Powder & Primers for 308 win???

[Nicholas]

I have 500 pieces of new Lapua 308 win brass and 2000 175 Grain matchkings sitting hear just itching to be shot.

I ordered some Varget and Federal 210M primers but found out the Supplier was out of stock on Varget so I cancelled it not wanting to pay two HAZ fees.

Up to this point I have only shot BH factory ammo and am a reloading newbe.

What powder & Primer would you guys reccommend for the 175 pills out of lapua brass?

Interested in results with Varget, 4064, Ramshot, and VV powders. I am leaning toward Varget for it's temperature insensitivity.

 

[Ian M]

Some of my partners recently worked up loads for their rifles with Varget - all seemed to shoot best with 45 gr. and 168's or 175's. You can go a little more, your rifle will determine that but I would start at 43 and work up.
We use 2.830 for an over-all length, just got a Stoney Point so now load some longer but it is easy to get too long for your mag well.
4064 is used in Federal Gold Medal match ammo - it is superb. Try around 42.0 but work up again.
Not sure about the other powders, I only use Varget.
Good luck, you have the makin's for a lot of shooting!

 

[Brent]

I do have a couple good loads with Varget, but IMR4064 produces tighter groups overall. It is a really great powder. CCIBR2's are what I use now too.

[ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: Brent ]

 

[Matt Regalia]

I have been using VV N150 with 168 gr Matchking. So far my gun likes 42 grs and an OAL of 2.81 (that is as long as I can go and still fed from the magazine. I am getting 2600 fps out of this, so it is not a barn burner but very accurate. I shoot my HiPower Silhouette matches with this load.

Matt

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Hello

I to have a 308 Winchester that likes 4064 (42 to 44 Grs) with 168 & 175 Sierra MK (of course).


I switched to Federal 210 and 215 primers in ALL my larger (large rifle and mag) cases when I started to get "hangfires" in some of my 1000 yard Match guns while using the CCI Benchrest primers. Many years ago A top gunsmith at Williamsport advised not using the CCI because of that reason. I gave away ALL my CCIs at that point. Never had the problem once I switched to Federal. I do use some Winchester primers at times.

Later
Darryl

 

[speedbump]

You're on the right track, IMHO. Varget is great, but so are 4064 & 4895. I've shot 4064 in 1,000 yard matches with 155s & 175s in bolt guns & an M-14, & plinking loads with 168s & 190s. Both are VERY reliable & consistent & give super SD/ES results in most rifles. Varget gave the most consistent results with a 7-08 I was playing with last year, but stuck with 4064 since it was more of a known commodity for me.

Start low & work up as always plus don't be afraid to play with your seating depth - it may make all the difference. As far as primers, I'm like DS - Federal match as a rule.

 

[Nicholas]

Ian

What primers do you use with your varget loads?


A little more information; I want a load that will perform between 400-1000 yards. 100 & 200 yard range group size isn't as important as the group size at longer ranges.

 

[milanuk]

I am using the following: Winchester case, CCI BR2 primer, Sierra 175 MK, and 45.0gr Varget. From a factory Rem 700VS, this nets about 2750fps, good ES/SD, and what I considered pretty good accuracy (1.25-1.5"@300yds). I seated this batch to 2.810" (listed magazine length) which unfortunately leaves a jump to the lands of 0.155"!!! Amazingly, the load still shoots!

My next step will be to experiment w/ IMR 4064 and 4895, as I have some of each on hand, and fiddle w/ seating depth, possible out to the lands, as the 175 SMKs are long enough to do it and stay in the case

Monte

 

[Ian M]

90,
I am mostly using Winchester large rifle (standard and magnum) and have had no complaints, kind of like the color... Fact is I have never tried to determine how much effect varying the primer brand will make to my reloading, I usually load what I have on hand. Must a lazy streak, I just don't feel like micro-managing primers...

This might not be the best but so far I have been stumbling along OK. Use magnums in magnums, that is about all.

Fact on primers probably is, like Darryl and some others mentioned, we all have our favorites for very real or imagined reasons.

I saw a lot of Winchester primers being used at Black Hills Ammo when I visited there a while back.

Seems like the .308's start to crap out accuracy-wise past 800, I start using a lot more of the steel plate.

