Re: Which 308 load to start with?
note...the following response is from a relative noob (been reloading for just under 2 yrs now, with barely 500 personally loaded rounds sent down range).
I just started over with my load development. I'm committed to varget powder now after having tried RL15 and an IMR powder. It was most consistent from day to day with relative changes in temp going from 20 deg F up to 90 deg F. I shoot 150gr hornady SP's by default - my rifle just would not get the accuracy out of the 165 SGK's i wanted, and MY rifle is a HUNTING rifle which occasionaly gets used to poke a milk jug at the 500 yard mark. Albeit not so successfully...but it's fun to try, and makes the nut behind the butt a little tighter if you know what I mean
I've been thru the mill reading about different methods of acquiring the "best" load and one thing becomes very quickly apparent. what works for one guy may not work for another with the same rifle. I've also had guys sell a known working rifle to another loader, they work up the exact same load, or shoot loads from the original shooter with different results. the shooter has as much or more to do with it than the load itself IMO.
Now back on task. I recently was introduced to a method of load development from a Hide member called the OCW or Optimal Charge Weight and it makes sense, reduces time spent at the range DEVELOPING and allows for more time shooting.
The premise behind OCW is that you find a charge weight that produces a similar POI vs. POA across a range of charges. When doing the OCW test, you will note a set of impacts (shot round robin style) that all mirror each other. PAY NO ATTENTION TO ACTUAL GROUP SIZE, but pay close attention to the center impact of the groups. for instance, the following loads were using winchester brass, CCI200's, varget and Hornady 3031 proj's:
44.5gr
45.0gr
45.5 gr
46 gr
46.5
whats missing here and i don't have the photo is the 47 grain target but notice on the last 2 targets the POI seems to center 2.5" high, 1/2" left? The 47 grain target did the exact same thing and looked JUST like the 46 grain target. for all three different charge weights? BINGO. this shows relative consistency across 1 full grain difference in charge weight with similar groupings as well. we now have a forgiving load and the overall group size can be tweaked with seating depth. this alone is a very discouraging topic with a bunch of VERY opinionated folks talking all kinds of voodoo to find the optimal depth for a particular bullet and frankly, my calculator does not have enough ink on the buttons for me to remember what button does what after inputing all that data. Then there's another chap who says "if your groups are big triangles, seat deeper in 1/4 turn increments (or about .010"), and if you have 2 rounds touching with one out there, seat further out" or something similar to this. I tried it...it works to a degree and did not account for all the time spent doing all this actually screwing down that pesky nut behind the ...yeah, you get the idea.
My point is, its downright dangerous to jump on a forum, ask everyone what their favorite load is for a JimmyJamFlimFlam Lead Slinger Deluxe Tacticool Bang Stick.
Every rifle is different. and each will react to different loads in a different way. This is WHY we reload. we like to tinker and none of us can leave well enough alone.
Part of me wishes i had quit fawkin around when I discovered my rifle absofawkinlutely LOVES federal blue box 150 gr SP's and winchester white box 150 gr SP's. both shoot better than an inch and cost 13.97 at walmart. All day long. I can't reload for this price, much less cover equipment costs. Fortunately for me, alot of my equipment was donations, hand-me-downs, and charity auctions...for these I am eternally grateful for the relaxing past time that reloading can be, and is for me.
Take your time, start low, work up, and make a load for YOUR rifle. there's no shortcutting this procedure. Rifles are like kids. Some need a good whack on the butt sometimes, and some just need a little more grace and love than others.
Give the OCW or a ladder test and let us know what YOUR rifle likes. then...for God's sake, don't change anything on it. I put a new stock on mine, and it's back to square one...
What was once this:
and this:
and this:
is now this after putting my rifle into a new stock:
talk about disappointing
Let the fun begin again...just bought more powder and bullets. For the record, the left target is my sons, from same rifle. mine's the one on the right and equally as unimpressive. I will note that the first shot of the day was the center punch on the left target, and was to be considered the only CBS of the day.
