.308 Winchester

[geeck]

As ridiculous as it sounds, this is the first .308 bolt gun I've ever owned. Have had about 15 M1A's in every configuration possible, but they're limits are restricted to traditional .308 loads.

Wanted to keep it .308 for a lot of reasons. I'm already set up to reload .30 in general and prefer that bullet diameter over everything else and I'm stocked up with .308 supplies. It's accurate and mild to shoot and barrel life will usually surpass most other cartridges. I also wanted a mid-weight, short, easy to maneuver rifle that I could still have fun shooting out to 1200 yards. Lapua brass was a must as was the ability to shoot factory ammo that is common enough to find everywhere.

Sent a dummy rd to JGS with Lapua brass and a Berger 200 hybrid loaded at 2.950", short enough to take advantage of a Wyatt extended box and just long enough to grow with the chamber erosion. Played with a lot of other projectiles, including the 215, but could not make it work at the OAL I needed and keep the velocity to a respectable number. Hoping 2450-2500 with the 200 gr. Oddly enough the freebore dimension came out almost perfect at .087 which if I push the bullet back .003, will give me SAMMI freebore and the ability to run factory ammo safely. 20" barrel, 10 twist.

I'm about the same way, a dozen or so M14/M1As , a single AR10, and just one 308 with a bolt. Most of my bolt guns are of 300wm variety or 30-06.

I stick to the traditional powders in the so called safe burn rate(s) (4895, 3031, 4064, TAC, 8208, BLC-2, 2000MR,etc.) for a M14/AR10 gas gun but i have run some pretty hot loads through my M14s. I run a lot of 175 Nos CC and 185 Jugs out of my M14 rifles setup for long range. I even rolled a 338 Federal barrel for one of my M14s and push .338 225gr SST just under at 2600 if anyone was going to fold up an oprod I would have done by now.

The point is you can push a M14/M1a action pretty hard, Alliant 2000 MR will produce some fast velocities with heavy bullets but is temperature sensitive especially on the edge of too hot. I'm a RSO at a public range I see people show up with hunting ammo and beat the snot out of their M1As with it. It cycles the rifle(s) but might not throw it in the more typical 1-2 o'clock pattern.

 

[BCP]

when 2000mr first came out one of the st marks employees posted on here about his load work up with it including m1a recipes. I think 47gr with 168s.

The next bolt gun loads I’m trying are 45gr varget 175smk 2.83 win brass and 46.5 with 155s.

 

[nick338]

I'm about the same way, a dozen or so M14/M1As , a single AR10, and just one 308 with a bolt. Most of my bolt guns are of 300wm variety or 30-06.

I stick to the traditional powders in the so called safe burn rate(s) (4895, 3031, 4064, TAC, 8208, BLC-2, 2000MR,etc.) for a M14/AR10 gas gun but i have run some pretty hot loads through my M14s. I run a lot of 175 Nos CC and 185 Jugs out of my M14 rifles setup for long range. I even rolled a 338 Federal barrel for one of my M14s and push .338 225gr SST just under at 2600 if anyone was going to fold up an oprod I would have done by now.

The point is you can push a M14/M1a action pretty hard, Alliant 2000 MR will produce some fast velocities with heavy bullets but is temperature sensitive especially on the edge of too hot. I'm a RSO at a public range I see people show up with hunting ammo and beat the snot out of their M1As with it. It cycles the rifle(s) but might not throw it in the more typical 1-2 o'clock pattern.

The M1A is my favorite, yet, very frustrating rifle. I shot it for the first time in the military and, have been married to it since. 2 MOA doesn't work for me, which is what most of them shoot on a good day with decent factory ammo, so i started tweeking them with the normal mods, went down the Smith Enterprise rabbit hole, JAE stock, LRB receivers, and so on. Had every barrel length and contour imaginable and every M1A smith in the country had built one for me, chasing accuracy for years.

Finally found Dave Ferrante in Wyoming 2 rifles ago and couldn't be happier with the finished product. Currently running an LRB M25 with a heavy Bartlein in a McMillan stock. Best shooting M1A I've ever had, however it's only the second one I've handloaded for, the first one not really a fair comparison because it was a custom, 16" SOCOM. H4895 is what I'm running currently and so far the rifle seems to like it. Doing some distance soon, so we'll see if it holds up.

 

[david walter]

I have a box of 50 of the original 200 grain X bullets, that were mollied, and then unmollied.

Any recommendations on how to load these in my 308? Or any interest in a trade?

