Reloading for AR 308?

[BooSSted]

I generally load 175's for my bolt action, but the Stag 10 is my first semi auto 308.

Does anyone have a goto that they like? I want something that is going to cycle well, and give me decent accuracy. I won't be shooting it much past 100 yards. I'm thinking about 150 FMJBT's to keep it cheaper, but let me know what you use.

Also, do you crimp for a semi? I don't crimp my bolt action loads.

Apologies if this should be in the reloading forum. I figured it was rifle specific, so I put it in here.

 

[Brianma65]

I’m loading 168 SMK tipped.
45 g Varget,at 2800 OAL This worked well in my previous barrel.
I’ll start over when I get my new barrel.
No crimp and no failures.

Yours might like a different charge.

 

[Hutchy]

I'm planing on loading 175's and 168's for mine when I build it. I'm currently loading 168's for another semi 308. I didn't crimp but I cycled a round multiple times looking for setback. Here's what I came up with doing an OCW test and a chrono. Always to a ladder test before using any powder charge info given to you.

168gr HPBT Hornady
Coal 2.857 (0.010 jump)
45gr of varget (46 is max and i started experiencing flat primers and slight ejection marks) @ 2681fps out of a 22" barrel
S&B cases trimmed to max length - Will be changing to military brass after they split
0.002 Neck tension
Winchester LR primer. Soon to be replaced with CCI br4

 

[BooSSted]

I’m loading 168 SMK tipped.
45 g Varget,at 2800 OAL This worked well in my previous barrel.
I’ll start over when I get my new barrel.
No crimp and no failures.

Yours might like a different charge.

I'm probably not going to load SMK's for this. They're too expensive for blasting

 

[beltfed]

For your particulars, I’d go with a 150-155 gr. Bullet. I can’t recommend any particular FMJ, but I’d probably start with Hornady and see how it goes. Maybe try some cheap hunting bullets if the FMJ don’t perform to your expectations. I find Nosler custom competition BTHPs can be had usually cheaper than SMKs if the FMJs or the hunting rounds don’t produce the accuracy you are looking for.

I highly recommend you crimp and chrono your loads. As an example, 45gr. of Varget is too much for a 168gr SMK in an AR loaded to 2.800” aol in my experience, but that appears contrary to other’s experience - proceed like you would with any load development.

 

[Brianma65]

For your particulars, I’d go with a 150-155 gr. Bullet. I can’t recommend any particular FMJ, but I’d probably start with Hornady and see how it goes. Maybe try some cheap hunting bullets if the FMJ don’t perform to your expectations. I find Nosler custom competition BTHPs can be had usually cheaper than SMKs if the FMJs or the hunting rounds don’t produce the accuracy you are looking for.

I highly recommend you crimp and chrono your loads. As an example, 45gr. of Varget is too much for a 168gr SMK in an AR loaded to 2.800” aol in my experience, but that appears contrary to other’s experience - proceed like you would with any load development.

Yes, I have to agree ,45 is on the high side.
I’m thinking I’m going to back off and see if I can find a node in the 41-43 range.
I haven’t crimped yet and have had no issues, but it’s always nagging me, that maybe I should.

 

[Dr. Hunter]

For your particulars, I’d go with a 150-155 gr. Bullet. I can’t recommend any particular FMJ, but I’d probably start with Hornady and see how it goes. Maybe try some cheap hunting bullets if the FMJ don’t perform to your expectations. I find Nosler custom competition BTHPs can be had usually cheaper than SMKs if the FMJs or the hunting rounds don’t produce the accuracy you are looking for.

I highly recommend you crimp and chrono your loads. As an example, 45gr. of Varget is too much for a 168gr SMK in an AR loaded to 2.800” aol in my experience, but that appears contrary to other’s experience - proceed like you would with any load development.

I found the same but I did crimp and did use ivi brass

 

[Uisge]

My modern Hunter liked 155gr amax bullets over IMR4895. The 168 gr wasn’t far behind though.

 

[BooSSted]

I picked up some 147gr Campro's today. I'll go by the Hodgdon book and try some with Varget and some with BLC-2. I've got both of those on hand.

 

[KND]

I'm planing on loading 175's and 168's for mine when I build it. I'm currently loading 168's for another semi 308. I didn't crimp but I cycled a round multiple times looking for setback. Here's what I came up with doing an OCW test and a chrono. Always to a ladder test before using any powder charge info given to you.

168gr HPBT Hornady
Coal 2.857 (0.010 jump)
45gr of varget (46 is max and i started experiencing flat primers and slight ejection marks) @ 2681fps out of a 22" barrel
S&B cases trimmed to max length - Will be changing to military brass after they split
0.002 Neck tension
Winchester LR primer. Soon to be replaced with CCI br4

Any newbie for reloading, please be caution to this load since it's very close to max.
Start low and work your way up, watch out for pressure sign and such.

