need to select a bullet for 1000yds

[hershey]

this is my first real attempt at getting to 1000yds, i am still changing diapers, so i have a host of other time and financial commitments, my goal is to take my new savage f/tr and get it dialed in w/ a good load and set up some type of practice routine for trigger time and then dedicate a weekend in the fall to getting some decent groups out to 1000yds.

i used my christmas money to get competition dies, and all the other tools (i think) for advanced reloading, i got some version of everything that david tubbs uses in his video's and finally understand everything he is talking about in it.

i know the tried and true 168smk is not the bullet of choice past 600yds. i see allot of references to the 175smk, but have not seen a box of those since before obama. what i have on hand is smk's is 155, 168, 180, 190. i also have 208 amax's.
powders on hand are varget, re-15,re-17,re-22.

basically for a competent reloader, and moderately skilled shooter, what would you recommend i pursue for a bullet weight? i/e, try to steer me away from a bullet that is hard to tune and get to shoot well, and also i don't have a chrono, so one that will perform comfortably above that magic subsonic thresh hold. i also bit the bullet on 500pcs of 308 lapua brass. any bullet that is off the shelf is fair game, but local availability would be nice, i/e the more common stuff.

the best piece of glass i currently own is a 4200 6x24-50, so unless i get lucky enough to better myself that is the optic i will be using.

 

[Chiller]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

155 or 175 SMK with Varget.....done deal

 

[Chiller]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

Try Brassman brass. Thye did have some M118LR in stock a while back. that will easily go to 1k....

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

Give us a little info on the gun. Barrel lenght and twist. I see you say .308 brass. So it's a .308 if it's a 24" or longer you should be able to get 168's to work at 1k, but there are better choses.

 

[bohem]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

Maybe I missed it, but I am pretty sure you're shooting a 308 Win?

The 168 SMK has stability issues because it drops through transsonic around 800-900 yds with a 308 Win. It does not handle
that transition well at all.

The Hornady 178 Amax is a very good bullet and it's cheaper than the SMK's are. It's also much cheaper than Bergers and Lapua's.

For your beginning stages of shooting long ranges I would doubt if you can see a difference in the supposed "lesser quality" Hornady's over the other 2.

My last "bulk" purchase of bullets was from Grafs and I was quite surprised when the 208 Amax was 3 bucks a box cheaper than the 178's.

The problem you may see if you use the 208's that you have on hand is that they drop a fair bit and might cause you some issues getting them there without other long range experience. This is based on the assumption that you're shoooting a 308.

The powders and bullets you have on hand will get there, I'd avoid the 168 SMK specifically though.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

I loaded up some 308 for my 10FP LE2b 26" 1:10" twisted barrel two weeks back for a trip to the 1k range.

I had some 155 Scenars, some 185 Scenars, some 185 D-46 Lapua FMJ/RBT and some 175 SMKs.

The 155 Scenars over 46.5 grs of Varget (~2850 fps) shot pretty well for group out to 450 yds. 31.5 MOA out to 1k.

I have the Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x50 30mm SF on this rifle, like you do.

You can get a lot of bullets out to 1k, hitting steel with little problem. Getting nice groups on paper is another matter entirely.

Chris

 

[JALVI]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

Starting out with Lapua brass IMO is a very good choice. I have over 15 loads on this current batch. YMMV depending on how tight your chamber is and how much the brass is being worked.

As far as a solid 1K projectile you really cant go wrong with the 175 SMK on Vargay, or Lapua 155 Scenar on H4895.

 

[hershey]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KHOOKS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Give us a little info on the gun. Barrel lenght and twist. I see you say .308 brass. So it's a .308 if it's a 24" or longer you should be able to get 168's to work at 1k, but there are better choses. </div></div>

savage f/tr which is a 308, w/ a target action rb/rp, w/ 30" bull, i think 1-10 twist.

 

[eleaf]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hershey</div><div class="ubbcode-body">this is my first real attempt at getting to 1000yds, i am still changing diapers, so i have a host of other time and financial commitments, my goal is to take my new savage f/tr and get it dialed in w/ a good load and set up some type of practice routine for trigger time and then dedicate a weekend in the fall to getting some decent groups out to 1000yds.

i used my christmas money to get competition dies, and all the other tools (i think) for advanced reloading, i got some version of everything that david tubbs uses in his video's and finally understand everything he is talking about in it.

i know the tried and true 168smk is not the bullet of choice past 600yds. i see allot of references to the 175smk, but have not seen a box of those since before obama. what i have on hand is smk's is 155, 168, 180, 190. i also have 208 amax's.
powders on hand are varget, re-15,re-17,re-22.

basically for a competent reloader, and moderately skilled shooter, what would you recommend i pursue for a bullet weight? i/e, try to steer me away from a bullet that is hard to tune and get to shoot well, and also i don't have a chrono, so one that will perform comfortably above that magic subsonic thresh hold. i also bit the bullet on 500pcs of 308 lapua brass. any bullet that is off the shelf is fair game, but local availability would be nice, i/e the more common stuff.

the best piece of glass i currently own is a 4200 6x24-50, so unless i get lucky enough to better myself that is the optic i will be using.

</div></div>

You can't have been looking for 175 SMKs that hard. I bought 1000 of them yesterday from Midway.

I bought 2 500 bullet boxes, but they also have regular old 100 bullet boxes.

 

[eleaf]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Maybe I missed it, but I am pretty sure you're shooting a 308 Win?

The 168 SMK has stability issues because it drops through transsonic around 800-900 yds with a 308 Win. It does not handle
that transition well at all.

The Hornady 178 Amax is a very good bullet and it's cheaper than the SMK's are. It's also much cheaper than Bergers and Lapua's.

For your beginning stages of shooting long ranges I would doubt if you can see a difference in the supposed "lesser quality" Hornady's over the other 2.

My last "bulk" purchase of bullets was from Grafs and I was quite surprised when the 208 Amax was 3 bucks a box cheaper than the 178's.

The problem you may see if you use the 208's that you have on hand is that they drop a fair bit and might cause you some issues getting them there without other long range experience. This is based on the assumption that you're shoooting a 308.

The powders and bullets you have on hand will get there, I'd avoid the 168 SMK specifically though. </div></div>

My gun and I both like 178 A-Max, but they are pretty much unobtanium right now. I looked at well over 100 internet retailers and nada. Everyone is out of stock.

 

[bohem]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: eleaf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
My gun and I both like 178 A-Max, but they are pretty much unobtanium right now. I looked at well over 100 internet retailers and nada. Everyone is out of stock. </div></div>

That sucks, I got a couple boxes in from Grafs last week. 4 actually, and 5 boxes of 208's.

 

[JeffinTX]

Re: need to select a bullet for 1000yds

If you have 190SMK on hand for the 308, don't discount them for the 175s unless the 175s shoot more accurately. You did say you want something easy to tune and also have no chrono. the 190's are a classic bullet for 308 long range at Camp Perry, and you can easily pull up some tried and true loads for it.