I'm from Brazil and I'm always waiting for new videos with releases for the shooting world. Here in Brazil, the most used caliber is the 308 winchester magnum. You Americans are very happy for the freedom you have and know that an immense majority of Brazilians would like to have this facility for hunting shooting. Great friend video was worth another spectacular content.
Love the 308. Just spent the week back in my home town Northern Tablelands NSW Australia, used my Sako Black wolf and took goats, pigs, fox and rabbits all with the 308. Using Speer 130 hp and ELDX 178 nothing you cannot smite from the earth. We are pest irradiation and remnants go for working dog dog food. Rabbits do resemble a hand puppet after the experience. Love the 308
My 308 is my primary trainer. It's a Savage 110 in an MDT LSS XLGen 2 chassis, Midas Tac 6-24 x 50. Shooting Lapua Palma brass, CCI 450's, IMR4166 with 168 & 175gr TMK's, 168 & 178 ELD-M's. By far my favorite rifle to shoot.
Bergara B14 BMP 24" in 308 with 185gr berger juggernauts and VV N550 powder. Using the gun for competition. I use lapua palma brass and federal 205M primers and I FL resize in 2 steps. After depriming, cleaning and annealing I use a body die and Lee collet die for the neck because I get better concentricity. The Lee collet die give me a bit more neck tension than I would like and I use expanding mandrel to set the desired neck tension.(light, about 0.001) I use the cheapest Lee case length gauge with great results and lyman chamfering tool. For bullet seating I use wilson seating die with arbor press. With this method I get consistent neck tension, case length, CBTO and concentricity. The gun has a factory barrel and prints under 1/2 MOA all day and I get 2750 FPS with the 185Gr bullets @ safe mag length. Coal is 2.850. Not a laser beem but not bad for a factory gun.
FNH SPRA1 .308. 20" barrel, Vortex Gen 2 Viper 5x25x56. Reloading equipment: zero press, matchmaster powder dispenser, area 419 powder funnel kit, He derson gen3 power trimmer, SAC bullet and head space comparator, CPS primer seater, Redding dies, 21 century mandrels. Laupa brass, varget, federal match primers.
I forgot to add that I'm annealing every firing with AMP annealer. Full length size without the expander ball, set neck size with 21 century expander mandrels.
Here is something I bet nobody else is doing with their 308. I run 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and routinely shoot them out to 700yds. The little 125's have way less recoil and they are very flat shooting with such a high velocity. I stumbled on to this combination by accident as I had just gotten a totally stock Savage Precision Carbine and the 125's were the only 30 cal bullet I had lying around. With Varget the Precision Carbine will plunk 5 rounds into 5/8" groups all day. Its good fun to shoot and reliable. For longer ranges I use 208 AMAX over Varget and have taken that combination out to 1200 yds.
The nosler 125’s are my favorite 30cal bullet, I run them in everything from 300blk to 30-06 reduced recoil loads. Currently working a load for my 26in encore 308
@@johngill4809 They are an awesome bullet. I used to use them for coyotes, for which they are exceptionally well suited. A bit like the hammer of Thor on a coyote. Kills them DEAD.
I reload 308 for two different rifles that I have. I have an Smith & Wesson M&P 10, and a Springfield Armory M1A Loaded. I started a collection when I was 18. The object was to get at minimum one pistol, and one rifle, from each of the major Wars that the US was involved in. I took a serious delay on acquiring more than just one rifle, and one pistol from World War II. As a result I have yet to acquire a Brown Bess or a Dragoon Pistol from the Revolutionary War. Other than that the collection is complete. It has a heavy emphasis on World War II firearms. As a result I load plenty of 30-06 to keep my M1 Garand and 1903 A4 happy. I load a lot of 7.62 NATO to keep the Smith & Wesson, and M1A feeling loved too. To tell you the truth, my wife loves our M1 Carbine. Make no mistake I love shooting it as well. I have collected all the kit that go with the pistols and rifles as well. My wife on some days will go through an entire bandolier of .30 Carbine. She is definitely not spring and praying, but actually is quite the shot with it. After a long sessions of changing brass prep, projectiles, powders, primers, concentricity gauges, seating depths and everything you could think of to make perfect ammunition I finally found a great recipe for the M1 Carbine. Everybody says that the rifles will print 3 to 4 MOA. I have come up with a load using Hornady's 100gr short jacket that will make cloverleaf style holes at 100 yards, and yes I mean 5 shot groups and consistently! I also have another load that makes even less sense. Speer Bullet's 100 gr. Plinker round nose soft lead. It's item number 1805. Gavin please explain to me how in the world that a bullet shaped like this can produce consistent 3/4 in to 1 and 1/4 inch groups. I am not complaining trust me I love it, but I just understand how does it work. It truly doesn't make any sense. I have competed both Rifle and Pistol since I was 13. Now I am 54. I understand all the principles and techniques because most of my competitions have always been bullseye. Shooting bullseye matches for as long as I have makes you very keen on the mechanics and the positions, and trigger discipline that will make you successful. These two bullets should not perform the way they do. Maybe you should do a video on these two projectiles. Although when creating the information and accuracy of these projectiles many people will run out and get them. They are already pretty hard to find. I think I'd be willing to trade the possibility of having a run on these bullets. I would love to understand and see the science behind why they work. As always take care and thank you for all that you have taught me.
