There's powders that'll do it, but not at safe max pressures.
Hard hitting, accurate load with a .308 168 grain berger bullet.
- Thread starter walding1989
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liltank
Well-Known Member
You might be able to do it with Alliant Power Pro 2000. It is giving me 2620 with an 18" barrel and a 168 Berger Hybrid.
kstrick
Well-Known Member
With a 24" barrel you may not get the velocities you you see in the charts. Berger reloading charts are based on 26" barrels. You will lose about 55fps per inch shorter than a 26"barrel. Email Berger for loads. And remember, with Berger bullets, you will get your best accuracy if the bullet is off or just touching the lands.
I just worked up a load for my Sako .300wsm with a 190 grVLD. 200 yard clover leaf groups.
Good luck gun)
I just worked up a load for my Sako .300wsm with a 190 grVLD. 200 yard clover leaf groups.
Good luck gun)
The only barrel-length vs. muzzle-velocity I ever did was with a 22, 24 and 26 inch barrel all with virtually the same .308 Win. chamber and bore dimensions. Using the same lot of handloads giving a 25 fps velocity spread about a 2680 fps average in the 26 inch barrel, the 24 and 22 inch ones shot 168's out 48 and 42 fps respectively slower. That's about a 23 fps per inch difference. SAAMI's own tests show about the same numbers. Check out page 22 in the following link:
http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/206.pdf
Cloverleaf groups have all shot holes touching. That's 3/10ths of an inch center-to-center for the largest one. "groups" implies more than one group. All were 3/10ths of an inch or less at 200 yards? That's .015 MOA. Wow!!!!!
kstrick
Well-Known Member
Typo...I meant group. I wish I could do it over and over. I am just saying that load works for my gun. Fact is, every gun I have shoots better than I will ever be able to shoot it.
I was told by Walt Berger to expect about a 55fps decrease in velocity per inch less than the 26" test barrels they use. I found that to be about right.
I was told by Walt Berger to expect about a 55fps decrease in velocity per inch less than the 26" test barrels they use. I found that to be about right.
Shoofly
New Member
I'm shooting a savage lrp-dbm in 308. I don't shoot anything but 168 berger. I'm averaging 2750 fps with varget 46 gr. I tried 46.5 gr and started to have primer issues.I also coat all my bullets with Tubbs boron nitride...This load is very accurate in my rifle. You have plenty of knock down energy for any north american game... Remember........it's bullet placement that counts.
Just one group? Fine.
If you measure a rifle and ammo accuracy by the largest group it shoots, you'll end up missing your point of aim the least amount. Forget the tiniest ones; think only the biggest ones.
tysue
Active Member
One thing. The 168s in a 308 are really too much anyway. The 150s are tons better as a hunting bullet, as can be pushed faster. Also open up better than the heavier bullets. Last year I loaded up 130gr Ttsx bullets for an Elk hunt, as the bullets are long for weight, and can be pushed to 2900 fps. As one guy noted, you'll have problems getting much over 2600-2700 from a 168 in the 308. If you're looking for a hunting load, BR accuracy not necessary anyway. When I started hunting, 2" accuracy at a 100 yds was considered fine, smaller was better, but not necessary.
I used a 150gr load in Africa last year, and took Kudu, Waterbuck, Impala and Warthog, with no problem. You absolutely don't want a bullet heavier than the 165/168, because the 180s are made for heavier animals, like Moose/Elk and to open up at 30/06, or faster speeds, so won't work too well out of a 308. You want the animal to drop in it's tracks if possible, and the 180s won't do that, usually... I use the 308 in my target rifle (long range), and you only use heavier bullets, so they'll stay sonic (over 1100 fps) at a 1,000 yds, not because they're good for hunting.
Go with the 150s, either Ttsx, Swift A-frame, or Nosler partitions, and be happy. I killed 3 deer in 45 minutes a few years ago, using the 150s.
I used a 150gr load in Africa last year, and took Kudu, Waterbuck, Impala and Warthog, with no problem. You absolutely don't want a bullet heavier than the 165/168, because the 180s are made for heavier animals, like Moose/Elk and to open up at 30/06, or faster speeds, so won't work too well out of a 308. You want the animal to drop in it's tracks if possible, and the 180s won't do that, usually... I use the 308 in my target rifle (long range), and you only use heavier bullets, so they'll stay sonic (over 1100 fps) at a 1,000 yds, not because they're good for hunting.
Go with the 150s, either Ttsx, Swift A-frame, or Nosler partitions, and be happy. I killed 3 deer in 45 minutes a few years ago, using the 150s.
kstrick
Well-Known Member
Amen to that BartB!!
