Your most accurate 308 loads Please?

[coug2wolfs]

For those that shoot and reload for the 308, what combination of brass, primer, powder/amt, and bullets do you use?

Not interested so much in target loads. ie, match, but rather hunting bullets and loads.

Thanks!

[longshot]

Coug,

The best load I have ever gotten uses match bullets, but I have hunted with the same combination and the results were pretty satisfying.  I shot a ~150 lb Russian boar at about 90 paces, stopped him dead in his tracks.  The bullet did not exit, found it lodged in the offside chest cavity.  Unfortunately, I didn't weigh the bullet or measure expanded dia. but the performance spoke pretty loudly.  On paper, the best groups I got averaged around 5/8" for 3 shots from my Remington 700 VLS

Winchester brass
CCI benchrest large rifle primer
43.0 gr. of IMR-4064
168 gr. Sierrra BTHP

--Longshot--

It worked really good for me, hopefully you can get the same results. :-)

[Mnswede]

For sub 1/2 minute loads for my HV 308:

LC 64 brass
Rem 9 1/2 primer
40 gr Varget
Sierra 165 gr SP

LC 64 brass
WLR primer
47 gr Re 15
Speer 125 HP TNT
(Varmints)

LC 64 brass
Rem 9 1/2 primer
40 gr Re 7
Nosler 125 BT

[Mikey]

Coug:  the best accuracy I ever obtained from a 308 (the only one I ever and will ever own) was with a 180 grain Harnaday RN at about 2430'/sec.  I think the powder was 3031.  The load came from the Lyman 45th edition and was listed as the accuracy load for that caliber and particular bullet.  

One of the reasons I gave up that particular rifle is that I could not get the accuracy I wanted from that cartridge at any faster velocity.  Mikey.

[coug2wolfs]

Thanks guys!  I keep seeing 4064, again and again for top accuracy. The other side of the equasion that I didn't mention is I'd like to get a powder that does real well in the 308 AND the 7-08. IMR 4064 is listed right up there for the 7mm-08 too.

There was a time when I would just about CRY if I couldn't get the same velocity as the factory stuff ( why reload if ya can't beat em at their own game

Once is six blue moons I'd stumble onto a load at max that DID meet or exceed the factory velocity, and it was an exceptional grouper as well.  But as most know, that isn't a common thing amongst rifles  :wink:

These days, with the array of bullets we can pick from, I don't reckon 100 fps amounts to dogsnot.  We can have em in soft quick openers, or we can get em so they just about act like solids, and everywhere in between.

Guess it comes down to a load that you can call your shots with that delivers a well behaved bullet for the game at hand. Then I think there will be many smiles.  :grin:

To me anyway, there is a certain buzz in knowing that I can take the head clean off a gray squirrel at 75 long meters with my 22 hornet bolt gun. Not that we need that precision in the shooting of let's say deer, but then, knowing that the gun and load is capable of drilling a hole center in the heart, well that floats my stick :wink:

Right after Moose season I got a date with the guide. Seems I've been challenged to shoot at quarters (25 cents pcs) at a hundred yards.  With the -06 and 220 grainers no less!

Now see what I been tellin you guys right along?  You figger you need an -06 with a 220 to kill a quarter, just imagine how much gun ya'll will need to kill sumptin BIG!

I'm up for the challenge, in fact, lookin forward to it.  Have to show that young whippersnapper how it's done.  Course he delivers a 60 inch bull moose I may just throw the game and let em win  :wink:

Either way, I'll get Ina to film the event and you guys can have a few laughs.

[Skeezix]

Coug,
My favorite load for my Browning BLR .308 is 45.5 grains of IMR-4064, a CCI Large Rifle Primer, and a Speer 150 gr spitzer Hot-Core bullet.  It comes out of my 20" barrel at around 2700fps and I've killed deer with that rifle and load from 25 feet out to a little over 300 yards very reliably.  If hit right, most fall either in their tracks or go no more than 25 yards.  I've loaded it in Winchester, Norma, Sako and Federal brass and all group around 7/8" at 100 yards.  This load has also worked excellently using the Remington 150gr Pointed Softpoint Core-Lokt bullet (and those bullets are CHEAP when you buy them in bulk from Midway and places like that).  I've killed over 50 deer with this load using these two bullets.

