So I have found my load with my 308 savage is 40 gn's IMR4895 with a 150gn sierra pro hunter boattail. I accidentally bought flat bottom (regs) instead. Do I need to re work up this load or should it be fairly close. The loads are the same in the sierra manual...
Sierra 15o gn boat tail verse sierra 150gn normal.
- Thread starter Striker33
- Start date
40 gr of IMR 4895 seems a little on the light side, in fact 2.5 gr under the suggested starting load. The flat base bullets may have more bearing surface than the boattailed bullets, so you should start again working up your load. I would not be afraid to work up to 44-46 gr of IMR 4895.
Some have found that barrels that are worn may shoot better with the flat-bottomed bullets. Apparently these bullets bases obdurate - flatten - to make better contact with the lands and grooves.
This shouldn't affect most of us. I personally found that the flat-bottom bullets shot worse for me with the same loads.
I agree with the comments above. 40 gr. of 4895 seems light for a 150 grain bullet but if it shoots in your gun, it is likely to work fine on reasonably sized game.
This shouldn't affect most of us. I personally found that the flat-bottom bullets shot worse for me with the same loads.
I agree with the comments above. 40 gr. of 4895 seems light for a 150 grain bullet but if it shoots in your gun, it is likely to work fine on reasonably sized game.
Your load of 40 grains of IMR 4895 with the 150 grain bullet in a 308 W, will have little, if any, more velocity than a 150 grain bullet in a good 30-30 load.
So bear that in mind, as you think of shooting game with it at anything but fairly close range.
So bear that in mind, as you think of shooting game with it at anything but fairly close range.
As stated above.
Your load is mild. A great kids load.
In a poor barrel, the flat base might work better. A round nose might be better too in a poor barrel.
Your load will work about the same with either base, but zero might shift a bit.
Your load is mild. A great kids load.
In a poor barrel, the flat base might work better. A round nose might be better too in a poor barrel.
Your load will work about the same with either base, but zero might shift a bit.
The base load in the Sierra Manual is 39.5 Gns of IMR 4895. I had .5inch groups at 100 yards, and my wife will actually shoot it ( this is the real reason I like this load). Groups were not nearly as tight at 42-44gns. I use it to shoot White tail at <200 yards.
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
they will not shoot to the exact same point
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The "advantages" of a boat-tail bullet isn't manifest inside of 300 yards, and it is more difficult to get consistent terminal performance from a big game boat-tail bullet than it is a flat base. The best terminal performance, that is: straight line penetration and maximum retained weight, comes from a bullet with parallel sides and a flat or hemispherical nose. But such a bullet has the worst ballistic characteristics in terms of trajectory, and as a result they don't sell particularly well. So game bullets are frequently a compromise between ballistic coefficient and terminal performance, which might suggest a bullet with tapered sides, a semi-sptitzer nose, and in some cases a boat-tail.
Work up a load that gives your bullet 2700 fps, a velocity which ensures reasonable terminal performance from any expanding big game bullet, which produces only moderate blast and recoil, and which shoots reasonably flat. If possible, shoot the load at close, moderate and long range to A) confirm the trajectory and your hold, and B) to establish the maximum practical range of the rifle, your load, and your marksmanship limitations.
Sierra list a starting load of 39.8 for 2500 fps and 43.7 as the max. at 2800 fps. You are roughly 4 grains below max so you 40 grain load is really a starting point.
Check your OAL and you are clear to go. Good shooting.
Check your OAL and you are clear to go. Good shooting.
I noticed that the Lee 'modern loader" has a max load of 45.5 gn ... I loaded 4 roads at .5 intervals from 42-45. I will do a bunch of testing. I have loaded several 100 40gn loads in my cabinet, which should be plenty for my wife, so I will try to work up this load better. Thanks for the input guys. I do not reach past 200
yards EVER, so if I can't get a good load over 40gn I won't worry! (I am too crappy of a shot... no amount of practice has been able to get me there.)
Has anyone else noted a huge difference between the Sierra manual, and the other ones. The loads seem MUCH lower and conservative
yards EVER, so if I can't get a good load over 40gn I won't worry! (I am too crappy of a shot... no amount of practice has been able to get me there.)
Has anyone else noted a huge difference between the Sierra manual, and the other ones. The loads seem MUCH lower and conservative