 

[geeck]

The M1A is my favorite, yet, very frustrating rifle. I shot it for the first time in the military and, have been married to it since. 2 MOA doesn't work for me, which is what most of them shoot on a good day with decent factory ammo, so i started tweeking them with the normal mods, went down the Smith Enterprise rabbit hole, JAE stock, LRB receivers, and so on. Had every barrel length and contour imaginable and every M1A smith in the country had built one for me, chasing accuracy for years.

Finally found Dave Ferrante in Wyoming 2 rifles ago and couldn't be happier with the finished product. Currently running an LRB M25 with a heavy Bartlein in a McMillan stock. Best shooting M1A I've ever had, however it's only the second one I've handloaded for, the first one not really a fair comparison because it was a custom, 16" SOCOM. H4895 is what I'm running currently and so far the rifle seems to like it. Doing some distance soon, so we'll see if it holds up.

These are my XTC competition rifles, all of them are capable of 1 moa accuracy supported but with a GI sling as your only friend well you're lucky to hold 2moa. I was the last M14 shooter on the line in our group, I'm running a mouse gun now but still drag out these whenever I get the chance,

 

[BCP]

I had one like on the right, same stock, medium saco lowell barrel, bassett mount, leupold m3 scope. Shot great. Would like to get another one but can't swing it right now.

H4895 is my favorite 308 powder, it's not the highest velocity but really consistent and easy shooting in semis and bolt actions. 41.5 in FC brass with a 175smk shoots well in everything.

 

[geeck]

I had one like on the right, same stock, medium saco lowell barrel, bassett mount, leupold m3 scope. Shot great. Would like to get another one but can't swing it right now.

H4895 is my favorite 308 powder, it's not the highest velocity but really consistent and easy shooting in semis and bolt actions. 41.5 in FC brass with a 175smk shoots well in everything.

View attachment 8413944

I have them in many flavors, all my M14s are my Hallmark rifles (When you care to send the very best, only 7.62x51mm will do) I like the Sadlak (Brookfield) mount the best, on the JAE, but have a CASM mount on my .338Fed M14, a custom mount on the Sage EBR , use the Scout mount on the Socom and the balance are still iron sights. Oh I have an IR laser on the EBR too, it's an interesting setup on the side pic rail, lines up parallel to the barrel I have it set at about a 200 yd convergence. The Socom has a M3/COO first 3 setting for use with NVG.

 

[leclairk]

Suggestion on bullet weight for a hunting rifle with a 16” barrel. I’ve got some Varget to start with but not sure which bullet. Berger 155 vld vs 180 EH? I’m a fan of the Hornady ELDM’s as well. I would like to have the option of shooting out to 500-600 yards if possible.

 

[BCP]

Suggestion on bullet weight for a hunting rifle with a 16” barrel. I’ve got some Varget to start with but not sure which bullet. Berger 155 vld vs 180 EH? I’m a fan of the Hornady ELDM’s as well. I would like to have the option of shooting out to 500-600 yards if possible.

Why not a 168gr sierra and then sub in a 165gr sst or partition for when you go hunting? You could also do a 155gr target bullet and then swap in a 150gr hunting bullet for a bit flatter trajectory. The newer higher BC/VLD bullets definitely make a difference but I don't know if you would see it at 500 out of a hunting rifle. What I noticed comparing them to a 175gr sierra out of my 24" barreled 308 was that they bucked the wind better at 1000. Less drift and fliers.

 

[45-90]

Whatever happened to the art of stalking?
Around here I kill most deer and elk inside 100 yds.
One can drive half the distance to them and get out and walk a few hundred yds.

One week after hunting season I drove within 20 yds of a small herd of elk feeding.
A huge bull was limping heavily from being shot in the rear end, and most likely not survive the winter.

I just use regular designed hunting bullets and highest velocity, with acceptable accuracy for the distance, which is around 1" at 100 yds, less accuracy is easily acceptable if you limit your distance.

But for those who must, the 168 ELDM and 2000 MR works in my 16" and produced 2756 fps, with 1/2" accuracy, as my target load, some might use it for hunting.

 

[leclairk]

I hunt central Montana. You’d have an awful tough time getting within a 100 yards of an antelope out there.

 

[45-90]

I hunt central Montana. You’d have an awful tough time getting within a 100 yards of an antelope out there.

