Just wanted everyone's thoughts on the best / most preferred factory .308 ammunition?
- Thread starter Hostile Natured
- Start date
If I have to go factory I either go FGMM or Lapua Lock Base.
Whatever is the cheapest so you can save up and buy reloading equipment!
Federal gold medal match... If you can find it
How long is a piece of string?
What are you shooting?
Hunting or target?
Small or large game?
Short or long distances?
What are you shooting?
Hunting or target?
Small or large game?
Short or long distances?
Thanks for your replies.
Is the main reason for reloading to better engineer rounds or just to save money?
Is the main reason for reloading to better engineer rounds or just to save money?
Mate I reload for three reasons.
1) Reduce cost of ammo
2) Accuracy & consistency
3) Escape from the wife for several hours.
1) Reduce cost of ammo
2) Accuracy & consistency
3) Escape from the wife for several hours.
Twice the distance from the centre to one end. Is how long a piece of string is.
I have only shot Australian Army issued weapons, and I want to learn long range shooting. Out to one click.
I am looking to find a good round that is consistence to learn with.
Thanks,
I have only shot Australian Army issued weapons, and I want to learn long range shooting. Out to one click.
I am looking to find a good round that is consistence to learn with.
Thanks,
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FGMM and Black Hills.
My dept shot FGMM exclusively then we did some testing and this Winchester outperformed them all so we shoot it now exclusively. We are LEO's so we aren't shooting the distances that many here are, but this is a quality round.
Black Hills match is what I used before I started rolling my own.
Hornady TAP, Black Hills and SSA get my vote.
Winchester white box, I like the brass from Winchester.
Federal Gold Medal match 168gr.
I shoot the FGGM 175 grn only(7.62&308) and have had great luck as has most, also the hornady as been great( all offerings amax and BTHP) black hills has been great as well .Even some cheap stuff I bought a while back that was reman'd out of mil brass shot good. And last but not least, Southwest ammo has been accurately reliable for me so far. I have a buddy with a custom 308 that is a shooter but it doesn't like FGGM so I have learned not assume that a certain brand will shoot great without testing it out but the ones I listed are usually good starting points. All of my 308's shoot everything well. Hopefully your rifle will like what is readily available in bulk at a good price. Good luck
Black Hills 168 A-MAX. 95% as accurate as FGMM and deadly on game.
Hostile Natured
Hi Australia
It would be better if you did mention the purpose on which these rounds would be used for but, to answer the question, for an all around reliable ammo, for MY rifles, I would go with Fed GMM 175 SMK. I also had good results with Black Hills 175 Match and Hornady AMAX 178.
For up to one click (1093,61 yards), for MY rifles, I would stick with something heavier than 168; the 168 is great for shorter distances but it may go "funky" past 800 yards.
Important details that you have to take in consideration, such as your barrel twist, length, etc...other shooters will shoot 155's because of their rifle configuration and they will do great at a 1000 yards. What works in my rifles may not work for yours; some other .308 shooters have been using Berger 190's VLD with great success at long range (they do reload).
You were probably expecting a straight easy answer but there are several important factors that you have to take in consideration.
Read a lot, shoot a lot and ask a bunch of questions on SH (great people on the Hide) but give specifications on your rifle, it helps.
Good shooting.
Ombre noire
Hi Australia
It would be better if you did mention the purpose on which these rounds would be used for but, to answer the question, for an all around reliable ammo, for MY rifles, I would go with Fed GMM 175 SMK. I also had good results with Black Hills 175 Match and Hornady AMAX 178.
For up to one click (1093,61 yards), for MY rifles, I would stick with something heavier than 168; the 168 is great for shorter distances but it may go "funky" past 800 yards.
Important details that you have to take in consideration, such as your barrel twist, length, etc...other shooters will shoot 155's because of their rifle configuration and they will do great at a 1000 yards. What works in my rifles may not work for yours; some other .308 shooters have been using Berger 190's VLD with great success at long range (they do reload).
You were probably expecting a straight easy answer but there are several important factors that you have to take in consideration.
Read a lot, shoot a lot and ask a bunch of questions on SH (great people on the Hide) but give specifications on your rifle, it helps.
Good shooting.
Ombre noire
Hornady 168 grn z-max or a-max is a great load to get ahold of it is accurate out to 800 yards and it puts a herti'n on the coyotes.
I have settled on the 175 Fed GMM. The Black Hills with the 168 Amax is very good in some of my guns but I have a couple that don't seem to care for it, but the Fed is consistently good in all of them.
Fgmm 168 or black hills 168.
Black Hills 175 Match. Several of us tried to reload a better round for my rifle and could not do it.
Your results will probably vary.
Your results will probably vary.
175 FGmm or Black Hils
Here in Europe the only two that match or even better hand loads are the several types of Lapua match ammo or Norma Diamond Line.
But expect to pay well over € 2,- per round.
But expect to pay well over € 2,- per round.
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+1 FGGM 175, as already stated above great price "in normal times"
My vote goes for Hornady TAP in either the 155gr or 168gr a-max. My GAP and MWS absolutely loves the 155's. (then again, my GAP shoots 1/2 moa with anything and everything I feed it.)
