loading 308 155gr sierra match
- Thread starter Taani
- Start date
Bullet seating varies from rifle to rifle. Seat the bullet 15 thou off the lands.
Try using 44.0 gr to 45.0 gr of H-4895 rather than varget. You will have better results.
Varget is over-rated.
stevesummit
CGN Regular
- Location
- spruce grove
A lot of reloaders have good luck with varget. i am split between varget and blc2. Both produce very good results around 45.5 seated to a depth of 2.785 but your result will vary
45 to 46 gr Varget. Typical OAL is about 2.8 to 2.825, but chamber throats very a lot. I suggest 20 thou off the rifling.
If you can, start at 44.5 and work up in 0.5 increments, to see what the rifle likes.
If you can, start at 44.5 and work up in 0.5 increments, to see what the rifle likes.
I'll second that. Varget is not over rated, excellent powder with the .308.
I've had good results with similar loads of varget with the 155s. As for length, that really depends on your chamber. I was doing well at about mag box length which is 2.835 (SA) but Ganderite's OALs are a great place to start.
Kayser Sose
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Van Isle
stevesummit
CGN Regular
- Location
- spruce grove
You should get out and shoot more ! Varget is a proven powder that is more then capable of doing the job ! Just cause you don't care for it why bash it when the op is asking for info to try different things , offering you opinion is all good but to go against what more then a few shooters have proven is just not in good taste
I have used Varget with some success, but at the moment I use a surplus ball powder that burns between H335 and BL(C)2. 46.2 gr of that works wonders in that particular 308 rifle. The problem is (for you) that there is no "one magic load". You will have to start around 45 gr or so and work up from there, when you get something promising, play with the seating depth to fine tune it. Sorry, that's the best advice I can give you.k - dan
I've used 45 to 47 grains of Varget in different rifles, with 2155 SMKs. Have not used the newer 2156 bullets. Currently shooting 47gr with the 2155 bullet in my "precision" rifle. Holds 1 moa elevation at 900m. This is one grain over the generally recommended 46gr maximum.
As mentionned, seating depth will vary, depending on the rifle. The 155 SMK is pretty tolerant of jump. For the shooting I do with this rifle, I need to use the magazine, so that puts an absolute limit on overall length.
There are a number of other mid-rate powders that do well in the .308. If you have Varget, go ahead and use it. You won't be sacrificing anything.
Taani - I lived in Arviat from '74 to '81.
As mentionned, seating depth will vary, depending on the rifle. The 155 SMK is pretty tolerant of jump. For the shooting I do with this rifle, I need to use the magazine, so that puts an absolute limit on overall length.
There are a number of other mid-rate powders that do well in the .308. If you have Varget, go ahead and use it. You won't be sacrificing anything.
Taani - I lived in Arviat from '74 to '81.
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
Varget is the standard default powder for .308/155... it just works. Having said that, I have used 45-ish of H4895 for the past couple of years, with very good results too.
The #2155 Sierra is pretty tolerant of jump. If you can't be bothered finding where your lands are and loading 15-20 thou off of them as recommended, you can also simply load your ammo to standard magazine length (2.800" overall length) and get surprisingly good results.
Don't overload, but do work up to full max pressure - this usually is more accurate and more uniform than a load that is a grain or three lighter than max.
The #2155 Sierra is pretty tolerant of jump. If you can't be bothered finding where your lands are and loading 15-20 thou off of them as recommended, you can also simply load your ammo to standard magazine length (2.800" overall length) and get surprisingly good results.
Don't overload, but do work up to full max pressure - this usually is more accurate and more uniform than a load that is a grain or three lighter than max.
kevguy, we have a local 17 year old TR shooter who seriously kicks scoped-rifled butt using Varget and there are literally hundreds more who are succesful with Varget; and we sell VihtaVuori!
Many state as fact what they derive from limited experience. I'm fortunate enough to deal with target shooters across the country on a daily basis. Many state N150 as being the "the best", but it is not always the best and N140 performs in a superior manner in many rifles. One top Palma team member just traded his N150 for N140. Then there's the already mentioned H4895 and Reloader 15.
My best shooting .308 Win. had 46 gr.of IMR 4064 with Sierra 155. That's before we imported Lapua.
Regards,
Peter
Many state as fact what they derive from limited experience. I'm fortunate enough to deal with target shooters across the country on a daily basis. Many state N150 as being the "the best", but it is not always the best and N140 performs in a superior manner in many rifles. One top Palma team member just traded his N150 for N140. Then there's the already mentioned H4895 and Reloader 15.
My best shooting .308 Win. had 46 gr.of IMR 4064 with Sierra 155. That's before we imported Lapua.
Regards,
Peter
It is not overated by the many winners that find it performs best in thier rifles.
It is by far the most popular powder in Canada. Someone should ask Higginson how much they sell. Any care to guess at how many matches it is used in to win? How about more than all others combined.
Starting to go downhill.
It is by far the most popular powder in Canada. Someone should ask Higginson how much they sell. Any care to guess at how many matches it is used in to win? How about more than all others combined.
Starting to go downhill.
Forgot to mention our top Canadian shooter at Bisley 2010 called last week, wanting to trade his N150 for Varget, as the latter worked better in one of his rifles and as we all know, reloading is about testing for your results.
We don't sell Varget, but many rely on us for information. Recommend N140/150 for our products
Regards,
Peter
Lapua-VihtaVuori in Canada
We don't sell Varget, but many rely on us for information. Recommend N140/150 for our products
Regards,
Peter
Lapua-VihtaVuori in Canada
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
Taani getting back to your specific questions.... is this a factory rifle you are loading for, or a custom rifle? Do you know what chamber is in the rifle? Are you able to measure where the rifling lands begin?
Are you using the "old Sierra 155" (part number on the box is #2155), or the "new Sierra 155" (part number on the box is #2156)?
Some factory rifles have very long throats (Remington for example). The Sierra #2155 is a pretty short bullet and it is impossible to come anywhere near the lands of a Remington factory chamber; loading it to 2.800" or 2.840" is about as good as you can do in this case.