 

[cr5]

For a 308 semi I would stay below 180gr projectiles.
For 150-168gr projectiles I've seen good results from Varget but H4895 has a nice burn characteristic that works well in semi's and it's my powder of choice in my M-14's. The AR-10 action is a little less picky though and I've used a few other powders with good results in them with projectiles all the way down to 110gr V-max loads.

I usually use a Lee factory crimp die set to 1/2 turn past contact with the shell holder. I have made lots of loads for semi's over the years and not crimped and never had an issue though. Sometimes accuracy is affected by the crimp so I test with and without
Work up in small increments till you start to see pressure signs then go back to the load that was the most consistent on paper and over the chrony.

 

[Uisge]

For a 308 semi I would stay below 180gr projectiles.
For 150-168gr projectiles I've seen good results from Varget but H4895 has a nice burn characteristic that works well in semi's and it's my powder of choice in my M-14's. The AR-10 action is a little less picky though and I've used a few other powders with good results in them with projectiles all the way down to 110gr V-max loads.

I usually use a Lee factory crimp die set to 1/2 turn past contact with the shell holder. I have made lots of loads for semi's over the years and not crimped and never had an issue though. Sometimes accuracy is affected by the crimp so I test with and without
Work up in small increments till you start to see pressure signs then go back to the load that was the most consistent on paper and over the chrony.

Those 110’s are deadly eh? Not fur freindly at all but the coyotes don’t know what hit them. I didn’t even go close to max velocity and they are still pretty impressive.

 

[Markit]

168 BTHP match or 168 Amax over 42.5 of RL15 has given me quite a few sub moa groups out of a cold barrel.

155 AMAX over 44.2 RL15 gives consistent 1.25 to 2.5 groups until the barrel heats up.

This is out of a BCL that is currently in pieces waiting on the receiver set getting anodized as I contemplate a rebarrel and potential caliber change.

The first load above also gives me sub 1/2 moa out of my Savage 10TR all day long which is a bonus.

 

[Hutchy]

Any newbie for reloading, please be caution to this load since it's very close to max.
Start low and work your way up, watch out for pressure sign and such.

Can't stress this enough, I experienced pressure signs around 45.5 and 46gr of varget. These cases weighed 176gr, so if anyone reading this is using military brass which mine weigh 184+/- gr you'll experience these pressure signs at a lower charge.

 

[cr5]

Those 110’s are deadly eh? Not fur freindly at all but the coyotes don’t know what hit them. I didn’t even go close to max velocity and they are still pretty impressive.

I developed the load for my RFB when I had it then found half a box of the 110gr loads months after I sold the RFB and decided to try them in the DPMS. Neat how going to a quality barrel in a platform that's inherently more accurate can turn a 1.5-2 MOA load into a sub MOA load. I may see if my M-14's will cycle a 110gr pill but I'm just happy I finally have a half decent 168gr load developed for it now. I'm so far behind on load development

 

[Receipt]

I've tried some of my 123gr loads using D4198 in an M14 and they cycled fine.

 

[b_w.]

43g +/- varget with 175g smk at mag length works for me.

 

[BooSSted]

I'm looking for loads for lighter (cheaper) bullet weights. I'm not going to spend the money on SMK's for a 1-2 MOA semi.

 

[Uisge]

I developed the load for my RFB when I had it then found half a box of the 110gr loads months after I sold the RFB and decided to try them in the DPMS. Neat how going to a quality barrel in a platform that's inherently more accurate can turn a 1.5-2 MOA load into a sub MOA load. I may see if my M-14's will cycle a 110gr pill but I'm just happy I finally have a half decent 168gr load developed for it now. I'm so far behind on load development

The RFB’s have a long throat, I read they did that for reliability, maybe BCL will try it someday. Mine liked the heavy stuff, the 110’s I tried (Noveske) weren’t very good at all, but that’s a really long jump to lands. Maybe a 110gr will run better in the 102? Certainly won’t be jamming the lands as much. My recently departed PAR shot the 110’s well. I also read they really like steel case ammo. Wish I had some steel match to try when I had mine... come to think of it I really miss that rifle.

 

[cr5]

I'm looking for loads for lighter (cheaper) bullet weights. I'm not going to spend the money on SMK's for a 1-2 MOA semi.

https://www.budgetshootersupply.ca/product/campro-30cal-308-147gr-fmjbt-bullet-500box/

Varget or H4895 should work well with the 147gr projectiles. Start close to the book min (below half anyway for the first few test rounds) and work up carefully. Not sure what brass you're planning to use but I found that my S&B brass must be 7.62 spec rather than 308 spec as it started showing pressure signs before I got close to book max. I also like to reference the service rifle section of my Hornady manual since it gives a good indication of what loads should be when loading for a semi, watch for what brass they used in the manual and compensate accordingly if you're using something with more or less case capacity.