What powders work best in the 110-130gr. range?




Thanks,
Travis

Have had very good luck with many of the usual .308 suspects with 125-130 grain bullets, including Varget, RL-15, TAC, etc., but in Eileen's Serengeti rifle shoots extremely well with IMR4895 and 130 TTSX's.

Haven't done as much work with 110's but Accurate 5744 has worked very well, with excellent accuracy at around 3300 fps from a 22" barrel.

IMR 4064

3031 behind a Hornady 110 for 5/8" - 7/8"

CFE-223 scoots the 130 TTSX's right along . . . I get 3,150 in a 22" bbl.

45.0 gr RL-7, under a moly'd 110 VMax, 3400 fps, 26" Rem 700 Varmint.




That load is about 3.6 gr over book max. It was fine in the long Remington throat, and moly'd up.

At any rate, it is not a starting load. Start low, work up with normal cautions.




Here are some light loads with the 110 VMax and Unique,

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H4895 produced best accuracy with the Hornady 130g SP for me and 3200fps.

24" bbl.

No idea what the intended goal is but, I worked up a load for the RO of a local sportsmans club for use in an LTR for western yotes. W748 pushing 110 vmax's. Used in the fall so summer high temps weren't a problem and that combo hammered them into tiny little groups. He refuses to use em for anything but western yotes since he's running low on them!

I never could get that combo to work well in my 26 in. VS with 110's but I used W748 with 165 gamekings. My first time at an f-class practice had them shooting 1/2 moa at 600. Not bad for my first time past 200 yards! lol The RO at the f-class event was pulling targets for me and asked about the load and bullet. I told him it was a deer load. Spitzer boattail in Winchester brass. I had no use for bullets I couldn't shoot game with! He bugged me the rest of the practice to sell him the gun as a donor!

Also had great luck with 125gr. Nosler BT's pushed by IMR 4064!

Thanks for the replies.

I tried 40gr's of RL7 (no idea why I own RL7 but apparently I do) and groups are running around 1/2" at 110yds with the 110gr. V-Max and about 1" with the 125gr. GMX.

I smell UBER right around the corner.




Dave

Sounds good.

I started using RL-7 in the 45-70, then realized it works well with light bullets in the 308 and 223 also.

The stuff is UBER.




Dave

Pure UBER

48.5grs TAC
CCI 200
130gr TTSX
Lapua Brass
OAL 2.76
3085fps

4 shots from M7 that I had the original barrel replaced with a factory takeoff sporter contour and cut to 21".

4895&h4198

lefty

SH,

I tried some TAC the other day with the 125gr. GMX and it showed promise. Going to bump the charge and see if they group more better.

Lefty,

I have a keg of 4198. May try it. Thanks.




Dave

Been my experience, albeit a small sampling, that GMX are finicky

Right now I'm in agreement. I've tried them in the .243 and now the .308 and they don't seem to be as easy as the Barnes stuff. Not that they shoot poorly, just not as UBER as the Barnes.

And Lord knows I like them easy...




Dave

The TAC load Steelhead posted worked well for me, although I bumped it up a bit due to roomy W-W brass. Made close to 3,000 in a 20" 700 and was around 3/4 MOA. The 130TTSX is a cool little bullet on game.

You guys tried the 110 TSX or TTSX?

Looks kinda UBE.



Dave

The 130 has been working for me for almost 10 years, no need to change.

Been thinking the same - worth trying.

Have a new A7 in 308 at home waiting for initial work ups. I'll try the 110 Barnes if I can find some and post the results here.

I think there's a 110 GMX available now too though none in Aus yet...

Check this one out.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10719100/1

DF

There were no 130gr. Barnes TSX available locally so I tried some 125gr. BT's.

Don't know how they do on game but they were bug holing @ 100yds. today.



Clark

I've never used 125 NBT's on deer, but can attest to how well the 130 Hornady kills'em. One thru the chest on a big doe, DRT, nice size entrance and exit wounds, good blood flow both ways, stuff in between messed up pretty good.

I would think the 125 NBT would do similar. The added speed with these lighter bullets is an asset, especially on thin skinned critters. If a bullet is heavy enough and fast enough to punch thru a WT chest, maybe heavier .30 cal bullets aren't necessary for animals of that size. And, those heavier bullets won't be traveling at 3K fps.

DF


Edited to add, I'm referring to .308/30-06, not Magnum .30 cal's.

I have several boxes of 125gr Accubonds to try.

The .308 125gr Ballistic tip works excellent on deer.

125 BT from a 308 Win with a full tank of 748 will shoot flatter than imagined and kill speed goats w much authority.

I hope so.

Because I think load development is complete.

330yds.

FWIW, here's one. It didn't shoot for chit after this... What was the magic load?

