208 AMax 100 yard load ? (update)

poposhemi

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May 1, 2012
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Looking to load up some 208 Amax for my 308. My local range is only 100 yards where I am going to do the load development. Will the round stabilize at the range and give me a good indication of its potential. As I will be using it at 600 yards later.
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

Why do you need a 208Amax in a 308Win for 600yds? THe 178Amax and the 175SMK are possibly a bit better suited to your application.
If you cannot test the load beyond 100yds before you go to 600yds in all honesty it may let you down even if it seems to be great at 100. The long for caliber bullets don't always shine at 100yds like they should.
I would look for a lighter bullet.







Disclaimer: This post does not assume in any way to benefit the OP,or for that matter bolster his position which may be in itself flawed.
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

I'm always impressed by 308 shooters reaching for bigger bullets. You got a fast twist barrel? Long barrel? Gonna seat them long?
Your groups will probably be better past 100 yds, but nothing is for sure.
If they don't punch neat little holes they may not be "asleep" at 100 yds.
Please post your recipe and results. I shoot lots of 208s, but out of a 300 win mag.
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

Popo,

Go for it. What the two previous posters may not realize is that you only need to get the 208AMAX at 2,600ft/s to outshoot the 155s @ 3,000ft/s and 175 @ 2750ft/s in terms of wind drift and retained energy. Sure, the 155s and 175 will drop less, but the 208s dominates in every other measure.

On page 2 or 3 of this forum, there is a thread wherein people were decribing their results with 208AMAX & RL-17. One gentleman was able to get 2,550ft/s out of a 20" gas gun loaded to mag-length. In another thread, another gentleman shot got 2,615ft/s out of a 24" savage rifle shooting 2000MR powder.

If you only have 100yards to shoot in, you should work up your load using the OCW method.

What rifle are you shooting? Barrel length? powder? You will get less velocity with Varget than you will with 2000MR, CFE-223 or RL-17, but Varget is more temp stable.

Your answers to the above questions will determine whether you can get the 208AMAX to work in your rifle better than the lighter bullets (175s & 155s).
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tx_Flyboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Popo,

Go for it. What the two previous posters may not realize is that you only need to get the 208AMAX at 2,600ft/s to outshoot the 155s @ 3,000ft/s and 175 @ 2750ft/s in terms of wind drift and retained energy. Sure, the 155s and 175 will drop less, but the 208s dominates in every other measure.

On page 2 or 3 of this forum, there is a thread wherein people were decribing their results with 208AMAX & RL-17. One gentleman was able to get 2,550ft/s out of a 20" gas gun loaded to mag-length. In another thread, another gentleman shot got 2,615ft/s out of a 24" savage rifle shooting 2000MR powder.

If you only have 100yards to shoot in, you should work up your load using the OCW method.

What rifle are you shooting? Barrel length? powder? You will get less velocity with Varget than you will with 2000MR, CFE-223 or RL-17, but Varget is more temp stable.

Your answers to the above questions will determine whether you can get the 208AMAX to work in your rifle better than the lighter bullets (175s & 155s). </div></div>

I'm the gentleman getting 2600+ fps with the 24" Savage and PowerPro 2000 MR powder. The suggestion to do an OCW test at 100 yards is a good one. Using the PowerPro 2000 MR powder, I did my OCW test with a maximum of 48.5 gr. I loaded my foulers at 45.4 gr., and my test loads were 46.3, 46.6, 46.9, 47.2, 47.5, 47.8, 48.1, 48.4, and 48.7 gr.

The PowerPro 2000 MR is a good powder for the heavy .308s. It has become my powder of choice for all my .308 loads.

Bob
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

I'm currently using 208's with 41.4grn Varget, lapua brass, ccibr2 primers.
It's right on 2400fps for me, (26" 1/10 twist)

It stacks bullets at 100yrds, and stays tight as a nuns knickers waaay past 600
Even with a bit of gusting.

Give them a go, it's always fun to try something different!
Good luck!
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Squarenut</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tx_Flyboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Popo,

Go for it. What the two previous posters may not realize is that you only need to get the 208AMAX at 2,600ft/s to outshoot the 155s @ 3,000ft/s and 175 @ 2750ft/s in terms of wind drift and retained energy. Sure, the 155s and 175 will drop less, but the 208s dominates in every other measure.

On page 2 or 3 of this forum, there is a thread wherein people were decribing their results with 208AMAX & RL-17. One gentleman was able to get 2,550ft/s out of a 20" gas gun loaded to mag-length. In another thread, another gentleman shot got 2,615ft/s out of a 24" savage rifle shooting 2000MR powder.

If you only have 100yards to shoot in, you should work up your load using the OCW method.

What rifle are you shooting? Barrel length? powder? You will get less velocity with Varget than you will with 2000MR, CFE-223 or RL-17, but Varget is more temp stable.

