208gr a-max in .308

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watsknew

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Hi, i'm not sure anyone discussed this yet i did a search and couldn't find anything...just at the range today fiddling with 208gr a-max in .308...just curious if anyone else is loading them in their .308's...i'm using 45 gr of Win 760 in my Savage Model 10...i'm getting about 2480 fps and no pressure signs so i'd like to see if i can get it around 2550...it would appear to be an excellent long range bullet..just curious if anyone has tried this load and if so what powder, etc?
 
Yes, they are about the best long range bullet for 308 Win as far as wind drift is concerned (next to the 210 JLK), but you need a fast twist to stabilize them. I shoot them in a 1-11" twist but only in the summer. 1-10"twist would be better (your Savage) and 1-9" would be ideal if you also plan to shoot in cold weather.

WW760 is an excellent choice. N550 is another good one (my preference as it is more temperature stable). And Ramshot Big Game should also do the trick. The nice thing about these powders with the 208-210gr. bullets is that you will probably run out of case room before you reach the pressure limit. 2550 fps is achievable.

The new RL17 also looks very promising for 190gr and heavier bullets in 308 Win.
 
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Do some snooping for F(TR) loads from the US. There are some brave souls pushing these to 2700fps. I have no idea how they are doing it and personally, wouldn't like the recoil but it would be an amazing LR load.

H4350 might be worth a try.

Let us know how it works for you. Most shooters want more case capacity when dealing with these heavies. I think a 30-284Win would make a sweet case.

Jerry
 
I use Hornady brass for my 208 loads as they have a bit more case capacity than Lapua. I believe Winchester brass has even more.

I can get 2550fps with naked bullets and a 26" barrels. I can see 2700fps with moly and a longer barrel. Maybe even with moly alone.
 
thanks for the feedback i appreciate it! i got 2550 the other day with 46.5 grs and no pressure signs but as you say i think it's very compressed..i was doing some reading and a fellow had 50gr of 760 but that was out of a 700 which has a much longer throat than my savage does so probably lets him seat his bullets farther and more room for powder but i'm super stoked..the recoil is a bit heavy but they really smack those gongs...and funny you mentioned different cases i fired a few with federal brass and bolt was a bit sticky and i loaded the exact same in winchester and all is well i have had very good luck with winchester they seem to allow me to load a bit more powder than federal and i've tried hornady too and it too is better than the federal. i've been using gun juice in my barrels and i'm getting 100 fps more out of my savage with gun juice than my 700 without so i'm not sure if that's responsible for the difference in velocity at any rate i'm a fan!
 
mysticplayer said---I think a 30-284Win would make a sweet case.

Might be simpler to just use the 30-06!
 
Simpler yes... but I enjoy making the 308 do things people say it can't do.

Now if I can only get Wildcat to make me those custom heavies...
 
"....but you need a fast twist to stabilize them. I shoot them in a 1-11" twist but only in the summer. 1-10"twist would be better (your Savage) and 1-9" would be ideal..."

If you do not know the twist of your rifle barrel, how do you determine it?
 
Snoepie said:
If you do not know the twist of your rifle barrel, how do you determine it?
Click to expand...

Run a cleaning rod with a tight patch into your barrel. Mark the top of the cleaning rod with two pieces of tape, one near the handle that you can see, and the second one where the rod meets your bore guide. As you push the rod forward, the front mark will disappear into the bore guide. Watch the mark near the handle, and when it returns to the 12:00 position stop and mark the rod again with a piece of tape where it meets the rod guide. Pull the rod back out and ensure that all three marks are at 12:00. The distance between the two forward marks is equal to your rate of twist.
 
kombayotch said:
I use Hornady brass for my 208 loads as they have a bit more case capacity than Lapua. I believe Winchester brass has even more.

I can get 2550fps with naked bullets and a 26" barrels. I can see 2700fps with moly and a longer barrel. Maybe even with moly alone.
Click to expand...

If you are going to go the custom barrel route, consider having the lead cut to match the length of the bullet's ogive. I had mine done so that a 200 gr MK was seated so that only the boat tail extends below the neck of the case. With 760 I got a hair below 2700 from amy 28" 1:8 barrel, but I suspect that this can be improved slightly (2700+) with Hybrid 100V.
 
Boomer said:
If you are going to go the custom barrel route, consider having the lead cut to match the length of the bullet's ogive. I had mine done so that a 200 gr MK was seated so that only the boat tail extends below the neck of the case. With 760 I got a hair below 2700 from amy 28" 1:8 barrel, but I suspect that this can be improved slightly (2700+) with Hybrid 100V.
Click to expand...
whats your COL end up at ?
 
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