What is the best overall powder for a 308? I plan on shooting bullets from 125gr to 165gr.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
- Thread starter willyp
- Start date
I use Varget and H4985. Varget is def my powder of choice but it is hard to find.
+1 on this plus varget thats all i use from 130 to 180gr
Varget like others have said and it has been showing up more and more lately. I got 8lbs from midsouth last week and there has been some decent shipments to some local stores but they limit 1lb per day which doesn't do me much good since I can't stop by there every day and I would like to keep at least 8lbs of the same lot together.
Varget is a great powder because you can use it over a wide range. I have been getting great results with RL15 so that's what I use now.
Have you or anybody considered IMR 8208XBR? Sounds like it can give Varget a run. I have some that I'm fixin to try with 168 SMK.
XBR is much more hard to find right now that Varget and I would really like to have some for my 155 bergs. I haven't tried it with anything heavier. My thinking is it may be too fast for anything over 168's but I could be wrong.
I have used XBR8208 with 175 but I was getting pressure signs before I reached the velocity I wanted. It is suppose to work really well with the lighter bullets.
I have settled on Alliant AR-Comp for my 308 and 223AI loads. It is similar to varget but typically has been easier to get. I get great velocity and great accuracy
I have settled on Alliant AR-Comp for my 308 and 223AI loads. It is similar to varget but typically has been easier to get. I get great velocity and great accuracy
Easier for me to get XBR. My go to guy says he likes H4895 best. I just shot some 4064. Nice! All using 168 SMK's in a Savage bolt gun. 2.83".
There is no "best overall" powder for 308.
The popular varget, while it works well, is in fact not as well suited to the weight bullets the OP listed as IMR or H 4895.
A few others not mentioned so far:
Accurate 4064 (a little slow)
IMR or H4198 (a little fast)
IMR3031 (a little fast)
CFE223 (a little slow)
PowerPro2000 (a little slow)
Benchmark (nice choice, here!)
H335 (perfect for top velocites and easy metering)
Winnie 748 (a bit slow but great metering)
Vhit N120, 130, 133 and 140...even 150
Ramshot TAC and X-terminator
Reloder 12
...and more...
The popular varget, while it works well, is in fact not as well suited to the weight bullets the OP listed as IMR or H 4895.
A few others not mentioned so far:
Accurate 4064 (a little slow)
IMR or H4198 (a little fast)
IMR3031 (a little fast)
CFE223 (a little slow)
PowerPro2000 (a little slow)
Benchmark (nice choice, here!)
H335 (perfect for top velocites and easy metering)
Winnie 748 (a bit slow but great metering)
Vhit N120, 130, 133 and 140...even 150
Ramshot TAC and X-terminator
Reloder 12
...and more...
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I've been a big fan of Varget over the years but recently have been using a lot of CFE223. Bought a couple of cases of it before the panic with the intent to use it in my .223 loads. Found that it works great in .308 with bullet weights up to 175 gr. Sure do like the lack of copper fouling 
An added benefit is the ability to get another 100 fps out of it when compared to Varget using same bullet weights. Powder actually fits in the case so no "CRUNCH".
I agree that there is no ONE perfect powder for .308 as it's more a case of some powders doing better with certain bullet weights. Kind of like trying to buy ONE vehicle to meet all your needs. A compact is great for fuel mileage but to tow a trailer or haul gravel it sucks, and vice versa.
An added benefit is the ability to get another 100 fps out of it when compared to Varget using same bullet weights. Powder actually fits in the case so no "CRUNCH".
I agree that there is no ONE perfect powder for .308 as it's more a case of some powders doing better with certain bullet weights. Kind of like trying to buy ONE vehicle to meet all your needs. A compact is great for fuel mileage but to tow a trailer or haul gravel it sucks, and vice versa.
Yeah, "best" questions must include "for what" to get a reasonable answer.
Temperature/velocity stability as provided by Varget and to a lesser degree by IMR 4064 comes at the cost of high/low metering challenges (not an issue if weighing charges) and to a small degree, long-term powder stability, and with in general higher flame temperature which can wear the throat a bit faster than...
Spherical powders like WW 748 meter very well and have lower flame temperatures but can go 100 fps or more slower at 30°F or so compared to 100°. It is easier in manufacturing spherical powders to neutralize the acids, and stabilizers last longer before being depleted with them, so those powders often have a longer shelf/loaded ammo life than extruded powders. However, I do not know whether the newer-tech "green" tinted powders like Varget and Hodgdon's other Australian offerings share this characteristic with the rest of the extruded powders.
With the right loads, all of them can be very accurate on target.
For a bolt gun, burn rate generally matters very little unless you're after lower flash and cannot use a flash suppressor (my favorite solution). I believe that faster burn rates flash less but there are too many other gas/temp variables for a hard and fast rule. Despite internet rumors to the contrary, the slowest powders almost always give the highest velocities even as barrel length gets shorter.
For a gas gun, burn rate can matter a lot with the newer tech. M14 types cannot use max-pressure loads using RL-15 and 175-gr class bullets without exceeding the 14,500 CUP max port pressure (14-1/8 or 3/8 inches from the boltface but about 12.1 inches of bullet travel) for its White mostly self-adjusting/compensating gas system (superior to the FN-FAL adjustment system in my limited testing for lower port pressures). Sorry, I haven't been able to locate reliable port pressure specs for large-frame ARs).
So, the best answer to the question as posted is:
It depends.
Temperature/velocity stability as provided by Varget and to a lesser degree by IMR 4064 comes at the cost of high/low metering challenges (not an issue if weighing charges) and to a small degree, long-term powder stability, and with in general higher flame temperature which can wear the throat a bit faster than...
Spherical powders like WW 748 meter very well and have lower flame temperatures but can go 100 fps or more slower at 30°F or so compared to 100°. It is easier in manufacturing spherical powders to neutralize the acids, and stabilizers last longer before being depleted with them, so those powders often have a longer shelf/loaded ammo life than extruded powders. However, I do not know whether the newer-tech "green" tinted powders like Varget and Hodgdon's other Australian offerings share this characteristic with the rest of the extruded powders.
With the right loads, all of them can be very accurate on target.
For a bolt gun, burn rate generally matters very little unless you're after lower flash and cannot use a flash suppressor (my favorite solution). I believe that faster burn rates flash less but there are too many other gas/temp variables for a hard and fast rule. Despite internet rumors to the contrary, the slowest powders almost always give the highest velocities even as barrel length gets shorter.
For a gas gun, burn rate can matter a lot with the newer tech. M14 types cannot use max-pressure loads using RL-15 and 175-gr class bullets without exceeding the 14,500 CUP max port pressure (14-1/8 or 3/8 inches from the boltface but about 12.1 inches of bullet travel) for its White mostly self-adjusting/compensating gas system (superior to the FN-FAL adjustment system in my limited testing for lower port pressures). Sorry, I haven't been able to locate reliable port pressure specs for large-frame ARs).
So, the best answer to the question as posted is:
It depends.
I can't believe no one said anything about AA2520. 42.0grs under most 168gr match bullets has been great for me.
Ol' Betsy likes 42.0gr of Varget under 168gr SMK's. I'm running a little low though and I have a bunch of RE17 that I'm might try...I've read good things about RE17.
Good luck!
Good luck!