I’m not a PRS shooter but I used too shoot High Power and 3 gun where I’d sometimes use 308. I primarily use IMR 4064, LC Match or regular 7.62 brass with Federal 210M primers. RCBS RC2 press and dies with a RCBS Chargemaster weighing out the powder. I used a lot of 168 AMax bullets but mostly hunting bullets now. Most of my targets these days are covered in fur and are tasty.
Excellent video guys! 308 is the king, not the best at anything, fairly OK at most things... Just slapped together some 178gr ELD-X with AR2208, GM210M primers in Sako TRG brass, 20 thou off the lands, mandrel, full length sized, trimmed, turned etc... Zero load development, .35 MOA group at 625 meters today (3 rounds). Just, an easy round to work with and not overly aggressive barrel life, difficult to not like.
.308 is my favourite caliber heavy recoil but I live with that , the .308 has many pluses , long barrel life , great selection of ammunition, easy to load , reasonably inexpensive , a great all round caliber.
I’m loading all my 308 on a Dillon 650 using 168gr A-Max with BM2 or ADI2206H powders. The rifle is a Howa 1500 with a Hardy suppressor anda vortex tactical FFP 4-16. I use it for training as it’s cheaper to load for than my 6.5 PRC and 6.5 CM. 6.5 components are difficult to get here in New Zealand. Great videos by the way keep them coming 🇳🇿
My 308 (175 grain), Im using the most cheapest and space minimalist method possible. Sinclair arbor press Hornady Powder Measure Bench Rest LNL Hornady balance beam Hornady powder trickler Sinclair/L.E. Wilson micro adjust bullet seater I had their auto charge, but it started producing wild results after around 3,000 rounds (+/- 0.4 grains on the slowest setting)
Great thinking. Good stuff. Thank you gents. 26" 700 vssf. My first 308 I bought in the mid 90s. Working on load development for 155 Nosler BTHP Match bullets I bought bulk. Varget, CFE223 & H4895.
Was handed down the same rifle from my dad. Been working with a few components. Latest is 150 hotcore and H335. About 1/2 MOA. Looking to try TAC with 150 and 180 hotcore
@@kuigglugmiu9339 Outstanding. Really nice rifle. I gave $800 in 97. My younger brother & I traded rifles some time later his 700 BDL in 7mag was like my first rifle so I traded. But bought my 700 vssf back a # of years later. Pretty impressive package.
I love the 308, I shoot it to 1000 yards rather nicely with my 195 Sierra TMK's doing 1275 FPS. Using the Ruger RPR- yes really. I have another 308, a Remington 700 custom build with a Kreiger barrel but the chamber is built specifically for the 168. I have a third 308 a Parker Hale TX1200 which needs a scope, so I'm not shooting that one at the moment.
1275fps seems like you would be transonic very quickly. I run 185 gr Berger hybrids to 1k, 1200+1600 @2750fps mv, 1:10tw. Essentially 863fps @1600. (Transonic at 1400yds or so).
308 is the best! I love Tac too it throws so accurately in my powder measure and those 155 TMKs and ELD-Ms really close the gap on those 6.5s. My drop is under 30 MOA at 1k, and with in 1 MOA of wind drift compared to factory Hornady 6.5 CM 140 ELD-M. I’m running 46 gr of TAC behind 155 TMKs
Just finished working up a load for my Armalite Hog Hunter .308 carbine, using 147 grain bulk FMJ SBT'S. Tested several different loads. It practically feasted on 43 grains of IMR 8208 XBR, printing some of the best groups I've ever managed with this AR 10. It also digs 46 grains of IMR 4166. With everybody fawning over 6.5 caliber guns and cartridges these days, (yours truly included among the legions) this venerable old war horse proved it can still bring home the bacon.
