Range Report Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
- Thread starter tychin02
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Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
If you're talking hand loads, I run 43.3 grains of IMR 4064 in my GAP-10. Get on average 2675 velocity pushing 175 SMKs.
If you're talking hand loads, I run 43.3 grains of IMR 4064 in my GAP-10. Get on average 2675 velocity pushing 175 SMKs.
Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
208 amax is hard to beat for best all around match/hunting bullet in the 308.
208 amax is hard to beat for best all around match/hunting bullet in the 308.
Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
http://www.appliedballisticsllc.com/Munitions/ABMTactical.html
Applied Ballistics 175 gr Tactical Bullet load; ought to work very well out of a GAP 10. Expensive...but they're worth it.
http://www.appliedballisticsllc.com/Munitions/ABMTactical.html
Applied Ballistics 175 gr Tactical Bullet load; ought to work very well out of a GAP 10. Expensive...but they're worth it.
Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
Thanks for the insight...
Any ballistic tables to accompany these rounds?? Or best place to find them??
Obviously getting true stats out of my own gun will take precedent, but would be interested to see some standard tables.
Thanks for the insight...
Any ballistic tables to accompany these rounds?? Or best place to find them??
Obviously getting true stats out of my own gun will take precedent, but would be interested to see some standard tables.
Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tychin02</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Just bought a GAP 10 in .308.... Looking for best loads for long range shooting, pig hunting, and best overall...</div></div>
Actually, lots of options -- hard to determine what's best.
Long range shooting (presumably precision targets) and hunting don't always work well with one bullet. As noted in an earlier post, the heavy AMax may be an exception.
Precision .308 target bullets are most commonly Sierra Match King, Hornady AMax, Berger VLD, and Lapua Scenar. All tend to perform well in match-quality guns such as GAP, but your rifle and targets will show you what works best -- if you're up to the task behind the trigger.
I don't handload, but I know talented loaders can beat the precision of even the best factory ammo out there (such as Federal GM, Black Hills, Hornady, Corbon, Lapua). Start with factory ammo if you don't already handload. FGMM 168 or 175 in a GAP will shoot better than most of us behind the trigger.
With minimal web searching you can find FGMM for $1 per round, which about as good as factory precision ammo gets. Note that FGMM 168 has stability issues as it transitions to subsonic speeds. (Hornady AMax 168 is another round that doesn't transition to subsonic well.) For this reason FGMM 175 might be a better all around choice for target shooting, but it's not going to be the best hunting round.
JBM Ballistics is a good program that's free on the internet. It works very well for my .308 GAP out to 1,000 yards, will multiple ammo types and at dramatically different density altitudes. If you're really serious about long-distance accuracy, get your favorite ammo chronographed from your gun. Published muzzle velocities may, or may not, be close to your rifle's actual results.
I will defer to the hunters on what bullets and loads are recommended for hogs.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tychin02</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Just bought a GAP 10 in .308.... Looking for best loads for long range shooting, pig hunting, and best overall...</div></div>
Actually, lots of options -- hard to determine what's best.
Long range shooting (presumably precision targets) and hunting don't always work well with one bullet. As noted in an earlier post, the heavy AMax may be an exception.
Precision .308 target bullets are most commonly Sierra Match King, Hornady AMax, Berger VLD, and Lapua Scenar. All tend to perform well in match-quality guns such as GAP, but your rifle and targets will show you what works best -- if you're up to the task behind the trigger.
I don't handload, but I know talented loaders can beat the precision of even the best factory ammo out there (such as Federal GM, Black Hills, Hornady, Corbon, Lapua). Start with factory ammo if you don't already handload. FGMM 168 or 175 in a GAP will shoot better than most of us behind the trigger.
With minimal web searching you can find FGMM for $1 per round, which about as good as factory precision ammo gets. Note that FGMM 168 has stability issues as it transitions to subsonic speeds. (Hornady AMax 168 is another round that doesn't transition to subsonic well.) For this reason FGMM 175 might be a better all around choice for target shooting, but it's not going to be the best hunting round.
JBM Ballistics is a good program that's free on the internet. It works very well for my .308 GAP out to 1,000 yards, will multiple ammo types and at dramatically different density altitudes. If you're really serious about long-distance accuracy, get your favorite ammo chronographed from your gun. Published muzzle velocities may, or may not, be close to your rifle's actual results.
I will defer to the hunters on what bullets and loads are recommended for hogs.
Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
If you click on the link to the Applied Ballistics webpage below the pic, there is some info near the bottom with respect to expected velocity and barrel length. Easiest way to generate a ballistic table would be to pick the velocity closest to the barrel setup on your GAP 10 and run it through JBM Ballistics along with your local atmospheric conditions using a G7 BC of .259 (just pick "None" from the projectile list, and put in .308 and 175 gr in the menus just below). Here is an example using the predicted 2570 fps for a 20" barrel and some generic atmospheric conditions:
If you click on the link to the Applied Ballistics webpage below the pic, there is some info near the bottom with respect to expected velocity and barrel length. Easiest way to generate a ballistic table would be to pick the velocity closest to the barrel setup on your GAP 10 and run it through JBM Ballistics along with your local atmospheric conditions using a G7 BC of .259 (just pick "None" from the projectile list, and put in .308 and 175 gr in the menus just below). Here is an example using the predicted 2570 fps for a 20" barrel and some generic atmospheric conditions:
Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
FWIW-I was getting 2646 fps running the AB175 load out of my GAP Crusader with a 22" Bartlein 5R .299/.308 tight bore barrel. I'm not sure exactly what the barrel specs for the GAP 10 are, but you might easily expect to see 2600 fps (or better) with that load out of your setup. It ought to be sickeningly accurate.
FWIW-I was getting 2646 fps running the AB175 load out of my GAP Crusader with a 22" Bartlein 5R .299/.308 tight bore barrel. I'm not sure exactly what the barrel specs for the GAP 10 are, but you might easily expect to see 2600 fps (or better) with that load out of your setup. It ought to be sickeningly accurate.
G
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Re: Best .308 load... Factory or Hand load
So for pig hunting I would buy some Gamekings or soft points. I do not think a $40 box of ammo for hunting is reasonable at all, especially out of a gass gun. I would shoot the AB175 for a bench rest type of event. Hand loaded ammo with some killer projectiles, yea great choice.
Don't let the over analyzers make you think anything. Try some stuff and make a personal decision. Shooting has fundemtals but there is personality with every shooter.
I personally shoot 180 Gamekings, they are great for long range hunting, so are nosler ballistic tips. Gamekings are less expensive in most cases for hunting.
Zach
So for pig hunting I would buy some Gamekings or soft points. I do not think a $40 box of ammo for hunting is reasonable at all, especially out of a gass gun. I would shoot the AB175 for a bench rest type of event. Hand loaded ammo with some killer projectiles, yea great choice.
Don't let the over analyzers make you think anything. Try some stuff and make a personal decision. Shooting has fundemtals but there is personality with every shooter.
I personally shoot 180 Gamekings, they are great for long range hunting, so are nosler ballistic tips. Gamekings are less expensive in most cases for hunting.
Zach
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