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Reloading .308

freezingduck

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 2, 2010
100
0
Norway
I have a remington 700 SPS Tactical 1/12 twist mounted into a AI AICS.

I thought i would start reloading for it, and I was looking at what bullet to start out with?

168 grain Sierra Match King
175 grain Sierra Match King
168 grain Hornady A-Max
178 grain Hornady A-Max
Or other.

I know there are great loads for all these bullets, but do you guys have any reccomendations?
 
Re: Reloading .308

what ranges you gonna be shooting at? the heavier bullets will better at 1k

with that said i vote other

the 178 gr Hornady HPBT

thats what im currently working up with in my sps
 
Re: Reloading .308

The range I normally shoot at is only 500 yards.
This is where i will do most of my shooting, but sometimes i try some longer range fun while being at other ranges.
 
Re: Reloading .308

I don't know what brands you have access to in Norway, but any of those will probably work well. If you get out farther - towards 1000m - and are shooting near sea level or in cold weather (conditions rarely encountered in Norway, I know) the 168 SMK will not always make a smooth transition from supersonic to subsonic speeds. It's a design issue. The 175 has a shallower angle on the boat tail so it will not have this issue. I really like the new Berger OTMs, but they may be hard to come by.
 
Re: Reloading .308

If you have time to develop only one load, 175 will go the distance but 168 is cheaper.

- 178 AMAX is more accurate when subbed into my 175 SMK recipe. I'm dinged more than a few tips though & had flyers because of it.
- Tested 180 SBT yesterday because of the higher BC and lower price. More accurate than 175 SMK out of my rifle.
- Have a box each of Hornady 178 BTHP and Barnes Match Burner 175 BTHP. Both have higher BC and are cheaper than SMK -- especially the Barnes.

IMHO 175 SMK are now outdated due to cost & performance of alternatives.
 
Re: Reloading .308

Berger is pretty rear, they are twice as expensive as everybody else, and the selection is slim, SMK and A-MAX is easy to get a hold of and I use 140 grain A-Max for my 6,5x55 load.
 
Re: Reloading .308

175 grain is actually the ''cheapest'' round to buy at 50 cent a bullet vs 63 for the 178 grain a-max.
 
Re: Reloading .308

Seems you should have easier access to Lapua than any of the others you have mentioned and probably at a better price. I'd stick with the 155 Scenar and call it good.
 
Re: Reloading .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Freezingduck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">175 grain is actually the ''cheapest'' round to buy at 50 cent a bullet vs 63 for the 178 grain a-max. </div></div>

Norway sounds like a bummer. A 175smk runs $0.35/each here in the States....$0.30 when you find a good deal.
 
Re: Reloading .308

I know...

The only good thing is that i can buy the 140 grain A-max for 9 cents a bullet;)
For every bullet I buy the government sponsors 20 cents.
 
Re: Reloading .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Freezingduck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Isn't the 155 grain bullet too light for longer ranges? </div></div>


its not necessarily about weight

the 155 have a very good BC, pretty much the same as the 175 smk
 
Re: Reloading .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Freezingduck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Isn't the 155 grain bullet too light for longer ranges? </div></div>

155 is an aerodynamic high-velocity screamer. Palma shooters use 155 ... the Scenar arguably top quality.
 
Re: Reloading .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Freezingduck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For every bullet I buy the government sponsors 20 cents. </div></div> Does the Norwegian government have a Norwegian heritage sponsorship program?
 
Re: Reloading .308

actually, I think I am going to try the 155 grain scenar bullet, Being able to push it a bit faster than the 175 SMK with a not to bad BC should be a good start.
 
Re: Reloading .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: azimutha</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Freezingduck</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For every bullet I buy the government sponsors 20 cents. </div></div> Does the Norwegian government have a Norwegian heritage sponsorship program? </div></div>

Actually I am a member of DFS(the norwegian voulenteer shooting team) It was started to make sure that your normal Norwegian knew how to shoot, and to help train service personel.
They give you 20 cent for every round or bullet that you buy so you can train. www.dfs.no
 
Re: Reloading .308

SMK 175gr because they are reasonably priced and widely available. Most importantly they shoot well from my rifle. The "heavier" weight also help them maintain velocity at distance.

Your 1 in 12" twist should handle all the bullets you mentioned.
 
Re: Reloading .308

Go with the 155 scenar and 8208 XBR. It will vastly outperform the other bullets you mentioned in your poll.
 
Re: Reloading .308

Haven't tried scenars, for whatever reason POI is dramatically different (way to the right) with the various 155gr bullets and loads I've tried compared to 168 and 175/178 bullets. The 168 Amax shoots under 1/2 MOA from my 1/12 SPS-V.