Faedy wrote:Hey Wapiti - would you mind sharing your loads for the .308?
Hi Faedy
These loads are safe in my guns, and you should compare them to loads in manuals and start lower. Some are over the max in manuals I have, such as older ADI info. I use Nick Harveys manuals mostly. Also these are working loads for the farm and work hot or cold, without pressure signs. They are for 308 Winchester.
My everyday load in both my 7600 22" barreled rifle, and a Rem 700 heavy barrel ute rifle, is:
48 - 50 gns of AR2208 with a 125gn Nosler Ballistic Tip. It is a compressed load usually, depending on case brand.
I use 50gns of 2208 in Winchester cases as they are very thin and have the most capacity. Shoots just over 3000fps, about 3050 in the 7600, and 3000 in the 20" barrel of the Ute gun.
Try 50gns in Rem, ADI, or AFF ex mil brass and you will not get it in even with a long drop tube and tapping like an epileptic.
For those I use 48gns and it shoots to the same POI.
I shoot all the things I encounter here with this load. Pigs, roos, dogs, fallow deer. Works like lightning on goats but I don't shoot them anymore as they are worth too much money everywhere nowadays. Big boars, I know it's a bit light so I shoot them in the head. It will shoot MOA easy.
For straight out pig hunting, if I'm lucky enough to get an invitation or go to a mates cropping place, I use a 150 or 155gn proj with 45gns of AR2208. A Win Ballistic Silvertip, or a 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip. Gives more margin for error.
Another great load I use is a 155gn Hornady AMax with 45.5 of AR2206H. Yes it's a match bullet, but I use it over pumpkins or watermelon fields at night for raiding pigs. It will go through a big boars shoulder shield out across a paddock at night, mash the organs about the size of an ice cream bucket and usually not exit. Mostly hits or goes through the offside shield too. Drops them like a school bag.
Because it's so accurate, its a winner and 500 packs are cheap at a north-of-brissy big gun shop. I get them posted out.
Same as the newer 135gn Sierra Gameking hollow point (same one as used in the OSA Australian Outback factory ammo).
They sell 500 count boxes cheap and with 48gns of 2208 it's a smasher. They do about the same damage as the 125 Ballistic Tips. Super accurate, as Sierras always are.
Also, same for the 168 AMax and 44gns AR2206H. I use this in a weird DTA SRS when I'm feeling silly, I'll go hunting with it, only off a bipod though. These AMaxes sail across the gullies and hit really hard, maybe with a little bit more penetration than the 155s.
In my 7600 Police with its silly 16" barrel, I've only ever used PPU 150gn factory ammo. Again, don't laugh, too many people think cheap price means crap, but I bought a 500 box for $17.80/20 and this bullet smashes everything that's close enough to hit. And virtually for the price of empty cases. I think the last 500 I bought was $19/20. Can't lose. So I don't worry about the empties.
I have a few 40mm steel plates hanging off pipe frames on different tracks, what I do to check zero is shoot from the ute door rest, if the silver hits are on top of one another, its on. The PPU ammo shot a 5 shot 30mm group from this gun when I checked it, 16" barrel and all ammo pumped from the mag.
Something to watch if using Lucky 13 10 shot mags, they can baulk with the short, flat tip 135 Sierra hollow points, sort of get angry coming out of the lips and up the chamber ramp. If you drive it like you stole it, no dramas.
Good, pointed Spitzer bullets chamber smoothly, the factory mag is brilliant and feeds the 135 Sierras nice, the KKK steel 10 shotter also can get angry with these short projies. No drama at all, with pointed spitzers.
Hope you get something out of this. But all guns can behave differently.