308 load data for 16 inch bolt gun. (178 ELDX)

[HoustonB77]

Like the title reads I'm looking for some quick data for a 16 inch 308 bolt gun. I'm trying to through together a quick hunting load for my brother in law. I have hornady brass, CCI match primers, 178ELDXs. I have imr 4064, H4350, Reloader 16, 4831SC and a hand full of other powders on hand. I can easily grab varget, CFE 223, and a hand full of other powders at my LGS. What do you suggest? Again this is a 16 inch bolt gun and he will shoot with a can 100 percent of the time. I have plenty of reloading experience, I have just never roled any 308. Forster dies are already on the way.

 

[HoustonB77]

No love for short barreled 308? Guess I may start with 43 grains of Varget or 4064.

 

[wpierce]

I run IMR 4064 - 42.0 gr, 178 eldx, cci 200 in LC standard and LC Match brass. 20” Savage. Don’t have a chrono but it’s been sub moa for me. Be aware that military brass usually loads down about 1 gr due to wall thickness so in commercial brass I would probably look around 42.5-43.0 grains for my node. Obviously start low and work up. Never tried Varget.

My 16.5” barrel should be ready by next week. New glass is arriving today. I will likely be trying some loads for the new barrel in the next two weeks and let you know.

 

[HoustonB77]

I run IMR 4064 - 42.0 gr, 178 eldx, cci 200 in LC standard and LC Match brass. 20” Savage. Don’t have a chrono but it’s been sub moa for me. Be aware that military brass usually loads down about 1 gr due to wall thickness so in commercial brass I would probably look around 42.5-43.0 grains for my node. Obviously start low and work up. Never tried Varget.

My 16.5” barrel should be ready by next week. New glass is arriving today. I will likely be trying some loads for the new barrel in the next two weeks and let you know.

Thanks. My brass and bullets came in today but I am still waiting on the FL sizing die.

 

[10ring1]

I use a stout load of varget with 178 amax. I plan to go to the eldm when I soon run out of bullets. From what I hear,the eldm and amax are the same. My varget load is a bit over max and shoots really well is my Remington 18"

 

[AZgeek]

43.3 gr of Varget with a COAL of 2.805 was the ticket for my 308 with a 24"barrel

 

[wpierce]

My 16.5” barrel was finished a couple days after I got my new Nikon scope. Ran 40.0 up to 43.5 gr of imr 4064 in 0.5 gr increments. Smallest groups were with 41.5 and 42.0 gr; however my brake came loose sometime during the testing due to not using enough rocksett. I will probably go 41.0-42.5ish in 0.3 gr increments next time.

 

[HoustonB77]

My 16.5” barrel was finished a couple days after I got my new Nikon scope. Ran 40.0 up to 43.5 gr of imr 4064 in 0.5 gr increments. Smallest groups were with 41.5 and 42.0 gr; however my brake came loose sometime during the testing due to not using enough rocksett. I will probably go 41.0-42.5ish in 0.3 gr increments next time.

What speeds where you getting. That seems like a light charge.

 

[mark5pt56]

I'm at 43.4 IMR4064 and 168 SMK if that helps, shooting the 16" CA MPR

 

[wpierce]

What speeds where you getting. That seems like a light charge.

I’m not sure, I don’t have a chrono. It’s LC brass and I was getting slight primer flattening (I think, it’s hard to tell) and ejector swipe at 43.5 which seems low. I also got ejector swipe at random lower charges so I’m not convinced I need to stop at 43.5. The IMR website says 45 is max

 

[Greg Langelius *]

My M1a load was 42.2gr IMR-4064, FGMM 210 Primer, Rem 308 case, SRA 175SMK @ 2.815" OAL.

Am getting ready to redevelop for the 178 ELD-X in a 24" 1:10" Savage 11VT Bolt gun, using PPU and Starline brass, CCI BR-2 Primers. This will be starting from scratch.

Expecting to find the node at a little bit smaller charge.

Greg

 

[color_me_gone]

I run IMR 4064 - 42.0 gr, 178 eldx, cci 200 in LC standard and LC Match brass. 20” Savage. Don’t have a chrono but it’s been sub moa for me. Be aware that military brass usually loads down about 1 gr due to wall thickness so in commercial brass I would probably look around 42.5-43.0 grains for my node. Obviously start low and work up. Never tried Varget.

My 16.5” barrel should be ready by next week. New glass is arriving today. I will likely be trying some loads for the new barrel in the next two weeks and let you know.

I see you are shooting what I loaded today for my Rem 700 R5 and am hoping for the best. I saw where an old Hornady manual said 41.3 gr of IMR 4064 was max load so I loaded 41.2 gr of IMR 4064 and some at 40 gr. I have the 20" bbl using Hornady brass and 210 M primers being 178gr ELD-X. I don't know if I want to try anything over recommended max load such as 42.5 and 43 gr. Please tell us what going higher than max load accomplished and if you have actual group size we'd like to see it. I have been all over very many forums and can't find many who use 4064 now day. Most seem to have gone to Varget. I for one can't keep changing powder unless I am force to do so.

 

[Dogtown]

45gr Varget is a popular .308 175-ish load
I also use 44gr AR-Comp

 

[bab029]

I loaded up a CFE223 ladder for 178 elds in my 16.5”. Used the 175 smk data from hodgdon website.

46 grains gave 2640 fps, which is screaming. 46.5 gave over 2700 fps. Very sticky bolt, primers flat and loose pockets. That’s max for me.

Heard that cfe can go off the rails easily, so I’ll probably back down to a lower node. Very impressive velocity. I read that 45.3 should be a low node.

 

[FLIGHT762]

Alliant 2000MR will do the same thing as the CFE223. Gives much higher velocities in the 308. 46.5 grs. gives me 2750+FPS with a 175 Nosler CC in a 24" barrel.

 

[hafejd30]

If we bump it every couple years we can keep up with new stuff coming out

From 2018, then 2021, now 2023

Cant wait to see what 2025 has in store for this thread!

 

[Jmccracken1214]

If we bump it every couple years we can keep up with new stuff coming out

From 2018, then 2021, now 2023

Cant wait to see what 2025 has in store for this thread!

Let’s keep it going with 2024! Lol

My Remington 16.5” shoots 44gr varget and 178 eldm very well at 2507 fps. Ran up to 45gr which was 2578fps but shot like shit.

Now we wait for 2025

 

[45-90]

Here's a good load for 16" AR 10 308, with 178 eldm, that could be adopted to a bolt gun.

 

[Jrob97]

Let’s keep it going with 2024! Lol

My Remington 16.5” shoots 44gr varget and 178 eldm very well at 2507 fps. Ran up to 45gr which was 2578fps but shot like shit.

Now we wait for 2025

I had similar results this weekend.
Tikka 16" shot 44gr Varget the best at 2550fps.