I just wanted to ask you guys about your favorite F-TR loads. I have shot my .223 AR for the first year with 24.3 gr Re15/Hornady 75 gr HPBT. They run about 2690 FPS out of my 18.5" barrel. I was competing in 300 yd F class events and did OK. I wanted to shoot with what I had for the first year to see if I like it. Long story short, I have a new .308 coming with a 28" 11 twist barrel coming for next year. I chose a reamer with a 0.0917 freebore that would allow me to shoot 155-185 gr bullets. I want to see what loads/bullets you would recommend for 300 yd, 600 yd, and 1,000 yd. F class events. Please share velocities if you have them.
F T/R Competition Favorite F-TR loads
- Thread starter BC 6.8
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A lot of guys are very hush hush about their loads, so don't be surprised if not much info is forthcoming. I'm no High Master, but I have some experience, and what I see a lot of is either a Berger 185 LRBT or 175 LRBT over Varget. You'll just have to tinker to see what the rifle likes. There are plenty of good powders out there, so don't feel like Varget is the be all end all. The 168 Berger Hybrids look like a beast on paper, but I haven't shot them at any distance yet, as my old bbl didn't like them (it didn't like much, really).
Berger 168 Hybrids using Varget and pushing them at 2901 FPS with ES of under 20. This load is a sub 0.5 MOA so far out to 350 yards and did well at 1000 yards. Shoots better than I can right now until I learn to read the wind
Thanks for the replies. This will be my first .308, so I'm not sure what kind of velocities I should expect out of the various bullet weights. I'm trying to get some wind drift numbers with various bullets to see where I want to start load development.
Thanks,
BC
Thanks,
BC
Well your only choice is .223 or .308 for F/TR. I'd rather shoot .308 at 600 or 1,000 than .223. Not saying it can't be done. 2nd to last match of the year, guy won F/TR here locally w/ .223 but that's not the norm.
Guy here shooting a .223 and 90 VLD's has kicked all our butts 2 years running. I'll build another one, just different parts, for my next F-TR.
Look at the B.C. on a 90 VLD. Push it at over 2800 and let me know if you can find a .308 that has better numbers at 600. Surprised the heck out of me when I did my research...
Look at the B.C. on a 90 VLD. Push it at over 2800 and let me know if you can find a .308 that has better numbers at 600. Surprised the heck out of me when I did my research...
That's the rumor of the bullet he won with.
I've been running RL-15 and 178 amax's. This combo has done quite well for me, but I find that the bearing surface tends to jump a bit from lot to lot and I have to adjust my seating depth to maintain the same accuracy. The 178's have been good to me, but I'll probably try the 185's when I run a custom barrel.
The extra weight and BC can save a 10 and may help to get an extra X or two.
The extra weight and BC can save a 10 and may help to get an extra X or two.
45 gr varget with a 175 SMK in win brass, great all the way to 1000 yds.
Hi guys
I' am new to this site and seen this thread, I shoot a 223 in F/class using Lapua brass, 90 G. Bergers VLD's and Varget in a custom rifle. This gun has put me in 1st. place two years running at the Kingston Ontario 600 yard spring shoot topping out on top of F/TR and F/O classes in 2013 and at the Canadian Nationals placed 4th in 2013 I was 1st going into the last day. The last day is all 900 metre and the .308's are hard to run with at that range ( I have a 308 put together for 900 m. for this year) The 223's are very hard to beat out to 600 yards but you have to be on your reloading game, if you are up to it the guys with the 308's will be looking over their shoulders.
Cheers Bill
I run 43.1 gr. of RL15 in LC match brass with 175 SMK. They work great all the way out to 1000 yrds.
on the same note I also use Lupua Brass but have to increase to 44.1 gr. of RL15
both loads are set touching the rifling. Best to just keep trying to see what works best for you.
Good Luck
on the same note I also use Lupua Brass but have to increase to 44.1 gr. of RL15
both loads are set touching the rifling. Best to just keep trying to see what works best for you.
Good Luck
My favorite load was .308 Win, shooting a Berger 185 Juggernaut over 42.3 grains of Varget with Lapua brass and a Fed Gold Medal Large Rifle Match primer. I ran the bullet out to about .018 shy of the lands. It was sub half-MOA out to 600. I never shot it to 1000.
Yes she does well. Tell her happy belated birthday and good shooting this week!
Getting hard to say these days , dam component s r getting hard to find
but for my 308 load WAS 43,3 varget /178 Amax/ br2 primer , cant find any freakin varget so im going to work s load with h4895 / 168 hybrids , cant find any bergers anywhere the only reason I have these are because I forgot I had 300 rds in bullet can
but for my 308 load WAS 43,3 varget /178 Amax/ br2 primer , cant find any freakin varget so im going to work s load with h4895 / 168 hybrids , cant find any bergers anywhere the only reason I have these are because I forgot I had 300 rds in bullet can
190 Sierra Matchkings, 42.3 grains Varget, Lapua cases, CCI regular primers. Leaving a 24" barrel right at 2600fps, standard deviations in the low-teens (still working on tightening that up a bit), 36.5 to 1k, 15.5 to 600. Pretty good BC (.533 G1)
At 1000, they're running with their tongue hanging out
but they get there ~just barely~. With a longer barrel, I imagine they'd be better at 1k. No excessive pressure signs, but for as rarely as I shoot 1k, I don't (yet) see the need to go to the next node up. As it is now, brass life expectancy is quite good as I'm not beating the snot out of them
At 1000, they're running with their tongue hanging out
but they get there ~just barely~. With a longer barrel, I imagine they'd be better at 1k. No excessive pressure signs, but for as rarely as I shoot 1k, I don't (yet) see the need to go to the next node up. As it is now, brass life expectancy is quite good as I'm not beating the snot out of them Last edited:
in my DPMS SASS i've run 43.5 Varget in Federal Brass pushing 178 Amax's. Works Great at 600, haven't had the opportunity to push it to 1000, but if i remember correctly, the last time i chrono'd it was right around 2500-2550 MV.
got my hands on some virgin Lapua brass so i'm about to rework that load in the new cases, but the above is a shooter for me, although if you don't like pushing maxes or that one is too hot for your gun, i honestly didn't have much appreciable accuracy gain from 43-> 43.5 but wanted to squeeze as much velocity as i was comfortable with so start alittle lower and work up to what works for you.
got my hands on some virgin Lapua brass so i'm about to rework that load in the new cases, but the above is a shooter for me, although if you don't like pushing maxes or that one is too hot for your gun, i honestly didn't have much appreciable accuracy gain from 43-> 43.5 but wanted to squeeze as much velocity as i was comfortable with so start alittle lower and work up to what works for you.
30 Bartlein 5R 11-twist barrel, Lapua brass, Berger 185 Juggernaut, 20 thous jump, Fed 210 primer, 44.4 gr Varget, load chronos @ 2770 fps.
more testing to verify but in my new CBI 308 barrel it shot ragged hole using 44.0gr Varget and 185 Jugg seated 15 thous off from touch
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