@@aaron.from.winchester6744 Thanks for the word of caution my friend. According to the Lyman AR Reloading Handbook, 2nd Edition, the Max Load for the heavier 150 grain Sierra FMJ using IMR 8208 XBR is 44.3 grains. This load produces pressure at 60,000 P, and is listed as such on the data sheet on page 91. The 2017 Hodgdon Reloading Manual features a special section entitled, "Premium 308 Winchester Handloads" by Steve Gash. Another resource well worth reading. In it, the author tested a variety of bullet/powder combinations for both bolt-action and semiautomatic AR rifles. For the AR, he used the Rock River Arms LAR-8 Varminter. I own three Armalite AR 10 rifles. Both RRA and Armalite are solid platforms made by leaders in the civilian and para-military manufacturing of these style firearms. For his test of 168 grain Sierra Match Kings, he charged these much heavier bullets with 42 grains of XBR. My ARs digest 43 grains of IMR 8208 XBR driving the lighter 147 FMJ SBT'S, without so much as a hiccup. No high pressure signs on the primers, nor chewed up bases on the cases, etc. The accuracy is spot on, and the maximum velocity is well within the range of pressure safety I always look for when handloading for these, as well as all my other firearms. Admittedly, the only draw back is they fling the spent cases pretty far, making for some interesting conversation at the range, when they go whizzing by the guy's head two booths over due to social distancing...told him to pull the netting down! Handloading has been a devoted thirty year hobby for me. I handload all the cartridges for my rather extensive collection of rifles and handguns. I've made my share of missteps along the way, and I've learned a lot. One of the first things was, to follow the recommendations of the reloading professionals who do this stuff for a living, and publish their research findings in manuals and journals devoted to the subject. All the while, taking everything else you read, hear, or see on the Internet and other social media with a grain of salt. That in and of itself has kept my hobby enjoyable, and extremely useful. Especially in these times of empty ammo shelves at my local big box sporting goods store, and "Out of Stock" messages splattered all over anywhere you look on the web to score factory loaded stock. More importantly, to me at least, is the confidence that my handloads are dependable, and very safe because of that due diligence.
I reload .308 for gas gun. Been running 178gr ELDs with Lake City Brass and Shooter’s World Precision or RL15. To be honest it’s been a long road and took me a ton to get my gas gun to shoot. It’s a custom build with a 20” Bartlein barrel, Geiselle SSA-E, SLR adjustable GB, and JP LMOS BCG and silent capture. The 308 gas gun platform really teaches you a lot about recoil management and slaps you in the face for errors 😑
Give yourself a lot of credit for getting it dialed in. To put it in the proper perspective, Most people don’t even shoot well enough at distance to really see a difference.
@@bannedbycommieyoutube5time920 Ha thanks! I shoot quite a bit of long range PRS competition so I’m typically a bit OCD about dialing in to 1,000 yards. The gas gun stuff is just for fun. Totally understand why platforms like the m110 were adopted. Hits like a ton of bricks and unbelievably fast follow up
I love mine. I have a Bergara hmr and I searched and searched for one in 308. Finally got one and with the way this shoots I probably will never get into the 6mm or 6.5 stuff. 46g varget, cci br2s, and a 155eldm .3" groups all day. I have a hard time missing at 900. I also load 150g interlocks and those are just as accurate. 50.2g of cfe, and those 150g interlocks. Those even at 900, are smacking my target no problem. With these loads and this gun I don't need any thing else for what I do
We bought a couple of Tikka T3x Lite Veil Wideland in 308 for training rifles and were amazed at the accuracy! Sub MOA confirmed out to 600 yards! It shoots almost any good factory ammo (loves the Sierra 168 grain match kings.) We hand load 168 grain Hornady ELD & Amax with H-1000 and shoot the lights out! I always ignored the 308 but not any more! Easiest gun to load for I have found!
I love watching these old videos and seeing the powder spillage on the powder measurers. These days, I use a 3D printed cup to keep ball powders from bouncing out
Savage 110 picked up from the local pawn shop for $300, put a Shilen 308 match barrel on that action and dropped it into an oryx chassis. Sub MOA gun all day with match ammo. My next build will be off the Origin action. I like having the option of prefit barrels. I currently load 168 and 178 hornady match bullets over 8208 XBR and IMR 4064 loaded on a lee single stage. Patiently waiting on the Frankford X10 progressive to drop.
I use the .308 for everything. It’s a howa 1500 with a 26 inch criterion barrel. For prs I load 168 amax with imr 4064 and for hunting the 165 spear grand slam with reloader 15.
I really like how he got on target and fired. It’s my preference to find target and fire in a systematic manner. I do not waste my time trying to find the exact location for my shot, then cycle my breathing, hold on the exhale and fire. I’m continually training myself for expedited shot placement and be slow in a hurry.
Will also say, I’ve been shooting 168 A-Max & SMK’s out of a 20” Savage 10 FCP-SR. It’s a 3/4 Minute gun with either, and I only load 0.5 grains difference in charge weight with IMR 4064.