I ended up using 40.5gr's of RL 7. That's working well for both the 100gr V-Max and the 125gr. BT's.

No changing of the seater either. Just load and go for both.




Dave

These are out of my Kimber Montana by the way.




Clark

Been using the 110 TTSX and a heavy load of 4895 for several years. Sub MOA and 3000+ fps.

My late wife would not use anything but Sierra 125 gr. They kill deer and recoil at 2900 fps is very pleasant. We used 748 W/W ball powder, Imr 4064, Imr 4895, I will try Varget next.
Guys use this for 200 yd National Match shooting in the .308

Loaded the 125 Ballistic Tips over Varget, with good results.

Accurate. Modest recoil. Good velocity. The shooter killed a fat whitetail buck at about 120 yards. Bullet did not exit. Nicely expanded for sure!

Guy

I like TAC with 130 TTSX's

This is the load that worked for me in my 308 Win as well....still 3000+ fps in both my 20" barrel 308s.

JB reported that TAC is not as temp sensitive as some other Ramshot powders.

Wonder how TAC and Varget compare regarding temp sensitivity.

DF

Varget is better but TAC is good enough and eliminates most scale work...assuming you can buy either one.

I prefer 4895 for any light to medium 308 and it comes with the added advantage that sometimes you can actually find some for sale...imagine that...!

I have tons of all three.




Dave

I have good supplies of all three.

DF

CFE-223 isn't far from Big Game on the burn rate chart. I've had good luck with BG and 130 gr. bullets. This group is with 130 gr. Ralph Council bullets. I've killed WT's, same load, with the 130 gr. Hornady although Ralph says his bullets work well on WT's.

DF

I was looking at TAC for 150 NAB from a .30-06





P

TAC is right there with 4895 and Varget.

Others in that cluster are BLC(2), H-335, 748, 8208 XBR and RL-12. You don't see that many '06 loads using them, maybe 748, but bet they'd work. I got'em all, just never took the time to check them out.

DF

Dang thread almost trying to make me get my first 308....

Shot the 130 Speer often in a 10" TC 30/30 in college, best weight, 125 BT explosive, perhaps more so then - if they changed them.

To me the 130 Barnes really changes the 308 for 400 yds and under hunting....flat and less recoil. Accurate n Deadly.

Loonies enabling Loonies...

The Fire does have that effect...

(You should have had at least one .308 by now, anyway...)

DF

40 grains of 4198 under a 110 TTSX

110gr V-Max are fun in the 308. I don't load them, but my buddy does and he uses Varget in his Ruger Predator 308.

DF, the time is getting closer

You all wear a fella down! Lol

Dirtfarmer,

You shouldn't push the .308 so much on the Campfire. The guys who actually buy one will be at a loss for questions on how to tweak their handloads.

48.5gr of I 8208 with a 125 nbt works for the jr. loads I build.Also one cow elk to this load

279.99. Just saying...
https://shop.whittakerguns.com/product/469

Man, I wouldn't mind another one of those.... My 223 shoots very well.

Out of interest I did a wet newspaper penetration test yesterday when I fired some light, 130g Hornady SPs, some 150g Interlock SPs and some 168g Amaxes all into the same stack of paper.

Each bullet type was fired at two different speeds to simulate impact at 50y and 200y.

Both the Interlocks penetrated 26.5cm, with the slower one retaining more weight. Of the 168g Amaxes, the fast one went 23cm and the slower one also went 26.5cm.

The little 130 grainers gave a very good account of themselves though which is the point of this post.

With the 130g SPs, the faster one (doing 2900fps) penetrated 24.5cm, while the slower one (2500 fps) penetrated 26cm, iow only 0.5cm less than the heavier Interlocks. Expanded diameter of all four SP and Interlocks was pretty much identical. (The Amaxes expanded wider than all of them)

I thought this was pretty good performance from a light bullet. They shoot good out of my A7 too with H4895.

130g SPs on the left, Interlocks centre, Amaxes at right. In all cases the faster bullet is at top...

Good stuff.

JB, probably like my experience with 6BRs....some Loonies like doing things the hard way, circling back around after trying the rest

Yes that is a value - the Ruger. Was thinking S2 or T3.

Blue Dot or RL 7

bobnobber,

I forgot all about the 130gr SP's. I will look for those at the store.

So far these things are running great. Makes me almost like owning a .308.



Travis

Norma 201 or VV-133 if you're feeling flush.....

I've been shooting the 125's and 130's for a couple of years. Hadn't killed an animal with any, but that may change this year.

I'd been using Varget and TAC. Never thought about RL7. Learn something new everyday...

My daughter has had great results with her Vanguard using 130 TTSX and 45.0 grains of IMR 4895. Gives 2947 fps on the chrono and is sub MOA.