Need .308 load info

[muleman69]

Maybe, but with manual loads your chances of damaging your rifle are far less - you never know what some people think is a safe load.

I here you and agree, a person has to work his way up Manuel or no Manuel

 

[muleman69]

46.5 grs. Varget behind a Sierra Palma 155 gr. bullet is hard to beat!!

Would this be a medium or a warm load?

 

[Zero333]

Would this be a medium or a warm load?

46.5 varget with 155 gr is a warm load in most rifles.

For a while I was loading 47.2 Varget in large primer Lapua brass. Even tho I didn't find pressure signs until I reached 48 gr, it still beat the hell out of the brass and trashed it in 5 or 6 loadings. I even backed it down to 45.2 on the last loading, but it was already too late.
47.2 gr pushed the 155 Scenar at 2,990 from a 24" bbl ( Savage 10 FCP-K ).

 

[karrarararararar]

Assuming the rifle is chambered with sufficient freebore, 185 Juggernauts over Varget is a very solid and typically easy to tune combination. Seating depths from about .015" to .030" off the lands are the norm, whereas charge weight will depend largely on COAL for the load.

+1 for 185 Juggernauts and Varget. I loaded with 44 grains in lake city brass. This load got me 2777 fps out of a palma rifle with great accuracy.

 

[Flouncer]

155gn Lapua Scenars & Varget. You can run them pretty darned fast, 3000fps from a 26" pipe isn't hard and they have a great BC. They don't kick as hard as the 168's and 175's. You can stay supersonic with them well in excess of 1000m. Flies like a .300wm but doesn't kick/cost/kill like it.

How fast did you go before you had to back down ? That's impressive V for a .308
The 26-inch barrel is probably good for 50-60 fps over the published loads w/24-inch.

 

[ballisticxlr]

From a 26", I've seen them go 3020 with Varget but it was never a backing down issue... with Varget and 155's you can't get enough in the case to be a problem. Well, that's not exactly true but it's a compressed load and there's only so much you can compress things before that little alarm bell in your head goes off.

CFE223 can easily turn in 3050 with 155's from a 26" pipe but by the time you get to 3000 you're already shortening brass life.

 

[pingunit]

I like the 175 SMK with 42.6 grains imr 4064 but I do have trouble keeping super-sonic out of a 26" barrel at 1000 in cooler temps. It shoots very well...but the Shot Marker electronic targets fail to pick it up(at 1000). I think its going sub sonic just before impact.

Looking to try the 185 Berger Jugs w/IMR 4064 soon.

+1 on the 42.6 grains of 4064 pushing a 175 bullet (I typically use the Nosler Custom Comps or the RDFs). It's a moderate load in my rifle. I'm getting right around 2650 out of a 26" 1:10 Bartlein barrel with a Bisley Match chamber. I haven't tried it out to 1000 yards. Yet.

 

[Henryrifle]

Lot's of great responses above. When I get a new .308, I load a handful of 175 SMKs over 42 grains of VARGET with a 2.80" COAL. It is safe and most of my rifles shoot this very well. It's not magical or anything just good and safe.

Good luck with yours!

Henryrifle

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Almost the smallest group i ever shot .150. Five shot group was with factory tikka 308, 110 vmax , max cfe 223 load. Lapua cases federal l.r. match. I just looked up my target and 56 grains cfe223 was the load. 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 7-2-15

 

[North Fork]

Try the Berger 180 gr elite hunter with Varget

 

[XTR]

46.5 grs. Varget behind a Sierra Palma 155 gr. bullet is hard to beat!!

This is a pretty standard Palma rifle load. I can't count the number of times I've seen or heard this.

 

[Rsadams]

42.0 IMR 4064 with a 168 or 175 bullet. 168 on paper at 300. 175's out to 800 maybe farther in your rifle.

My favorite...

 

[dc.fireman]

Sounds good,I did pick up a box of 155 Sierra's that are Called Palma match. I will look for some Lapua as I'm a Lapua fan. Thanks

The Hodgdon reloading manual (also available online) recommends 49.5 gr. of CFE-223 with a Sierra 155 HPBT, seated @ 2.775", in a Winchester case with a Federal 210 Match primer. The max load is 51.0 gr. of CFE-223. I've had great results from a 24" barrel in the 50.1-50.3 range. The 155's fly very well in the 2925-3000 fps. range in my experience.

For short to mid-range (600 yds., and closer) try 41.0-41.5 gr. of H-4895, with the Sierra 168. Same case & primer. Or, sub IMR-4064 @ 42.0 gr. Both of those are 'cookbook' loads - loads that are known to work well at those distances. The 168's seem work best for me in the 2550-2600 fps range.

Good luck.

 

[muleman69]

The Hodgdon reloading manual (also available online) recommends 49.5 gr. of CFE-223 with a Sierra 155 HPBT, seated @ 2.775", in a Winchester case with a Federal 210 Match primer. The max load is 51.0 gr. of CFE-223. I've had great results from a 24" barrel in the 50.1-50.3 range. The 155's fly very well in the 2925-3000 fps. range in my experience.

For short to mid-range (600 yds., and closer) try 41.0-41.5 gr. of H-4895, with the Sierra 168. Same case & primer. Or, sub IMR-4064 @ 42.0 gr. Both of those are 'cookbook' loads - loads that are known to work well at those distances. The 168's seem work best for me in the 2550-2600 fps range.

Good luck.

Thank you as I will probably need it.....lol