Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

[crowsniper1]

I have read alot of the info already and just want some opinions on my starting load.
43 grains of varget seems to work for alot of guys loaded at 2.8 OAL ,is this a good starting point or is 43 grains varget too much to start with?Can somebody tell me a good way to tell when i have my OAL close to the lands,do i take a piece of fired brass and find a snug fitting bullet and chamber it or is there a better way?
My gun is a remington sps .308 26" barrel
varget powder
winchester LR primers
winchester 1X fired brass
sierra 168 grain bullets
thanks for any help

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

I have a sps tactical (20" barrel)and a varmint (26") both in 308. Both seem to prefer the 168g and 175g (match kings and custom comps) loaded to ~2.825" OAL. This is good as they are short enough to fit and cycle from the magazine box. As for the powder charge there is a low node with the 168g in the 43-44 grain range with Varget in both of my rifles and a faster and generally more accurate node between 45-46g also with the 168 grain. But as always, work up to that charge because it is at the top end of the loading data. I am using Winchester brass and primers.

Now the easy way to find your ogive length is to use one of the many tools on the market for that job. First let explain some terms. Ogive is point where the lands will make contact with the bullet (most accurate location to take measurements from) vs. the Meplat or tip of the projectile that frequently varies in length from bullet to bullet even with in the same lot#.

With that out of the way I will share what I did a few weeks ago when I didn’t want to wait for half of my tool to arrive for a new cartridge. I ran a cleaning rod down the bore till it contacted the bolt face, pulled it out about 6 inches and wrapped some masking tape around it. I pushed it back in until it contacted the bolt face and placed a pen mark on the tape to indicate where the muzzle was. I then pulled the rod about 4" out and also removed the bolt. Using a short cleaning rod for hand guns I placed a bullet in the chamber and pushed it forward until it just touched lands and held it there. Now run the rod with the tape down until it makes contact with the bullet and mark this location. Measure the two points and you should be within a few thousandths of your true reading. Since I already had a Hornady (formerly Stoney Point) overall length gage to measure off the bullets ogive I then loaded up a empty cartridge a bit long and blacked the bullet with marker. I then chambered this and checked for land prints on the bullet. I repeated this, seating the bullet .001" deeper each time until I could no longer see any land prints. You will have to keep blackening the bullet with the marker when you do this. Once I had a clean unmarked bullet I knew my ogive length to the lands, and my cleaning rod technique explained above was only off by .003"

Now is all this necessary on a factory Remington 308? I guess that will depend on what you want to do. I can tell you that your OAL is going to be between 2.9" and 3" with the 168, meaning you won’t be able to reach the lands and still feed from the mag box. As good as my two rifles shoot at ~2.825" OAL I feel no need to single feed so I can touch, nor do I feel doing so would give me any more accuracy.

 

[thespecialist]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

Like Niles mentioned, your OAL touching the lands is going to be 2.9xx to 3". My SPS Tactical measures 2.936" OAL with 168's touching the lands, but yours may be different by a few thousandths.

The way I check is with 1 bullet and a sized case. Take the case and cut slots on opposite sides of the neck with a dremel. Split the neck just down to the junction with the case shoulder. Just barely start the bullet into the neck and the put the round in the chamber and close the bolt. Open the bolt and measure the OAL. Pull the bullet back out of the case a little and do that about 5 times. Throw out any measurements that are obviously too long or too short.

FWIW, my SPS Tac seems to like around .100" to .110" jump with 168 SMK's and 168 Hornady BTHP's or AMax's. The mag box on my rifle will feed up to an OAL of 2.840".

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: thespecialist</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The way I check is with 1 bullet and a sized case. Take the case and cut slots on opposite sides of the neck with a dremel. Split the neck just down to the junction with the case shoulder. Just barely start the bullet into the neck and the put the round in the chamber and close the bolt. Open the bolt and measure the OAL. Pull the bullet back out of the case a little and do that about 5 times. Throw out any measurements that are obviously too long or too short.
</div></div>

I would have done this but didnt have any bits for the dremel

 

[crowsniper1]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

Thanks for the info guys,it helps me alot.

 

[Huckleberry75]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

The Dremel case is also cheaper than buying a OAL plug from Sinclair for every caliber you shoot. Most of us won't miss an extra piece of brass.

 

[jonbearman]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

You can cut it with a dull hacksaw blade and file the burrs off and it works the same.

 

[crowsniper1]

Re: Help with rem 700 sps .308/168 smk+varget

Looks like 44 /varget is pretty accurate.I loaded them mag length at 2.845.anybody know what kind of velocity im getting with a 26" barrel?