.308 Federal GMM 168 grain Load

[oneshotmike]

I am trying to figure out the "copycat" of what Federal has done with the 168 Grain GMM ammo. I have a ton of brass to reload and would like to get at it. Need to order primers, powder and the bullets.
I have had great success with the GMM, would just like to shoot them on the cheaper side reloading.

I found somewhere that its as follows:
IMR 4064 43.5 grains
GM201M Fed Primers
Sierra 168 BTHP bullets

Is this accurate or is there a better recipe.

Thanks for any help

 

[Shankin]

I would look at 44-45gn of Varget. Load 5 each at 44.0, 44.2, 44.4, 44.6, 44.8, and 45.0. See what works best and go from there.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I wanted to do the same thing as you except to use the 175 gr SMK. I used the once fired FGMM brass, CCI lg rifle prime, and 41+ gr of IMR-4064.

 

[18Echo]

Check out Dan Newberry's OCW website. He has an OCW load for the 168gr SMK in 308.

 

[918v]

I would look at 44-45gn of Varget. Load 5 each at 44.0, 44.2, 44.4, 44.6, 44.8, and 45.0. See what works best and go from there.

That’s not a copy of the FGMM load. The correct charge will be between 43.2-43.5 in a FC or similar weight case @ 2.800”

 

[oneshotmike]

So which powder best duplicates factory?? Varget or the IMR 4064?

 

[918v]

Either powder. Federal does not use 4064 in their 168gr loading anymore.

 

[oneshotmike]

Either powder. Federal does not use 4064 in their 168gr loading anymore.

do you know what they are using? They are still extremely accurate and consistent. Thanks for any reply.

 

[Shankin]

Honestly mike, I’d take some FGGM to the range with a chrony and get its speed. Then take that info and load up some rounds with both Varget and 4064, looking for the most accurate load with the same-ish speed of the two powders.

It’s a little bit of homework on your end, but it’s prolly the best way to go about it.

 

[oneshotmike]

Honestly mike, I’d take some FGGM to the range with a chrony and get its speed. Then take that info and load up some rounds with both Varget and 4064, looking for the most accurate load with the same-ish speed of the two powders.

It’s a little bit of homework on your end, but it’s prolly the best way to go about it.

Sounds about right...... i just figured someone here was already doing it and could reduce the learning curve & time spent. Its getting nice outside so more time shooting isn't a bad thing.

 

[918v]

do you know what they are using? They are still extremely accurate and consistent. Thanks for any reply.

No I don’t but the load I posted duplicates the velocity and drives tacks.

 

[rweaver00geo]

oneshotmike in my opinion your variable will be your brass as a charge of 43 grains of a powder in winchester brass will give you a different velocity when loaded in LC brass. Sort your brass and be prepared to adjust your charge accordingly. I think 4064 is a great choice followed by varget and nobody has mentioned IMR 4895. I personally use Varget but 43 grains of 4064 or 4895 will probably be closer to the factory spec. I wouldnt hesitate to buy an 8lb jug of any of those powders mentioned. Rl15 would also be a good choice but I have no experience with it.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

I use N150 with the 168SMK

 

[oneshotmike]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to start with the IMR4064, Fed 201M primers and the Sierra 168's. Ill play with the grains and to start they will be fired out of once fired federal cases..... I'll post the results when they are in.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

Whever your max load happens to end up, I would bet that your sweet spot will be 2% backed off from that... +/- 0.2 grains.

 

[PAYDIRT]

There used to a thread on this very subject. It was way old, maybe even before the scout days.

 

[PAYDIRT]

Here it is.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/federal-match-load.184492/

 

[clcustom1911]

Take measurements of the OAL base to tip and Base to Ogive. Shoot 15 over a chrono for velocity, take apart 5 and measure the powder charge for each. That's what I do when I want to duplicate a factory load.

 

[918v]

Sierra bto varies too much from lot to lot for that to be effective

 

[Singleshot]

I did this a while back......(5 years or so ago), according to my notes, it’s:

4064 = 43.1gr
Sierra 168 smk
Fed 210 primer
Seated to 2.80

 

[Conrad101st]

This is out of my LMT MWS. 43.2 grains of varget with gmm primers and 168 SMK. Target grids are1 inch.

 

[1J04]

Dan is your man, but I'd listen to what others have said if you're gonna reload. Your gun is gonna tell you what load and CBTO it likes. But here's Dan's video.


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[Lunchbox27]

Haven’t shot 308 in a while, but my notes show...

168 eld or 168 hpbt
43.2 IMR 4064
Lapua brass
CCI 200

Chrono’s had me between 2660-2700 ( not a very temp insensitive powder) but single digit SD

 

[Doom]

~43 gr 4064 in Federal or LC with the 168 SMK is going to be a match to FGMM, at least for the 4064 version. Add .3 to.4 grains for Win brass. The choice of primer doesn’t seem to matter much. I run 210, 210M and #34.

