Ultimate accuracy in .308 Winchester

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freedomintheskies

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Looking for a super accurate load for the long range target use. Bullets are still sort of hard to come by and I have a few boxes of Hornady 168 gr HPBT and 168 gr A-Max's. I'd like to try some heavier bullets pending availability, but I don't want to waste money chasing something that will never work either.
My current load is a 168 gr. BTSP over 42.5gr. Varget and a WLR primer in commercial brass, FL sized. It was able to group 1/2 @ 100 through my Savage , but so far with my Ruger Precision RIfle, I'm only getting about 2.75"@ 300 yds.
Anyways, please chime in with your pet load or suggestions.
 
A couple bullets that usually work well at long range in .308 are the tried and true Sierra 175 gr hpbt or the Lapua 155 gr Scennar.

168 gr can get you to 800 but if you want to get out to 1000 you gotta look at 175 or the 155 Scennar. The 168 will struggle the last 200 yards.

Try swapping out your bullet to the two above and slightly tweak your load from there. You will be happy with the results.
 
Aren't we all?

Sub MOA still not too bad. I found the 178Amax, WLR and 43 gr of 4895 in fully prepped Winchester cases not too bad in the 11.25 twist. But you know what they say "what good at 100yds might not be the best at 500yds" I wonder if a heavier pill would be better. I'm going to give it a try anyway. Eventually.

I'll be following along for sure.
 
The 168gr has a reputation of being designed for short range, not beyond 300yds. It goes wonky at 800 for all the same reasons it is good at close range. The 155gr Palma bullets are optimized for staying more stable at 800, 900 and 1000yds because those are the match distances. As mentioned above, the 175gr has been around long enough to be well known (but I've no experience with them ....). I think the Americans had a 210gr long long range bullet for 30-06 rifles in the '50s, but I don't know its qualities.
 
I went down this road years ago when I competed in Full Bore. Ended up with Lapua brass (necks turned), Fed 210M, Varget and 154 gr Lapua Scenars moly coated. Loaded with Redding Type S bushing dies and Forster competition seater die. Runout is critical. Shot best in multiple barrels when seated .005" off the lands. When Varget wasn't available I used VV 540.
Will consistently shoot 1/2 MOA at 1000 when the shooter does his part. Also had good results with Nosler 155 gr comp and 155 gr Amax but always came back to Scenars as consistently my scores were always a bit better with them.
 
Here is a list that Fclass used at USA Nationals FTR Class 308/223
note: not one shooter used Hornadys or Sierra bullets, no 155gr,168gr or 175 gr

file:///C:/Users/manitou210/Downloads/2015_F-Class-Nationals-Equipment-List-F-TR%20(7).pdf
 
freedomintheskies said:
Looking for a super accurate load for the long range target use. Bullets are still sort of hard to come by and I have a few boxes of Hornady 168 gr HPBT and 168 gr A-Max's. I'd like to try some heavier bullets pending availability, but I don't want to waste money chasing something that will never work either.
My current load is a 168 gr. BTSP over 42.5gr. Varget and a WLR primer in commercial brass, FL sized. It was able to group 1/2 @ 100 through my Savage , but so far with my Ruger Precision RIfle, I'm only getting about 2.75"@ 300 yds.
Anyways, please chime in with your pet load or suggestions.
Click to expand...

I get better than that, further than that with factory ammo, Federal Gamekings and Factory Nosler Trophy Accubonds.
So I've been reluctant to reload. If I do I'd likely try to duplicate those two factory loads/velocities.

I believe that's in a 1/12 twist Remy 700, I'd have to look to validate the twist.
 
manitou210 said:
Here is a list that Fclass used at USA Nationals FTR Class 308/223
note: not one shooter used Hornadys or Sierra bullets, no 155gr,168gr or 175 gr

file:///C:/Users/manitou210/Downloads/2015_F-Class-Nationals-Equipment-List-F-TR%20(7).pdf
Click to expand...

I'd like to see your list, but you posted a link to your personal computer harddrive. Gopher was an old Internet "Superhighway" browser that let anyone poke around a home computer harddrive remotely. No one uses Gopher anymore.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
I'd like to see your list, but you posted a link to your personal computer harddrive. Gopher was an old Internet "Superhighway" browser that let anyone poke around a home computer harddrive remotely. No one uses Gopher anymore.
Click to expand...

file:///C:/Users/manitou210/Downloads/2015_F-Class-Nationals-Equipment-List-F-TR%20(9).pdf

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3886672.0
 
2015fclassnatlequip_zpsunkuia5g.jpg
 
But… but… the 175 is the best.…

I have never understood why 308 users have insisted on using inferior bullets when every other caliber user goes to the best bullet. It also frustrates me to watch 260 users compare their rifles using 140gr bullets to 308s using 168 or 175gr bullets. Apples to apples is the 260 using 140gr and 308 using 200+gr bullets.

I'd suggest for the medium barrel length 308 users to try the 185gr Berger Juggernaut. Longer barrels can go even heavier without sacrificing too much velocity.
 
freedomintheskies said:
Looking for a super accurate load for the long range target use. Bullets are still sort of hard to come by and I have a few boxes of Hornady 168 gr HPBT and 168 gr A-Max's. I'd like to try some heavier bullets pending availability, but I don't want to waste money chasing something that will never work either.
My current load is a 168 gr. BTSP over 42.5gr. Varget and a WLR primer in commercial brass, FL sized. It was able to group 1/2 @ 100 through my Savage , but so far with my Ruger Precision RIfle, I'm only getting about 2.75"@ 300 yds.
Anyways, please chime in with your pet load or suggestions.
Click to expand...

Better bullets, better barrels, better set ups.

Google FTR rifles and see what the current state of tech for the 308 is.

Sub 1/2 min at 1000yds is our goal.

IMG_0690_zpsluit0tj4.jpg


We aren't using factory rifles.

Jerry
 
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