308 powder

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308 powder

Post by headspace » 25 Jun 2014, 7:46 pm

I'm looking for some feed back on powders for 308W.

Yeah, I know that this is a perennial subject, but I have basically determined that the rifle prefers a heavier bullet say 165gn due I'm sure to the 1in 10" twist.

The 150gn SGK's shoot just OK at 100 but fall to bits at 200m whereas a 165gn Hornady maintains minute of angle for 3 shot groups at both distances.

I've only been using 2206H but thinking of giving 2208 a run with the heavier bullet. It's a hunting rifle with a fluted 22 inch sporter barrel. I'm open to suggestions.

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Re: 308 powder

Post by cruze82 » 25 Jun 2014, 7:52 pm

Hey headspace,

I've got the same drama with the 308 win but it's the other way I've had good results with 2208 with 175smk and 168smk.

I was looking to swap to 2206H for something different from what I've read its varied results with both.

I don't know what way to go.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by headspace » 25 Jun 2014, 8:32 pm

Well mate, I guess we'll both have to sit tight and see who comes up with some answers. AR 2206H works OK in my rifle but looking at the load data from ADI there's substantially more velocity to be had from 2208.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Baldrick314 » 26 Jun 2014, 12:11 pm

I'm using 2206H behind 168gr Nosler Custom Comps with excellent results. Rifle has a 26" heavy barrel though. 42gr of 2206H has me at 2650-2700fps and I've had groups less than half an inch at 100 yards
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Warrigul » 26 Jun 2014, 4:18 pm

AR2208 is usually a fairly safe bet with .308.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Lorgar » 27 Jun 2014, 12:34 pm

Another voter for 2208.

This was a while ago, don't have all the loads data anymore, but way back when between a few mates and I we tried 2206H and 2208 in my Hawkeye and their Scout and T3.

A bunch of pills from 150gr - 185gr between them.

2208 overall did best. Give it a go.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Pom » 27 Jun 2014, 12:44 pm

G'day JD,

I'm shooting 150gr BT's in my VTR with 2208 for sub inch groups.

Works for me :)
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Techc » 27 Jun 2014, 12:56 pm

Best I've gotten from my 700 SPS is 0.7" with 168gr and 2208.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by headspace » 27 Jun 2014, 9:35 pm

That all sounds pretty good men, I've just loaded up 20 trial round with 165gn Hornady's and 44gn of 2208. So we'll see how that goes. My rifle is a 1 in10 twist and prefers the heavier bullets, the 150SGK I first tried tended to blow out a bit at 200 metres. I'm also using Winchester Brass and CCI primers.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by handofcod » 28 Jun 2014, 6:53 am

Controversial I know but I'm going to suggest 8208. I had good results with 2208 but fantastic results with 8208. Not sure about difference in MV as I don't have a chrony.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by NuZo » 28 Jun 2014, 12:00 pm

Hey Guys,

both 2208 and 2206H are great for 308(and a variety of other calibers).

The general rule is;
2206h favors the lighter pills.
2208 favors the heavier pills.

I've been doing some load testing with my OMARK and have found there are always exceptions to the rules! Using 155gr NCC's in a 1-14 barrel it looked like 2208 had the upper hand (still need to confirm with more testing) but 2206H was still producing Sub MOA Groups(even as small as 0.2MOA....probably a fluke though)

When i grab a Chrony and some time, ill post the differences in MV out of the 26" barrel.

The best way to find out is to buy a bottle of eash and get cracking :P

Cheers,

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Re: 308 powder

Post by Chronos » 28 Jun 2014, 6:50 pm

NuZo wrote:Hey Guys,

both 2208 and 2206H are great for 308(and a variety of other calibers).

The general rule is;
2206h favors the lighter pills.
2208 favors the heavier pills.

I've been doing some load testing with my OMARK and have found there are always exceptions to the rules! Using 155gr NCC's in a 1-14 barrel it looked like 2208 had the upper hand (still need to confirm with more testing) but 2206H was still producing Sub MOA Groups(even as small as 0.2MOA....probably a fluke though)

When i grab a Chrony and some time, ill post the differences in MV out of the 26" barrel.

