Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Good .308 Loads

Any one running TAC in there 308? I have seen only one mention of it in this thread. Im just starting to run some with 130 TSX and TTSX but would like to hear any feedback from anyone who has used it with any bullet.

I will say that 47 grns with a TTSX shot a nice group but I need to see if it was a fluke or the real deal. I just loaded up some more to shoot this weekend.

Regarding 308 loads, I saw that Federal no longer produces their High Energy (HE) load with the 180 Partition. However, they have replaced it with a new HE load, the 165 Trophy Bonded Tip, and they claim 2880fps. That's smokin out of a 308. Anyone have hand loads running 2850+ with a 165 out of a 308?

My 46.5 gr. of Varget behind a 165 gr. BT or SMK is pushing that mark, but not equaling it, they're hovering right at around 2800 and I sure won't put any more powder in the case!

Passport what overall all length are you using with the 130TTSX and TAC? I have both and want to try and duplicate that load.

Not sure, I have just been loading them to the max of the mag box, I would guess a bit over 2.800

2.810 I figure will work

Hi from New Zealand.

I've just signed up after reading right the way through this thread, I use a Tikka T3 in 308win and my reloads at the moment stand at:

Hornady 165gr SST
46 Grains of Varget (also known as ar2208)
CCI primers
Federal Brass

They run 2780 FPS (measured @ 1 meter - 22 1/2" barrel) and they shoot anywhere from 7mm to 15mm Center To Center (1/4" to 1/2") depending on how good I'm shooting that day :P

Nice

What are you folks running in your Savage 99s in .308 caliber.

Remington 700 VLS
Floated barrel (stock)
14 oz trigger (reworked stock Remington)
Glass & pillar bedded in factory laminate stock
Leupold VX-III 4.5-14 x 40 Tac Mil Dot
Leupold Bases & Rings (trued)

Load :
LC Match Brass (2.015")
42.5 gr IMR 4064
Federal GM210M Primers
Sierra 168 gr HPBTM
2.818 OAL (.003" off the lands)

Just a note - Loads will not, Not, NOT!!! go into the box! Gonna have to load them one at a time into the chamber!

Loads chrono'd at 10 ft are consistent at 2845-2850. Never have had a load that would stay within such a small window on the chrono.

All bullets & brass are individually weighed & miked for uniformity & charges are checked on 3 scales (2 counterbalance & 1 digital.) Each loaded round is again weighed & checked for uniformity. It's a pain but with the extra effort I have shrunk my patterns significantly. My best target to date is .766" at 300 yards. That is with a VERY locked in rifle on the bags & no discernable wind. LOTS of work in not only the loads but also in the rifle. It's a little project I dove into about 3 1/2 years ago just to see what I could do with a basically "stock" rifle with nothing more than do-it-yourself home tweaking. Needless to say I've been rather pleased with the results! This rifle will shoot all day with a .300 Jarrett that I have in the safe & a custom .243 that I built a few years back. I just wish it had the energy that the .300 has when it gets there......

Are you sure about that OAL? That seems a bit short to not fit the box and be that close to the lands in a factory Rem chamber/throat.

I may have missed it, but has anyone done any work with RL-17 and the 308?

47 grains of TAC, 130TTSX, 2.805 OAL shoots well in my new kimber montana. Hopefully I will take a doe with it before Jan 1.

Did you clock that load Jimmy?

I have tried 45.0 grs of TAC under a 150 gr TSX with very good accuracy. I used WLRM (Winchester magnum) primers. I really need to work on the load some more after hunting season, and check velocity. Guessing ~ 2750 fps out of my 20" Sako. A big guess. OAL is 2.80"

Kinda wish I worked up the 130 TTSX instead of the 150 TSX.

You sir are correct! My fingers are faster than my brain. The correct OAL for that load was 2.848" not 2.818". I polished (for lack of a better term) the throat to get rid of a few slight burrs but honestly do not know how much this affected the length of the chamber. I never have checked what the actual blueprint measurement of that chamber is. Gonna have to check that & compare to see how much difference that there now is. I'll be the first to admit that I am an amateur at best in the world of custom precision gunsmithing but it sure has been fun to try to do one myself.

A good point to be made here is ALWAYS CHECK LOAD INFO BEFORE LOADING YOUR AMMO!!!!! Small mistakes make big problems. Thank you for your attention to detail & calling the shot.

Andre your targets look like my 10 shot groups @ 100
with my savage 308 26" stainless barrel
My load I use is
IMR 3031 39.5 grains with Hornady 168 amax's
and 39.5 grains of IMR 4895 does about the same

Have you run those over a chrono?

John's (Mule Deer) practice of running 46gr of Varget under all bullets ranging from 150-168gr has been working VERY well for me. Love simplicity!!!

Count me in as another person who went out and purchased a .308 because of this thread.

Marlin XS7 in 308.

Think I'll start with:
- virgin Lapua
- Varget
- 165 Nosler BTips
- Fed 210's

Will see how this goes!