Alliant Reloder 15

[Jack V]

It's not necessary in a 308 you can push all the bullet weights with AR2208 and you will loose velocity using AR2209 when encountering compressed loads and lack of case capacity . AR 2209 was never designed for the 308W .
Benchmark 2 works but it's a bit on the fast side . AR 2206H and AR2208 are in the sweet spot .

[melanie]

I just don't see any advantage to starting with the wrong powder.

Only that it's free

[Hercl]

How's Benchmark as a .308 powder?

Guys are posting good results, but I think all but the most serious shooters CBF working their loads up again when the already popular stuff like 2208 works so well.

[Jack V]

Some competition shooters use the slightly faster powders to get extra velocity in a higher pressure than normal load and don't worry about case life . Especially 1000 yard shooters who want the most velocity they can get but this kind of reloading is not that practical for the average shooter / hunter who is trying to save a quid .

[Grated]

How's Benchmark as a .308 powder?

Not for .308 but this was posted by Sporting Shooters mag.

Burn rate - suitability. Benchmark 8208 has a burn rate that falls between ADI's Benchmark 2 and AR 2206H, placing it square in the ballpark of competitive and sporting .223 and .308 users shooting light to medium weight bullets. Benchrest competitors using chamberings like 6mmBR and 6mmXC and sporting shooters loading .22-250 with light bullets, 6.8 SPC and .204 Ruger are well-catered for with this versatile propellent.

Shooting results. Hodgdon's testing until now has revealed that with minimal load development, sub-MoA five shot groups are the norm in good sporting rifles and better in specific target rifles across a wide range of projectile styles and weights in each chambering. One quoted example by Lane Pearce shooting a CZ 527 American yielded .81-inch group average with 50gn Hornady V-Max's and .61-inches for Sierra 52gn HPBT Match bullets, both delivering over 3,000fps MVs with mild loads.

3/4 moa average there roughly with the .223 on the tested CZ, so there is promise.