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mbogo3 said:
From the Lee 2nd edition 170gr in the .303 Savage.............Lever Evolution 29gr/1913fps........MAX 33gr/2145fps. IMR 3031 24.2gr/1747fps...........MAX 27.5gr/1959fps. IMR 4895 26.2gr/1728fps............MAX29.8gr/1938fps
IMR 4320 26.4gr/1762fps..........MAX 30gr/1976fps. Varget 26gr/1762fps.........MAX 29.5gr/1976fps. IMR 4064 26.2gr/1775fps........MAX 29.8gr/1991fps. H4895 24.2gr/1737fps.........MAX 27.5gr/1947fps [OAL 2.550"]
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Thank mbogo3

Really helpful to see these velocities/grains with these powders ... looks like I've got some homework to do.

Thanks
 
9.3mauser said:
Sierra lists their 170 FN as suitable for velocities up to 2500 fps. I believe it's on their website.

I think I have some Remington 180 pointed core lokts kicking around here if you're interested in doing a straight trade.
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Hi Mauser 9.3

Interesting that you can see the Sierra info online ... I downloaded their app ... the recommended (Accuracy) load for the 30-30 is IMR 4064 (33.2 grains) which gives 2100 fps / for Hunting they suggest H322 (29.4 grains) which gives 2150 fps.

I am sure that there would be loads for the .308 similar to these velocities ... I am in pursuit!

Nice to know that you are in the area ... I do have other some spitzer type bullets currently. I am going to try to find a recipe for these FN babies, or deal them for other RN's (150 or 180) - but thanks!
 
Assuming that you can figure out a 2,600 fps muzzle velocity, that bullet will be going about 1,950-ish at 200 yards, and about 1,650-ish at 300 yards. (Nosler table using B.C. of .248) Many bullets (Long Range Accubond excepted) call for minimum 1,800 fps impact speed for adequate bullet expansion. Have not read what that Sierra 170 FN calls for, but 2,600 fps muzzle velocity will be down to that 1,800 fps speed pretty close to 250 yards. Probably "hell on wheels" for deer size game out to that distance, and if you are looking for a load specifically for in the bush, that should work out very well for you!! At least 10 or more powders listed in Lyman #49 for 168 grain and 175 grain jacketed bullets in 308 Win that are in that speed range or less.

Start loads listed are identical or within 1.0 grain for those two bullet weights for many powders. Worst difference is 3.0 grains difference in Start load. Start with Start load and work up - you are probably looking for best accuracy - Start loads all seem to have more than enough "steam" for what you are trying to do...
 
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Potashminer said:
Assuming that you can figure out a 2,600 fps muzzle velocity, that bullet will be going about 1,950-ish at 200 yards, and about 1,650-ish at 300 yards. (Nosler table using B.C. of .248) Many bullets (Long Range Accubond excepted) call for minimum 1,800 fps impact speed for adequate bullet expansion. Have not read what that Sierra 170 FN calls for, but 2,600 fps muzzle velocity will be down to that 1,800 fps speed pretty close to 250 yards. Probably "hell on wheels" for deer size game out to that distance, and if you are looking for a load specifically for in the bush, that should work out very well for you!! At least 10 or more powders listed in Lyman #49 for 168 grain and 175 grain jacketed bullets in 308 Win that are in that speed range or less.

Start loads listed are identical or within 1.0 grain for those two bullet weights for many powders. Worst difference is 3.0 grains difference in Start load. Start with Start load and work up - you are probably looking for best accuracy - Start loads all seem to have more than enough "steam" for what you are trying to do...
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Hi Potashminer!

Right on! Thanks again for your expertise on this.
I’m now looking forward to giving these a go and seeing how they shoot.

Sounds like they should do the trick for shots under 100 yards.
The link above (9.3 Mauser) said pretty much that ... shots should be under 150 yards - exactly what you said.

So, it looks like these bullets ought to work with .308 starting loads.

Thanks again for your help. It’s been an encouragement and very helpful!
 
I have a near-full box of 150 Sierra Gamekings I'll trade for your 170 FN's if you like.

Edit: I see 9.3mauser beat me to that option. Best of luck.
 
Hi everyone

Thanks for all the suggestions on recipes and thoughts put into this thread.

I did try some loads in my BLR.

I did 35 grains of H4895 / RL-15 and tried 38 grains of IMR 3031 ... all beginning loads for 165-168 grain bullets etc.

The results were ... very poor!
I did five shot groups with each powder, and the smallest group was about 7 inches at 50 yards!