I shoot 308 projectiles in all my Swiss rifles and 168-178 is all sub moa with several different powders. Highly recommend the old straight pulls if you dig vintage
I reload 308 with tac and varget along with 150 gr Sierra hunters. Back when midway USA started to stock tac, they had a sale for $12 per 1 pound can, limit 10 cans. I limited out. Thanks
I’m reloading 308 on a single stage Lee press, using 168 gr A max bullets, mostly 43 gr of Varget powder with CCI BR large rifle primers. I will give Tac a go pretty soon…. ✌🏼😎👍🏼
I've only just gotten into reloading with inherited equipment. Currently trying to learn with my 308 hunting rifle, a Howa 1500 Gameking, 22" barrel 1:12 twist. This rifle shoots sub MOA with Barnes TTSX 150 grain factory ammo. I'm trying to learn how to duplicate this factory load. Manually trimming with the Lyman case trimmer, I've got a Lyman Crusher single stage press and Lyman balance beam scale, RCBS manual powder throw and RCBS hand trickling tool. I've been full length resizing using RCBS full length deprime and resize die. I hand de bur the case then follow with hand priming with a Lee hand priming tool and CCI #200 LR primers, charging my cases with Varget powder, one at a time after weighing each charge on my manual scale. I then seat each 150gr Barnes TTSX bullet with the RCBS bullet seating die. I've noticed these bullets seam to stick in my bullet seating die or something and are difficult to get to seat at a consistent depth, sometimes varying up to .015 which drive me crazy. Any assistance or recommendations for changing my process? I've got about 75 rounds loaded and ready to test but I'm adjusting my bullet seating die on almost every one to get them seated consistently.
My current fav 308W is a Cadillac. No real recoil. I can shoot all day and not have any brusing or soreness. I did ad a custom 3 way adjustable butt pad on an AICS stock (raising my shoulder to being behind the barrel). It's an extremely accurate rifle (sub 1/2" moa). TAC 30 action, Bartlein M24 barrel, Diamond trigger @1.1 pounds.
I found the TACK works great with the 223 loaded with 77gr bullets. Never thought about using it in my 308's. I typically load 155gr Palmas over 4350, Varget, H380, and 4064 in my 308's up to 300 yards or so, and 175gr's over Varget for beyond 300 yards. I like the 168gr bullets, but they're in the middle; being neither here nor there.
Great vid and information! I shoot a Bergara B14 Hunter in 308 Win topped by a DNZ Products Game Reaper one piece scope mount/rings and a Burris 2x7 Fullfield E1 hunting scope. I recently printed a < 1 inch group at 200 yards with Lapua 167g OTM Scenar ammo. And, a Browning BAR (Type 2) made in 1980 I purchased new and topped also is a DNZ Products Game Reaper one piece one piece scope mount/rings with the original Leupold 2x7 Vari-x II scope. A couple of loads I like are 150g Hornady SST on top of 43g IMR4895 in Remington brass and 150g Nosler E-Tip on top of 43g IMR 4895 in Remington brass.
I have a rcbs rockchucker, which works great for precise reloading. I have a redding powder thrower which i am NOT real happy with but it is what i have. I have to weigh every powder charge. Then i use whichever brass i have. Most is military surplus. I was reloading the hornady max 165g. I used just a factory powder charge but MAN the accuracy out of my LR308 is amazing. I rebarreled that rifle with a faxon big gunner barrel and have a La Rue mbt-2 trigger in it... the last 15 rounds at 100yds were amazing. I had a very verticle string and once i got the scope right my last two rounds were dead bullseys! The stringing is from top of the target in 8 ring down to 9 then x... i believe i was using IMR 4895... I reload for a garand and a savage 111 fcns 30-06. I JUST bought a savage model 10 fpc-sr 308 with a 20" fluted barrel. Bought it for myself 12-18-21... havent pulled the trigger YET... I use milsurp ball to smooth the barrel as it is BRAND NEW and then i have federal premium gold medal match 168 and 175... see how thise shoot outta that 20" barrel. Then i will test those same handloads in it after i fire that new barrel a bit...
I load 308 to slightly lower pressures (NATO) for an Ishapore bolt gun. I use 146 gr or 150 gr (Hornady 3037) over 41.2 gr of Varget for just over 2500 fps. For an old battle rifle, it shoots that load real well. And of course, my 300 Savage load is not that much different, at 2500 fps also.
I love the 308. I run two AR308 rifles (gas gun). Built one and bought the other. Honestly, I depend allot on good barrel life. The 6.5 and 6mm barrels just burn out faster then I like. Because I shoot allot and the 223 bores me lol. I shoot allot of 308. I am a. 300 yard and in shooter, therefore, 308 works great. If I want to reach out I have my 300 PRC and if I want home defence I have my 300 BLK. I only have to stock a few bullets in my collection. I would love to see more 308 and 300 BLK loadings.
g/day from the land of OZ. I use Savage 10FP with 30" krieger barrel for FTR in .308. I find that the best results are achieved with minimalistic approach, no unnecessary steps. This means depriming, primer pocket cleaning, annealing, FLS with body only die (reeding), neck sizing in the next operation (Lee collet die), tumble, charging on FX300i and seating with Wilson die with Arbour press. I find RCBS charge master to be twice as expensive as a lab scale / auto trickler set up and nowhere near as accurate. It is a better option for a PRS shooter pumping out large amounts of rounds though. Also, after many measuring operations, I concluded there are absolutely no benefits in concentricity by using mandrels as opposed to a simple Lee neck collet die.