The best way to find out is to buy a bottle of eash and get cracking :P

Cheers,

Nuzo


FYI in my 28" barreled 7mm I use 2209, slower again and produces higher speeds than 2208

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Re: 308 powder

Post by headspace » 28 Jun 2014, 7:34 pm

Thanks Chronos, I did think about 2209 but decided against it because my rifle has only a 22inch barrel. Due to the 1in 10 twist it definitely shoots the 165gn bullets much better that the 150's I started out with.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Warrigul » 28 Jun 2014, 7:56 pm

Chronos wrote:FYI in my 28" barreled 7mm I use 2209, slower again and produces higher speeds than 2208

Chronos


The 7/08 is a totally different kettle of fish compared to a .308.

Just in my personal testing I have found 2209 to be a waste of time with 125s, 155s and 168s.

I will start testing 8208 soon on 155s and 168s
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Re: 308 powder

Post by pucker » 29 Jun 2014, 12:26 pm

Warrigul wrote:I will start testing 8208 soon on 155s and 168s


FYI, some feedback from some of the other guys shooting it already here - Benchmark 8208 for .308
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Warrigul » 29 Jun 2014, 12:52 pm

pucker wrote:
Warrigul wrote:I will start testing 8208 soon on 155s and 168s


FYI, some feedback from some of the other guys shooting it already here - Benchmark 8208 for .308

Cheers,

I have a hundred loaded up and will head out to the range when it dries out a bit, it is private property and I don't want to wreck the tracks.

I will load for speed first (to keep it supersonic at 1000) then play with accuracy.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Lorgar » 02 Jul 2014, 9:41 am

Warrigul wrote:Just in my personal testing I have found 2209 to be a waste of time with 125s, 155s and 168s.


For .308 or 7mm-08 are you talking there?
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Warrigul » 02 Jul 2014, 10:41 am

Lorgar wrote:
Warrigul wrote:Just in my personal testing I have found 2209 to be a waste of time with 125s, 155s and 168s.


For .308 or 7mm-08 are you talking there?


.308

2209 comes close with 168 grainers(in .308) but only close, I would use up 2209 if I had it but not buy it on purpose.

2209 goes well in .243 and 7/08 mainly because of the barrel size(I think)- my theory being a smaller diameter bore creates a longer burn time(like restricting a garden hose at the outlet) without raising chamber pressures too much, whereas a .30 cal tends to let it rush out a bit unless there is a heavy pill in front to increase the pressure. I use 2209 in both .243 and my now departed 7/08

Just my humble theories, they may be wrong and I am happy to be corrected. I am only going off what I have done.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by headspace » 02 Jul 2014, 9:07 pm

I shot the 20 rounds at 100m today with a load of 44.5gn 2208 and the 165gn Hornady. The groups were pretty ordinary compared with the ones I had shot with the same bullet and 2206H.

However I've loaded some more and bumped the load up to 45.5gn which is still under the ADI website max of 46gn. There is no compression in the load (yet) so we'll what happens next week.

The rifle seems to like a bit more velocity too, the Winchester brass has pretty good capacity and the chambering on my Howa is reasonably generous.

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Re: 308 powder

Post by Lorgar » 05 Jul 2014, 4:41 pm

Warrigul wrote:Just my humble theories, they may be wrong and I am happy to be corrected. I am only going off what I have done.


No worries. Just curious.

Keep slugging away JD, there will be a winning load in there somewhere ;)
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Re: 308 powder

Post by Warrigul » 06 Jul 2014, 1:40 pm

Warrigul wrote:I have a hundred loaded up and will head out to the range when it dries out a bit, it is private property and I don't want to wreck the tracks.

I will load for speed first (to keep it supersonic at 1000) then play with accuracy.


It was nice and still this morning so I went out and tried a few, I actually had to halt at max load with the 168s, the case heads weren't expanding but the primers were very flat and creeping. No issue with the 155s.

Speed is good and will be okay out to 1000 with the 155, but I only had 50 of each in various loadings(ten lots of five) to try, as I don't count a single group as a fair guide I will load up a few of the most promising group of each(and to either side) and go from there.
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Re: 308 powder

Post by pucker » 07 Jul 2014, 10:45 am

Cool mate.

Let us know how you go :)
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