I hunted successfully with a bow for 10 yrs. And I have wide open antelope country too. Some were successful with a bow, as one ambush hunts them, similar to many other game species. Not particularly difficult to do.
Many times in bow hunting, a hunter is not yards away but only a couple of feet...reach out a touch the animal.
Any reasonable rifle hunter can get within 300 yds of most any game animal, making a fairly easy shot, for modern calibers...if one hunts, instead of just shooting at.

 

[FuhQ]

Wow... Every post I read in this thread for the last 3 pages keeps getting more and more fuddy... From "You can shoot a 155 grain to 2,800 yards with an 82" barrel with no problem..." to "We stalk-kill our deer by ambusing them at less than a foot away by sneaking up on them butt-naked and covered in mud and honey to conceal our body heat, then we slit their throats with swords made by the Lilliputians that were given to Gulliver during his travels with Captain Crack Sparrow..."

 

[TDWilson]

Wow... Every post I read in this thread for the last 3 pages keeps getting more and more fuddy... From "You can shoot a 155 grain to 2,800 yards with an 82" barrel with no problem..." to "We stalk-kill our deer by ambusing them at less than a foot away by sneaking up on them butt-naked and covered in mud and honey to conceal our body heat, then we slit their throats with swords made by the Lilliputians that were given to Gulliver during his travels with Captain Crack Sparrow..."

I’m going to disagree here. Do you forget we were unwitting bystanders to a clash of titans? Scholars for decades will study the events surrounding the moment 45-90 challenged a moderator to a debate; the exchange of ideas and theory enlightened us all! I think we can all agree the intellect on display rivaled that of Lincoln-Douglas, and we were all deeply enriched as witnesses to such greatness!

Stupid time is over. Let’s get back to .308Win reloading.

 

[PMB27]

Over a year ago, I posted information about my beginnings in ammunition reloading - I started with a Lee loader and a hammer, and I even received a little praise for a quite good result gained with a hammer - 5-shots group of size 0,85 MOA at 100m, but the general advice was this:

I would say that getting a single stage press would be the best way for you to reach your goal and give you more control over how you load each cartridge.

With some delay eventually I followed this advice ( bought the simplest Lee Breech Lock Reloader ) and after one year I can present my progress :

5 shots, 100 m, rifle : Record-1-308, scope PS-07 ( x7 ), bullet : Nosler CC HPBT 168gr, powder : Lovex 73.6 - 43 gr, primer : Fiocchi LR, case : S&B [ I did not change settings of the scope - they were from the previous shooting at 200 m with a factory ammo GGG 168 gr Nosler HPBT - that's why the POI is 2 MOA higher than POA ].

So I think the Nosler CC 168gr HPBT is my sweet bullet ( for both - factory and reload ammo ). I do not know my sweet load yet - I just reloaded only 5 cartridges based on the calculations of the GRT program with a charge of -15% from the maximum pressure.

 

[Ed Compton]

I’m trying to work up a load for my M1A with a standard 22” barrel, 1:11 twist and would like some recommendations. I have been using BLC (2) powder and 168 gr ELDMs.
1. Do I have a suitable twist for this bullet?
2. Is this a suitable powder to be running?

 

[BCP]

I’m trying to work up a load for my M1A with a standard 22” barrel, 1:11 twist and would like some recommendations. I have been using BLC (2) powder and 168 gr ELDMs.
1. Do I have a suitable twist for this bullet?
2. Is this a suitable powder to be running?

Probably 43-44gr in military brass 2.830" overall length

My m1a loads were 43gr of RL15 or 4064, LC brass, 175smk 2.810" or 41.5 varget, 41.5 H4895, same everything else.

 

[Ol Rob]

Why do you say you never liked 2156?

I am not sure what it was. Maybe the BC was lower than the Lapua, but I could never get them to group to my liking. I have been shooting 155's for a LONG time. still do. the Berger 155.5 is a hammer when driven hard. The Lapua was my go to for years. shooting 155's separates the wheat from the chaff. I like it. But the 200+ hybrids absolutely took over. I remember when scoring low 190's in F-class with 155's was competitive. LOL.

 

[Stevo86]

Anyone shot the 125 TMK?

 

[7.62willdo]

Anybody tried RE-15.5 yet??

 

[357Max]

Anybody tried RE-15.5 yet??

Yep.

Sierra 177 smk?

I can bring you a couple hundred to mess with. I am still going to Morgantown and Paoli here and there. I'll be in Morgantown today, in fact. Thats awesome! Ill test them out and post up the results like I did with the 169's for sure. Sent you a PM or feel free to text me if thats easier...

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