How to develop an accurate load for 308

[Hammerhead]

What I was taught is you take a bullet and a starting load.
Load in 3/10's increments until you get to the max load.
Shoot through a Chrony. You will see the loads close up, check your velocity. that will be what your gun likes with that powder and bullet. After that you can work with your seating depths.
Works great for me.

Tim

 

[1shot]

+1 to what Tuck2 said. My shooting partner bought a brand new R-5, and we did everything to try and make it group. Skim bedded the action, checked the free float, every conceivable combination of ammo and components you can imagine and nothing would stay with-in .75 moa. Finally the rifle was taken to a world-class gunsmith and it was found that the center line of the bore was over .120 out of concentricity to the receiver. The rifle was sent back to Remington with the above info, and they did nothing but whack the bbl. a few times,probably with a lead bar) and sent it back saying it was within tolerance. I can honestly say I have NEVER worked so hard to make a rifle shoot as this one, and it wasn't even mine! Rem. quality control and allowable specs have really gone south in the last 10-20 years, IMHO.
Lloyd

 

[fx77]

My Rem 700, Hart Match Barrell SS 5 contour A5 Stock
134 gr BIB FV Bullet touching Lands with 44.4 gr of N140 or 44.4 gr of Varget gets me 1/4" groups at 100 yds