308 loading advice

[SCJ429]

Thanks for that Sungazer. I see most 308 shooters still using 2208 and a few using 2206h for heavier pills. What powder are the Fullbore shooters using that are winning?

My understanding was that 8208 was for the 155 or lighter pills in a 308. It was also made with 6mm BR shooters in mind however I am yet to speak to anyone using it in competition.

[sungazer]

I would say very few are still using 2208 that shoot 308 in any of the clases TR (Fullbore) F/TR any weight bullet, F Standard 155grn The person that won the Vic Queens was using 8208 in F standard. This year a mate has done a lot of testing for loads shooting F TR he will be using 8208 with 155s and 168s and 2206H for the 185berger Hybids. This was done with a lot of testing using the crono and ballistic programs to make sure real benefits were being achieved.

The most used powder would be AR2206H without a doubt. Winners do the experimentation and move from the norms when it has been proven.

[SCJ429]

Do they give up a bit of speed when using 8208 behind a 168 grain pill or are you able to keep adding powder to make it up?

I have found 308s needing to shoot at close to 100% load density, how does that go with 8208?

[sungazer]

Actually the opposite you can get a bit more speed out of the 8208. Looking at the ADI book you would think it is a higher pressure which it may be. However using the Lapua SP Palma brass and in a Barnard action smaller 0.062 firing pin and good tight tolerance firing pin hole high velocities can be reached. In fact a little bit of backing off the powder to get away from any pressure signs can be done and still get very good gains over shooting a 155 at 3000 fps. A 168 can be shot at the same velocity.
Disclaimer, Disclaimer ect re reloading. This is in a 30 inch barrel.
Yes a 100% or close to it, a well settled load tends to give better results in heavy guns. I was doing some load development yesterday with a new shooter who was using a 20 inch Tikka while another rifle goes of to get re barreled and we found that the higher loads tended to open up. A lighter load worked much better. My guess is that the higher loads were causing too much barrel whip and gun turbulence in general. His sweet spot was at only 44.5 of AR2208 that's the powder he has ATM and he his using LR primers his ES will shrink when he switches to SR.

[SCJ429]

How much 2208 can you jam into the Lapua case behind a 155 and how fast does that go? For your Barnard?

How fast can the little Tikka send the 155? With 2208 and 8208?

[sungazer]

Im not using 2208 but for 2206H I could get a bit more in the case than I am using which is 45.3 and now trying 45.6 this puts the 155s at about 3000 fps and 3020 fps. We put the 45.3 through the little 20inch Tikka and it was in the 2700 fps range from memory. it lined up well with the 30fps per inch.

I have also tried the 8208 and probably switch after full testing and I use up a lot of the 06H I have. I will be adjusting the load for the same speed of 3010-3020 fps ATM 44.5 is just under the 3000 so it will be about 44.8-44.9 each 0.1 gives about 6 fps. There is a point when adding more doesn't give the same linear increase. You get less fps for each added 0.1grn

[Sako 85]

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all the advice. i have just gone out and shot my second round of re loads from the best group in my first trial increaseing the charge .1grain at a time. all groups shot consistantly smaller then my first but still not where i want to be yet (there was abit of wind on the day).
i am looking for opinions on whether i should keep trying with the Bench mark 2 or leave it for my 223 which i want to start loading for at a later date and try the 2208 that i have recently purchased.

i have attached a photo of my target

loads starting at 39.5gr moving up .1gr at a time all seated 0.030 off the lands

target 1 and 2 are both 39.6gr BM2 1 had a federal primer 2 had rem primer.

[JimTom]

mate I only do 0.5 gr increases when loading for .308
0.1 might be a little to extreme, and I doubt most scales would be that accurate. Mine are accurate to 0.2 gr.

[TassieTiger]

Opinions are like a* - here is mine;

Dial the scope up, all shots are, consistently low.
The groupings are pretty inconsistent - so as long as fundamentals are 100% right, something has to change.
The inconsistency might be powder related / speed burn but it’s hard to tell.

Personally, I’d try the 08 and as others have said - go .5 because .1 is just to finicky.
Here is what I’d do IF I were in your shoes - and it is only a step forward, it’s not my normal.
Id reload 5 shots at ADI lowest rec weight and then 4 shots each in .5 increments up to max rec plus one 4 shot group over max by only .5
1st reload shot of new batch is ALWAYS from the hip. Then discount the worst of a 4 shot group and then start looking at tightening up powders and look at seating depth...

[tom604]

Hey Tassie,why from the hip? im thinking its a figure of speech and you mean discount the first shot?? 1st shot from a clean barrel/fouler ??

[Sako 85]

Thanks Jim Tom and Tassie, i will try some 2208 working up in .5gr increases. The adi site says that 46gr max load is compressed is it safe to go .5gr over the that? I would keep an eye out for high pressure signs.
Also what would you recommend for a starting seating depth for 165gr sierra game kings? The last lot i shot were 0.030 off the lands.
i am new to this and appreciate any advice from people with experience

[SCJ429]

Sierra Game Kings are very forgiving regarding seating depth so 30 thou is a good a place as any to start.