I know it’s not me or the rifle.
The rifle was shooting Hornadys 150 grain SST’s really well last year.

So I decided to trade these 170 grainers to Mauser for some 180 grainers.

Now I’ve got some Sierra 180’s loaded with 40 grains of RL-15 ready to fly. Planning to sight in again this week.

Lesson learned for me!

Thanks everyone!
 
Not sure from your posts how you are approaching this - starting at Start loads is a good idea for a "pressure check", and then walk up to higher loads - say 1/2 grain at a time to confirm that your components and rifle will get along. I normally shoot pairs of shots at each level - trying to find a "top end" - often I stop where the loading book says "maximum" - for some rifles, I can not get that far, for others, I am sure I could go further. But very obvious to me that no "rule" about where the accuracy load is going to be - purely by chance if it is the start or the max load - I see Nosler and Sierra actually point out what they found to be their "accuracy" loads, using their components in their rifle - may or may not apply to your stuff. I would say that the chances of just picking one random load from a list has pretty low chance of finding what your rifle likes? I plan to use up at least 30 rounds or so to find a combination that my rifle likes, and then I like to confirm that with 9 or 10 rounds at 100 yards - 3 x 3 round groups or 2 x 5 round groups - overlay the targets to see what the "big group" would be... If you are a 300 yard target shooter, then shoot your "confirming" groups at that range. So, I plan to use up most of a box of 50 bullets, just to develop a load for that rifle.
 
Hi Potashminer

I hear you ... my goal was to try and use up some of my extra 30-30 bullets as a potential brush load for my BLR.
I thought that if I could use a start load for the .308 that didn’t push velocities above the recommended range for the 30-30 bullet, while getting some decent accuracy... I’d use them.

When I developed some starting loads within the recommended lower velocities (2100 FPS etc) ... and failed to achieve accuracy ... I was left to reconsider the recipe (like you mention) or trade them for an actual .308 bullet.

Since there was an offer to trade them (an unexpected development) ... and purchase more of that same bullet (180 grain Sierra) ... I abandoned developing a load for the 170 grainers. I was down to 75 from 100 at this point.
I omitted earlier they I did load 10 rounds at 40 grains of 4895 and RL-15. Still produced 5 inch groups and greater at 50 yards.

So ... with an offer to trade my existing 75 bullets, plus purchase another 100 or more for a great price ... I abandoned the 30-30 bullet experiment.

It wasn’t what I thought would happen. I had hoped that using beginning .308 loads would yield better accuracy. But that did not happen.
On the brighter side .. I got to connect with a CGN’R in my area (Mauser) ... pick up some bullets at a great price ... and learn that my BLR didn’t like those 170 gr FN at those velocities. Neither did my Savage model 10. I tried a few from it too.

For me ... lesson learned. Stick with bullets for that recommended caliber, and with some recommended recipes.
I’ll most likely do that from now on!

Thank again!
 
It seems hand loading is almost always about "learning". 5 shot "group" into 7" at 50 yards is pretty discouraging! Not real certain if there are hand loading techniques that can correct that? So much is things that make a .25" group size difference at 100 yards in higher end precision bench guns - not so sure - without trying - how much they matter in a store-bought run-of-mill hunting rifle. I have one rifle here that shoots similar - with any load tried - like 3" to 4" groups at 25 yards. It is stamped as a 270 Win. Chamber is correct. But, we discovered that the groove to groove dimension is about .005" larger than a .277" bullet, even though the top of rifling dimension is correct at .270". It is a 1950's BSA sporter - as if somebody grabbed a barrel blank meant for 276 Enfield and ran it through the 270 Win production line - do not know. My last "faint hope" is Nosler Partition bullets which have not yet been tried - hoping that open lead at rear end might allow the rear end of bullet to "swell up" and fill the groove dimension. If that doesn't work, then I have a decent 30-06 barrel for it...
 
Surprised your accuracy was that poor. I intentionally load 30-30 bullets for 308 as a low recoil short range hunting load for my daughter, who just upgraded tp .308.

I chose hornady’s 160gr monoflex, then followed hodgdon’s h4895 reduced load pamphlet and wound up at like 65% of max powder weight for .308.

She practiced with these bullets in her new t3x all summer, and they shoot very accurately. There is very little recoil, and she is good vis-a-vis trajectory out to 175 yards. Hope to have a terminal performance report on elk sometime this coming season.

Cheers,

Brobee
 
hey i have 150 FN 3030s in the 30-06, i used up some 2206H for a fairly light load, 2500 fps or so. ive shot fallow deer with them aswell, an all pretty good.
 
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