Man that is awesome. Thank you for all of that info. I appreciate it.
Because, to me, reloading the same shit everyone else does is boring. I like to try different stuff. Nothing really more than that. You just never know what you might find when you stray off the beaten path. I have a bunch loaded up for my trip to the range tomorrow. I want to see how they compare to my usual 175rdf load out to 750.
Nothing wrong with that. I loaded up 195 ELDM/TMK in .308 once, just for kicks. I didn't have a chrono at the time so I don't know how slow they were going. But they shot well enough at 100.
What brand of brass are you using?
I was just curious about the factory charge just for capacity sake. I realize Its not feasible in any way to copy. Im nervous about going too far with powder loads. I dont have enough experience to understand pressure issues. I sat one of those 178 ELD bullets next to a 175 SMK and it is almost 1/4" longer. I kind of wish I wouldnt have gotten them but maybe as I get better at this stuff I can use them. I have new Hornady brass and new Lapua brass and a ton of once fired federal brass out of my gun. I shot some decent groups today with some of the Federal brass and 168's. I tried to post a picture but it took up the whole screen, sorry about that.
It’s not about length of bullet but where they hit the lands measuring to the ogive of the bullet.
A4064 with Sierra 169's is a great load in my 308. I believe 44.1 gns is the load I settled on.
I have a 700P and the load he had developed was RL15, Sierra 168 and 43.0gr. But I am for sure open to trying things out!
Which eldx? I've had compressed loads that shot very well. 200 eldx with a very compressed load of 748 for example was a pretty good load for me in recent history. My thought would be seat it where you want to try it and start low and work toward your goal on the powder.
Please share your results, I just ordered VARGET, Hornady 168 ELD-M, and a loading kit and would be interested to see your results. I also have a 700 police (same barrel I believe as the SPS).
2.820 for smk, nosler cc
42.5 grs IMR-4064 pushing 168 SMK's worked very well for me using Lapua brass, CCI-200 and seated to a COAL of 2.866 (MV was at 2700 fps from a 26" barrel).
Pretty doggone close... 42.5 gr of IMR 4064 in Lapua brass with CCI BR2 primers @ 2.800" will push a 175 SMK about 2550 fps from the 20" barrel on my wife's .308
I appreciate it. I went a little conservative with my load and I regret it. Next week I can push the load a little further. Hopefully , accuracy will hold out.
Im in Florida , so i had a solid 74 degrees all day here in the Panhandle. Like I mentioned earlier....I went too conservative on my load. Still had a great time fighting the wind and getting hits. I cant thank all of you guys enough for the knowledge transfer going on around here.
DstRfl and I both noted LAPUA brass. Don't get yourself in trouble by jumping up a bunch using your Hornady brass.
178eldm, Fc308 brass with 42.4 grain Imr 4064 2.86 oal/2.222bto 16.5” semi auto measured with a lab radar and averaged 2460ish.
Hmmm??? It does sound like a very short freebore in that chamber. But, I'd take a visual with a borescope to see if there's anything unusual that might be giving a false measurement. As mentioned above, the magic marker technique might be helpful too.
As Old Corps 8541 said, yes it does! It is my understanding that is why some of the really serious shooters prefer a gain-twist or progressive rifling in addition to the accuracy advantages. That said, for the average handloader that is staying within book charge weights, it's probably not anything to worry about but to claim it has no effect whatsoever is incorrect. Ideally, you should use a chronograph and see if your velocities are in the neighborhood of other available data (such as from reloading manuals). It won't be exact, but if you're shooting something like 200fps faster than the book says, you definitely have pressure regardless of whether there are signs.Howdy my .308 reloader's,
I feel like this question could be a thread in itself. But, I'll ask here first since it's pertinent to reloading for this cartridge.
The 2022 Hodgdon reloading manual shows a 1:12 twist barrel for all .308 Winchester data. Does barrel twist rate have any correlation to chamber pressures and reloading data? If so, how does that effect heavier .30 cal. projectiles in the .308 Win. case? I have a PVA 1:9, 24" M24 contour barrel on my R-700 action and wanting to push some 200.2 Bergers downrange. I ALWAYS start with the starting powder charge(per the manuals that I have) and worked my way upwards in 0.5 grain increments until the OCW is shot or pressure signs appear. However, my twist is faster and I'm uncertain if that correlates to using the provided information correctly or safely. I certainly know the signs of creeping up on over pressures. Perhaps I'm considering a hair that doesn't need to be split, but It was cause for pause and a question worth discussing.
Thanks!
The numbers don't suggest that N550 is an "alternative" to Varget any more than any other powder suitable for a .308. N550's burn temperature is close to the same, but it's a much slower burning powder. For N550 to get the same velocity as Varget, you need about 10% more of it. And I don't think it's as temperature stable as Varget. Otherwise, I don't see why it can't be used in a .308 cartridge for those bullets.
