.308 Winchester

[turkey_creek]

Do keep us posted. I've got a box of them myself, but I haven't loaded any yet. Waiting on my jug of varget to show up.

I was intrigued by the bullet, as well, until I found my gun likes the 169 SMK. Might be a fun exercise to load some up and see if they’d do well enough to be competitive.

I was looking at the Hornady data yesterday, and they don’t actually have load data for the 174 and Varget in the manual.

 

[Rob01]

I was intrigued by the bullet, as well, until I found my gun likes the 169 SMK. Might be a fun exercise to load some up and see if they’d do well enough to be competitive.

I was looking at the Hornady data yesterday, and they don’t actually have load data for the 174 and Varget in the manual.

Just use the 176 ATip or 178 ELD data.

 

[Mean_Man]

I did an extremely lazy load development for my 308, ended up loading:
44.0gr of Varget, 168gr ELD-Ms, .020 off lands, WRE LR primers, sellier bellot brass.
Over 55rounds my ES/SD looks like 50/13fps, getting 2499fps (average) from a 16" barrel.

Groups at 100y & 300y look pretty good but at 500y & 600y I'm getting a lot more vertical dispersion that I'd like.
If I wanted to bring this down what should I do?
-tune powder
-tune seating depth
-different projectile (might be at edge of stability)
-better brass
-better dies (FL Hornady dies, but thinking bushing dies)

I'm a little worried the 168 ELDs are on edge of stability at distance (Berger calculator would suggest this), so a different projectile could be worth trying.
Of course could try turning my load (seating depth and/or powder) and could try for a bit more velocity, don't want to change from Varget if I can help it.

My guess is my brass isn't great so should start there, and invest in better dies. No point in speeding time and money on a bunch of different tests if my brass isn't very consistent. But at same time a 50fps ES probably isn't all down to the brass.

Shooting on some electronic targets i some decent wind I'm happy with .7moa vertical at 300y, but 1.8moa of vertical at 600y isn't great.

300y
View attachment 8786136

600y
View attachment 8786135

I’d change brass or bullet, change nothing else pick one of those two, then go from there. Obviously better brass won’t hurt anything. Measure H20 capacity though, some brass like my M118 brass is lower than usual capacity, you might be higher in pressure than you expect at that powder charge.

Also in my experience the 169gr SMK outperforms the 168, but your dispersion being what it is, I don’t think is due to the projectile… your rifle either HATES the SMK projectile which I doubt, or something else is up.

How often do you practice?
What rifle?
What’s your rate of fire like?

 

[XP1K]

I was intrigued by the bullet, as well, until I found my gun likes the 169 SMK. Might be a fun exercise to load some up and see if they’d do well enough to be competitive.

I was looking at the Hornady data yesterday, and they don’t actually have load data for the 174 and Varget in the manual.

Just use the 176 ATip or 178 ELD data.

In that weight class of bullet, I just dump 45gr of varget and don't liok back. Works pretty good in my rifle. My brothers trg22 likes it also with a 175 tmk.

In regards to @beetroot high es and vertical at 600, I'd probably be looking somewhere else. Myself, I really struggle with more traditional stocks. If I dont stay on top of myself, I tend to get vertical.

I shot this group at 600 with my 6 dasher and some really poor loads (they did group well at100) running an sd in the low 20's and es in the mid 50's.

 

[Rob01]

I wouldn’t go right to 45grns with that bullet and brass combo. I’d start around 43 and work up personally. Probably find the load near 44 or so.

 

[XP1K]

I wouldn’t go right to 45grns with that bullet and brass combo. I’d start around 43 and work up personally. Probably find the load near 44 or so.

Thats the smart play. I should note that I was using sig hybrids and lapua brass. Probably try it with wcc here in the near future.

 

[Rob01]

Yeah Winchester brass is the largest internal. I used to use 45grns with it and the 178 AMAX. With Hornady brass I am usually at 44grns.

 

[357Max]

Thats the smart play. I should note that I was using sig hybrids and lapua brass. Probably try it with wcc here in the near future.

That 174 is 1.432" long. It's longer than a 176 Atip. Best used in binderless mags @ 2.950". At that load length I got up to 2850 in Sig Hybrids using PP2000

 

[XP1K]

That 174 is 1.432" long. It's longer than a 176 Atip. Best used in binderless mags @ 2.950". At that load length I got up to 2850 in Sig Hybrids using PP2000

I need to check them in my chamber. 178 eldm are only jumping .005" loaded to 2.8"
I can't remember how much that leaves me in magpul mags. I think the vt is going to work for me though. If not, I'll feed them to the winmag.

 

[Bearcatrp]

View attachment 1760558233340.jpeg
These pills are awesome. My dam breathing got the flyer but 3 touching. I’ll post back with my load data but think I’m 0.5 gr shy of max with 8208. Avg 2677 fps. Will be getting more to fine tune.

 

[turkey_creek]

I wouldn’t go right to 45grns with that bullet and brass combo. I’d start around 43 and work up personally. Probably find the load near 44 or so.

Sierra’s manual is 43.6 max, and I loaded 175’s to that with Hornady brass (largest case capacity in what I have). Loading 175 MKX in FC brass (IME similar to LC), I’m at 42.7, and while it’s not really pushing it too hard, it’s more than enough for white tails out to 300. That’s what I’d guess the Hornady 175 would top out at.

 

[Rob01]

Sierra’s manual is 43.6 max, and I loaded 175’s to that with Hornady brass (largest case capacity in what I have). Loading 175 MKX in FC brass (IME similar to LC), I’m at 42.7, and while it’s not really pushing it too hard, it’s more than enough for white tails out to 300. That’s what I’d guess the Hornady 175 would top out at.

Sierra manual is well know to be under estimated for max. Hodgdon lists 45 at max and I always start at 43 and go up with any brass but LC. Never an issue.

 

[turkey_creek]

I did not have my current chrono at the time with Varget, but I loaded the last of the box of 175 SMKs with 46.5 of CFE223 and it averaged 2575, which is on point or faster than any 175 factory I’ve shot.

Behind a 169, 44.4 of Varget and a CCI 200 lands my 20” gun at 2630, which is a good enough balance of velocity vs recoil for PRS. 44.8 gr and a WLR will gain 100 fps, but that’s more than I feel the need for and recoil is just enough more to make spotting enough more difficult to not bother.