Heavy bullets in 308 win

[4xforfun]

When does one hit the point of diminishing returns as far as bullet weight for the 308 win in a gas gun? I was researching the 308 "AR" type rifles. I see 1-10 twist in the REM R-25. Maybe in a few others also. I was looking at what a box of factory shells cost....I may as well admit to myself right now that this will be a handloading affair!!!

SOOOOO, the first thing that pops into my little pea-brain is the 210 Berger!?! Or 208 AMAX, or,.... well you see where I am going with this. I am not sure of the OAL .....not sure if it will be mag limited or chamber limited. Wondering how much boiler room the base of a big bullet might take up.

I guess what I was wondering is how heavy have you guys gone, successfully, in a 308 gas gun??

Thanks,
Tod

 

[wbm]

Shooting a Springfield Armory M1A. Heaviest bullet is 175 Sierra Match King. Anything heavier must be seated deep to fit in the magazine, 2.810" is max OAL, and it just takes up too much powder space.

 

[markm87]

175s here too. The 175 SMKs are plenty of bullet for my buddy's gas gun.

 

[jonbearman]

The ar-10 guns were designed to shoot federal gold metal match 168 grain bullet. As a matter of fact the srmalite manual says not to shoot reloads. Now I dont heed their advice as I cant afford the 30.00 a box to shoot the stuff. In my armalite I have always stayed under 170 grains bullet weight and no hot loads or damage over time will occurr. Personally I like and have shot sub half moa at a hundred.

 

[spclark]

1:10's fast enough for just about anything up to & including 220 grain... not that you'd want to shoot those on a regular basis.

I've shot 190 Sierra's in my NM 308-chambered Garand at 1,000 yards & done well. I suppose a lot depends on the distances you want to shoot with a magazine-length load. If single loading, your throat will determine what will work best.

168's will work out to 600 yards most of the time. Beyond that they may, or may not.

 

[243DH]

I would say that the heavies would eat up to much case capacity to be mag length and keep your ar10 a semi and not single feed. I have shot 168smk at 2685fps in a bolt gun out to 950 yds with no problems in 35*F @ 400'asl. Load was holding into 1-1.25 moa off a ruck or bipod and rear bag at that range. 175smk shot similar sized groups so the limiting factor was me/enviro not the 168smk.

 

[FroggyOne2]

The AMU uses the Berger 185BT's in their M-110's. And if I was a guessing man, I would say that they will go to that new 185 Hybrid. When Spike won the Farr Throphy a few years back, it was my understanding that he was using 190's in his M1A, that was what Hook told me he was using. Maybe Spike will chime in and say if that is correct.

 

[alf]

Beings though this is going to be a coyote gun first, I'd probably go with the 110 V-Max or 125 Ballistic Tips first. More speed (less lead) and milder recoil for faster follow up shots at the runners.

 

[markm87]

I would say that the heavies would eat up to much case capacity to be mag length and keep your ar10 a semi and not single feed.

I've found the opposite. We need to keep the Gas gun loads in the lower 7.62X51 pressure range so we don't beat the gun up with Hot .308 WIN Bolt gun loads.

 

[markm87]

As a matter of fact the srmalite manual says not to shoot reloads.

Armalite is so far out of touch with reality.

 

[4xforfun]

Beings though this is going to be a coyote gun first, I'd probably go with the 110 V-Max or 125 Ballistic Tips first. More speed (less lead) and milder recoil for faster follow up shots at the runners.

I am pretty sure I will be running lighter bullets for preditors, but for deer and just general shooting....well, the word long range just has to fit in my vocabulary somewhere!!! That will be the joy of loading...shoot whatever I want.

 

[brian427cobra]

I never tried 208 Amax in my DPMS LR10(same weapon as the Rem) and IMHO there too long for mag length, 190smk flew just fine but I perferred the 175smk because of the speed increase, that was 3 years ago, today I would only use Hornady 178 BTHP, they have a published BC of .530