""I find RCBS charge master to be twice as expensive as a lab scale / auto trickler set up and nowhere near as accurate." How is a chargemaster twice the price of a Auto trickler set up?
@@mickroberts5166 with that cleared up i agree. No matter how much you spend a strain gauge will never compare to a force restoration balance like an a&d.
I hunt with my 308. My current hunting load is 168 Barnes ttsx, lapua brass, IMR 4895, and federal match primers. I’m looking to build a training load that’s similar bullet weight /BC but not as pricy as Barnes. Also would like to work up a 150 and 130 grain loads to have a little more variety for hunting.
I'm reloading 308 Winchester for my Ruger precision rifle. I'm using Starline small primer 308 win brass. CCI small rifle Magnum primers. Sierra matchking 168 grain boat tail tipped. With 43.6 grains of Varget. Lights out. Echo
I've found with flowy powders, I just set a volumetric powder thrower and start running loads. I check every 10-15 rounds but I've never had a variation. Hunter in my 243 and CFE223 for service rifle.
I love the Area 419 loading blocks and funnel kit. I added the 3” drop tube to my funnel kit and like that for fitting the max amount powder in the cases.
Another funny thing. The super tight fit seems to lift the case when you pull the funnel of. See how he holds the case down not to be lifted upwards. So when you lift it with the case having powder you might spill it all over the place when it falls out. Also the crevices in the funnel shall capture powered as they are tapered … I stick with my nice rcbs plastic 5 dollar funnel 😀😂
Thank you for this series on .308. I'm interested in starting to load .308 for an AR-10 and Remington 700; mostly for distance shooting. I'll be using a Hornady Iron Press.
Some people dream about buying big houses and fancy cars. I dream about being able to play with all the cool reloading equipment y’all have! I’m not a big .308 guy. I got a cheap used Savage that I bought (for the action) that I’ve never got around to buying a chassis or barrel for. I loaded a few rounds up, to see how it shot, when I first got it, and I got some decent groups with CFE223, but that’s the only .308 powder I had at the time, and I’ve never got around to doing anything more with that rifle. Kind of depressing myself thinking about it now! Need to get off my butt and get an MDT chassis for it!
Awesome awesome awesome just got a Bergara HMR B-14 for Christmas. And I almost have everything you guys have on the bench. This is going to a really interesting video series. It’s good to know that I’m going to get a few thousand shots out of my 308 guns. This and the bulk ammo are some of the reasons I went with 308 over 6.5 creed
I am just getting into reloading and precision shooting. I will be reloading 308 for an M1 Garand (that has a 2011 308 barrel) and a Winchester XPR Sporter with once fired used brass, H335 powder, CCi #34 primers, and Armscor FMJ 147gr bullets on a Dillon 650 Progressive press using Redding Micrometer 3 die set. The powder, press, and die set was recommended to me by a friend and the rest of the components are what I could find. I am primarily reloading to have ammo safe to use in the M1 Garand but having ammo that improves accuracy in the Winchester XPR would be a bonus. My plan is to initially test and develop in the Winchester XPR and then test with MagnetoSpeed chronograph in the M1 Garand to double check velocities in the M1 Garand.
If you get the Hornady reloading manual, it has a section on 308 Winchester Service Rifle, which is lighter pressure loads than the 308 Winchester (bolt action)
Lyman All-American Press RCBS Universal Hand Primer Tool Lee .308 full Length die 21 Century .306 Expander Mandrel Lee Bullet Seater I have used about every different die there is (minus the super expensive) and I find Lee has the most consistent full length resize. Lee just gets it done for me. I can’t get TAC to group for shit in my AR-10s/Scar 17. I prefer IMR 4895 for 175 SMK’s and XBR for 168 SMK’s.
I recently bought/found a Rem 700 LH 308 with a 26" 'heavy barrel'. I do reload, but dont have an annealer. Also, just recently have heard about this 'mandrel' thing a few have mentioned. I reload on a Hornady single stage using Hornady fl dies.
I have a RCll I do all my reloading on and I have a M1 Garand in 7.62x51 (original NAVY rifle), a Springfield M1a, my brother has a Rem 700 Tactical and my son has a Savage Axis XP all in 308. For training or just blasting ammo I go by the Hodgdon 60% rule with H4895, a 130gr. Mk319 SOST bullet for a muzzle velocity of 2550fps., I can go as low as 2000fps. if need be. Very consistent, accurate and economical shooting 1 moa or under at 100 yards in the Savage and Remington, 1.5 in both the M1 and M1a. Perfect training ammo and I've even used it in some National Match rounds off the 200 yard line with a little stiffer load (2800fps). I've used that formula in 270Win in my Savage and 30//06 for my other Garand's with 130 and 150 bullet weights and out to 200 yards it really gets the job done.
sig dmr with the heavy barrel. using a lee anniversary single stage press. rcbs dies and rcbs chargemaster light scale. hornady 168gn match bullet. and i am going to try cfe223 powder.
