Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .308 125gr @ 2200 give or take: how do we get there?

I need to figure out a light load for my daughter to use deer hunting. I've got 125gr ballistic tips, H4895, Trailboss, Blue Dot, and maybe could get some 5744. Has anyone done this before? What worked for you? The closest think I have experience with is trying to make turkey loads for an '06 years ago with H4895 and their formula for reduced loads. That didn't work so well due to 200+ fps variation.

I have no experience with youth loads. This is from the "load data" site.

.308 Winchester (Reduced/Youth Loads - Hodgdon Data)
Warning! Notes: case: Winchester; bbl: 24"; PR: Federal 210M; NEVER exceed loads listed
Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data.

Wt. Bullet Powder Manufacturer Powder Charge Velocity (FPS) Favorite?
125 Nosler Ballistic Tip, Hodgdon H-4895 38.0, 2,592

Remarks: dia.: .308"; COL: 2.800"; 31,600 cup

reduce 10% for a start charge.
Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data.
Wt. Bullet Powder Manufacturer Powder Charge Velocity (FPS) Favorite?
125 Nosler Ballistic Tip Accurate AAC-5744 34.5 2,753

Here's what I got. Ruger M77 MkII compact - 18" bbl. Oehler 35 velocities.

40.0 gr IMR-4895 150 gr Nosler BT 2,295 fps 1.40" @ 100 yds
37.0 gr IMR-4895 130 gr Horny SSP 2,115 fps
31.0 gr IMR-4198 130 gr Horny SSP 2,245 fps
12.0 gr Unique 125 Sierra spitzer 1,585 fps

This was for my boy when he was 10 Y.O.

I use 36.0 gr H4895 with 125 noslers
Daughter has killed 3 bucks with that load out to 215 yards.

30 grains of either 4198 ( I prefer IMRs) or 30 grains of RL 7...

you want to try Blue Dot? then 18.5 grains to 20 grains seems to be the real sweet spot, that guys tell me they've had the best results for accuracy...
2000 to 2250 fps range with 125 and 130 grain bullets... 22.5 grains is the max load I recommend... doesn't matter bullet weight

Trail Boss won't give you enough velocity to get there...at your desired MV...

any other suggestions needed, consult a Lyman Cast Bullet manual.... lots of good loads in there..

any, even with Jacketed bullets will be way lower than Maximum Sammi specs...

Its well known I work with a lot of this sort of stuff...but I have no use for H 4895 downloads...too loud of a boom, and isn't all that accurate...compared to other alternatives..

4198 and 3031 are better alternatives for this kind of service... so is H 322, or AA 2015.... try 25 to 30 grains of those and see if you like anything in particular..
max I'd go is 33 grains///

Thanks for the help gents!



Was that with the ballistic tip or accubond?

Seafire, you're the blue dot guy! Thanks for that info. Where did you get the 30gr of RE 7 load? I've got a bunch of that left over from .45-70 days.

RL 7 loads are around.... Having seen RL 7 loads being in the same burn rate as 4198, I just substituted it.. turned out it was better than 4198 actually..

its a favorite powder... then started noticing it in older Cast bullet reload manuals...

I've got a 444 and then shoot a lot of 223, so I got into it for that reason...then branched out to other calibers...

I shoot in a lot of calibers.. but like everything, I do a lot of experiments at the reload bench... just like I did with Blue Dot...and see what I find..

I start out with a point of reference and then go from there...

If RL 7 was available more readily locally, I'd burn a lot more of it... Bi Mart use to carry it as a standard on their shelves, but then dropped it, and started carrying RL 10 when that came out... I'm sure that was due to their salesman from Alliant.. but before the latest panic hit, they were phasing out RL 10, as it didn't sell the way RL 7 had...
Alliant never dropped RL 7, like some thought they would...

My apologies it is 38.0gr h4895 with hunting ballistic tips

This is from the Speer Reloading Manual #12. 308- 125 grain bullet - 29 grains IMR 4198 - 2,185 fps

Thanks. The powders I listed in the OP are the ones I have on hand which might be suitable. Now it looks as though I might have a use for all my RE 7 as well.

QuickLoad predicts that 21gr of Blue Dot would get 2250 fps, at 32K psi. That is with a 20" barrel, and 125gr Nosler BT.

Case fill only 56% though, so be VERY careful about double-charging if you try it.

The ballistics you are looking for are almost exactly a 300BO, at supersonic loading. That would be super efficient in a carbine like a Ruger American, but things are so hard to find now, it's probably not a viable route to take.

Buy a 300 HAMR and load it light.

39 grains H4895 with the Sierra 125gr worked fine on deer for my daughter’s 308. Later we switched to the 125gr Nosler Accubond. I went to 40 grains with the AB but the deer are the same amount of dead. Prob a dozen or so total. None at over 100yd, but that’s typical for our area. Recoil and muzzle blast are very mild. She’s used these loads since age 11. She could shoot a heavier load now, but I really don’t see the need. Your BT bullets should work the same. PM me if you need either of these bullets and I’d send you some for her, but yours should work fine. I think my Chrony read around 2500 with her loads but it’s been so long I can’t remember. Enjoy the good times together. Kids are grown and gone in a blink.

I must admit I thought the blue dot loads were pulled by Seafire after either he or someone else had a pressure related incident.
Given the choice of published data with boom over unpublished data with increased risk of kaboom I’d take published every day.
Hornsby states tilts safe to use H4895 at 60% of max - that’s where I would be looking. Will probably need mag primer and once fired neck sized cases to prevent sooty cases and bolt face