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Bench loads for .308 win

FrancF
Currently I am using 41 gr of H-4895 CCI-br2 with a 168gr SMK seated @ 2.810 col. Lapua brass.

Varget?
IMR/H 4064?

I wish to try more combos [:)] [:p] 155 & 168gr A-max

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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • 3_47Inf
    FrancF,

    I use Varget and I like the results. Varget burns clean and even for me and is a good powder out to 800 yards (haven't been shooting any farther - nor do I like the recoil to get things out much more than that). I use Winchester primer in Winchester brass with 165gr. Hornaby A-Max for my Savage 10FP in .308. For my Savage 10FP in .223, I also use Varget with all the same stuff with a Hornaby 55gr topping it.

    I especially like the versatility of Varget. I also like the BL-C(2) for the same reasons, but it seems to have a bit more kick to it. That might just be my bullet launchers.
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  • nononsense
    FrancF,

    What form of bench shooting are you practicing?
    Point Blank - 100, 200, 300 yard group Aggs.
    VfS - Varmint for Score
    1000 yard/ F-Class
    ????

    Best.
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  • FrancF
    quote:Originally posted by nononsense
    FrancF,

    What form of bench shooting are you practicing?
    Point Blank - 100, 200, 300 yard group Aggs.
    VfS - Varmint for Score
    1000 yard/ F-Class
    ????

    Best.




    NN- 100 yards, for now, I have a deep interest in F-class. But because the sport is somewhat new, and I am newbie to it.

    F-class matches/ranges are hard to come by in my neck of the woods. Practice on open BLM land, is even tougher, just to prove to myself that I can even qualify for such a team.

    I know I can make small holes @ 100 -200-300 with a 308. but at 600-700 I don't know if I could make the cut for basic 1k F-Class Comp. With the good shots out there. Practice!!!! & Discipline!!!!!



    Humble- [:)]
    [:)][:)]





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  • nononsense
    FrancF,

    The powders that you list are all in the same burning range and should come to about the same pressure as your charge of H-4895. The H-4895 will be at the higher pressure with the others trailing slightly behind. I would work around the same loading process that got you to the 41 grains of H-4895 when shifting to the AMAXs. They will both track about 50-75 fps faster than the 168 MK's with the same 41 grain load of H-4895 at the same seating depth.

    It does seem to me that your load could stand a little more steam behind your bullet choices, especially if you want to get to 1000 yards and just a bit beyond. Maybe you stopped at the first or second accuracy node instead of pushing up towards the next faster one? Most of the loads that I use and those of others that I shoot with, run up around the 44.0 grain mark. Is your rifle a custom or is it factory? If it's a custom, which chamber design did you choose?

    My short range .308 loads are developed around the 150 gr. Chism bullet which has a flat base and is very accurate. The powders that I use are IMR-3031 and V V N-135. I recently started working with the .300 Savage and the 30BR for short range slow twist, light bullets for shooting in Varmint for Score. The twist rates run 14, 15 and 16 for the 118 BIB's and 125 Chism's. The 30BR is very mild and easy to shoot all day.

    There is no doubt that the .308 will work just fine for F-Class, the Palma shooters have proven that. I've shot it at 1,000 yards while testing several different rifling styles in different barrels. My preference would be to use the 190 gr. Berger VLD but seated out to 2.900" instead of your 2.800" for your chamber. That little bit more powder makes for a better balance between bullet weight and velocity.

    The cartridges that I'm working with currently are the .260 Rem. and the 25 WSSM necked up to 6.5 which is very similar to the 6.5 Heaton developed by Boyd Heaton for shooting 1,000 yard benchrest. The .260 Rem. is a no brainer for accuracy and the 6.5 Heaton is showing some promise but I need to put in more time with it.

    You could consider the IMR-3031 for most all of your bullet choices and then include a couple of the V V's such as N-135 and N-140.

    Best.
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  • Ray Boone
    I've used Win 748, Hornady 335 & BL-C2 with good results, but the loads were developed about 30 years ago and since that time there's been a ton of powders developed in that burn rate.
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