Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Ramshot TAC and VV N540 Success in 308

Greetings Gents,

In this resource constrained environment, I wanted to check my notes on Ramshot TAC and VV N540 before I started loading 308 with it.

Does it operate better near max?

Is it accurate throughout the charge range?

Better with a specific grain bullet?

Load success with 125/130 grain, 150-155 Grain, 165-168 Grain, 178-180 Grain.

I will be shooting these from stock Savage and Remington 308s. Using FC and LC brass.

Looking for hunting accuracy. MOA or less is the goal. Have 155 Scenars, 165 SGK, 168 Nosler CC, 178 ELDx, 178 AMAX, 180 SGK.

Any comments welcome. I made an earlier post and posted in the wrong area.

Thanks much,

JB

This is my TAC load with 168gr Ballistic Tips.
44.5grs TAC
Win case
WLRM primer

I'm using 45 grains of TAC under a 168-grain Hornady Match Boat Tail. Velocity is 2,775 fps.

Accuracy is kinda OK, I guess:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/15973377/308-and-tac#Post15973377

I shot this target during COAL testing, so the COAL for each group is a few thousandths different than for the others. I ran out of luck on the lower left-hand corner target but the average of all five groups is 0.64 MOA and the average of the best four groups is 0.53 MOA.

The rifle is a newer Remington 700 ADL that was cut to 22" and bedded into an HS Precision stock, with an older 12x Schmidt & Bender for those tests. It won't group quite as well with 180-grain bullets, but I've found some TAC loads that hover right around 1 MOA at around 2,575 fps.


Okie John

That would more than suit my purposes. True 1 MOA load is better than 90 percent of factory ammo. I’m a hunter and 500 yards is max for me.

One thing John Barsness has mentioned is that often the Ramshot spherical powders like TAC will give their best accuracy with magnum primers. Looks like that is consistent with baldhunter's group above. JB recently mentioned on one of the threads here that while switching to magnum primers does not always improve Ramshot accuracy, he had not ever had it make it worse.
I gave TAC a brief try in the .308 I am working with now with the 168 SMK, and only got 1.5-ish MOA. But I just checked my notes and saw I used a standard primer - I'll have to go back and try a magnum.
Heading to the range this morning with Big Game and Fed 215s under the 165 BT. Will report back here if I try TAC/magnum primer and it improves for me.

Rex

The loads I mentioned above use magnum primers.


Okie John

I used to use WLR for my non-magnum rifles,308 Win,30-06,338-06 and WLRM for my 7mags,7STW,300WSM and 300 Win Mags.Tried the WLR in my 300WSM and only saw about 15fps difference between the two which is maybe like a .5gr of powder difference.So I decided to try the magnums in my non-magnums and they worked real well with the ball and extruded powders.So now I just buy the magnums.As long as you know your not maxed out with your load you shouldn't have any issues switching,I know I haven't regretted making the switch.

Anyone else? Wanting a 130 grain suggestion.

135 gr., not 130 gr., CEB Raptor, not conventional bullet and with Fed 210 primer. Varget, not TAC or Vv 540. BTW, TAC is closer to Vv 133 than Vv 540 on burn rate chart.

Not saying Vv 540 isn't a suitable .308 powder, as it's a versatile round, just that these two choices are pretty far apart. Do they represent what's on hand during a shortage?

Check out the 135 gr. Raptor. I wrote the review with photos. https://cuttingedgebullets.com/308-135gr-er-extended-range-raptor

DF

TAC works fine, especially with bullets 168 and under. I've used it with good success in 30-06 too. As far as magnum primers and TAC, I've not felt it necessary. Maybe if i loaded Hunter or such in a larger case. I do use WLR primers with most ball powders though

308 results:

Nice round .78 inch group at 2871 FPS and 18 SD. 18.5 inch Savage rifle.

2.820
CCI 34 primers
FC brass
155 Lapua Scenar
46 grains TAC (thrown charge)

46.5 shot about an inch
45.5 was acceptable hunting accurate