Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 155 grain 308 secnar vs. Hornady AMAX?

Looking to build a load for my Montana. Boxer pointed me in the direction of the 155 Secnar. Are they that superior to the AMAX? They cost 50% more.

Not being cheap, but looking for real world data and observations between the two.

Also, anyone loading 2000MR with either? Varget?

Most guys I know are shooting the 155 Scenar in their .308's with about 45 to 46 grains of Varget. They believe that it is THE bullet for the .308

The Scenar has the same BC as the 168 A-Max but you can shoot it at close to 2900 fps. I haven't run the wind drift numbers, but elevation data is the same as my Creedmoor shooting the 140 A-Max

Check that.

I remember his wind drift is about 1/2 again as much as mine. If I'm holding 1 mil, he has to hold about 1 1/2

45-46 Varget is the load Scenarshooter (Pat) recoomended to me and it shoots great, he says it works in his multiple .308's, and that guy knows his stuff.

Thanks!

Is there a target velocity for accuracy?

Mine's a little under 2,900 with a 26" barrel and mine shot best there. IIRC Pat said he gets 2900 with very good accuracy.

I got the same results with 50.7 grains of MR 2000. Comfortable with either 46 grains of Varget or the above load of MR 2000 . Using lapua brass and oal of 2.814 along with fed 210M primers. Rifle is a Kimber longmaster in 308 win of course.

I`ve had experience with both those bullets in the .308. What are trying to do? target work? At what range?.
Because of the BC of each bullet, you will need to lean hard on the AMax to remain supersonic at 1k. Not so much with the Lapua. Both bullets are very accurate, with an edge going to the Amax, believe it or not, out of my rifle.
Cost is a factor, so if shots are within 900 yrds, the Amax can do that without undue stress on the rifle and components, IME.

PS, try 4320..

Shhh!

What velocities, barrel lenght, etc. with 4320??

Out of my match gun, 26 inch barrel. I needed to push the bullet over 2850, IIRC, not home now, so can`t refer to my notes. I didn`t have the pressure issues with 4320 that I did with Varget. The a-max stayed SS at 1k. Accuracy is excellent.
YMMV. Work up using a crony, if you have one. Otherwise, you will need a buddy to stand under a target at 1k to tell you if the bullet is coming in SS.

For you non-competitor types, he means in the pit behind a berm.

"For you non-competitor types, he means in the pit behind a berm."

Probably more exciting without the pit and the berm...

Im working up a load with varget now, and as others have said 46 grns seems to be the sweet spot. I need to clock em but there about 1/2 MOA on the first time out.

You would be surprised how many idiots would go out and stand next to the target. "Go back further Jim Bob, I still heard the 'crack'! LOL Flinch

That's just plain Darwin at work, that's all that is!

And it is perfectly okay with me. Darwin is a good man

Brad put me on to his recipe for my 308 Montana. it instantly shot great. pm me if you want it. it involved RL15 or Varget and 150 or 168 TTSX's.

I will throw the 155.5 Berger full bore into the mix as well if you cannot get the scenar. I start at 45gr of varget and start adding powder till I get 2900fps, accuracy is usually there all along. Took 47.3gr in a 22" barrel and 46.5gr in a 26" tube.

I tried the 155 amax and had an occassional flier I could not account for, maybe one in 20 shots would be significantly outside my clearly defined wobble pattern.

Recommending the 155.5 just for external ballistics, have yet to smack anything with it and I dont recall if it is recommended by Berger.

I use Scenars and Varget in my .308 Palma rifles and love both.
45.5-46 grains will getrdun with no sweat.
I also use in it my hunting rifles and my .223 match rifles as well as my Fclass rifles .
Heck, I LOVE Varget .I use more of that powder than anything else.What did the old lady say in the commercial
"Hogdgon's Varget - I put the chit on EVERYTHING!!"
Cat