What's the "hot" bullet for the 308 right now?
- Thread starter clark98ut
- Start date
If I was shooting a 308 in any class, the last bullet on my list would be a 155. That bullet, while good, has a lot of wind drift compared to say a 185 Berger or 175 SMK.
155s are made for Palma shooting where in Intl competition, the bullet wt is regulated.
Get the higher BC Berger up to speed with accuracy and enjoy not having to turn your windage knob as much.
Just my .02 here.
Bob
155s are made for Palma shooting where in Intl competition, the bullet wt is regulated.
Get the higher BC Berger up to speed with accuracy and enjoy not having to turn your windage knob as much.
Just my .02 here.
Bob
Longtrain
Gold $$ Contributor
I agree with Bob3700, the 155 class bullets are really made for one game, Palma, when either restricted by Match rules or chamber size to a bullet less then 156 grains. The Palma guys launch them from long 30 or 32 inch barrels, with a pretty stiff load of Varget or some other recommended powder.
If you're shooting F-T/R, go with the heaviest bullet that:
1) Your barrel will stabilize
2) The velocity is supersonic at 1K
3) You can handle the recoil over a long match
4) Oh, did I mention accuracy.
Look at everything from 175 SMK, 185 Berger, 190 Berger or Sierra, and even into the 200 grain range and beyond. A fellow shooter used 208 AMX's, he shoots really well and surely benefits from less wind with that heavy of a bullet.
Tony
P.S. For more info, take a look at this... http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2009/06/long-range-competitor-looks-at-heavy.html
If you're shooting F-T/R, go with the heaviest bullet that:
1) Your barrel will stabilize
2) The velocity is supersonic at 1K
3) You can handle the recoil over a long match
4) Oh, did I mention accuracy.
Look at everything from 175 SMK, 185 Berger, 190 Berger or Sierra, and even into the 200 grain range and beyond. A fellow shooter used 208 AMX's, he shoots really well and surely benefits from less wind with that heavy of a bullet.
Tony
P.S. For more info, take a look at this... http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2009/06/long-range-competitor-looks-at-heavy.html
I shoot the 210 Berger BT-LR at ~2620 with RL17 from a 30" barrel. The bullet is very accurate in my 10" twist. Shooting in the Arizona Palma Championship last December, I shot tournament high score at 900 for F-Class, Open and TR, 150-10X. Of course, I managed to hose it at 1000. 
Since you need a long throat, most people don't want to bother with the big Berger. For most barrels, I concur with Spencer and Tony's recommendation of the Berger 185 BT-LR. An 11" or 11.25" twist will work great.
Since you need a long throat, most people don't want to bother with the big Berger. For most barrels, I concur with Spencer and Tony's recommendation of the Berger 185 BT-LR. An 11" or 11.25" twist will work great.
DMAC67 said:
The 7mm 180 Hybrid is a great bullet but there is no magic that will make a .308 155 bullet produce a high BC. I shoot Berger's 155.5 FULLBORE in my tactical rifle because I can get a very flat trajectory out to 600. Past 600, BC beats velocity, in my book. I am amazed at the accuracy the bullet delivers in a 10" twist.
That said; I will likely try every .308, 7mm or 6mm hybrid that Berger sells. Eric Stecker told me that a heavy .308 hybrid is imminent. I hope it is at least 210.
Sleepygator, the 7mm 180 grain Hybrids have a higher BC than the 180 grain VLD. From what I hear, the .30 155 grain Hybrid has a higher BC than what is currently out there. Combine that with the speed you get out of a proper F-TR barrel (i.e. 28 to 30 inch) not a "tactical" stubby, then you have something that will challenge the heavies with less recoil which is important in an F-class or Palma match of over 55 rounds....
DMAC67 said:
Berger's 180 VLD has a G7 BC of .337 and the 180 Hybrid is .345, about 2.4% increase. The 155.5 FULLBORE G7 BC is .237 and the recommended 185 BT-LR is .283, approximately a 19.4% BC increase. The 210 BT-LR is .320, a 35% increase. While the 155.5 FULLBORE is a fine bullet and the 155 Hybrid will probably also be excellent, no form factor will make up that difference. They will, of course, have less recoil but will not resist wind deflection as well as the heavier bullets. Velocity does not beat BC.
For my purpose, in an 18+ lb. rifle, even the 210's recoil at 2620 doesn't bother me. I shot the FULLBORE in 1000 yard club competition at 2990 fps and did not like the way they were blown around the target. Unless you have a very slow twist or are recoil sensitive, stick with the 185 BT-LR.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.