question about loading the grains of powder.
- Thread starter Mr. Friendly
- Start date
Yeah, 44.0g is what is listed in 3 of my books as a minimum for 150gr bullets. 47.0g is listed as a maximum but it will be a compressed load. I'd do the right thing and work up to it looking for all the signs of overpressure though. I reload with 165 or 168gr Sierra or Berger bullets and have found that 44 grains is just about perfect. Rick.
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
A good rule of thumb when reloading. Or in anything for that matter.
If you're convinced your right but something looks really weird, or if you have to force something excessivly hard, you're probably doing something wrong. Back off, go have a smoke/coffee, whatever. Come back in 10 minutes and recheck everything from start to finish.
If you're convinced your right but something looks really weird, or if you have to force something excessivly hard, you're probably doing something wrong. Back off, go have a smoke/coffee, whatever. Come back in 10 minutes and recheck everything from start to finish.
The recommeded weight from hodgdon is 44 to 47 you should go to their site and play with the number at their reloading centre http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
Then read this over on 6mmbr
http://www.6mmbr.com/308Win.html
Next and this is the important step read up on pressure signs
flattened primers/Pierced primers
extractor marks
stiff bolt lift
Start loading at the 44 gr mark and work up in .2 grains until you get to 47 (have a bullet puller available as you might not get to 47 before pressure signs appear) load 3 rounds for each increment and shoot at 100 yards, your looking for the tightest grouping... as this is appears to be a hunting load you may want to give up a bit of accuracy to get more velocity (down range energy). Once you find what you think is a good load, load 20 rounds and do a test of two 10 shot groups each at the farthest distance you have access to and see what the results are.
To avoid compressed loads use a drop tube if you don't have one go to McDonald's and grab a straws wrap scotch tape about 1 inch from the end so there is enough tape so the straw can't fall in.
Trevor
Then read this over on 6mmbr
http://www.6mmbr.com/308Win.html
Next and this is the important step read up on pressure signs
flattened primers/Pierced primers
extractor marks
stiff bolt lift
Start loading at the 44 gr mark and work up in .2 grains until you get to 47 (have a bullet puller available as you might not get to 47 before pressure signs appear) load 3 rounds for each increment and shoot at 100 yards, your looking for the tightest grouping... as this is appears to be a hunting load you may want to give up a bit of accuracy to get more velocity (down range energy). Once you find what you think is a good load, load 20 rounds and do a test of two 10 shot groups each at the farthest distance you have access to and see what the results are.
To avoid compressed loads use a drop tube if you don't have one go to McDonald's and grab a straws wrap scotch tape about 1 inch from the end so there is enough tape so the straw can't fall in.
Trevor
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
Shot some of my 42.5 up to my 43.5 grain loads with the Nos 150 grain bullets. At 25 yards I put all the bullets in to a pattern so close the bullet holes were touching and would fit under a quarter though they were shooting 3 inches higher then factory loads at the same distance.
i just bought the 7th edition hodgson's book and varget with a 150-155 grain bullet shows 39.5 grains as a starting load.the lee chart that comes with the dies shows 44 grains(i think) as a starting load.
i'm using mil. brass (ivi) so since i used the min. load i didn't reduce by 5%.
i used the book and went min. @ 2300 fps. but since i didn't go 5% less i figure i'll do 2350 fps or so...
i'm new to this so i just broke my second decapper.i used the manual decapper to remove the primer and enough lube but i still got a stuck case and broke my pin getting it out...again...oh well...
back to the drawing board...
i'm using mil. brass (ivi) so since i used the min. load i didn't reduce by 5%.
i used the book and went min. @ 2300 fps. but since i didn't go 5% less i figure i'll do 2350 fps or so...
i'm new to this so i just broke my second decapper.i used the manual decapper to remove the primer and enough lube but i still got a stuck case and broke my pin getting it out...again...oh well...
back to the drawing board...
It can be confusing to see the wide variations. Yesterday I looked up a load in the newest Hornady manual for .308 using their 155gr Amax. They state a starting load of 35.9gr, and a max of 44.9.
I'm more in line with sunray: I'm planning a ladder test using Varget, starting at 44gr, going up in .3 gr increments to a max of 47.3. I may stop short of that, we'll see what the signs and portents say. I sure won't go beyond that.
btw, 47.3 isn't a compressed load, but there isn't a whole lot of room left.
I'm more in line with sunray: I'm planning a ladder test using Varget, starting at 44gr, going up in .3 gr increments to a max of 47.3. I may stop short of that, we'll see what the signs and portents say. I sure won't go beyond that.
btw, 47.3 isn't a compressed load, but there isn't a whole lot of room left.
"...47.3 isn't a compressed load..." 47 grains of Varget is a compressed load in a .308 and over max for a 150. A correct compressed load is no big deal.
Go up in half grain increments to 47.0(compressed).
Not all max loads are compressed though. Only those with a 'c' after the number.
Go up in half grain increments to 47.0(compressed).
Not all max loads are compressed though. Only those with a 'c' after the number.
Well, I've just loaded my test rounds and the last 2, 47.0 and 47.3, while pretty full, (up to the bottom of the neck or thereabouts) were still below the seating depth of the Amax 155, even though it's a longer bullet than the SMK's I was using before. My overall length is 2.835.
I'm quite new to reloading, so it's quite possible I'm missing something here.
