Conflicting Load DATA

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So I'm reloading for .308Win with Varget, and Hornady 168gr HPBT.


I am using the current Hodgden website which gives me Starting load of 42gr, and a maximum of 46gr of Varget, this is however for 168gr Sierra HPBT (I am assuming brand doesn't matter as long as they are the same profile and weight).



Now I am also looking at "The complete reloading manual for the .308 Winchester" from 2004, which gives me 32.6gr as a Starting and a 44.0gr as a maximum for Varget for Hornady 168gr HPBT specifically.




Both bullets have same weight, same profile, same style of tip, and near identical Ballistic Coefficients. Which data do I go with?
 
Always safer to err low. Both bullets may look the same but they are not.
Primers may have been different cases, lot of powder.
For sure the rifles were.
I don't think you can put enough Varget in a .308 case to really be dangerous in a correctly chambered rifle...but I am willing to risk my face with that not yours haha
 
Go with the max load your rifle and chrony dictate after working up a load to the required velocity you want, or pressure signs start to appear.
 
Sleeper said:
Always safer to err low. Both bullets may look the same but they are not.
Primers may have been different cases, lot of powder.
For sure the rifles were.
I don't think you can put enough Varget in a .308 case to really be dangerous in a correctly chambered rifle...but I am willing to risk my face with that not yours haha
Click to expand...

I push a 155 Hornady Amax with 44.5gr with a C.O.L. of 2.775 with no issues, and that data for that load came from hodgdon site as well. Would their Data on their own powder not be up to date on their website, more so then a 13 year old?
 
The Complete Reloading Manual for 2011 shows 35.5 starting load, 42.7 max for the Hornady 168gr Bullets so perhaps the 2004 edition was wrong. I'm usually in the 41 gr range for a 168 gr bullet with good results.
 
Hitzy said:
Go with the max load your rifle and chrony dictate after working up a load to the required velocity you want, or pressure signs start to appear.
Click to expand...

There is where it gets difficult. I have to look for overcharges the old fashioned way (looking for flattened primers, cratered primers and heavy lifting bolt), as I am not a rich gun nut, so no Chrony to use.
 
A little rule I follow if I am suspicious of numbers is just start with the lowest published I can find in various resources, do my load increments up to the highest published, stop at pressure signs or load higher if none appear.Pretty fail safe IMO.

Looking for speed numbers after you settled on a load, go to reloaders nest and find a similar documented load and you may be at least near the ball park.

I do however chronograph everything , unless of course the battery dies and my back up is dead too. :mad:
 
I load mine in the 43 to 44 range. Starting at 42 would be safe, but maybe try a little less say 41, and work up from there watching your primers for signs.
Fastest is not necessarily the most accurate.
168s are good to 600 after that there are better options.
 
I think the Hodgdon data is wrong, I looked at this once before because I've been busy working up a number of .308Win loads with the Hornady 168g HPBT Match bullet.

I ran some numbers through QuickLOAD using a 22" barrel as it is my own reference point.

Bullet length from QL database for this bullet is wrong so I adjusted to 1.232"

Your case capacities may be smaller than this calculation so be cautious and work up your loads accordingly.

I regard the numbers published in the 9th edition Hornady Handbook as being correct: Varget; Start 32.6g to MAX 44.0g; 2.800" COL

308Win-42.7gVarget-Hornady168gBTHP_zpsli8orjdb.png~original
 
savagelh said:
I use 46 gr of varget with a 168 gr matrix rbt. This is in a tikka. No pressure signs in my rifle. 2750 fps
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My main load too, it's kind of a universally accepted accuracy load with Varget...
But yes, work up to it. That 32.6gr start load posted above makes no sense to me....
308-Win-165gr.jpg
 
I see this asked a lot, in various fashion. There are NO standard loads. Each powder company, bullet company, etc has it's own data, and they test it with pressure guns or various firearms, all of which bring further variations into the equation. Personally, I look at as many of those as I can, get a minimum and maximum from all the sources I have, and begin with that data. Then work up to a safe, accurate load in my gun. FWIW - dan
 
Start low work up. The longer you're at this racket the more u will see this. I've a noticed a broad range of loads from different resources since I've been loading for the 45-70.
 
And FFS buy a chrony!
You can't really know what you are loading without one. Take the Nosler Varget data above....44gr~2750fps.
So you work up to that and think everything is fine, but run it over a chrony and see you are getting 2900fps....well you are at or over max pressure with your rifle and that combo, but still think you have 2 more grains to play with.
Works the other way too. Same load, but only hitting 2550fps instead, now your load is kind of wimpy but you don't want to go higher because you are concerned with max grains in the manual.
Some slight exaggeration probably with those figures but used to make a point.... BUY A CHRONY!
 
Hitzy said:
And FFS buy a chrony!
You can't really know what you are loading without one. Take the Nosler Varget data above....44gr~2750fps.
So you work up to that and think everything is fine, but run it over a chrony and see you are getting 2900fps....well you are at or over max pressure with your rifle and that combo, but still think you have 2 more grains to play with.
Works the other way too. Same load, but only hitting 2550fps instead, now your load is kind of wimpy but you don't want to go higher because you are concerned with max grains in the manual.
Some slight exaggeration probably with those figures but used to make a point.... BUY A CHRONY!
Click to expand...

Now taking Donations @ SightsneedsaChrony.com...

I can live with being under charged around here till I get my "field" range prepped which will go to 800m when finished. Until then I am stuck at about 160-200m.
 
Hitzy said:
And FFS buy a chrony!
You can't really know what you are loading without one. Take the Nosler Varget data above....44gr~2750fps.
So you work up to that and think everything is fine, but run it over a chrony and see you are getting 2900fps....well you are at or over max pressure with your rifle and that combo, but still think you have 2 more grains to play with.
Works the other way too. Same load, but only hitting 2550fps instead, now your load is kind of wimpy but you don't want to go higher because you are concerned with max grains in the manual.
Some slight exaggeration probably with those figures but used to make a point.... BUY A CHRONY!
Click to expand...

Good advice right here. And fwiw I find all nosler load data to be about 100-200 fps faster than reality.
 
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