 

[rweaver00geo]

oneshotmike brownells just had 1cent hazmat i think its over now sorry forgot to tell you. They have it occasionally keep your eye open

 

[nvrpc1]

Either powder. Federal does not use 4064 in their 168gr loading anymore.

If it's not 4064 thn what is it. It measure out to be 40gr behind a 168 and 40.2 gr behind a 175. We'd really like to know instead of wasting time and ammo and not getting an exact replication of the factory load. This stuff now cost $1,227 for 1000 of 168 and $1,337 for 1000 of 175. It's nut and soon we will be off the range if we can't build our own ammo to factory specs

 

[FredHammer]

If it's not 4064 thn what is it. It measure out to be 40gr behind a 168 and 40.2 gr behind a 175. We'd really like to know instead of wasting time and ammo and not getting an exact replication of the factory load. This stuff now cost $1,227 for 1000 of 168 and $1,337 for 1000 of 175. It's nut and soon we will be off the range if we can't build our own ammo to factory specs

In the 5.5yrs since this info was discussed in this thread there has probably been several more changes in powder and charge weight. Just load these bullets to match the performance of your gun.

 

[Doom]

Several years ago when the packaging changed from the orange box several people deconstructed the new rounds and found weights around 40gr IIRC. The powder was not IMR4064 and did resemble AR-COMP. I don't remember if anyone was able to clone the round with AR-Comp or not.

 

[918v]

What velocity are you gettIng and what’s your barrel length?

 

[.505gibbs]

Last federal gmm 175 I pulled apart had 39.7 gr of what looked like AR-Comp. This was within the last year, with ammo that was produced fairly recently say within the last 2 years. Same charge of AR-Comp in Lapua brass gave me the same speed with a tighter es/sd. 2540 fps in several 20 inch bolt guns.

 

[Snuby642]

Why all the effort to reproduce a factory round?

I always thought the goal was to best it.

Meeting some arbitrary velocity attained with probably blended proprietary powder.

 

[Snuby642]

Fgmm 168 was awsome in my son's gun. Under moa off the shelf.

Took me over a year to best it for accuracy. But then one day I finally got my hands on Varget.

 

[918v]

Why all the effort to reproduce a factory round?

If your rifle likes FGMM and it feeds from the mag then why not? In my case my QC is better so my hand load shoots better. My ES is a third of FGMM ammo.

I took a whole box apart, weighed out all the charges, shot them in .1gr increments, found the right one, and the right seating depth which was a little longer, then bought a pound of AR Comp and replicated the load. In my case all the planets and the stars aligned and I ended up with the same powder charge at the same velocity.

 

[ekaphoto]

I found that 44 gr imr4064 behind a 168 gr sierra match bullets brought me 2700 fps while gmm was 2650 out of the same rifle. 43.5 would probably get about 2650

Years ago 44 gr varget got me good results as well

I am looking at working a tac powder load due to finding imr4064 hard to find and I have a lot of tac.

 

[.505gibbs]

I found that 44 gr imr4064 behind a 168 gr sierra match bullets brought me 2700 fps while gmm was 2650 out of the same rifle. 43.5 would probably get about 2650

Years ago 44 gr varget got me good results as well

I am looking at working a tac powder load due to finding imr4064 hard to find and I have a lot of tac.

Tac is a good powder. The only thing I dislike about it is you have to be right at the top end to get good results. I’ve had it shoot well at lower charge weights but es/sd were terrible.
I’ve given up on AR Comp. With Alliants price gouging they can keep it. I started using Staball Match and can’t find a fault. Good velocity, about 50fps higher than my AR-Comp load, meters very well, tight es/sd numbers, and relatively cheap in today’s prices. And very temp insensitive in my informal tests.

 

[memilanuk]

Why all the effort to reproduce a factory round?

Because historically it works so well in so many guns. Sure, individual loads may perform better in individual guns, but sometimes it's handy to have a known-good go-to load that "just works".

 

[Snuby642]

^^^^^^^^^ yup.
We still keep 168 fgmm around as a benchmark.

Just in case we change something on the gun or load it gives us a second opinion / a standard to work from.

So far in that gun it likes fgmm and my Varget loads and nothing else much.

A few months ago my son complained his load was not performing well, aproxamatly one moa. Lol

It was a load with 165g Sierra game bullet and 223cfe, all that was available at the time. I think he will be fine on game for 2-3 hundred yards, mostly 100 ish. I'm not pulling them.

Note: If a barrel won't shoot 168 fgmm it may well be crap.

 

[B y r o n]

This is why people try and duplicate FGMM:

 

[Conrad101st]

This is why people try and duplicate FGMM:

View attachment 8479967

That’s fucking amazing to be blunt. I’ve shot a few 5/8 inch cloverleafs but nothing like that - ever. At least not with a deer caliber.