My 208 load sucks at 1k

[rogue308]

46.8 gn RL 17
Lapua brass
CCI BR2
OAL 2.865''
2510 FPS avg.
15 ES
9 SD

Load sucks at 100. I've chalked this up due to being a VLD type bullet and needing time to settle down. At 300 it really starts to tighten up. 600 is the furthest I've been able to actually walk down and get feedback. This is when it really shines. Load is easy 1/2 moa everytime. My tightest to date was a 2.4'' 5 shot group from end to end without subtracting .308 or any of that other BS.

Rifle is a custom Remmy 700
20'' 1-10'' twist Krieger barrel

Any tips or advice would be great. I've taken it out to 1k twice and I'm anything but happy with the results. I've got a stockpile of 208's but just traded 300 for some 190 SMK's to give em a try. Thanks guys.

 

[MALLARD]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

what do your 1000y groups look like ? are you getting more vertical spread or horizontal ... , or both ?

or are you not getting a zero , or not being able to keep that zero ?

what kind of scope are you using ?

my immediate advice would be keep trying , 2 trips isnt very much , how many rounds did you shoot that day ? how was the wind those days ?

i think shit will come together for you after some time.

 

[19Scout77]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

OP How many times have you shot 1000+? With this rifle and different ammo? With different rifles/ammo combos?

 

[rogue308]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Scope is a Premier Heritage so I doubt it's the scope. I have shot 1k before with different rifles and ammo. I do this shit for a living so I know it's not me. Also had another shooter confirm. Most of the group deviation was elevation. The wind wasn't all that great but I know how to call wind.

Powder is dropped on an acculab with + - .02 gn accuracy so I also know that's not the issue. I shot 75 rounds 30 of which were at 1k.

 

[jrob300]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Rogue,

Was that ES/SD from those shots, or from earlier development? Just curious if *those* shots were that close in velocity? Very wierd that you'd get a lot of vertical with tight ES.

John

 

[jrob300]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

BTW,

In my WM the 208 load that shoots best at a mile shoots in the .2's at 100.

John

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Are you saying your load sucks at 100, then is .5 moa accurate every time at 600, and sucks again at 1000?

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Sounds like spindrift and cory-alice are converging at 600........grin.

Put a bubble level, and some Krylon on that stick, you'll be golden......grin.

 

[BK7saum]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

How do you adjust/set parallax on the Premier. With tight ES, it doesn't seem logical that the vertical dispersion would occur from the load itself.

It almost seems like the parallax is set for ~500 and you have parallax at 100 and in the 8-1000 yard range.

Do you adjust parallax at each yardage? By dialing to the yardage or checking for reticle movement by bobbing your head to verify reticle and image are in the same plane?

Just a couple of thoughts. I don't see how you would be getting veritcal dispersion at 1000 when it shoots nicely at 600.


Just how much vertical are you getting? What is the group size?

BLK7

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here....

 

[vman]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here.... </div></div>

I agree with this but everyones opinions vary.

If it dont shoot 2600 FPS as a minimum, I wont shoot it in that rifle...

Would work so much better in a .300wm, .300rum, .300WSM, .300SAUM etc.

The max I would shoot in a .308 is around 185gr, But i have heard some guys have success with 210's and 208's in .308win, so who am i to argue.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...If it dont shoot 2600 FPS as a minimum, I wont shoot it in that rifle...</div></div>

I'm launching moly'd 208s at 2620 fps in my 20.5" 308, via RL17. They go 2690 fps in my 26" 308.

These are a single load in my M700s though, at 3.00" oal.

 

[Tribe]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here....</div></div>

+1

 

[vman]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...If it dont shoot 2600 FPS as a minimum, I wont shoot it in that rifle...</div></div>

I'm launching moly'd 208s at 2620 fps in my 20.5" 308, via RL17. They go 2690 fps in my 26" 308.

These are a single load in my M700s though, at 3.00" oal. </div></div>

Werd?! I would be tempted to try them out If i could get 2690FPS out of them.

Hows your brass life?

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Brass is holding fine after about 5 reloads.

I'm using Winchester brass, and moly'ing the bullets.

 

[JByrd]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tribe</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here....</div></div>

+1 </div></div>

you runnin outa gas bo..fu man chu say you need brass belt

 

[rogue308]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

I spoke recently with Chadtrg42 from Dallas Reloads. He was the one who developed the load. He contacted me about an hour after I made the post. He made the load about a year ago. Outstanding guy and just the fact that he remembered that this was his load that far back shows what kind of service you get from him.

His thoughts were that I'm not pushing them quite fast enough. They're becoming unstabilized somewhere between 800-1000 yards even though they should be flying around 1300 fps at that range. He talked to a fellow shooter who had the same problem. I'm going to modify my AICS mags, seat em a little longer for more powder capacity and possibly look into moly coating to bump up the velocity. I'm not going to give up on them just yet....

In the mean time he offered to work with me on a 190 SMK load. Just thought I would let everyone know where I'm at with this and give a big +1 to Dallas Reloads.

 

[jrob300]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

This was kinda my line of thinking too. You're 100 fps slower that MM. He's moly'ing too and loading to 3.00". It's *possible* you might not be able to mag. load and get there from here.

