My most accurate load so far is the berger target 168s behind 43g of varget. Lapua brass(non palma) and br2 primers. 3/8 MOA if i do my part out to 400. Cant go any further around here but really want to strech them out. Side note tried the same combo with the 168 hunting bullet this year with outstanding results. Two deer, one shot each at 380yds and 415yds.
new to 308 reloading for 600yds
- Thread starter trgtsnpr
- Start date
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
trgtsnpr,
If you've decided to go with Lapua small primer cases you should read German Salazar small primer study. Here's the link
http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2009/06/primers-small-rifle-primer-study.html
Joe
If you've decided to go with Lapua small primer cases you should read German Salazar small primer study. Here's the link
http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2009/06/primers-small-rifle-primer-study.html
Joe
ARIZONA_F_CLASS
FTR LR High Master, FTR MR Master, Smalbore Master
Lapua standard .308. I'm over 20 firings so far without any problem, well so far. ;D
Keith Glasscock
Gold $$ Contributor
I can tell you from experience that Berger 155.5 Fullbores performed well in both barrels I tried them in with Varget. Loads seem to vary with freebore. Longer freebores (~.140) run right at 47 grains with Winchester brass and BR-2 or Tula primers. Shorter freebores run closer to 46.5 grains. Jump them .015" to start
Lapua brass takes less powder than Winchester. Best idea is to start a touch lower and work up. With a 30" barrel, you are looking for velocities right around 3000.
Just between you and me, If you don't have a darn good reason to shoot the 175 SMK, don't. Its BC is too close to the good 155's and it gives up a heck of a lot in the velocity department. If you do decide to use them, Varget works good there too.
Lapua brass takes less powder than Winchester. Best idea is to start a touch lower and work up. With a 30" barrel, you are looking for velocities right around 3000.
Just between you and me, If you don't have a darn good reason to shoot the 175 SMK, don't. Its BC is too close to the good 155's and it gives up a heck of a lot in the velocity department. If you do decide to use them, Varget works good there too.
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
I don't want to hijack this thread and I may start a new one. I have currently restarted using Lapua 308 (large primer) brass. The Federal 210M primers were too loose, but the BR-2 primers fit just fine. I also picked 1,000 cases of LC once fired brass that I plan on experimenting with.
Anyone that has fired an M-60 machine gun knows that the chamber of those barrels gets red hot and then they switch barrels to continue firing. So I'm thinking that any brass engineered to work in those guns has to be of superior quality. Has anyone taken the time to anneal and neck turn LC brass for long range use?
Kindest regards,
Joe
I would avoid small primer brass. Lots of reasons, but why add a variable? If you were trying to compete at 100yds with 6PPC shooters, maybe you need every trick you can get to reduce powder charge, have a less violent flame that won't push the reduced load level forward on ignition. Presumably, you will be facing none of these concerns; so use a lg rifle primed case and be happy.
Haven't even disclosed your rifle platform. There are differences. M1a probably gives best result with new brass. Bolt or AR-10 may do best with chamber-tailored handload; that is to say, once-fired brass sized for your specific chamber. Maybe .0005-.001 under for bolt gun, .0015 to .003 for AR-10 if magazine functioning is the goal. Got oal dimension of your magazines or mag box to consider also for bullet seating... Single shot has no such issues.
If you think there is anything different about consistently producing 600yd ammunition of match quality, maybe you are overthinking matters? Enthusiasm is great, but if your ammo performs well at 200, just go shoot and sight-in and take it from there.
Hard to beat the Sierra manual's recommended accuracy load as a place to start. Choose your bullet and why not choose the 175smk? Or shoot the 168s if you have them. Might do just fine with 150/155 matchckings, but why?
Really worried about making "best ammo"? Get Wilson arbor dies and don't look back...
Haven't even disclosed your rifle platform. There are differences. M1a probably gives best result with new brass. Bolt or AR-10 may do best with chamber-tailored handload; that is to say, once-fired brass sized for your specific chamber. Maybe .0005-.001 under for bolt gun, .0015 to .003 for AR-10 if magazine functioning is the goal. Got oal dimension of your magazines or mag box to consider also for bullet seating... Single shot has no such issues.
If you think there is anything different about consistently producing 600yd ammunition of match quality, maybe you are overthinking matters? Enthusiasm is great, but if your ammo performs well at 200, just go shoot and sight-in and take it from there.
Hard to beat the Sierra manual's recommended accuracy load as a place to start. Choose your bullet and why not choose the 175smk? Or shoot the 168s if you have them. Might do just fine with 150/155 matchckings, but why?
Really worried about making "best ammo"? Get Wilson arbor dies and don't look back...
Interesting Joe... and I thought I was the only one who got maybe 10% loose primer pockets with Lapua .308win brass. After 600pcs, I no longer choose it.
I bought a lot of LC-09 brass, 1x fired and did all the match-prep juju on it i thought necessary. Basically use it interchangeably with Winchester.
Do see LC unprimed virgin cases from time to time at Widener's and maybe at Graf's. Always seem fine on brass at time seen it, so never bought any. Out there though. LC is pre-annealed. Not like need to anneal again after one or even 5 firings, is it?
Have a small-base die I run all 1x fired through after a Lee Depriming die, then an FL S die to do neck tension. Swage primer pocket, then uniform and broach the flash hole, then sort for trim/not trim. Most won't need trimming. I don't sort by weight because am loading for more than one rifle.
My goal is to make my own factory match ammo, not tailor it to one or each rifle. My ammo likely better than factory match, but you get the idea.
Would like to point out that 600yds is still NRA mid-range distance. Lots of .223s fired at 600yds in NRA competition and typically they out-perform the .308win at that and shorter distances in Service Rifle shoots.
I bought a lot of LC-09 brass, 1x fired and did all the match-prep juju on it i thought necessary. Basically use it interchangeably with Winchester.
Do see LC unprimed virgin cases from time to time at Widener's and maybe at Graf's. Always seem fine on brass at time seen it, so never bought any. Out there though. LC is pre-annealed. Not like need to anneal again after one or even 5 firings, is it?
Have a small-base die I run all 1x fired through after a Lee Depriming die, then an FL S die to do neck tension. Swage primer pocket, then uniform and broach the flash hole, then sort for trim/not trim. Most won't need trimming. I don't sort by weight because am loading for more than one rifle.
My goal is to make my own factory match ammo, not tailor it to one or each rifle. My ammo likely better than factory match, but you get the idea.
Would like to point out that 600yds is still NRA mid-range distance. Lots of .223s fired at 600yds in NRA competition and typically they out-perform the .308win at that and shorter distances in Service Rifle shoots.
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