I'm reloading. .308 on a dillon XL750 with dillon steel dies hodgdon powder H335 Federal primers I'm going to switch to Imr 3031 powder just because Shooting it out of a ruger American Hunter 20" barrel bolt action This week it shot sub moa @100yards
I'd like to better understand the process of iterating the load towards match readiness, in particular some insight on evaluating groupings and performance to refine load parameters. Also interested in what the two final loadings look like, and what drove the decisions for each role. Great video as always, you guys work well together and explain a lot of interesting stuff well.
Gavin show a lead bullet load for 308 win and the mold you used to make the bullets with and the weight in grains of the bullet and the powder you used!
Since you love doing all these measurements. How does it compare to factory store bought? You might have already done it but just glancing through the video list I didn't see one. But do a measurement of box of ammo show the margin of error across all loads then compare to same number of rounds that you hand reload compare whatever else on the reload process against the box ammo Then compare shot accuracy against the box ammo against the reload ammo. then a final video dicussing how to fine tune the reload process to get the most accurate shot. 3 videos or 1 video up to you.
I have a Dillion 550B progressive reloader set for 45 Colt and I am looking to start reloading 6.8 western. With a conversion kit and some dies, I’d be interested in what you would recommend for “close-to” precision reloading
Great video as usual, just added more things to my .308 reloading shopping list. Starting with factory ammo shot through my rifle, how many times do you estimate the brass can be run through the whole reloading process without annealing?
Happy new year Gavin I shoot and reload 308. I reload with CFE 223 and Varget powder and I’m testing to find out which powders my A.R. 10 likes the best. I run a 18 inch barrel I am loading 168 grain Hornaday bullets. I am running different grains of powder right now to find out what this rifle likes best any suggestions. 👍🤠🔫🦃🦌🙏🏻🇺🇸
Love your videos! I'm looking forward to your 308 AR 10 videos! I'm currently working on my second round of test loads for my 308 AR 10 that I built. First rounds shot pretty good. I'm using IMR 4064, federal gm LRP's, SIG brass, and sierra 168gr bthp. Just got an annealer so I'm interested to see the results from it.
I find when you get much above 150, you're really approaching .30-06 sweet spot. I tend to draw the bullet grain line for .308 at that point; with 147 grain FMJ SBT'S seemingly being my AR 10's bullet of choice.
@@Dave-cf2ng Yep, in the final analysis it's all about what works best for you. My '06 loves 168 grain Ballistic Tips and 175-200 grain anything else. But for some reason I can't always seem to duplicate the same BC's, accuracy, and flatter trajectories when I feed those heavier bullets to any of my .308 Win rifles. Guess that's why I have more than one rifle. That, and the fact that I am a certifiable gun-nut; ever since I first fired the ol' man's 12 Guage off the back porch on New Years Eve, circa 1957! "HAPP-EEE NEWWW YEARRR!"💥💥💥
I have my .308 in browning hells canyon reloading with tac powder and it is funny but my best group was from 42 gr loud using hornady a max 168. I need to get a better optic but shoot within a pie plate at 250 yards
I know you didn't crimp these BUT you mentioned needing to do some training loads for AR10 and I wondered, do you/would you bother with running mandrel through necks if you were crimping the finished round? seating force would be uniform, tension so be the same if using Lee Factory Crimp die, but are you negating the work done using the mandrel when you crimp? 🤔
I have a PTR91 in 308, but I get a fluting type of markings on the brass when ejected. I've never tried to reload any of that brass as I was not sure if you could.
I'm from Brazil and I'm always waiting for new videos with releases for the shooting world. Here in Brazil, the most used caliber is the 308 winchester magnum. You Americans are very happy for the freedom you have and know that an immense majority of Brazilians would like to have this facility for hunting shooting. Great friend video was worth another spectacular content.
More of this. Everyone leaves the 308 alone these days.
Love the 308.
Just spent the week back in my home town Northern Tablelands NSW Australia, used my Sako Black wolf and took goats, pigs, fox and rabbits all with the 308. Using Speer 130 hp and ELDX 178 nothing you cannot smite from the earth. We are pest irradiation and remnants go for working dog dog food.
Rabbits do resemble a hand puppet after the experience.
Love the 308
Yes I also use 178 ELD-X in my Frankie 308 shot Deer out to 300 head shots and I get a five cent grouping at 100m
My 308 is my primary trainer. It's a Savage 110 in an MDT LSS XLGen 2 chassis, Midas Tac 6-24 x 50. Shooting Lapua Palma brass, CCI 450's, IMR4166 with 168 & 175gr TMK's, 168 & 178 ELD-M's. By far my favorite rifle to shoot.