Hornady 178gr match.
I handload my own with 175 SMKs or 168 Amax, but if I do shoot factory stuff it has been Fed. GMM or Black Hills, both 168 and 175. One thing to take in consideration though is that if you do plan to reload in the future and save your brass to use for that time Federal brass is soft and the primer pockets will loosen up quicker and easier than other brass so you will not get as many reloads out of it.
What about Southwest or Copper Creek? Anybody here got any love for these brands? Not to hijack thread but I have absolutely no time to reload right now....and I want to continue to hoard what little reloading supplies I have left, so I'm debating sending my brass into these folks to load me up some bang stock....is it worth it or by the time you pay to ship brass back and loaded ammo home have you lost any savings?....
Southwest or Copper creek as they both make excellent ammo
This and FGGM in 175 grains if I don't use my own loads. I stay away from BH after coming across a few bad lots in '06 or '07.
Black hills.. Hornady Amax.. Then Fed GMM
Hornady 178 gr BTHP Match, Southwest 175 gr SMK.
I always really liked the Black Hills Match 175 gr SMK. Had no problems getting out to 1,000 yards with it.
FGMM in 168gr or 175gr SMK are my favorites for factory.
I bought 400rds of Black Hills 175gr SMK New Production last year and had 11 case necks split. The groups were excellent (shot a few sub-.5moa @ 100yds) for the most part, but were inconsistent speed-wise over the chronograph which showed at the 600yd matches I entered. I also bought a good bit of Hornady 178gr BTHP match which didn't group well at all in my 1/10 twist DTA or 1/12 twist R700. Don't have any chrony numbers on it though.
Currently I reload the 178gr BTHPs for my DTA and 168gr SMKs for my R700 with fantastic results. Significantly less cost than factory and much more consistent shot to shot. Only downside is finding components!
I bought 400rds of Black Hills 175gr SMK New Production last year and had 11 case necks split. The groups were excellent (shot a few sub-.5moa @ 100yds) for the most part, but were inconsistent speed-wise over the chronograph which showed at the 600yd matches I entered. I also bought a good bit of Hornady 178gr BTHP match which didn't group well at all in my 1/10 twist DTA or 1/12 twist R700. Don't have any chrony numbers on it though.
Currently I reload the 178gr BTHPs for my DTA and 168gr SMKs for my R700 with fantastic results. Significantly less cost than factory and much more consistent shot to shot. Only downside is finding components!
FGMM 175 grain are what I usually use. I haven't used Black Hills before but heard good things about it. Currently, I really like the Southwest Ammunition (SW118LR).
Greek 147 gr surplus, bestest ever
Another for Black Hills 175
Fgmm works well in most
Black hills works well in alot
Corbon kicks tail in a bunch
Couple of hide sponsors' ammo works very well too:sw and copper creek.
Mccourt/fcs ammo will do incredibly well and andrew will work with you to tune load to your rifle
Black hills works well in alot
Corbon kicks tail in a bunch
Couple of hide sponsors' ammo works very well too:sw and copper creek.
Mccourt/fcs ammo will do incredibly well and andrew will work with you to tune load to your rifle
Federal gold medal match
Different guns like different things unfortunatly.
I bought 40 boxes of FGGM 168's and low and behold my SPR does not like it. I also have 12 boxes of BH 168 and that throws 4 inch fliers at 200yds every few rounds, pretty much stopped shooting that stuff. The Hornaday BTHP 168 and Zmax 168's work GREAT in my SPR. Unfortunatly I am out of that stuff and it is no where to be found. Like being stuck on an life boat surropunded by water you can't drink, I have 1000 rounds of ammo my gun hates that I can't shoot and none of the stuff it likes to shoot.
Hornaday BTHP 168 gets my vote. ZMAX worked great too actually but the Zombie thing is kind of lame. Leave them in the box and people comment on it all day long. Ironically it workes better than the TAP for me. I have some of the TAP too but the BTHP was the absolutle best most consistent for me.
I am sure someones gun hates the Hornady BTHP thogh. I am learning this is why people keep insisting you do your own loads.
I bought 40 boxes of FGGM 168's and low and behold my SPR does not like it. I also have 12 boxes of BH 168 and that throws 4 inch fliers at 200yds every few rounds, pretty much stopped shooting that stuff. The Hornaday BTHP 168 and Zmax 168's work GREAT in my SPR. Unfortunatly I am out of that stuff and it is no where to be found. Like being stuck on an life boat surropunded by water you can't drink, I have 1000 rounds of ammo my gun hates that I can't shoot and none of the stuff it likes to shoot.
Hornaday BTHP 168 gets my vote. ZMAX worked great too actually but the Zombie thing is kind of lame. Leave them in the box and people comment on it all day long. Ironically it workes better than the TAP for me. I have some of the TAP too but the BTHP was the absolutle best most consistent for me.
I am sure someones gun hates the Hornady BTHP thogh. I am learning this is why people keep insisting you do your own loads.
another vote for FGMM 175 grain
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