.308 15 inch 130grn load

[Good Time Gang]

first time poster, have poked around some in the past, but had a question i had not seen.  any help would be great.  I was looking in my reloading manual and saw that a 130 grn .308 calls for 47 grns. of varget.  i really like varget, but did not know if this load would work in my encore pistol and not a rifle.  this will be a dual load.  i am going to use it to shoot The Masters and have to hit a 8inch steel plate at 200 meters, so it has to be accurate.  i am also going to use it to hunt whitetail deer in MO.  if i need to change loads and re-sight in my scope that is fine, but i would like to have one round to rule them all.  thanks, GTG

[Hopalong7]

Don't know any reason that Varget wouldn't work.  It does quite nicely in my 15" 7-08, but i've not tried it in my .308.  Only way to tell for sure is to try it in YOUR pistol.  I find that most "good" rifle loads work quite well in my Encore and Contender pistols.  GOOD SHOOTIN',  Walt 

[Redhawk1]

I just got a 308 Encore pistol barrel, I have to decide what I want to load in it. I have on hand some 125 gr, 150, 165 and 180 gr. bullets. I was going to try the 125's just to burn them up.

[Lone Star]

Varget should work very well in your 15" Encore.  I have had great results in a 15" .300 Savage barrel using 150-grain bullets, in fact it and W748 are the best powders for accuracy/velocity in that barrel.  It should do as well in a .308...although all barrels are different. 



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[vanbuzen9]

GTG,

When I had a 308 encore with the 15" barrel, the 130gr. softpoint is all I shot out of it.  I also used varget, and it gave me the best groups out of all bullet weights.  I eventually sold the 308 barrel for something that was a little more mild-mannerd. (22 hornet)  You should have good results with varget.  I tried using other slower burning powders, but I don't think they were as efficient as varget, because I got a large fireball out the end of my barrel.

-vanbuzen9

[Good Time Gang]

thanks everyone. i just loaded my rounds, and i will be at the range in the am.  i have to say, 47 grains fills that case all the way up.  i am not used to seeing that much powder in one place!  will let you know how they do.  thanks again, GTG

[irold]

May be late again for the thread , but when my son had his .308 barrel (15"), I used the same load that  had worked for me so well through the years in my 788 Remmy....150 Sierra spitzer , pushed with IMR 4895 , and a LR primer.  He got amazing results , true clover leafs at 100 yds...benched over bags of course , using a T/C 2-7 scope.  We tried a 130 Horn Spire point , with a few various powders ,  nuttin shot like the afore mentioned load.   So.......we couldn't do much better than that.   At 200 yards , he was shooting something 2-2 1/2 inch groups.  Can't believe he sold that barrel !!   Good shooting !!

[Good Time Gang]

went to the chronograph it today, was at 2500+ fps.   one word OUCH!  i need to slow it down to 2000 fps for the masters and was wondering if it would foul anything up to use 40 grns of varget instead of 47grns of varget. i was looking at burn rates and powder charts and i don't think it will mess anything up.  any info would be great.  thanks. GG

[Good Time Gang]

FYI i ran out and got some H4895 today.  i loaded up 3 rounds with 40.4 grns.  going to chrono them asap.  they should come in around 2300 fps.  going to keep the varget loads for hunting.  GTG