Im loving the enduron 4166, I think people may be staring to catch on to it now though
Bergara B14 BMP 24" in 308 with 185gr berger juggernauts and VV N550 powder. Using the gun for competition. I use lapua palma brass and federal 205M primers and I FL resize in 2 steps. After depriming, cleaning and annealing I use a body die and Lee collet die for the neck because I get better concentricity. The Lee collet die give me a bit more neck tension than I would like and I use expanding mandrel to set the desired neck tension.(light, about 0.001) I use the cheapest Lee case length gauge with great results and lyman chamfering tool. For bullet seating I use wilson seating die with arbor press. With this method I get consistent neck tension, case length, CBTO and concentricity. The gun has a factory barrel and prints under 1/2 MOA all day and I get 2750 FPS with the 185Gr bullets @ safe mag length. Coal is 2.850. Not a laser beem but not bad for a factory gun.
Honestly love 308 for everything. Im buying my self bergara wilderness hmr in 308. The barrel life is man reason for loving 308
FNH SPRA1 .308. 20" barrel, Vortex Gen 2 Viper 5x25x56. Reloading equipment: zero press, matchmaster powder dispenser, area 419 powder funnel kit, He derson gen3 power trimmer, SAC bullet and head space comparator, CPS primer seater, Redding dies, 21 century mandrels. Laupa brass, varget, federal match primers.
I forgot to add that I'm annealing every firing with AMP annealer. Full length size without the expander ball, set neck size with 21 century expander mandrels.
Here is something I bet nobody else is doing with their 308. I run 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and routinely shoot them out to 700yds. The little 125's have way less recoil and they are very flat shooting with such a high velocity. I stumbled on to this combination by accident as I had just gotten a totally stock Savage Precision Carbine and the 125's were the only 30 cal bullet I had lying around. With Varget the Precision Carbine will plunk 5 rounds into 5/8" groups all day. Its good fun to shoot and reliable.
For longer ranges I use 208 AMAX over Varget and have taken that combination out to 1200 yds.
The nosler 125’s are my favorite 30cal bullet, I run them in everything from 300blk to 30-06 reduced recoil loads. Currently working a load for my 26in encore 308
@@johngill4809 They are an awesome bullet. I used to use them for coyotes, for which they are exceptionally well suited. A bit like the hammer of Thor on a coyote. Kills them DEAD.
I reload 308 for two different rifles that I have. I have an Smith & Wesson M&P 10, and a Springfield Armory M1A Loaded. I started a collection when I was 18. The object was to get at minimum one pistol, and one rifle, from each of the major Wars that the US was involved in. I took a serious delay on acquiring more than just one rifle, and one pistol from World War II. As a result I have yet to acquire a Brown Bess or a Dragoon Pistol from the Revolutionary War. Other than that the collection is complete. It has a heavy emphasis on World War II firearms. As a result I load plenty of 30-06 to keep my M1 Garand and 1903 A4 happy. I load a lot of 7.62 NATO to keep the Smith & Wesson, and M1A feeling loved too. To tell you the truth, my wife loves our M1 Carbine. Make no mistake I love shooting it as well. I have collected all the kit that go with the pistols and rifles as well. My wife on some days will go through an entire bandolier of .30 Carbine. She is definitely not spring and praying, but actually is quite the shot with it. After a long sessions of changing brass prep, projectiles, powders, primers, concentricity gauges, seating depths and everything you could think of to make perfect ammunition I finally found a great recipe for the M1 Carbine. Everybody says that the rifles will print 3 to 4 MOA. I have come up with a load using Hornady's 100gr short jacket that will make cloverleaf style holes at 100 yards, and yes I mean 5 shot groups and consistently! I also have another load that makes even less sense. Speer Bullet's 100 gr. Plinker round nose soft lead. It's item number 1805. Gavin please explain to me how in the world that a bullet shaped like this can produce consistent 3/4 in to 1 and 1/4 inch groups. I am not complaining trust me I love it, but I just understand how does it work. It truly doesn't make any sense. I have competed both Rifle and Pistol since I was 13. Now I am 54. I understand all the principles and techniques because most of my competitions have always been bullseye. Shooting bullseye matches for as long as I have makes you very keen on the mechanics and the positions, and trigger discipline that will make you successful. These two bullets should not perform the way they do. Maybe you should do a video on these two projectiles. Although when creating the information and accuracy of these projectiles many people will run out and get them. They are already pretty hard to find. I think I'd be willing to trade the possibility of having a run on these bullets. I would love to understand and see the science behind why they work.
As always take care and thank you for all that you have taught me.
