Favorite .308 loads

[gjgalligan]

I have a .308 in the HandiRifle and I plan on loading my own ammo. Just looking for other Handi owners favorite loads, in other words what shoots good for them.
I do understand that each gun is different but your best loads are a starting point.
 
Thanks

[wileynet]

my handi likes the LC brass with 42 grains of varget behind 150 grain nosler ballistic tip, for 180 cast i use 40 grains of H 414, the 150 will print under 1" at 300, the 180 about a 1.5 at 150

[necchi]

Mine had a hard time with 150's and favors the 165-168grn range.
Varget is a good bet, I can get more than one accuracy node out of a spread with Varget.
RL15 is another good powder.

[Deerhunter#1]

I just got one myself. Looking at the ballistic chart if using the 150 nosler bt its bc is .423. Going to try and use h4895 and only push it about 2400 ft second. it still gives me over 1000 lbs energy at the 300 yard mark and should have a little less recoil.

[Jason F]

Mine likes sierra 165 boat tails and varget loaded at about 2600

[T.R.]

This is a Clay Harvy published load that is most accurate in my rifle:
 
150 grain Sierra Pro Hunter  -  48.0 grains WIN 748
 
Good shooting to you in 2012!!
 
TR

[petemi]

I've always shot 165 - 168 gr. Boat Tails, both reloads and factory, with excellent results in both my Handy and Ruger MKII.  I read somewhere long ago that the 168 BT was the most accurate bullet in the .308.  I've used it since for everything from woodchucks, thru fox and coyote to deer and bear at ranges pushing up to 400 yards. Now that I reload, I've used Varget, RL15 and H4895., usually at about 2600 fps.  They're all good.  I'd be hard pressed to tell you which is better.  Good luck,

Pete

[cwlongshot]

Our long time loading for the 308 uses IMR 4320 and a 165 G Norma bullet.

This load was used by my uncle since the Early 60's. He has used it for most every of the game animal. From Elk and Carabou to bears and whitetails it's worked every time. To hear him tell it if you could not do it with a 308 it either did not need doing or shouldn't be attempted.

My pop still shoots the loading today. Only we use a 165g Speer RN. (Also discontinued) the bullet provides excellent expansion and deep complete penetration. I load the same bullet in my 307 Win too!

CW

[diego naveira]

mine groups 1,5´´ at 150 metres with a 165 grain corelockt pushed by 41,4 grains of 3031. 2550 fps at muzzle
 
hope works for you
 
Diego Naveira

[OSOK]

A 168 gr. BTHP at 2640 fps. is the accuracy load in .308, look at any of the match ammo. Of course, those bullets are'nt meant for hunting.
My new favorite hunting bullet in any high velocity rifle is the Hornady GMX. The Hornady Team came to a school I taught a couple years ago and did a ballistic gel shoot for us. The .308 150 gr. GMX (I think it was 155 gr. back then) had a nearly identical wound cavity to the 165 gr. SST...but punched through over 36 inches of gel and kept going. we never recovered it.
this year my brother killed a big Whitetailed Deer doe using the Hornady Superformance .25-06 90 gr. GMX load. I was watching throught binoculars when he made the shot at 100 yards. She just collapsed. It looked so much like she just bedded down that the other deer with her trotted off and circled back. 10 minutes later they were back and my wife shot another, 10 yards from where the first lay.
We killed 3 deer this year at my place. 1 with the GMX and the other 2 with Winchester Ballistic Silvertips (.270 and .30-06). One thing that stood out to me was the amazing lack of bloodshot meat with the GMX load. I think that it may be due to the bullet design, possibly a slightly slower rate of expansion.

[MS Mule]

 
 
Mine is at her best with 165 gr. Sierra Gameking SP and AA2520 powder.

[gjgalligan]

Thanks for the replies!
I will be printing them out for future trials.
 
Keep them coming.

[Default_Required]

OSOK is correct on the 168gr match bullets mostly not being for hunting , The 155gr and 168gr Hornady Amax can be used for hunting medium size game per Hornady. Didnt get on game with them this year but both of those projectiles did awesome in my 308 over a big charge of Varget in LC brass with CCI BR primers , OAL 2.800.
 
 Have also got some great results with R15 and Ramshot TAC , using 155gr Amax in Fed. brass.

[hoytcanon]

my handi likes the LC brass with 42 grains of varget behind 150 grain nosler ballistic tip, for 180 cast i use 40 grains of H 414, the 150 will print under 1" at 300, the 180 about a 1.5 at 150