.308 Favorite Ball Powder Load

[Shadowstalker]

Let me first say whatever load info I get I am going to back off a little and work up to, but I'm looking for some help for a solid .308 Win 168g load. I have scoured thru a a few manuals and an exhausting amount of info on the various reloading sites and I find myself getting less confident about which direction to start.
The round will be shot out of a 16" DPMS Gen 2 Recon topped with a 1X8 Strike Eagle out to 600yds, using Hornady and LC brass, 168g SMK's, loaded on a Hornady Progressive.
I'm trying to stay with Ball for metering purposes, and would like to stay with Win 748 (I already use it for a solid 556 load), but I'm reluctantly open to using another (BL-C2, TAC, etc) if they are any better for temp variations. I already use Varget for an amazingly accurate 556 round; but I double weigh and will trickle a kernel in this charge to get what I want.
I don't really want to go to that much work for only shooting to 600 out of a 16" rifle. But if I get a solid consensus that I will get a more accurate load even with the metering challenges of stick powder and less potential for temp fluctuations than I guess I will.
And in regards to Temp variation's this is the Pacific NW, we might see 20 total days with temps above 95 and below 25; should I even worry about?
There is a whole lot of criteria here and its probably painfully obvious that I'm almost getting indecisive, so thanks in advance for your help

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[B5Ben]

Have you looked at the Hodgdons site? I find that they have the most user friendly site for starting a load with multiple powder and projectile combos in an easy to use format.

Hodgdon Reloading | Home

 

[2ndtimer]

I have had decent results with Ramshot TAC in a .308 bolt gun with the 168 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. I think you will find ball powder and temperature resistant to be somewhat mutually exclusive. If you are concerned about temperature changes affecting your loads, you are pretty much restricted to extruded (stick) powders. I haven't seen that much variation with TAC in my .223 loads, but have not really tested the .308 loads in temperature extremes yet. (Although living in the Tri-Cities, WA, I have the opportunities to test in temperatures from single digits to 100+. If I want to, that is...) Let us know if you do decide to try the ball powders in your .308. I went up to 43.0 gr of TAC, but feel more comfortable at 42.0 gr with the Nosler bullet, since I haven't tested them yet above about 65 degrees.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i use blc2 for some 7.62/308. it works well for me


btw its shot out of a dpms recon gen 1 with a viper hs scope. ive shot it at 1000yrds.

 

[Shadowstalker]

I have had decent results with Ramshot TAC in a .308 bolt gun with the 168 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. I think you will find ball powder and temperature resistant to be somewhat mutually exclusive. If you are concerned about temperature changes affecting your loads, you are pretty much restricted to extruded (stick) powders. I haven't seen that much variation with TAC in my .223 loads, but have not really tested the .308 loads in temperature extremes yet. (Although living in the Tri-Cities, WA, I have the opportunities to test in temperatures from single digits to 100+. If I want to, that is...) Let us know if you do decide to try the ball powders in your .308. I went up to 43.0 gr of TAC, but feel more comfortable at 42.0 gr with the Nosler bullet, since I haven't tested them yet above about 65 degrees.

I have heard that TAC is less sensitive to Temp than the other ball powders

 

[Certaindeaf]

I have heard that TAC is less sensitive to Temp than the other ball powders

My favorite ball powder is shaped like a snowflake.

















:hide

 

[DizzyJ]

i use blc2 for some 7.62/308. it works well for me


btw its shot out of a dpms recon gen 1 with a viper hs scope. ive shot it at 1000yrds.

A 168 GR bullet?

 

[JO JO]

I have used tac with good results in 308 and LC brass
168 amax

 

[FortRock]

BL-C(2); TAC; RL-10x. 168gr SMK

 

[ron]

I have used WW 748 for 223, 52/53 SMK bullets but I have never used it in a 308.
Powders that work for me in my 308s with 168 SMK bullets is IMR-8208 XBR
meters nice. IMR-4064 does not meter that well so I end up weighing each charge.

 

[edslhead]

I usually use nosler bullets so I start with their recommendations.

308 Winchester Load Data - Nosler

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

A 168 GR bullet?

165 most of the time. sometimes 168gr

 

[rick benjamin]

WW 748

 

[DizzyJ]

165 most of the time. sometimes 168gr

Kinda surprised that stays stable out to 1,000 yds. Sometimes the 175s are iffy.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Kinda surprised that stays stable out to 1,000 yds. Sometimes the 175s are iffy.

stable? idk.. it rings the 3x3 steel. i think if i were serious about long range, id develop a load for a purpose built bench gun. trust me, im by no means a bench shooter. im a hunter who at times will stretch the legs of my rifles a bit

 

[DizzyJ]

stable? idk.. it rings the 3x3 steel. i think if i were serious about long range, id develop a load for a purpose built bench gun. trust me, im by no means a bench shooter. im a hunter who at times will stretch the legs of my rifles a bit

Sounds like it's carrying itself to the target without much issue then!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Sounds like it's carrying itself to the target without much issue then!

i think i could get in to long range. it is fun shooting long distance. i would like to get to the point where i could get about 10" group at 1000 and feel pretty good about it. idk if that is a really high expectation to shoot 1 minute at that distance but i think id have fun doin it!!

 

[FortRock]

I was getting out to 850 with 150 gr Hornady FMJ over 38.8 gr RL-10x. Then COSSA shut down due to fire danger and before I got back to it hunting season arrived. I was getting 12" groups at 500 with 44.5 gr BL-C(2) and 168 gr SMK's. Now I'm in Salem and no place to shoot...

 

[Steve M]

If it must be ball then why not use W748 and see for yourself if it is problematic? Sierra load data for the 168gr SMK also lists H380, W760/H414, BL-C(2), and TAC. Although not in Sierra's data, H322 should be good and meter well. RL-15 or H4895 would work well too, though my Hornady meter isn't on a progressive press so I can't be sure they would work as well for you.

In his book "Top-Grade Ammo" Glen Zediker talks about the powders that he uses for the AR-15 and M1A platforms. He uses H4895 but in the past also used W748. He likes W748 but accuracy suffers when you use two different powders in a match and on one 105F day his groups opened up a bit (but no signs of over pressure). He says that he has found W748 to be more tolerant over a wider charge range than BL-C(2) or other ball powders. He suggests Winchester or Remington primers for their better ignition.

Edit: I've just found elsewhere in the book where he specifically says that AA2520 is the only ball powder he'd recommend for an M1A or AR-10 based platform in .308 Win.

 

[ma96782]

My Match loads for my M1a was:

A fired US military 7.62 Nato case, F/L sized, Federal Large Rifle Primer, 42 gr. W748, with a Hornady or Sierra 168 gr. Match BTHP. Yup....folks would often say that W748 was temp. sensitive. But I didn't care. I was shooting in Hawaii.

Aloha, Mark