Powder question for 308 Win - Which Manual to follow?

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countyboy

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Hi Guys

Thanks in advance.

I am reloading for a 308 win 175gr Sierra BTHP MK. My Dilemma is my Modern Reloading Second Edition by Lee suggests a starting load of 42 Grains with a max of 45 grains. Page 429. Velocity 2516 at 42 grains and 2690 at 45 grains.

The Sierra manual that I downloaded from someone on this website 5th Edition indicates a Starting load of 36.3 grains and a max Load of 42 grains. Velocity 2200 at 36.3 and 2500 at 41.3 Page 540.

The velocities seem consistent across the two manuals.

I was already to load having I think set my powder to consistently drop 42 grains but now I am having second thoughts about starting with 42. I do notice that in Lee they note H-Varget and in Sierra it is just Varget. There isn't more than one Varget powder is there?

Any Advice, I tend to believe Lee but I am just too new at reloading and don't want to hurt my new Rem 5R or and more importantly myself or anyone else.

Thanks very much
 
From Hodgdon Website

Cartridge: 308 Winchester
Load Type: Rifle
Starting Loads
Maximum Loads

Bullet Weight (Gr.) Manufacturer Powder Bullet Diam. C.O.L. Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure
175 GR. SIE HPBT Hodgdon Varget .308" 2.800" 42.0 2583 42,600 CUP 45.0C 2690 48,600 CUP
Click to expand...
 
Hodgdon Website says the same!!

175 GR. SIE HPBT Hodgdon Varget .308" 2.800" 42.0 2583 42,600 CUP 45.0C 2690 48,600 CUP

I guess I shouldn't open up 5 pages and then start replying!!
 
Last edited:
I shoot a load using a 175gr. SMK in a Win case, Fed 210M Primer, and 43.0gr. of Varget. This produces 2650fps from a 26" barrel of a Rem700P. Accuracy is outstanding out to 1050 yards. COL is 2.84".

I agree, some of the data is confusing, but start low, work up some loads and try and find the sweet spot.
 
As Blargon said, always go to the website first as your latest source of info.

Reloading manuals are great for how to reload and over all length and length to trim to etc. As soon as they are published they are out of date in one way or another and I use them for reference only.

I have a large collection of reloading manuals and one time I thought I would compare .44 Mag with 2400 powder and shooting the elmer Keith 429421 SWC (this is the load that model 29 was designed around). Well I grabbed 10 manuals off the shelf and only 3 or the 10 agreed on max load and the other 7 were all different. 2400 powder has changed a bit and these manuals were all the newer ones after the change.

I logged onto Alliant's website and lo and behold there max was one of the other 7 manuals and not the three that were the same.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I went to the Hodgdon Website too.

Follow up question One:

I saw in both the info you posted from the Hodgdon Site and on the site that 42 was starting but max load was 45C. What does the C stand for? I am guessing that is the capacity of the case.

The starting load is 3.07 CC and the max I think is 3.28. Both 3.07/3.28 and 42/45 = .935976 and .933333 respectively.

Second Question. My setting on the Lee Powder distributer is a bit weird as I didn't have much success using the 1/10 and 1/100th gauge but I but just turn the 1 cc gauge very slightly and that got me to 42 consistenly on the powder scale.

If 42gr is 93.3333% of case volume and Max load is 45gr I feel pretty confident that I can't overload my case even if I measured correctly (which I have done probably 50 times... as the instructions said I did a whole resevoir to coat the nylon with graphite).

Thanks again, I really appreciate the help and support.
 
"C" means a compressed load. I think you should forget about loading by volume ie. 3.07cc-3.28cc and measure the powder by weight.
 
Loading by weight is easier, and FWIW, I have run 180gr SST with up to 46gr of Varget without issue. Work up in your gun and you'll be OK...
 
C is for compressed. Each batch of powder has a slightly diferent specfic(sp) gravity,weight for volume, I don't think I have ever gotten the exact calculated volume for the weight.I always have to adjust a bit up or down for the first few. If you are running full cases,you may have to drop them on the scale pan just so you slowly fill the case with a fair bit of drop,it will settle the powder.
 
Load by weight for sure. I have a Redding powder dump I have never used, as I prefer to scoop to get close to my load, then trickle up to exact weight. Granted, it takes longer than using the dump, but I want exact powder charges in every single round.
 
I find with Lapua Brass and 175 grain matchkings in my .308 remington sps varmint 44 is the max I can go to without seeing excess pressure signs. Anything over that is definitely going to be hard on brass in my gun. Accuracy is good though and I'm getting 2700 fps out of the 26 inch barrel so thats the load I've been using for a while now.
 
Volume will be more accurate,as moisture content will change your specific gravity with the seasons. But even the Lee is only good to +/- four sticks,so we can't throw accurately enough to use volume.Does less than .1gr mean any thing in a load?? VihtVouri says no. But what the heck.
 
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