 

[rjf3]

42.2 grains of 4064 works best in my .308
.323 best 5 at 100 yards group to date.
168 grain sencars out of laplua brass, with federal 210 primers.
Have shot sub.500 with the federal matches.
Target below is Federal Match 168 grains.
Russ

[ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: Russ ]

[ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: Russ ]

[ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: Russ ]

 

[Nicholas]

Well, it sounds like it's a toss up between 4064 & Varget.

I think I will try Varget first, because of the temperature insensitivity.

Hmm, CCI BR2's or Fed 210M's ???

 

[RiverRat]

This is what I have found works the best in my rifle.

155 Palma:
46.5 gr of IMR 4064
Win. Brass
CCI BR2 primer
2850 fps.
E.S. in the 10 to 14 fps consistently
bullet seated .015 off lands
1/2 MOA or a little better load in my rifle and several other shooters around here.

168 MK
40.7 gr. of IMR 4895
CCI BR-2 primer
Win. brass
2520 fps
have seen consistent single digit E.S.
crushed into the lands .005
shoots in the .3's with occasional bug holes

175 MK
48.8 gr. of H4350
CCI BR-2 primer
Win. brass
2685 fps.
again consistent single digit E.S.
off the lands .003 to .007 in the rifles around here. Mine likes .003

None of these loads show any pressure at all in either one of my rifles and the are chambered with short throat Palma reamers. As always work up to the loads listed. I have the most consistent results with CCI BR-2 primers as far as E.S. sperads and accuracy goes. The loads listed above have shot very well in more than a few rifles. All were short throat rifles. But throat length is easily dealt with. I hope this helps someone. I have tried Varget, and that while it give more than acceptable results it will not match the other powders in my experience.

 

[milanuk]

I hate to add to your dilema, but there are a few new powders that are supposed to work really, really well in the .308. First off is Vihtavouri N140, which the local HBR crowd is quite enamored w/. I would like to try this, but I'm waiting til I can either bum some off of another shooter or buy $5 worth off of somebody, as it is sold in 2lb cans, and $42 is a lot IMHO to pony up for a powder that if it doesn't work in this gun, won't work in anything else I have, and be stuck w/ 2 lbs of it to boot! Second is Ramshot Tac. My neighbors Howa varmint rifle in .308 shoots disgusting little groups w/ Tac and 125gr Nosler BTs. No need to go out and check for bodies when shooting chucks w/ this one... the whole freakin' rock is crimson!! Others have had extremely good luck w/ the 168gr SMKs. The big benny of Tac over the others is it is a ball powder, so you can once again throw charges accurately (unlike 4064), plus the Ramshot powders are really clean, in my experience (Xterminator, .223). I just picked up a jug, and after I shoot up the rest of my 4895 and 4064 (couple hundred rounds) next week, I intend to start trying it. If all goes well, I could be down to three ball powders here soon: Xterminator, Tac, and Big Game.

HTH,

Monte

 

[RiverRat]

The 125 gr. load that works well for me is as follows:

125gr. Nosler B.T.
51.5 gr. WW748
CCI BR-2 primer
Win. Brass
Seated at .020 off the lands
Veloctiy 3185 fps
E.S. runs in the mid 20's
This laod will a shoot in the high .5's to high .6's with a short throat Palma reamer chambered barrel. the OAL is 2.850" It still runs through the magazine of a 788 that I had rebarreled with a 1 in 12 twist #4 taper Douglas premium air guage barrel. Superb coyote medicine. I have played with the 125 Speer TNT seated at the CorrBon factory lenght it will shoot in the .6's to .7's and is REALLY destructive at 3215 FPS using the same components as listed above. I have tried seating the 125 Speer to a longer OAL but I havent had any luck getting it shoot any better than the factory lenght. Either bullet is a legitamite 300 yard coyote load. I do prefer the 125 Nosler due its higher B.C.

165 Sierra HPBT hunting bullet
47.1 gr. N550
CCI BR-2
Win. Brass
OAL of 2.710
2754 fps
E.S. in the high teens to the low 20's

This load will shoot consitently in the .6's from three different rifles. I have shot 3 groups (five shot) that are what I call accidents on paper with this load that went in the .2's . Performance on game is terminal big time.

[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: Gary L. Veit ]