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My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

HBARLeatherneck

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 8, 2009
122
4
South East Wyoming
.308 Win
42grains Reloder 15
over all length. 2.68-2.690 but COAL is 2.8
Nosler 155 HPBT
CCI 200 Large rifle primer
winchester case 1 time fired
taper crimp

weights of complete cartridges
358.1 grains
358.2 grains
359.2 grains
356.6 grains

i didnt pre weigh the brass.(unfortunately) and i didnt trim to length, my trimmer hasnt come yet.. but they were all under the trim to length max
will they be safe? in your opinion? let me know the honest truth. i know without seeing the cartridge your limited. but by the numbers. thanks
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

With the 42 grains OF RL-15 you are in the safe zone.
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

what rifle? if bolt gun, no need to crimp (really no need with gas gun either).

don't waste time weighing loaded cartridges other than to make sure you charged them--but you should do that before you seat the bullets.

your OAL sounds very short. should shoot fine but as you get more comfortable, move the bullets closer to the lands and watch the groups shrink.

you've got plenty of room for more powder. increase slowly and watch for pressure signs.

most importantly KEEP DOING IT!!! Enjoy reloading--one more thing over which to obsess!!
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

thanks for both of your help. i thought they were short. although almost the same size as some factory ammo i have. this is a .308 savage hbar. i didnt use my progressive for the thes rounds. since they are my first. i used my rockchucker. i will experiment and develop some loads on here for at least my .45acp, .223, and .308 before i move over to my dillon 650. although it made sizing and decapping easy. and belling the 45. is it ok to be close to the max over all catridge length? and should i move up in half grain increments? or? thanks again
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

There is no such thing as max COAL, 2.8 is the minimum.

I suggest you pull those bullets before you blow your gun up. Loading shorter than published minimum COAL is asking for problems.
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

You should be fine. You really, really need to get off your wallet and buy a reloading manual (I recommend the Lyman 49th Edition).

42 of Reloader 15 is a good/mild load.

2.800 is a a relatively long seating for a non- very low drag 155.
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

i have manuals plural, but none used nosler and reloder 15. and the data i found for nosler was for 150 not 155.

so pull or not pull?
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

thanks for the help. i fired the four. not a good group. I didnt die though, so a plus side. 3 shots would all touch a quarter. and 1 flyer about 2 inches to the left. i am left handed so that was probably a jerked trigger. my trimmer came today as well as my guage. thanks again

12 more rounds
4 at 42.5
4 at 43
4 ar 43.5
all looks good. except my shooting.
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

Congratualations! I just reloaded my first batch ever a month ago. Great feeling when it worked as it was supposed two. I started at 42.0 grains of RL-15 as well. I am still in the process of slowly increasing powder charge before I adjust the bullet close to the landings, but I am not starting to see excellent groupings.

It is amazing what a good handload can do for a factory stock cheap rifle. ( I think I spent twice the money on reloading euqipment than the rifle)
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

Be very careful. Reloading is more addicting than crack. 1.) Have a separate account so the wife does not see the actual cost of your gear. 2.) have 2nd shipping address. I made a mistake and had my RCBS Charge master shipped to my house and I had to do some explaining. 3.) Enjoy & be safe!

 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

i spent more money than i have on just about anything else. ever. dillon 650 with .45, 308, .223 quick change caliber conversions, rcbs rockchucker, chargemaster, cv2001 dillons largest tumbler, dillon quicktrim motor, rcbs trim mate., calipers, the list goes on. but she isnt too mad. i bought a 1997 grand cherokee a year ago for 500, it was worth close to 4500, i traded it for a harley ironhead bobber. just to resell. i have a newer softail. so i sold the bike for 3000 and put all the money into reloading. i should have done this years ago. i wanted to but didnt. my loss. i do love it allready though.
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HBARLeatherneck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">.308 Win
42grains Reloder 15
<span style="font-size: 14pt">over all length. 2.68-2.690 but COAL is 2.8 </span>
Nosler 155 HPBT
CCI 200 Large rifle primer
winchester case 1 time fired
taper crimp

weights of complete cartridges
358.1 grains
358.2 grains
359.2 grains
356.6 grains

i didnt pre weigh the brass.(unfortunately) and i didnt trim to length, my trimmer hasnt come yet.. but they were all under the trim to length max
will they be safe? in your opinion? let me know the honest truth. i know without seeing the cartridge your limited. but by the numbers. thanks
</div></div>

Sounds like you are on the right track but I am curious about the overall length dimensions of your cartridges. You noted the COAL as the correct number but your actual case lengths are shorter? Just want to make sure that isn't a misprint. Since you fired some already, where there any pressure signs?

It is probably prudent to tug those bullets out to 2.800" min to avoid any possible presure issues. A collet puller is faster than an inertia puller but either will work.

Given the equipment you have, you are going to get the fever but good!

Cheers!
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

the speers #14 says 308 win max cart oal 2.810. that is why i didnt fit to full lenght. i thought that was max. no pressure signs. everything looked good. i fired 12 more rounds this time to the COAL. and they were good as well. i love the reloading. we live 25 miles from town and work here on the ranch, so this gives me a good pastime to help my pastime of shooting. this hobby will be nice for the 70mph wind days and the below 0 days.
i also didnt want to rebuy equipment after i progressed as i may never have the money again.
 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

Many reloading manuals call max cartridge overall length for the .308 as 2.800 so it'll fit in autoloader magazines.

Sierra calls for 2.775 for their older 155 Palma (there's also a new 155). Hornady, Berger, and Lapua also make 155s with different ogives.

GI COAL for M118LR (175 Sierra Match Kings) is 2.80 +/- .030.

Bolt gun loads can go much longer -- some need to because of the freebore jump built into factory chambering reamers (Remington 700s being very long).

 
Re: My first ever reloaded cartridges. .308 Win help

this past week i went and spent some time with the inlaws. my father in law instructed me on how to reload. theses are my first loads

150gr Nosler ballistic tip
47gr W748
COAL was 2.935
Federal 210 primer
with winchester brass
we chrony'd them and they were shooting about 2950's +/- 14
my best group was about a half inch in the first 4 shots, them i jerked the trigger and got one about and inch from the rest of them i was pissed