Your answers to the above questions will determine whether you can get the 208AMAX to work in your rifle better than the lighter bullets (175s & 155s). </div></div>

I'm the gentleman getting 2600+ fps with the 24" Savage and PowerPro 2000 MR powder. The suggestion to do an OCW test at 100 yards is a good one. Using the PowerPro 2000 MR powder, I did my OCW test with a maximum of 48.5 gr. I loaded my foulers at 45.4 gr., and my test loads were 46.3, 46.6, 46.9, 47.2, 47.5, 47.8, 48.1, 48.4, and 48.7 gr.

The PowerPro 2000 MR is a good powder for the heavy .308s. It has become my powder of choice for all my .308 loads.

Bob </div></div>

How is the temp stability of 2000MR compared to Varget? Or maybe Rl17 would be a better comparison considering that Varget is hard to beat.
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

I found this load worked well at 100 yards in my 700P:

Rifle: 20" Rem 700P (1 in 12" twist)
Bullet: Hornady 208 gr AMAX
Case: Fed (2nd loading) standard case prep
Primer: Fed 210M
Powder: 43.2 grains of R-15
COL: 2.810"
Avg Vel - 2510 fps
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

I worked on my 208 A-Max loads this past weekend. Using varget and AR-Comp. With 45 grains of Varget, OAL 3.044 got a three shot average of 2508fps. No pressure signs and it was about 90 deg out. I still have to work on the AR-Comp loads. I got around 2350 with 42.9 grs. This is out of a 20" SPS-AAC.
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RotARy15</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Squarenut</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tx_Flyboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Popo,

Go for it. What the two previous posters may not realize is that you only need to get the 208AMAX at 2,600ft/s to outshoot the 155s @ 3,000ft/s and 175 @ 2750ft/s in terms of wind drift and retained energy. Sure, the 155s and 175 will drop less, but the 208s dominates in every other measure.

On page 2 or 3 of this forum, there is a thread wherein people were decribing their results with 208AMAX & RL-17. One gentleman was able to get 2,550ft/s out of a 20" gas gun loaded to mag-length. In another thread, another gentleman shot got 2,615ft/s out of a 24" savage rifle shooting 2000MR powder.

If you only have 100yards to shoot in, you should work up your load using the OCW method.

What rifle are you shooting? Barrel length? powder? You will get less velocity with Varget than you will with 2000MR, CFE-223 or RL-17, but Varget is more temp stable.

Your answers to the above questions will determine whether you can get the 208AMAX to work in your rifle better than the lighter bullets (175s & 155s). </div></div>

I'm the gentleman getting 2600+ fps with the 24" Savage and PowerPro 2000 MR powder. The suggestion to do an OCW test at 100 yards is a good one. Using the PowerPro 2000 MR powder, I did my OCW test with a maximum of 48.5 gr. I loaded my foulers at 45.4 gr., and my test loads were 46.3, 46.6, 46.9, 47.2, 47.5, 47.8, 48.1, 48.4, and 48.7 gr.

The PowerPro 2000 MR is a good powder for the heavy .308s. It has become my powder of choice for all my .308 loads.

Bob </div></div>

How is the temp stability of 2000MR compared to Varget? Or maybe Rl17 would be a better comparison considering that Varget is hard to beat. </div></div>

There are several threads on the Hide discussing the temperature sensitivity of the 2000MR powder. By all accounts, it appears to be pretty stable. Here is one link you may find helpful. I have never had any issues.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2363447
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tx_Flyboy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Squarenut,

How hot of an outside temperature have you shot 2000MR in? I have only shot up to low 80s and also no issues (POI change or accuracy change).

</div></div>

We started shooting it last fall, so this will be the first Tallahassee summer we have shot this powder. Maybe 90 degrees has been the hottest.
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

Thanks for all the info guy ! Gun is savage 10 fp with 1/10 24" tube. Please explain OCW test or are you referring to a ladder test. going to order 178 and 208 and do comparison
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

back from the rang today but a little confused. since i have not played with this powder before i stated low at 42g and worked up to 46g in .5g increments . I stopped at 46g because the powder was right at the case neck.

All loads showed no pressure signs at all. I shot one round of each load at the same point on the target. 42g -44g shot inside a quarter size group. 44.5g was one inch low. 45g 5in low, 45.5g 4.5in low, and 46g 3in low. All shots were an almost perfect vertical line.

I then shot three shot groups of each load. 42g-42.5 under quarter size groups. 43g was cloverleaf way under a dime in size. 43.5-44g under quarter size. and all were at POA. 45.5g group 2in low quarter size.

could the low impacts be due to compression of the load.
Any thoughts?
 
Re: 208 AMax 100 yard load ?

imagejpeg_2.jpg

imagejpeg_2_2.jpg

on shot of each load. cluster 42-44g. 44.5-46g low. all clearly vertical
imagejpeg_2_3.jpg
42g
imagejpeg_2_5.jpg
42.5g
imagejpeg_2_4.jpg
43g
imagejpeg_2_6.jpg
43.5g
imagejpeg_2_7.jpg
44g poa the #5
imagejpeg_2_8.jpg
44.5g poa the #8
Sorry some pics upside down. only had my phone. htanks again for the input