Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Good .308 Loads

RL 15 & 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, do good.

I'm ecstatic to an odiously superfluous degree with the pbr xp! Has the .260 come around for you yet?

yeah, i fired 2 the other day with 130 tsx's over h4831 set at 0.050 off, and they bout touched, at 1.5 inches high.

I found a pound of varget yesteday after a bit of looking and 100 of the hornady 150 BT interlocks for my new Ruger international .308. Anyone have a favorite load for the 18.5 inch barreled mdle 77 RSI?

That barrel length won't be an issue.

A generic load that isn't too stiff in most cases is 46 grains of Varget under a 150. Adjust up or down a bit and you'll likely hit the node pretty quick.

There is a higher node with Varget and 150/155s but it involves amounts of powder I hesitate to recommend. The pressure is getting up there and case capacity issues are heavily in play too.

Given the rifle in question I'll bet your application doesn't require every last foot per second. Work the loads to find that lower node.

thanks, 46 is a good place for me, I am not shooting too far ever.

Here's a couple more that are showing some good potential. So far, the 168gr Ballistic Tips are impressing me. These are five shot groups from a bipod. OAL includes Sinclair bullet comparitor. These are about .030" from the lands in my rifle.

43.5gr averaged 2662

44.5gr averaged 2701

John

I have been working with a Winchester model 88 in 308. Last week I shot a 0.75 inch 3 shot 100 yard group with Sierra 150 gr Gamekings, 47 gr Re 15 and Fed 210 primers. COL was 2.770. The velocity was 2855 FPS. Brass was Nosler.

I ran out of those primers, so this week I used Winchester WLR primers with everything else the same. Velocity was 2873 FPS and the three shot group was 0.54 inch.

Pressure seems OK with this load in my rifle, be sure to start low and work up in yours. This gun shoots all 150 and 165 grain bullets well less than 1.5 inches at 100 yards. If the trigger was better, it might be the perfect deer rifle. I am growing fond of it and the 308 cartridge.

Jim

You guys have alot of very informative info here on the .308, what with different powders, bullets, primers, but especially cases. For whatever the reason, I'm fairly new to the .308, having shot the usual suspects. On a previous post, I mentioned my .308 has a 18.5" barrel; but what I've seen here, it looks like Re 15 might cure my ills with Varget, as for whatever reason that just hasn't clicked. I'll still load both and see what I come up with, and see what finally works.

I went to the range today with my Ruger M77 with a 18.5" barrel[Mannlicher stock], and some 150 Nosler B.T.s over 46.0 Re15,Fed.210 primers,Win cases, OAL set at 2.800. That rifle shot verrry accurate. .9-1.25" at 100 yds. It has never done that with any other load I've tried before. FPS chronographed at 2680-2700, which was faster than I expected. Hope this works for you jimmyp. Good luck. Rifletom

Here is the 168 BT with 44 grains varget in lapua brass

What did that load chrono for you?

John

Here's another with 168gr Ballistic Tips. 5 shots. 45gr R15 about .030" from the lands. I think I'm in love...

John

Hondo,

Are you compressing that 45 grain load at all?

m

Yeah, I hear it crunching whne I seat the bullets. Averages only about 2730. Velocity increase per powder increase seems much less with this bullet than others of the same weight. Not sure why...

John

Next time it's convenient please take a look at your jug of '15 and tell me if it's the USA or Swedish version.

Thanks,
m

"Made in Sweden for Alliant Powder"

John

Jimmy. You're shooting one of my favorite rifles. I have three of them,every one picked up on the cheap because they would not shoot for their previous owners.. I'm not sure what they expected from a short barreled rifle with a full length stock, but I'm sure they didn't get what they wanted.
First off, mine are all the earlier tang safety models, all made in 1985 acording to the SN#s.
I look at hunting rifles a bit more realisticaly than some as I've never had the strength to carry a bench rest out I the boonies.
It took over 6 months of work to find an acceptable load for my rifle, the usual suspects not working worth a damn. The load that finally worked decently in all three rifles was 49.0 gr. of W-760,165 gr. Speer Hot-Core, Winchester brass and primer. Accuracy ran from 1.25" to 1.50" depending on which gun I was shooting. Velocity is no barn burner at 2550 FPS average from all three guns, but then W-760 is not the best powder for the .308 anyway. It just happened to work. I've passed it on to others who had .308 RSI rifles that would not shoot and it also worked for them. FWIW, I took a 200 pound Mule Deer at 250 yards with that load fom the RSI and it dropped on the spot. Distance was laser measured.
I've already sen you other posts and you already have a decent load or two. so consider this as information only. If you try it, start at least two gr. less and work up as the load is safe but max in my guns.
As an aside, the same load does 2610 FPS from a 22" barreled Winchester M70 and is MOA in that rifle.
FWIW, look at that metal muzzle cap on your rifle. I removed just a slight bit of metal from the sides and the bottom of the curve where it contacted the barrel. It made a difference in the groups reducing them to 1.0" on one rifle to 1.25" on the other two which were 1.50" guns to begin with.
As these changes made a difference, I'm thinking about looking at other loads to try. Maybe the guns will shoot other stuff better now.
I've got a batch of RL-15 I bought to use in my .35 Whelen, but seeing all the good comments about it in the .308, I guess I'll have to load up some and see what happens.
I do love my .308s.
Paul B.

Just an added comment on my pet 165 gr. .308 load. It has proven tobe safe regarding pressure in three Ruger RSI rifles. a Remington 660 and a Winchester M70.
However, yesterday afternoon, I loaded up a box and went to the range with a new custom Mauser in .308 and while there was no problems other than very flat primers. I do believe that the load is too hot for that particular rifle. That was a rude surprise as the load has always been rather mild in the other rifles.
Therefore, I will amend my comments on the load to add start about two grains of powder lower and work up.
Paul B.

Anybody loading or have experience loading 180 gr. Scirrocco bullets for the .308? Have almost a full box left, and the only .30 caliber rifle left is a .308.