Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Hornady 168 grain AMAX match load data?

If someone knows, can you share the Hornady 168 grain AMAX match load data?

Canister powder or readily available?

My 308 Tikka is a one-holer with this ammo, and I have 300 168 AMAX laying around waiting to be loaded.

I don't have experience with them in a 308 but my 30/06 loved them with I4350 or R15.

Here is the load data page for the 308. https://loaddata.com/Cartridge/308-Winchester-Using-165168-GR-Hornady-Bullets/6549

EDIT: sorry didn't see you where trying to match a particular factory load.

Sorry, I don't know what the factory load is. That said, the 308 is definitely not a picky cartridge. I've loaded for a bunch of 308 rifles and from that experience I can say a healthy 308 rifle that cloverleaves with one powder will do it with two or three others as well.

Here's something to consider as you handload for this rifle: It is shooting very well with factory ammo, so pure neck sizing or partial FL sizing to a light "crush fit" may not be what the rifle will like best. So to limit the number of variables in your initial development, size the brass for smooth and easy chambering. (Not necessarily all the way down to like new dimensions though.)

If you can assemble straight cartridges I'd be surprised if IMR4895 doesn't have it punching them in tight with minimal development.

IMR-4064

I'm sure you've seen this, but pore thru the "good .308 loads" sticky:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2255435/Good_.308_Loads#Post2255435

44-45 of IMR 4064 0r the same with Varget will get you there.

My 26" 308 shoots that bullet sub moa beyond 750y with 44g of H4895, with 2770fps. Seated about 0.015 from lands.

Hodgdon book max is 43.5 from memory so work up.

I really like 43 grains of Varget with that bullet.

Trying to dial in 2,700 FPS. That seems like 45.5-ish grains of Varget.

Sound right?

I roll out 2580 with 42.0 IMR4895.

up

In the past when I loaded 165 SSTs in RP brass for a friend I used 46 grains of Varget and the CCI 200. This clocked in the 2740 range out of the 24" barrel of his Kimber Longmaster.

If I remember the Hornady match brass weight correctly it's about the same as the old RP around 167 grains, so the capacities should be similar.

Back up from that a bit and see if you can work up to your window.

Have you pulled any bullets and examined the powder in a factory round?

44gr RL15 shoots little bug-hole groups in my friend's and my Savage .308s.

I'm a competitive shooter, but I don't claim to be an expert. However, I've found 45.5 grains of Varget to be perfect with a 168-grain bullet out of a Palma barrel (1-13 twist). My current rifle is no exception, especially with the 168 AMAX. It will hold the X-ring of a Palma target.

My factory Remington 700 SPS Varmint has a barrel that is a bit looser inside, and it prefers a full 46 grains of Varget with that bullet for its best performance.

I believe that somewhere between 45 and 46 grains of Varget is probably the top accuracy node for this combination, depending upon your individual rifle/barrel. If you follow the OCW principles, this would suggest that the next lower node would be around 42 to 43 grains of Varget with a 168-grain bullet -- a number that seems to be confirmed by some of the pet loads posted by others over the years.

Some good general information and load data if you haven't seen this yet. Here: http://www.6mmbr.com/308Win.html

I should have said this at the time, but these loads are at 2.91" as the rifle is a single shot. 1-12 twist.

I also tried Varget at various charge weights but for me H4895 gave the better accuracy, by a bee's pizzle.