.308 Target loads

2

22forever

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Location
sechelt B.C.
I have a Savage 12F/TR arriving next week so I'm looking for some starting loads. Anyone have any accurate starting loads they are willing to share. I can fine tune the loads after to suit my rifle. Thanks.
 
Do you have any bullets or powder to start with or do you want suggesttions?

I like RL15, 4895 and varget.

The Sierra 175 works well in most rifles.

Start with 42 gr and work up. OAL 2.80 to 2.825. make sure bullet does not touch the rifling.
 
No two rifles will shoot the same ammo the same way. You have to work up the load for your rifle using data from your manual. Loading match grade ammo requires meticulous loading techniques too.
Think 150, 155, 168 or 175 grain match bullets with IMR4064, IMR or H 4895(close but not the same) or Varget. The 150's and 155's out to 300 yards. The 168's out to 600. The 175's past there.
Your rifle's 1 in 12 twist may not like the 175's much.
 
I have a Wichita in 308, with a 1;13 barrel. Presently I load 155 Lapua Scenars OAL 2.775, over 44.0 grains of IMR4064, Federal Gold Match primers in Lapua brass (not Lapua Palma brass). Chronographed at 2850 fps from a 30 inch barrel. I think this is a touch light for way out there distances and I'm going to up the powder half a grain in the next batch. No complaints at 100-700 yards though.
At Homestead lots of very experienced shooters use 155s to 900 meters with no complaints BTW. It's not recommended to change bullet weight for varying distances. Personally I would not do it. Varget probably is more popular than the IMR is for 308 shooters. Myself I use IMR4064 and I'm loath to change anything.
(The 6mmbr website displays 308 data, 155s with 44.5 IMR4064, I think because it's got a rep' of good performance in most palma rifles)
 
Last edited:
My load is 44.8 gr Varget over a 175mk.CCI BR 2 and Norma brass.Shoots between a half and three quarters of a minute consistently.
Velocity was around the 2760 range in cold weather.
The new Berger 155.5 seem to have really taken off.They are actually longer than a 175mk!
 
22forever said:
I have a Savage 12F/TR arriving next week so I'm looking for some starting loads. Anyone have any accurate starting loads they are willing to share. I can fine tune the loads after to suit my rifle. Thanks.
Click to expand...

You will find some good loads at the site below. I find loads are velocity and barrel length/weight dependent. If you want to copy loads it would be best to find someone that has the same or similar barrel, and then try to match their sweet spot velocities.

Varget and 155/168 bullets are popular combinations.

.308 Win Cartridge Guide
 
Well proven propellants with 150-175gr bullets include IMR4064, IMR3031, IMR4895, H4895, Varget, W748, and BLC2. IMR4895 is a good baseline. There is an old saying that if your .308 won't shoot well with IMR4895, then you have a rifle problem.
 
I have the same rifle and I use 45.7grs of Varget, Nosler custom competition 155 grain bullets, 20 thou off the lands, win brass, CCI br2 primers and the rifle shoots 9 of 15 inside a 2.5 inch circle at 800 yards. On a good day!! These same bullets reach out to 1200 yards as well.
I've tried lapua bullets, Berger bullets, Hornady bullets, Speer, Sierra Palmas and none shoot as well as the Noslers.
Have fun!
 
I like 168gr Nosler HPBT in my Winchester m70 Stealth, with IMR 8208xbr. 2750 fps and shoots 5 in 3/4" @ 100m, which I think is great!
 
I shoot an F\TR with 155 bullets out to 1000 yds.
45.5gr varget , Lapua cases, fed. gm210m primers, Sierra #2155, #2156 bullets, both shoot very well out of my rifle.
I have only won one trophy so far with this rifle and load but have to blame the nut behind the trigger for not doing better.
 
46 gr of Varget in a Lapua case with Fed 210M and any 155 bullet (moly coated) I can get my hands on. All produce around 2950 fps out of a 30 inch tube.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom