Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 308 Winchester 180 Grain Loads

I'm looking for some powder recommendations for a load with 180 grain Hornady RN bullets. I've been using them in my 30-06 with good results and was hoping this would translate over to the 308. Am I going to lose too much velocity over the '06, or is the .308 with 180s a reasonable way to go? (If this subject has been done to death, I apologize, I couldn't find any references to it in search results)

Try 4895 or 4064.

I prefer to use W748 in the 308 Win for both velocity and accuracy.

Seen several elk die from 165NP and 180SB out of 308s.

Tim

I never would've thought to try 180's in my 308 if it weren't for Brad...

I can't remember all the specifics of his load, but RL15 was used.

I loaded 180 Nosler Partitions in WW brass with a Federal 210M and worked up to 42.5 grains (Brad went hotter IIRC)

and got this



Haven't got a chance to chronograph them yet, but I'd guess they're knocking on 2600. I run the same pill in my 30-06s around 2820 FPS, so as far as the actual Doin'... You be the judge... Personally, I always felt a 308 is at its best with 165's at a smidge over 2750.

No loads from me, .308 is one I haven't played with. A buddy at work tells me his 83 year old father just got back from a southern Colo. hunt with a couple cronies who were older than he was.
He got his elk 20 minutes into the hunt with a 742 Remington in .308 that is nearly old enough for social security. All he uses is green box 180s, won't hear of anything else. Those 180s got POWER!
He also dropped a wounded bull for a pardner that was heading for a big hole. The claim was 400 yards, so I guess the .308 won't bounce off beyond 300.

Re-15, or Varget. Anything over 2500 fps. should work fine. I get just over 2400 fps. with 42 grs. of Varget and a 200 gr. Nosler NP.
I've found that Hogden's load data very good. Just keep in mind that some cases, like Federals and Lake City don't take near the powder that WW cases will. That will also reduce your velocity. E

VARGET whis is AR 2208, and along with WIN 748 are the common powder choices for the .308, also considered a premier deer cartridge downunder. I never met a .308 user who would move "up" to a .30/06 and I never met a .30/06 user who would step "down" to a .308. Interesting. One difference though, most Aussie .308 users have a carbine profiled bolt action in my observation.

JW

Evan, like Dan, my last 308 Kimber MT (1-12 Twist) loved 180's. WW Brass, Fed 210 Primers, 43.0 RL15. 2,665 fps and sub moa.

That's a "book" load, but I'd always work up carefully...

But Some "Experts" said what Brad and I did was impossible

I just did it becuase I keep a lot of 180 grain bullets around for the 30-06's.

I shot more than a few 180s that day on gongs at the range, and they fly quite a bit less flat than 165's at 2750... Lots more "dope" at 450 yards.

I like ww-748, IMR-4064 and RL-15 and in no particular order, they all give me over 2600 FPS, even in my savage 99...

Dan, to me, 150-168 is what the 308 is all about... not that a 180 at 2,650 is a "shabby" load, it ain't!

+1 on Varget, if you can find it. I think 44 grains which is below maximum, but the accuracy was good enough to make me happy.

YMMV

RL15 is a great 308 powder.

I use 185 Berger BTs to kill paper. 43.7 or 44 grains of Varget (I forget at the moment) and getting 2650. The 175/180s hold their velocity better than the lighter bullets. Makes a difference at 1000, so I'm told.

I'm using IMR-4064 (a compressed load) and getting 2740'/sec from a 20" barrel.

It works for me.

I punch paper with 180gr JLK LBT using 44.5 gr of Varget. The muzzle velocity is 2850FPS. It works fine at 1000 yards.

44.5 grains Varget, 2583 FPS in a 21" barrel.

I would say that's about right for your barrel.