I use the same combination, but increase the powder charge weight to around maximum, for my Win 70 Classic Stainless.  But you have to watch for pressure signs as you work the load up because the actual max load you can achieve changes somewhat with the different brands and batches of brass.

I have also recently had excellent accuracy results with max and near max loads using Alliant RL-15 powder, Federal and Winchester brass, CCI Large Rifle Primers, and both the 150 gr Speer spitzer and the 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip.  I've killed lots of deer with the Speer bullet but haven't killed any with this particular Ballistic Tip yet.

Another bullet I've used with good results with the 4064 loads is the Speer 150gr Grand Slam.  It ought to do great with the RL-15, as well.  They expand great and hold together very well.  Once, using this bullet, I jumped up a 200 lb buck and as it was running away from me, it gave me a steep quartering shot.  When I fired, the bullet was deflected somewhat by a sapling, and hit him in the left hind-quarter, blew the left hip joint apart, continued forward under the spine, ripped the liver and aorta and came to rest between the ribs and right shoulder blade.  He piled up and skidded to a stop.

[crow_feather]

If you have some ww 760 powder - you might try 50 grains of 760 with a 165 grain bullet with a mag primer -  I had an Mark X that would put 5 in 3/4" with that load.
C F

[urika20]

I use in my savage 99, 125 gr nosler ballistic tips on top of 50gr of 748 with CCI primers.  Consistent 1 inch groups at a little over 3100fps. Not bad for a rifle bought by my grandfather in the mid sixties!

urika20

[coug2wolfs]

Thanks for all the pet loads guys!

I see from the replys that there are two distinct types of bullets being used, and I certainley agree with both.

To me, there are two different games we play with the critters. The one where we are on stand or can sneak up on an unaware animal and get a precision shot in.  Then, I would think that frangible bullets like the Nosler Ballistic Tips, and what Sierra used to have in the 165 BTHP will drop em on the spot.

The other end of it calls for the Nosler Partition, the Speer Grand Slam, the Trophy Bonded, the Swift A frames, where we have to drive a bullet at an odd angle, or, get through a lot of flesh and bone to get into the vitals.  Two different methods of hunting, two different games, and, two sets of parameters.

The other requisite that is prevalent in some parts of the country is them danged whipsticks and brush.  Then it calls for a long for caliber bullet with a round nose at a modest velocity, say 2400-2600 fps.

Myself, I'm at a loss how we can cover all those bases with just a single load.  So, the onlyest thing that makes any sense, is to BUY MORE RIFLES!  Then, we can tailor loads for each rifle and it is sure to be the berries  :wink:

Only problem left to deal with is, Where am I huntin today

Me I'm headin out to fetch some powder an pills!

[TopGun]

Longshot has the load- :shock: -it's the load I use in Hi-power DCM/CMP shooting from a Modified Rem700. When I want to hunt with it, I just substitute a Sierra 165 spitzer boat tail for the 168HPBT. It is always sub MOA and kills deer dead!  :oops:  It is pretty much the standard load for a .308 rifle with a good bore! :grin:

[Selmer]

I'll break the mold here and say that H380 is my most accurate powder in the .308, though I have never tried 4064 or 748 cause I tried H380 first and if they'll do any better I'll quit right now.  My Rem. 788 likes any .308 load that involves a full case of H380 and a Nosler bullet.  Here are my deer loads, followed by my hypothetical heavy game loads, for the time that I get to hunt something bigger than deer, like hogs, I'd love to hunt nogs sometime, in fact, I'd trade some South Dakota pheasant hunting for some hog hunting somewhere!
 Varmint
53 gr. H380 125 gr. Nosler Bt

Deer
52 gr. H380 150 gr. Nosler BT
51 gr. H380 165 gr. Nosler BT

Bigger than deer
52 gr. H380 150 gr. Nosler Partition
51 gr. H380 165 gr. Nosler Partition

All of the BT loads will shoot 1/2" groups as long as I will, and the Partitions will hold around an inch, it's not quite as accurate as the BT in my opinion.  Hope this helps!
Selmer

[targshooter]

Coug,
I have had good performance both on game and on target with the following .308 loads, all using Remington bulk brass.
1] 150 grain Remington Core Lokt over 41 grains of DuPont IMR 3031.
2] 180 grain as above over 39 grains of IMR 3031.
Shoots well in both my Interarms Mark X and Ruger 77,