John

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Rogue- thanks for the good feedback. You're rifle shot great, and still does.

After talking with a few shooters running the 208's in F-class, and other testing, I think the slow speed and low rpm of the bullet is causing it to become unstable at 1K. It should still be supersonic at about 1330ish fps at 1K, so I don't think it's that. I've definitly learned something about the 208 at long range in short barrels.

Chad

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

A couple years back I tried the 208 way past 1000 yards (about 1850 yards) to see if it remained stable at 308Win velocities, from a 1/12 twist barrel.

The load I shot back then was 44.5gr RL-15 at 2480 fps.

I found this load consistently accurate on steel at 1120 yards, with sub-moa accuracy.

Then I decided to give it a go waaay out there, to see if it went sideways. The results were that the bullets were still flying straight at 1850 yards. I was unable to do any spotting of my impacts that day due to snow cover, but I found all my bullet impacts when I went back to the target, just a few yards short, in the snow. All the hits looked like they were flying nose-on, by the straight, narrow, and uniform grooves they cut in the snow, and relative close proximity to each other, given the distance.

Here's a pic of the target, and one of the bullets I found laying in the hole it dug in the frozen ground.

I'm not doubting the results that Rogue308 is having. I think the thinner atmo around here is probably just enough to make the difference.

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here.... </div></div>

I'm with BT here. 175 SMK, 44.7 grains Varget at 2725 FPS has worked great for me out to 1000 yards and everywhere in between. But I am running a 22" 1 in 11.25 twist. Just got my stubby barrel (18.5") suppressor host with 1 in 10 twist. The load that shoots the best is 175 SMK, H4895 and just under 2600 FPS. I haven't got past the 100 yard chrono, accuracy, zero in stage yet but will soon take it to 500 yds for further testing. I hope it works there.

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Shane, what do you think might be causing this? I am truely baffled. In my experiences, if a load shot good at 300 and 600 yards, it would be awesome at distance. I'm calculating that his bullet is turning 180,720 rpm's. Running the numbers with your speeds and twist rate, your turning 148,800 rpm's. I figured maybe his low rpm rate might be the reason. But your's is much lower, so I'm now wondering this not to be a factor. Any thoughts!? Thanks!

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Chad, I really don't know.

My best guess is that I'm at 4500' el in thinner atmo, and rogue308 is in TX at I'm assuming a much lower elevation and denser air.

My experiences have been like yours, where good accuracy at midrange, has always held to 1K and even further.

 

[jrob300]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

Bryan Litz did tell us that there was a substantial difference in transonic performance at differing altitudes and Pressure. I don't know if it would be this dramatic though. Run a ballistics chart yet to see where he goes transonic at his DA?

John

 

[woodspider]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shoot4fun</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here.... </div></div>

I'm with BT here. 175 SMK, 44.7 grains Varget at 2725 FPS has worked great for me out to 1000 yards and everywhere in between. But I am running a 22" 1 in 11.25 twist. Just got my stubby barrel (18.5") suppressor host with 1 in 10 twist. The load that shoots the best is 175 SMK, H4895 and just under 2600 FPS. I haven't got past the 100 yard chrono, accuracy, zero in stage yet but will soon take it to 500 yds for further testing. I hope it works there. </div></div>
Im with both these Gentlemen, 175 Sierra Match King for 1000 yard shooting. I dont get the desire to mess around with .208 and 190 SMK in a .308 platform??? Seems like right bullet wrong delivery system. give them .208 Amax's to a .300 Win Mag Driver and let him use em like there supposed to used.

 

[Falar]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: woodspider</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shoot4fun</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">save the heavies for the belted boolit launcher.....jock up the 175's and drive'em with some varget and report back here.... </div></div>

I'm with BT here. 175 SMK, 44.7 grains Varget at 2725 FPS has worked great for me out to 1000 yards and everywhere in between. But I am running a 22" 1 in 11.25 twist. Just got my stubby barrel (18.5") suppressor host with 1 in 10 twist. The load that shoots the best is 175 SMK, H4895 and just under 2600 FPS. I haven't got past the 100 yard chrono, accuracy, zero in stage yet but will soon take it to 500 yds for further testing. I hope it works there. </div></div>
Im with both these Gentlemen, 175 Sierra Match King for 1000 yard shooting. I dont get the desire to mess around with .208 and 190 SMK in a .308 platform??? Seems like right bullet wrong delivery system. give them .208 Amax's to a .300 Win Mag Driver and let him use em like there supposed to used. </div></div>

If you use the right powder and push the 208s at the right speed in .308 those 175gr loads will have far more drop and windage at the same range as well as far less retained velocity/energy.

The 208s pushed 2600-2700 in a .308 make it behave like a different caliber.

 

[308garand]

Re: My 208 load sucks at 1k

I haven't had a chance to load any 208s in my .308 yet but, I have done a lot of reading. There are 2 things that I think will help you out. If you can seat the bullet longer go for it. They seem to like a COL of around 3.00". You might also try some Winchester brass, it appears to have more case capacity. If you can do these 2 things you should be able to up your powder charge, fixing your velocity issue. Just a thought.

.308