Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting .308Win with 190gr SMK

Does anybody have any load suggestions (actually shot to 600yds) for a .308Win with 190gr SMK in a 20-23" barrel? I am shooting a practical match that requires a .308Win so I just barreled an action with a Benchmark 1-10" 5R cut to 23" with a 5" breech so it can be set back and still have 21" of tube.

Thanks in advance.

Try riflemansjournal.com. LOTS of good info there.

I used to shoot moly'd 190 SMKs over 45gr RL15 in Win brass.

That chrono'd at about 2620 fps in the 26" factory Rem 1/12 varmint barrel. It always shot well, in the .75 moa range. They were jumping about 1/4" to the lands.

If you have a short throat, nekkid bullets, and heavy brass, you'll likely top out a couple grains lower than I did.

Nav,
I am familiar with Germ�n's blog. I was curious if any of the long barrel loads suffer with short tubes due to burn rate not being optimal for the combustion chamber.

MM,
It is a min-spec Palma 95 chamber so I think 45gn will be a touch high but bullets are coated with hBN and I also use Win brass. I haven't had any Varget in a while (nor seen it) but I have RL15, H4895, 8208XBR, BL(C)-2, and 4064.

I was leaning towards the H4895, IMR4064, or 8208XBR.

Your barrel length is not outside of the normal range. Hodgdon has data sets for 308 inn 24" and 15" barrels, and between the two there is no significant rearrangement of best performing powders.

I found 4064 to produce excellent accuracy with Nosler's 190 grain match bullet at 100, 200 and 300 yards. Unfortunately I don't have a long range shooting spot handy.

Montana Marine,

You were shooting the 208gn A-MAX and RL17 weren't you? Are you still shooting that combo and what ended up being your opinion on RL17 for the heavies in .308Win? I have RL17 and am not stuck on the 190gn SMK. I just want to shoot something in that ballpark and don't particularly want to pay for 185gr Bergers for the volume I'm shooting right now.

208s and RL17 are my go-to for both 308s. I'm loading Rl17, moly'd 208, CCI 200, Win brass, 3.00 OAL". 2620 fps in the 22", 2580 in the well worn 20".

I like the combo.

I find this very interessting. Online I only found the 24" data.

Do you have some pointers for me towards the 15" data?

Included in print publication, perhaps? If so, please inform.

Hit Hodgdon's button for pistol data.

Barrel length has absolutely nothing to do with powder selection.

Thank you very much. Face palm here.

Best wishes.

I like how you roll, Shane. That's big numbers for the .308. I may have read on here before, are you single loading those or do you have a mag box mod?

I put Wyatt's boxes in both my 308s. They have an internal of 2.99" so If I push the bullet down a little further I can load the magazine.

At 3.00" on up to about 3.05" I can still load two in the magazine, the tips rest on the feed ramp.

Most times I just single load.

Are you requied to shoot 190 gr ? If not just curious why you are?

I am not required to shoot a 190gn bullet but this match is a mix of paper and steel. The paper targets have twice as much margin for elevation than windage so I want to minimize error as much as possible and under 600m I think a .308 could drive a heavy fast enough to help.

Just a follow up: 190gn SMK over 48gn RL17 from a 23" barrel is giving 2650fps avg, 20fps ES, 9fps SD, and groups .35-.5MOA.

THANKS

What's your overall length?



Travis

I don't have any to measure right now, I shot my last test batch last night. They measured 3.183" to the ogive with the Hornady Lock'n'Load on the calipers. They are seated .020" off the lands in a Palma 95 chamber if that helps you do the backwards math. Tomorrow, I will start loading the 100 I'm taking to a match. I will measure one and get back to you.

I am also starting the testing tomorrow with the 208gn A-MAX and to the ogive they are 3.175" per the Hornady L'n'L when kissing the lands.

Thanks.



Travis

Travis,

I haven't loaded any yet but I put a bullet in a fired case and backed it up to loaded length. When using 190gn SMK the L'n'L reads 3.183" on the ogive the OAL is 2.765" when measured to the meplat.