ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

[cenokisfamily]

I have everything i need to reload for .308 finally. i'll be using a hornady LnL.

so before i get started, is there anything i may need to know? any tips or load recommendations? here's everything I've got and the process in which i plan on doing:

i have winchester 748, accurate 2230, accurate 4350, and ramshot magnum powders.

i will be using federal 210m primers

i have hornady 168gr bthp's and 155gr SMK's

prvi partizan and barnes brass

i decapped the brass using my lee universal decapping die and tumbled them using walnut shell with a little bit of nu-finish polish in it. should i full-length resize or just resize the neck? i have both dies. after resizing, i plan to trim the cases to 2.005", debur and chamfer, retumble, and then prime the cases.

as far as repriming, is there any particular depth i'm looking for, or just make sure they're below the shoulder?

and finally, any load recommendations using what i have? i have the hornady 9th, which has load data for their 155gr bthp and win 748 but i don't have any of the powders they have listed for their 168gr bullets. what do you guys recommend? also, what should i be looking for in OAL?

oh and i'll be shooting these with a rem 700 sps tactical. 20" barrel, 1 in 12 twist

thanks!

 

[diriel]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

4350 is flat out too slow for .308.

748 is not bad for lighter bullets. Accurate Arms website online will have info for the 2230, it is a free resource.

RL15, AR-Comp, Varget, IMR4064, H4895 are all good IMR 3031 is a little known but good to go powder as well. So many good powders to be honest..

 

[Truth223]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

I found a 1lb jug of RL15 at bass pro yesterday. Looks like il save it for my first .308 loads, and try to find something else for my bulk .223's.

 

[dustinoif3]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

i decapped the brass using my lee universal decapping die and tumbled them using walnut shell with a little bit of nu-finish polish in it. should i full-length resize or just resize the neck? i have both dies. after resizing, i plan to trim the cases to 2.005", debur and chamfer, retumble, and then prime the cases.


Was the brass fired from your weapon? If so I would neck size. If not then you'll need to full length size the first loading

 

[oldfatguy]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Truth223</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I found a 1lb jug of RL15 at bass pro yesterday. Looks like il save it for my first .308 loads, and try to find something else for my bulk .223's. </div></div>

H335 works for lighter bullets - 55 grn - in 223.

OFG

 

[dustinoif3]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

Your col will depend on what you wanna do. Ie do you want to load one at a time or do you want to utilize the internal magazine. If you want to load to use the internal the longest the coal can be is 2.840. I know this because I load for the same rifle and that's the longest that will fit in the mag. As far as trying to reach the lands you'll have to figure that out with a chamber gauge or going old school and neck sizing to where a bullet just holds in the neck, chamber it then take a ogive measurement then repeat a few times. Just remember that the closet you want to be is .015 off the lands.

 

[cenokisfamily]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

thanks for the responses guys. i've been searching for some varget and rl-15 for almost a month now with no luck. the 4350 and magnum are for my cousin's .338 win mag, but i figured i'd list them as well. i was planning on using the win 748 with these loads.

Dustin, yes, the brass was fired from my rifle. so i should neck size?

" As far as trying to reach the lands you'll have to figure that out with a chamber gauge or going old school and neck sizing to where a bullet just holds in the neck, chamber it then take a ogive measurement then repeat a few times. Just remember that the closet you want to be is .015 off the lands."

this may be a dumb question, but how do i measure for the lands? and what is an ogive measurement?

 

[waste_knot]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

Resize a couple in the neck die and see if they chamber. Then proceed to the next step. You can build all kinds of dummy rounds to check the dimemsions of the chamber b4 making a whole bunch. I usually go through the whole process and seat a bullet with no powder and primer. Drill out the primer pocket or drill a hole through the case so you know it a "gauge" round.

 

[dustinoif3]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cenokisfamily</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thanks for the responses guys. i've been searching for some varget and rl-15 for almost a month now with no luck. the 4350 and magnum are for my cousin's .338 win mag, but i figured i'd list them as well. i was planning on using the win 748 with these loads.

Dustin, yes, the brass was fired from my rifle. so i should neck size?

" As far as trying to reach the lands you'll have to figure that out with a chamber gauge or going old school and neck sizing to where a bullet just holds in the neck, chamber it then take a ogive measurement then repeat a few times. Just remember that the closet you want to be is .015 off the lands."

this may be a dumb question, but how do i measure for the lands? and what is an ogive measurement? </div></div>

It's not a dumb question. This is the technique I use because its old school and this "hobby/addiction" has 60 to 80 dollar'd me to death. Anyways just take piece of brass that has been fired from your rifle. Use your neck die and instead of going to the shell plate plus 2 turns or whatever it might be just go to the shell plate. Next run your brass up then check the tension of the neck by taking a bullet and inserting. If it falls into the case give the die an eight to a quarter turn and try it again. End result is a bullet that can be pushed in a little bit by hand and tuff to pull out by hand. Once you achieved some decent tension go ahead and place a bullet partially in the case and take a sharpie and color the bullet and chamber it in the rifle. You may have to work the bolt a little to get it to close. Now you want to extract the shell. The bullet may or may not come with it. If it doesn't just take a cleaning rod and press it out. What you'll see is the color gone where the neck scraped it off. Insert the bullet back in until the lines match up or if it stayed with the shell then take a measurement. You'll wanna do it a few times to compare measurements. Should be the same.
Okay the measurements you can take are a coal(cartridge overall lenght) or an ogive. Coal is just tip to base. Not the most accurate because each bullet or brand of bullet are different slightly but it's close. The most accurate is ogive. The ogive on the bullet is where the bullet starts tapering. It's actually the part that's hitting the lands when doing the method mentioned above. To take an ogive measurement you'll need what's called a bullet comparotor for the caliber being checked. They are cheap and midway has them.
Last part is that once you find the "lands" you don't want to be any closer than .015. Some people load closer but as you get closer pressures increase. I would do some 15 off then 20 off then some 30 off.

I neck size after the brass has been fire formed to my chamber. It increases case life and doesn't require you to lube. Also because its already expanded to your chamber then when you fire that next round or rounds you will see how much it improves accuracy and consistent points of impacts.

 

[garandman]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

Hornady A-max 168
44.0 gr Varget
Case length 2.005"
COL 2.80"
Full length sized brass
Pretty much any decent primer

Repeateable 0.50MoA (and less) from my DPMS LR308.

 

[dustinoif3]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

Forget one thing but you'll figure it out. I'm firing the same rifle. The longest I can load and still utilize the magazine is 2.840 coal.

 

[cenokisfamily]

Re: ready to start first loads for .308......a few ?'s

thanks so much for the help Dustin! and everyone else! i'll get at this and let you guys know how i did!