Ok so I worked up a load for my SPS Tactical .308 w/ 20" 1-12 twist. I am using 178 gr AMAX, win brass, CCI200s and Varget. I worked up from 41 grains to 43.5 going up in .5 increments at the 100 yard range. The tightest group was a 3 shot at less than an inch (42 grains Varget) as I got above 42 grains they opened up. Ok so now to my question. I went out to my long rang spot today and I was able to make 5 shot groups on rock faces at less than 1 MOA from 300, 511, and 916 yards. Using my Shooter app I figured out my loads are at about 2450 FPS (at 500 yards I had to dial 4 mils). My question is this too slow or should it be fine. I was thining about taking this gun out for some long range antelope hunting in Wyoming this year and was wondering what the farthest I could make a clean kill on a goat with this setup. AMAX G1=.495. Oh and I was pretty proud of myself cause I shot fairly well considering the wind was gusting from 8-27 MPH. The shooter app is awesome and so is the Vortex Viper Tactical.
308 Load ?'s
- Thread starter Clndesl
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rscott5028
Well-Known Member
Run the numbers and decide for yourself how far you're willing to shoot that load. Your energy is really bleeding off after 500-600 yds. ...still lethal with good shot placement, but groups are opening up as well.
I'm pushing 180 bergers at 2660 with IMR4064 with good accuracy.
I doubt the 208's would provide much benefit in a 308 given seating depth vs mag length vs case capacity.
-- richard
I'm pushing 180 bergers at 2660 with IMR4064 with good accuracy.
I doubt the 208's would provide much benefit in a 308 given seating depth vs mag length vs case capacity.
-- richard
If your 178's are leaving at 2450 from a 20 inch barrel, they may not be up to normal max safe pressure levels. Such bullet weights typically leave .308's at about 2550 to 2600 fps from a 22 inch barrel and they won't loose but about 20 fps per inch in a 22 inch barrel.
I wouldn't use the smallest group shot as a measure of accuracy. All the others are bigger. The biggest one's the size you can count on for all shots fired. That aside, if you're putting all fired shots inside 9.16 inches at 916 yards, that load and your rifle along with you are doing quite well indeed.
emn83
Well-Known Member
The Hornady book is conservative on powder amounts. When I called hodgdon they told me that using the MAX they post for 180gr would be OK to use with the A-max, 45.0 gr, you might want to try a work up to that
RL-17 in a Federal case With a 23" barrel shoots 2742 fps using 210M Fed and a Speer spbt
bullet. In my Win 3006 22" barrel with H 4350 at 56.5gr was getting 2762 fps, I was surprised
with the results of the RL-17 powder and was a gr under the max load on the Alliant website
reloading information... Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
Varget and RL-15 are some of the most used 308 reloading powders around with H & IMR
4895, IMR 4064 being a strong favorite as well.
bullet. In my Win 3006 22" barrel with H 4350 at 56.5gr was getting 2762 fps, I was surprised
with the results of the RL-17 powder and was a gr under the max load on the Alliant website
reloading information... Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
Varget and RL-15 are some of the most used 308 reloading powders around with H & IMR
4895, IMR 4064 being a strong favorite as well.
backwoods83
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I agree with Bart I think you just found accuracy on the low end, one of my favorite loads is 2grns over Hodgdons max, I shoot 178 hornady hpbt Mtch 2.914"oal .010" in the lands with 47grns of Varget in Win brass with CCI BR2 primers, best I ever got was a .271" 7 shot group, then I had a flyer or I woulda kept stacking them, ran at 2762avg from 24" barrel. The last 50 Win cases with that load got tossed after 12 reloads. Again, so I don't have to hear any crap, start LOW!
