Loading more .308

[paintballmagnet]

By hook and crook, I've managed to scrape up enough W-W stamped .308 brass and 4064 powder for another 300 rounds. Haven't decided which expanding bullet I'll use this time. I've already done 600 Remington Core-Lokts plus about half that with original aluminum nose capped Winchester Silvertips which luckily print the same or at least close enough at 300+ for gooberment work. I'm getting 2800 fps by chrono from my bolt gun, my FAL's just a few fps less. Never have liked ball ammo, nowhere near enough damage even with a solid hit, my spitzer soft points leave 2" exit holes and nothing intact between the entrance and exit.

[C. M. Wolf]

Re: Loading more .308

By hook and crook, I've managed to scrape up enough W-W stamped .308 brass and 4064 powder for another 300 rounds. Haven't decided which expanding bullet I'll use this time. I've already done 600 Remington Core-Lokts plus about half that with original aluminum nose capped Winchester Silvertips which luckily print the same or at least close enough at 300+ for gooberment work. I'm getting 2800 fps by chrono from my bolt gun, my FAL's just a few fps less. Never have liked ball ammo, nowhere near enough damage even with a solid hit, my spitzer soft points leave 2" exit holes and nothing intact between the entrance and exit.

I'm sooo happy to hear that you prefer the W-W brass,(that means we ain't competing for cases).
Have you had good printing with the Rem-Core-Lokts? I've found that they are just a tad uneven in mfg'ing,(reads uneven in dia-balance and the weights/grains seem to vary within case-lots too much for me). I imagine they're fine for std hunting ranges though.

My favorites are Sierra HPBT,(which also come close to match type rounds so I don't have to do too much compensating for in balistics actions, also pretty uniform in mfg'ing so they're fairly consistant).
I also really like a few of the Honady lines... but them Folk is dern proud of they'is bull-ets!


What do you generally load for bullet weights?

Michael

[paintballmagnet]

Re: Loading more .308

I've been loading 150's, this weight and my original decision to buy Remington Core-Lokts was caused by a scarcity of anything else to load back when I started. In the past I've used Hornady Interlocks, Speer Hot Core and Sierra Game Kings with both Remington and Winchester brass. As long as I stick with CCI primers, 47 grains of IMR 4064 with any of these bullets in 150 grain, my rifle WILL keep them all under an inch at 100. Same POA, same POI. My groups are nothing to brag on but to 400 yards I can give critters of ALL kinds a hard way to go. BTW, back when I was a bit more serious about my loads, I found 165 gr Sierra GameKings to be darn near as accurate as ANY match grade bullet out there. My old Remington 700 HB would do about 1/2 MOA with MK's and Varget. About 44 grain IIRC.

[Tread Head]

Re: Loading more .308

I love teh 150gr Remington Core loks as well. Super fine hunting round. Everything that I have connected with has gone down within a few yards of where I shot em. I wish I were set up for loading. Thats what I would load myself! My Savage/Stevens M200 groups about 3/4 inch at 100yds regularly. Great expanding round!

If we lived closer I would get ya to load me some! LOL!


Tread

[paintballmagnet]

Re: Loading more .308

Ammo can be shipped. The problem is working up a safe, accurate load for your rifle. Do you have a particular load combination that works well for you? I start by choosing one of the top two or three powders, select the bullet I want to try, start at the bottom charge weight and in 1/2 gr. increments go up to book max, start shooting at the bottom, watching for pressure signs as I go up. When I reach the max pressure load for the particular rifle, I'll then load three at max pressure, three 1/2 grain lower and on down until I am two or three grains below the max load. I'll shoot each load for grouping, if one does well and gets decent velocity, I'll proceed with my loading. Luckily for me the .308 usually ain't too picky as to what will work, RL-15, Varget and 4064 have all done under MOA for me with just about anything I've thrown together. I just loaded 50 Nosler Ballistic Tips to try, as soon as weather permits I'll see how they group and hopefully get to see how well they work on deer.

[Tread Head]

Re: Loading more .308

The only thing that I have shot has been the factory Remington load for their 150gr Core-Lok. No idea what it is though. Just knwo taht its a super round for my Savage. My 91 shoots it pretty good as well. But at distance the 91 prefers 180gr. go figure.


Tread

[jefferson101]

Re: Loading more .308

FWIW, I've been putting 46g of Varget under the 165g Sierra bullets, for my bolt guns.

For 150's in my 7.62 Nato rifles? 4064 for sure.

I can hold under around one MOA at 400 yards with the Varget load, if my eyeballs are cooperating that day.

But, as noted, that's for the bolt guns. Semi-auto stuff I tend to feed 4064 religiously.

[paintballmagnet]

Re: Loading more .308

I've use 4064 for nigh on 30 years, its never let me down but I do prefer Varget if the particular rifle/load works well. I've done Varget loads in summer, maxed at 90+ degrees, velocity averaging 2815, fired the same load when the temp was below 30 degrees and not lost over 30 FPS velocity. 4064 will NOT do so well. The reverse can happen also. Max loads done in winter can be waay overpressure when fired in hot werather, gaining 5000 psi or more. Varget is much more insensitive to temperature changes.