Over the years, while building and range testing dozens of accurised M14 rifles, and dozens of AR 10 rifles, I've shot up a few cases of 168 GR HPBT match ammo. At least one case from Federal, and another case from Winchester [ Marked as Winchester Ranger / FOR POLICE USE ONLY ].
Both of these are EXCELLENT choices for the M 14, and even better in the AR 10s. I've also had good results from the more recent Hornady 168 GR HPBT Match ammo.
ON average, over several dozen M14s tested, the favorite load for MOST M14 accurised rifles has been the Winchester 168 gr HPBT, with Federal and Hornady 168s very close. Some individual M14s will swap the order around. And SOME M14s will shoot Hirtenberger BALL 7.62 NATO ammo better than they shoot the 168 gr match ammo.
Like I've said many many times, the M14 rifles can be incredibly sensitive to ammo variation. It becomes a question of which one of these top quality loads your individual rifle prefers as most accurate.
HOWEVER,
as DIANANIKE has reminded us,
some .308 Win ammo is definitely not suitable for the M14.
SLOW powders, or powders with RETARDANT, can increase the pressure at the gas port, which can cause damage to the op rod, the receiver [ front and back], and the bolt. Also be careful with the new .308 WIN HIGH VELOCITY/ DUPLEX powder factory loads, which basically add another 100 FPS to the good old .308 WIN, without increasing chamber pressures.
BUT,
chamber pressure is not as critical to an M14 as is PORT pressure.
You have been warned,
OF COURSE,
any information you get off the internet for free,
may be worth less than you paid for it,
and,
YPMMV.
PS: My personal Rem 25/DPMS built AR 10 likes all of the 168 Gr loads, and shoots them all into less than 1",
BUT,
it also shoots the old factory Winchester 125 Gr SP ammo and Win 200 Gr SP ammo into about the same. The rotating bolt and direct gas system of the more modern AR 10, is much less critical about ammo than the notoriously fussy M 14
[;{)
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