need advice reloading a .308

death-junky

death-junky

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hi i have the chance to start reloading for my M305 and i was at the store and found there best .308 was the barns X bullets in 165 gr.
so i was what would be good powder, what should the average load be, what primers to use ex ex ex.
i was also wondering if these bullets would work good in my M-305
talk to ya all later
Riley
P.S.
ive never Reloaded befor so this will be an expearance!!!
 
I'd say hte LAST bullet you would want to START reloading with is the Barnes X.

I use them all the time, but they are expensive, and sometimes finicky to get shooting accurately.

Buy some inexpensive bullets (Like Hornadys or something) and try those first.
 
get a good reloading manual or two first

Speer is good, as is Noslers.

learn all about it before you start worrying about bullet selection

also, get good reloaidng gear first, RCBS
 
What looks best on paper might be what will shoot best in your gun!

I've had good luck with Palma match bullet, varget powder, Federal Match primer and Winchester cases... They are not the cheapest rounds to plink with, but they are accurate in my gun.

Some time next spring I want to try a few plinking loads using the Winchester 147gr FMJ...

Welcome to the sport!
Mike.
 
I got the Lyman manual when I first started and it is excellent. It really goes through the basics and gives you a great understanding on reloading and ballistics.

From what I learnt so far is one persons 1/2 inch load may not shoot that well in your rifle. You`ll have to spend time developing your own loads.

I owned a .308 in a Stealth and it was very easy to load for and think the .308 consistantly shoots better then most rounds.

Have fun

Cheers :)
 
well they guy down the road from me says that he will teach me how to reload on his gear the next time he needs some ammo.
he has been doing it for a long time and knows what he is doing!
i when to the hunting/fishing store and they only had like 5 tipes of bullets for like 10 calibers i was not impressed.
the only thing they had were some nosler accutips, some nosler protition, some speer target rounds, and the barns X and i have herd from alot of people that they are realy good.
i also herd that the "lead tiped" bullets are not always the best in a semi-auto rifle(M-305).
talk to ya all later
Riley
 
I have had really good success with the Speer 150 gr magtip in the .308. I also use the Barnes, Nosler, Sierra bullets but the magtips with IMR 4064 work really well. They are inexpensive, group well and are devestating on all the deer I've ever connected on. If you are having trouble finding the bullets you want try one of the mail order company's like SIR, Russels or wholesale sports. I have to second the opinion that you should buy your own reloading manual. There are many good ones out there you can even get used ones online, you will refer to it often and the safety tips aree important. Good luck
 
If you are starting reloading, especially for a semi auto, buy cheap bullets to start. You will make mistakes, and who knows, they might work well in your rifle.

I recommend the Remington bulk(100) 165gr flat base PSP for your m305. Not bad in mine.

I would avoid Barnes X like the plague in 308. They are pricey, and although they do shoot well in some rifles, the 308 does not have enough punch for them to expand well.

Like others have said though, get a manual(library?).
 
I have loaded a lot of .308 rounds and found Varget powder to be the best in several of the rifles I have. You can not go wrong with Sierra bullets for accuracy ... Two of my three .308's will shoot 1/2' MOA with both 168 BTHPM and also with 165 BTHP ... the latter is a game load. Most 308's have a 1-12 twist and shoot the longer bullets best. For accuracy, I generally seat between 30-50/1000's off the lands
 
Well - Here are some considerations, as you are reloading for a semi-auto, not noted for its accuracy, and want to use the rifle for hunting.

- You dont need premium bonded bullets, or match grade bullets, but you should use bullets that can be used for hunting. Try Hornady Interlocks, or Sierra Pro-Hunters. Check out Higginson Powders or Wholesale for mail order.
- Use small base dies - your buddy probably doesnt have these, even if he loads for 308.
- You'll need to select a load that allows the rifle to cycle properly. Dont know how sensitive the 305's are - but your best starting point would be loads approximating 7.62 Nato specs ( with appropriate load workup.)
- Its not wise to depend upon someone else, best to bone-up yourself - pick up a copy of a used reloading manual.
- Never heard about lead tipped bullets not being suitable for a semi auto.
 
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Never heard about lead tipped bullets not being suitable for a semi auto.

ive herd this because the lead sometimes get Smashed and deformed when it is being slamed in to the chamber.
talk to ya all later
Riley
 
Barnes X are indeed very good bullets for hunting..

But you may as well not waste $1 a bulet whiel you learn to load..Get osmething cheap, first.

I use X bullets al the time for hunting, but limit my range time with them to zeroing and some load development
 
Use the Hornady SP 150 or 165 gr. to develop your load and switch to the premium bullets (eg. Nosler Partition) when you are ready to hunt. Hornady SP and NP have very similar POIs.

Small base die helps in some semis.

Danny Boy
 
Danny Boy said:
develop your load and switch to the premium bullets (eg. Nosler Partition) when you are ready to hunt. Hornady SP and NP have very similar POIs.
Click to expand...
you'd be wise to do this, but make sure you back off your powder charge 1-2 grains and work back up slowly when you switch bullets, just incase there is a pressure rise when changing component bullets.
 
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