that are so slow out of a 308 and usually best for subsonic loads.

just my opinion, Hard for anyone to help with load development if we dont know what your shooting for and such, you could have totally good reasons for running that big of bullet, but for me thats an excuse to build another gun to shoot bullets like that like they are made to be shot!

and honestly IMO again, hunting out at a long range is on the fence line with unethical. There is lots of room for error and wounding a deer, and thats not worth it to me... Hogs... by all means anything to kill em haha. But as far as deer or such that puts meat on the table and has a hunting season, Id opt for a different caliber for long range hunting. In my case I am sending off a 338 lapua to the smith tomorrow just for that!

 

[Road_Clam]

Usually the only "non-competitive" guys that load .308 with 200gr projectiles is when going with subsonic loads.

 

[Steve Blair]

I shot Berger 210 LR BT bullets in F-TR with enough success to make LR Master. Berger's LR BT is very similar to Sierra's offering and both are seating depth tolerant. You must have enough freebore to provide the largest possible powder capacity. My loads were seated ~.150" bearing surface into the neck. H4350 is a very good choice for this weight and heavier. I was seeing slightly over 2600 fps from 30" with low ES and very good accuracy. At the 2010 Arizona Palma, my old Savage F-TR rifle shot 150-10X at 900 yards, beating all the F-Open shooters for the three days at 900. [br]
As Greg noted, it is not a matter of either accuracy or ballistics. High B.C. bullets have superior wind deflection and are just as accurate. It is a matter of gun handling. If you can manage the recoil on the bipod, Sierra's 210 is an excellent way to go.

 

[rap36case]

Have you run the numbers to see if you can truly get the advantage you are looking for against lighter bullets at a fast speed.

Also have you run the windage numbers in a 2-3 mph wind rather than the 10 mph that if suggested. Reason I say this I was loading the 208 Amax a while back. And realized I can tell a wind shift of 10 mph but the 2-3 mph shift were a bit harder when I started. And the recoil for such a large round offset what I gained in wind advantage.


And ditch the moly NECO process and search the WET method here on the board

Thanks for the input.

I would like to find the Wet method you are referring to here. I got a recommend from Berger to use the NECO process, so I purchased the kit.

The 210gn appears to be a new SMK and isn't even in the latest copy of the Sierra reloading manual. I need to get their data to update my book. I have 500 rounds of the 210 to reload. I think it will recoil less than a 300WSM but more than the 175gn load.

 

[rap36case]

If (and that is a very big IF) you can effectively deal with the recoil, there is no question of the external ballistics. The heavier/longer, higher BC bullets will always outperform the lighter lower BC bullets when loaded to equal pressure. It is very rare to find that you can safely push the lighter bullet fast enough to overcome the BC deficit. So for optimal performance, the choice of bullet should really come down to what the rifle needs (twist rate, chamber specs, etc.) and how much recoil the shooter can effectively handle. With those parameters in mind, selecting the highest BC bullet for which a precise load can be developed is usually the best approach. There are a number of people that have been very successful shooting Berger 215 Hybrids in F-TR (ie. .308 bolt guns). The jury still seems to be out on the 230 Hybrids, so there actually may be an upper limit for .308, but one that is based on effective recoil and gun handling, not the limitation of the case/bullet combination.

Thank you very much for the reply.

I had concluded from Litz's books that the 210gn Berger or SMK would be a good choice for 1000yards with a 308Win. I have read where some competitors at Camp Perry have used heavier bullets in the 308Win. It's just weather you can get an accurate load and seating depth with the longer projectile. It will be fun to try it out and test the hypothesis.

Typically a subsonic load is for a 1 to 7 twist and probably pushing it at 300 yards accurate range. I am shooting 1 to 10 which is what Sierra recommends for the 210SMK. I have no plans to acquire a suppressor at this time.

I would not attempt a shot at game at a 1000yards. It is just a comment in Litz book based on external ballistics. I can think of very few circumstances where 1000yards was the closest one to get to a deer.

 

[rap36case]

I shot Berger 210 LR BT bullets in F-TR with enough success to make LR Master. Berger's LR BT is very similar to Sierra's offering and both are seating depth tolerant. You must have enough freebore to provide the largest possible powder capacity. My loads were seated ~.150" bearing surface into the neck. H4350 is a very good choice for this weight and heavier. I was seeing slightly over 2600 fps from 30" with low ES and very good accuracy. At the 2010 Arizona Palma, my old Savage F-TR rifle shot 150-10X at 900 yards, beating all the F-Open shooters for the three days at 900. [br]
As Greg noted, it is not a matter of either accuracy or ballistics. High B.C. bullets have superior wind deflection and are just as accurate. It is a matter of gun handling. If you can manage the recoil on the bipod, Sierra's 210 is an excellent way to go.

I greatly appreciate you experience and input here!

I shoot off a tripod with a 'hog saddle' so I will see if I can handle the recoil. I don't shoot competitively, and appreciate that this bullet has worked in competition. I am eager to see how the load performs when I recieve the new Shilen rifle.