When going over a max load I would do it slow and steady, 0.2 of a grain is better. Just load one of each powder weight to see how far you can go. Use a long drop tube if you have one. If not a bit of tapping the case will settle the powder. If you are getting a crunch when seating the pill it is time to stop.

[Sako 85]

Thanks to everyone for the advice I'll give that a go and let you know how it all goes. Cheers

[TassieTiger]

Hey Tassie,why from the hip? im thinking its a figure of speech and you mean discount the first shot?? 1st shot from a clean barrel/fouler ??

When I do a session of reloading, I was taught to fire the very first shot literally from the hip, just in case... unknown barrel damage, or a vauge out with powder no’s, or what ever...

[SCJ429]

Why not tie a piece of string to the trigger Tassie?

First time I have heard that. I always fire a few foulers before starting a load development string. My voodoo is not to shoot a different powder first, I have to have the warmer shots using the same powder, no science behind it but it is my practice.

[TassieTiger]

Yeah, can’t put string around trigger as that’s what I’ve got tired around my 4th finger if the moon is in its 1st phase but always my 2nd finger if in the last 1/4.

It’s just what I’ve been shown and I’ve lived with it - 1st reload - settles nerves if nothing else.
I’ve also got a habit when turning scope disks to go one click further than I want/need, then click back 1...to what I really need.

[tom604]

Yeah, can’t put string around trigger as that’s what I’ve got tired around my 4th finger if the moon is in its 1st phase but always my 2nd finger if in the last 1/4.

It’s just what I’ve been shown and I’ve lived with it - 1st reload - settles nerves if nothing else.
I’ve also got a habit when turning scope disks to go one click further than I want/need, then click back 1...to what I really need.

i do the one click more,one click back as well,,my reason is to remove any tension that may be there

[Sako 85]

Hi everyone,
Im just getting another lot of ammo ready to test and i have sized and primed 40 cases and have realized that i forgot to trim the cases. Should i deprime the cases and trim them? They all cycle through the rifle and measure between 2.017 and 2.020.
Will the untrimmed cases effect the accuracy of my test

[in2anity]

When I do a session of reloading, I was taught to fire the very first shot literally from the hip, just in case... unknown barrel damage, or a vauge out with powder no’s, or what ever...

Not a bad idea - I always cringe a little for the first of those prototype loads...

[Sergeant Hartman]

My suggestion yes. Deprime. Trim, debur and chamfer and then probably resize the necks again.

Having longer length means you crimping your projectiles can increase pressure and make it hard to extract depending on your chamber

[Oldbloke]

Hi everyone,
Im just getting another lot of ammo ready to test and i have sized and primed 40 cases and have realized that i forgot to trim the cases. Should i deprime the cases and trim them? They all cycle through the rifle and measure between 2.017 and 2.020.
Will the untrimmed cases effect the accuracy of my test

Looks like its ok to me.

If you check saami.org Looks like length is

2.015 to 2.020

[on_one_wheel]

Hey Tassie,why from the hip? im thinking its a figure of speech and you mean discount the first shot?? 1st shot from a clean barrel/fouler ??

When I do a session of reloading, I was taught to fire the very first shot literally from the hip, just in case... unknown barrel damage, or a vauge out with powder no’s, or what ever...

Nothing says confidence in reloading methods quite like "shoot from the hip, just in case your gun explodes"

[Sako 85]

Hi everyone,
I just tested my next lot of reloaded ammo for my 308 using AR 2208 have had much better results then the BM 2.
I have attached my targets just wounding which loads i should keep working on maybe with the seating depth. They were all seated 0.030 off the lands starting with 42 gr working up to 45.5 gr.

[JimTom]

Mate you have several loads there around or under 0.5”. If it is a hunting load I’d say that is well and truly good enough. You could piss fart around with seating depth, spend another $50 or so doing it and maybe get slightly better accuracy, or you could be happy with what you have. If you have OCD like me then by all means try different seating depths.

[Oldbloke]

Mate you have several loads there around or under 0.5”. If it is a hunting load I’d say that is well and truly good enough. You could piss fart around with seating depth, spend another $50 or so doing it and maybe get slightly better accuracy, or you could be happy with what you have. If you have OCD like me then by all means try different seating depths.

Agree. Just pick a load and load up a heap. 45.5 looks the goods to me.

[Sako 85]

Cheer thats what i was thinking because it is just a hunting load, do have abit of OCD to. I was thinking it might not be worth the time as the ones slightly off to the sides of the groups could have been shooter error or wind

[JimTom]

Yes mate, I reckon you have it nailed.

[Oldbloke]

Yes mate, I reckon you have it nailed.

If your worried just shoot the two tightest groups again to confirm.

[SCJ429]

I am wondering about the 43.5 load that you measured at 0.558 but it looks more like an inch. Are your measurements correct?

[marksman]

I am wondering about the 43.5 load that you measured at 0.558 but it looks more like an inch. Are your measurements correct?

that's the one I took a fancy to