Trying out some different powder today.

[Paddyd]

What has been your experience with IMR 8208 XBR with the 150-155 gr bullets in .308 Win? Better or worse than the other go to powders in this caliber?

 

[Laurie]

Very good indeed. It won't give as high MVs as H4895 or H. VarGet though in L-R FTR type loads where people look for 3,100 fps or thereabouts with 'Palma' brass.

 

[wolley]

Very accurate but does not put up the velocities required for long range before the pressure wall is hit.
Very peaky. Pressure rise occurs very rapidly with small powder charge increases.

 

[MapleHill]

Best groups I ever shot with my 308 and 150s. Velocity not what it is w/4895s or Varget

 

[Paddyd]

I don't see myself trying to get 3100fps out of my bullets so hopefully it wasn't a waste of money. Actually, in the past I have seen my best accuracy between 26-2700fps. Our furthest range here is only 300M and with my old eyes I normally frequent the 100M side. Getting max velocity isn't my goal unless that is where the tiny groups show up. Thanks for the input. I will keep a close watch for pressure during my ladder test. I mainly selected this powder because it was available here locally, was told it isn't sensitive to temperature adding or reducing pressure and that it gives a nearly full case volume, even at lower charge weights.

 

[CJ6]

44.7 grs. w/155 Hornady AMax and 47.0 grs. w/Berger 155.5 Fullbore, Tula LR primers Lapua cases (standard) gives low (single digit) ES' and superb accuracy (at least in my rifle 12 twist)....NOTE work up to the 47gr load as I am .003 off lands with this one (no sign of pressure but it is over listed book).

 

[swadiver]

44.7 grs. w/155 Hornady AMax and 47.0 grs. w/Berger 155.5 Fullbore, Tula LR primers Lapua cases (standard) gives low (single digit) ES' and superb accuracy (at least in my rifle 12 twist)....NOTE work up to the 47gr load as I am .003 off lands with this one (no sign of pressure but it is over listed book).

i shot it yesterday with 150 gr Bergers at 100 yards. looks very promising at the 44.2 gr point in ADI .308 brass, 1 in 10 twist Criterion barrel. just over 1/4 inch group.

 

[wolley]

44.7 grs. w/155 Hornady AMax and 47.0 grs. w/Berger 155.5 Fullbore, Tula LR primers Lapua cases (standard) gives low (single digit) ES' and superb accuracy (at least in my rifle 12 twist)....NOTE work up to the 47gr load as I am .003 off lands with this one (no sign of pressure but it is over listed book).

Something is amiss here. I have never been able to get over 45.5g behind a 155 of any flavor. In fact I ruined the bolt on a Savage PTA using 45.5 on a hot day here in Houston. The load was one I worked up while living in Colorado and stupidly loaded the same thing here in 95° heat.
Are you sure that 47g didn't come from a Varget Load?

 

[CJ6]

Something is amiss here. I have never been able to get over 45.5g behind a 155 of any flavor. In fact I ruined the bolt on a Savage PTA using 45.5 on a hot day here in Houston. The load was one I worked up while living in Colorado and stupidly loaded the same thing here in 95° heat.
Are you sure that 47g didn't come from a Varget Load?

Nope ..I don't use Varget in any of my 308s. These are all from lot #2 IMR 8208 XBR of which I have plenty of. As I NOTED work up. Mods if you feel this (load) is too excessive just delete the whole thing

 

[Laurie]

My standard load for the 155.5 BT Fullbore is 46.4gn for 3,050 fps from a 32-inch Broughton 5R and it's not maximum. This is in a reasonably generously throated chamber which suits both longer 155s and the 185gn Berger. This is however in small primer Palma brass - I've little experience of it in standard large primer cases, and none with hot loads. Although Hodgdon says that 8208 is less temperature affected even than other ADI manufactured 'extreme' powders, when I retested my loads at Raton prior to the FCWC in 2013 in a heatwave with around mid 90s in the shade at the time, the average MV rose to 3,100 fps exactly. Although expecting to have to refine the load for much hotter conditions than we'd ever encounter in the British Isles, the exact same charge weight of 46.4gn remained the one to use. There were no pressure problems even at that MV in those conditions and the brass came home with me and is still being used.

 

[snert]

Very accurate but does not put up the velocities required for long range before the pressure wall is hit.
Very peaky. Pressure rise occurs very rapidly with small powder charge increases.

Very peaky...go slow