Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Powder advice for a 308 win with 150 grain Hornady GMX

For top velocity with 150gn bullets, W748 and Alliant PowerPro 2000-MR work for me.

Seems I read that Pwr Pro 2000 is the same powder as CFR-223. Not sure about that, like them both.

DF

my wife's Savage 308 likes 44.0 gr of Varget with the 150 GMX.

I have seen that, too, but have never tried the 2000 to test.

I use varget in my 308, plenty accurate!

I'll be the dissenting voice and say try the RE-15 first. It's been a go to 308 powder for me since '01. Gander had a sale on it back then. Two dollars a pound less than Varget! It was a bargain for me.

Varget is a great powder with excellent consistency, low, often single digit S,D.’s. It’s also very temp stable. Target shoooters seem to like it.

RL-15 is a good one, reportedly more temp stable in later versions as manufacturers compete for military contracts.

If I had to go with one, it would be Varget. But of course, I have both and use both.

DF

I like R15 with 150s and even WW760/magum primer with the 165s, I had great speeds with 2000MR in the .308/168 TTSX also.

My most recent work up was in a BLR Take Down 20".308
748 and Varget were poor performers. H4895 was First Rate in every way.
The exception with the Varget trials was a silly notion to duplicate 300 Savage or 30/40 Krag performance.
40.0 Grains of Varget was a one hole type group with 150 noslers. Did not Chronograph that load.

I am starting on a .308 project. I have a 30" Savage F Class single shot.
Working with 155 Lapua Scenars.
On the bench is fresh cans of Varget H 4895 and my latest favorite powder... Benchmark...nice metering stuff, that!
Also on the bench (but a little problematic) is CFE223. Great data, good accuracy / velocity reputation... but it gumms up my powder measures.
Maybe my can is defective?

I have to agree with this. I've hunted and competed with the 308 for more than 40 years. There are so many good powders that its hard to pick a looser. 4064, Varget, RL-15, 748 all work well. I hunt with 4064 and 150 grain Sierra's.

Do you guys use WLRM in the .308?.....only with certain powders? I have a couple thousand WLRM and don’t need that many .338wm rounds. I was hoping I could use them in the.308 and .243. Sorry for the diversion.

I’ll be using Varget, TAC and RL15.

Thanks

Some like mag primers with ball powder. But, the .308 charge isn't that big, so I'd try both for accuracy.

Now, if I had a bunch of WLRM, I'd be using them...

Have you tried Big Game? It seems to work well with mag primers and is a great powder.

DF

I really like reloader15 but Varget works well for me too. Started using h380 back when there was a powder shortage and won't switch back anytime soon

Same. I used them with the 7-08 and W760 pushing 145 Speer BTSP bullets. Not sure magnum primers were needed but the Speer manual recommended them. It was a very accurate load if I remember. CCI 250’s BTW with that load. I use them in my 280 AI. I’ve read that when pushing loads of 60 grains of slower burning powder it helps. Never noticed a difference but like you., I have them so might as well use them.

Thanks for the answer DF and brinky, I appreciate it. I’m going to get up to the LGS and get some Varget and Tac so I’ll buy a couple thousand WLR just to try both. 👍

You're not fazed by the pinhole burn through issues that have cropped up with WLR primers?

Interesting. Haven’t heard of this nor have seen any in my primers.

All roads start at and lead to Varget when it comes to the 308...

If I had the choice of Win primers vs others, I’d go others.

I have some vintage Win primers that are great. It’s the later ones I’d be concerned about.

Hard to beat CCI and Fed.

DF