Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting 600 yard .308 bullet

I've heard great things about the 155 Scenars.

I've seen guys shoot 1000 with them from an 18" barrel no problem.

I still shoot 175 SMK, didn't try the Scenars though, as I got a smokin' deal on 5000 of the Sierra.

FWIW, I've never owned a 20" .308. But, all three 1/10s and my current 1/11.25 have done very well with the 175SMK, out to 800. Tried 1000 but it's a crapshoot with me, doesn't matter what I'm shooting. Only time I ran the 168s was several years ago in a 26" 1/12.

Rost495
Yeah the 20 round courses of fire are pretty painful (2 more years and I'm done with the jumping stuff). I thought about running the 223 and I still might go that route especially for the midrange matches if I start shooting more matches. I am pretty much using F/TR for fun and as practice for steel shooting matches. I'll maybe shoot 3 F/class matches a year.

I run the 155.5 Berger out of a short barrel and keep supersonic to 1000 without a problem. I have been really pleased with the 155.5 and ditched the 175 for the 155.5 on everything. I understand Sierra redid the 155 palma and it is almost identical to the berger. I did find the load workup was much easier with the Berger, the scenar was more finicky with regards to OAL and I could not get a mag feeding round to match the accuracy of the Berger.

If its only 3 F class matches a year, you aren't out for awards etc... basically.
Then IMHO the 223 has you written all over it. Get it twisted and or chambered for at least 80s. Run 80 bergers or 80 jlks or 80 wildcats if they come back. Takes a special weirdo like me to run 90 jlks...(the sierra and berger 90s ain't worth a flip for a 223) and I only get a hair better results in the wind, but its enough for me to save dropping points when others do... 7 twist is your friend. 6.5 for 90s but for 90s go odd groove and not Krieger as the Krieger will pressure up before you get to the needed speed.... PN is the 6.5 folsk.... but be prepared to get a so so barrel now and then with them.

bolt or semi is your choice, but set up right with a longer tube a bolt gun in 223 should just drive tacks. And you could get it set up to run 80s out of the mag with a longer box... have the reamer set to where your bullet at the junction of the bt part and shank, does not get past the bottom of the neck. And put the right leade angle for VLDs and you should be set really nicely.

TAC is a great powder, I ran all N540/N550 at the end... the N540 burn rate changed.... coated bulllets allow a bit more speed if interested. And allow me to run a lot of rounds without cleaning.

Inside 600 meters... I don't think a .223 Rem is giving up all that much, if any.

This summer up @ the hundred-n-something-th BCRA Int'l match, I ran a Savage 12 F/TR in .223 Rem - 30", 1-7" twist, with a chamber that in every way that matters seems to match the one in my WOA space-gun upper. I had shot some practice matches with the B90VLD, N550, Lapua cases and Rem 7.5 primers and had okay results. I went back to the B82BT and N150... and that rifle came alive. A couple weeks before the BCRA I was at a local 600yd match doing load testing and came away with a 199-13x, a 198-?x, and a 197-somethin'. Took that same load to Chilliwack, BC, and won the F/TR side of things for the second time, actually placing #5 in the overall. 2nd F/TR was also shooting a .223 Rem - moly S80MK, IIRC and it was all I could do to stay one step ahead of him (I think its basically his home range).

FWIW... that match uses the ICFRA targets, and for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of shooting on those little bundles of joy... the V is even smaller than our 'X'. I think the 300yd version is something like 1.25" vs. our 1.41". Anywho, that match was four days @ 300, 400, 500, & 600 meters. While the B82BT isn't too shabby as far as BC, its a ways back from the 90 VLDs (of any brand). But in my limited experience, for 600 and in, sheer accuracy is worth more than raw BC - if I have one load that will shoot 1/4 moa (10 shot strings) and another that has a little higher BC and shoots 1/2 moa... I'll take the accuracy first and worry about the wind later.

I'm seriously considering running the .223 Rem for all the =<600yd matches next year and running the .308 for 800+...

Can't stand gas guns once I'm done with the military my M4 clone is going down the road. I use it only for CQB practice I'll suck it up till then and shoot the 308 and build me a 223 bolt gun as funds allow.

Gas guns won me so many medals we kept em in a trash can at one point.... plaques and all... the M16 platform has treated me very well. I happen to really like it. BUT thats personal once again. A nice 223 with a long mag well, and say 26-30 inch tube... IIRC from some other reading, 30 inch tube and 90s worked very nicely out to 1000.

I knew you were a gas gun guy and I know they can be set up to flat friggin shoot. I packed a SPR all Afghanistan for a while because it was the best choice for the missions we were doing, I just can't warm up to them. Much prefer a bolt gun, no logic just preference. I like the idea of a mid range 223 and a 308 for longer stuff now I just have to make it happen.

gas guns shoot. Bolt guns shoot better IMHO. And bolt guns shoot easier IMHO. I picked my path. The smarter path would or could have been shoot the best you could... but there were those little medals all over that come only from dedication to a gas gun.

I hear ya on packing the gun in the sandbox but wanting something else. Thats pretty common.

If all you are going is to 600.... but talking braille target cause thats what I'm familiar with... 223 will be your baby IMHO. Especially with the back issues.

Yeah we just got the M110 SASS and it's a heck of a lot harder to drive well then the M24.
I shot 3 F/class matches and one Any Sight at Raton this summer and while not in Memilanuk's class as a shooter did OK. 2 were Mid Range course and 1 Palma Course they were all fun though. That's a good group of regulars that shoot the matches there.