Anyone load for Saiga 308? Bullet? Charge?

[Snakum]

I'm trying to get a converted Saiga 308 down to a consistent 2 MOA for medium range SDM shooting and hunting, nothing past 400 yards - I have the Savage for 400 yards and out. I've tried a few things with the bullets (168gr Amax and MK) and powder (4895) that I already have on hand for reloading 308. So far it seems a lower charge weight and Amax bullets work best. I was going to try a few rounds of 155gr Amax at 39.0 thru 41.0 grains of 4895.

Anyone found a good round for the Saiga? I have read of guys getting 1 MOA out of it but I don't see that happening, nor do I need it. Just need a consistent 2 MOA from it.

 

[PoniesWhee]

Re: Anyone load for Saiga 308? Bullet? Charge?

I got lucky in that my S308 seems to like the dirt cheap Tula ammo. It hovers around 2 MOA with that stuff, which is much better than the results I got with American Eagle and Remington Powerpoints. It might be worth a try, at $6 a box you're not going to lose much if it doesn't shoot for you.

 

[Snakum]

Re: Anyone load for Saiga 308? Bullet? Charge?

I've already tested Brown and Silver Bear FMJ and SP thru it. The Bear FMJ has actually shot better than meticulous handloads so far, which is disturbing. But I can't shoot bimetal bullets on steel in the competitions. I'm trying some lighter-charged 155gr Amaxes next.

 

[Snakum]

Re: Anyone load for Saiga 308? Bullet? Charge?

Updates for anyone searching for this same info later on, since numbers for the Saiga 308s are: hard to come by.

I took another two inches off the barrel and added a PWS FSC30 brake. This made a huge difference. Tested a few 155gr Amax loads the other day after I got it back from the smith (Baxter Cannady in Lumberton, NC).

100 yards ... wind 3 - 6 mph (waited for lulls) ... laid rifle across rucksack while prone, with rear bag.
43.0 gr = 1.78" (3) ... 2.56" (5)
42.5 gr = 1.69" (3) ... 2.12" (5)
42.0 gr = 1.23" (3) ... 2.81" (5) (pulled one?)
41.5 gr = .870" (3) ... 1.48" (5)
41.0 gr = .890" (3) ... 1.65" (5)

If I was developing for my bolt gun I'd fine tune it +/- .3 gr then play with the OAL. But for what I need this rifle to do I'm just going to load up 30 - 40 of the 41.5gr loads and work on the dope, see if it shoots out to 400 yards or so. It ain't no DPMS AR but it will get the job done, I think. I have the FCP-K for precision work so I can get by with 1.5 MOA on this one. I only have about $700 in it, plus the scope.

Observations:
* Most S308s prefer lighter bullets, probably due to the twist.
* An 18" barrel seems to be an ideal compromise between velocity and accuracy on the Saiga.
* A good brake makes the S308 a joy to shoot offhand.
* Looking at the recovered 155 Amax thru a 1.5" white pine (soft) board, the copper jacket sheds and the lead flattens and stays intact. Decent hunting bullet. I guess the old guys knew what they were talking about with the Amax for deer and hogs.

 

[Snakum]

Re: Anyone load for Saiga 308? Bullet? Charge?

Update for anyone searching later: I ran 50 rounds at 41.5gr 4895 and while accurate (1.5 MOA to 400 yards) they were running way too slow at 2437 fps avg.

So I worked up loads at 41.8, 42.2, and 42.6 since I knew already that 43.0 gr and above started spraying again. Across four ten-round strings the 42.6 load kept the first 3 at 1 inch or better, kept 4 rounds at 1.250 avg, and ten rounds never went above 1.750. All shot prone from a ruck and rear bag, no cooling period except walking down after each ten round string to mark the group.

The rifle settled down noticeably again at 42.6 gr of 4895 under the 155gr Amaxes. Even the brass, which is usually flung far and wide, made two relatively neat piles, so the barrel and receiver flex sort of 'synch up' right around this node. If it stays at 1.75 MOA to 500 yards it's workable.

 

[Snakum]

For anyone else with the bright idea of turning a Saiga 308 into a precision rifle ... forget it. An SDM rig is the best you'll get and anything past 500 yards will be iffy. I finally stopped pouring money down a hole and traded it.

That said ... I learned a TON and had fun. So not a total loss.