I’m not a PRS shooter but I used too shoot High Power and 3 gun where I’d sometimes use 308. I primarily use IMR 4064, LC Match or regular 7.62 brass with Federal 210M primers. RCBS RC2 press and dies with a RCBS Chargemaster weighing out the powder. I used a lot of 168 AMax bullets but mostly hunting bullets now. Most of my targets these days are covered in fur and are tasty.
Love this channel please do a full video on using Gordon reloading tool start to finish 🙏
There is built-in user manual, please try
Excellent video guys!
308 is the king, not the best at anything, fairly OK at most things... Just slapped together some 178gr ELD-X with AR2208, GM210M primers in Sako TRG brass, 20 thou off the lands, mandrel, full length sized, trimmed, turned etc... Zero load development, .35 MOA group at 625 meters today (3 rounds). Just, an easy round to work with and not overly aggressive barrel life, difficult to not like.
.308 is my favourite caliber heavy recoil but I live with that , the .308 has many pluses , long barrel life , great selection of ammunition, easy to load , reasonably inexpensive , a great all round caliber.
Heavy recoil? Try a 7lb .300wm
@@TheMrkylester101 I got an 18.5" without a brake and it will beat you up in the prone. I also got a 300WM 700 BDL and that's just cruel.
I’m loading all my 308 on a Dillon 650 using 168gr A-Max with BM2 or ADI2206H powders. The rifle is a Howa 1500 with a Hardy suppressor anda vortex tactical FFP 4-16. I use it for training as it’s cheaper to load for than my 6.5 PRC and 6.5 CM. 6.5 components are difficult to get here in New Zealand. Great videos by the way keep them coming 🇳🇿
My 308 (175 grain), Im using the most cheapest and space minimalist method possible.
Sinclair arbor press
Hornady Powder Measure Bench Rest LNL
Hornady balance beam
Hornady powder trickler
Sinclair/L.E. Wilson micro adjust bullet seater
I had their auto charge, but it started producing wild results after around 3,000 rounds (+/- 0.4 grains on the slowest setting)
Great thinking. Good stuff. Thank you gents. 26" 700 vssf. My first 308 I bought in the mid 90s. Working on load development for 155 Nosler BTHP Match bullets I bought bulk.
Varget, CFE223 & H4895.
Was handed down the same rifle from my dad. Been working with a few components. Latest is 150 hotcore and H335. About 1/2 MOA. Looking to try TAC with 150 and 180 hotcore
@@kuigglugmiu9339 Outstanding. Really nice rifle. I gave $800 in 97. My younger brother & I traded rifles some time later his 700 BDL in 7mag was like my first rifle so I traded. But bought my 700 vssf back a # of years later. Pretty impressive package.
I love the 308, I shoot it to 1000 yards rather nicely with my 195 Sierra TMK's doing 1275 FPS.
Using the Ruger RPR- yes really.
I have another 308, a Remington 700 custom build with a Kreiger barrel but the chamber is built specifically for the 168.
I have a third 308 a Parker Hale TX1200 which needs a scope, so I'm not shooting that one at the moment.
1275fps seems like you would be transonic very quickly. I run 185 gr Berger hybrids to 1k, 1200+1600 @2750fps mv, 1:10tw. Essentially 863fps @1600. (Transonic at 1400yds or so).
@@greenacres4518 I bet he means 1275 retained velocity at 1k
Hey Gavin, your 223 vs 5.56 video hit 6M views. 👍
Whhhhoa!!!! Thanks everyone for the views
308 is the best! I love Tac too it throws so accurately in my powder measure and those 155 TMKs and ELD-Ms really close the gap on those 6.5s. My drop is under 30 MOA at 1k, and with in 1 MOA of wind drift compared to factory Hornady 6.5 CM 140 ELD-M. I’m running 46 gr of TAC behind 155 TMKs
Loading 308 hunting/ practice for my AR308 using TAC powder and Hornady 150 hen sst.
More 308 loading vids would be great.
Just finished working up a load for my Armalite Hog Hunter .308 carbine, using 147 grain bulk FMJ SBT'S. Tested several different loads. It practically feasted on 43 grains of IMR 8208 XBR, printing some of the best groups I've ever managed with this AR 10. It also digs 46 grains of IMR 4166. With everybody fawning over 6.5 caliber guns and cartridges these days, (yours truly included among the legions) this venerable old war horse proved it can still bring home the bacon.
Be careful. 43grs of XBR is very hot for an AR10.
@@aaron.from.winchester6744
Thanks for the word of caution my friend. According to the Lyman AR Reloading Handbook, 2nd Edition, the Max Load for the heavier 150 grain Sierra FMJ using IMR 8208 XBR is 44.3 grains. This load produces pressure at 60,000 P, and is listed as such on the data sheet on page 91.
The 2017 Hodgdon Reloading Manual features a special section entitled, "Premium 308 Winchester Handloads" by Steve Gash. Another resource well worth reading. In it, the author tested a variety of bullet/powder combinations for both bolt-action and semiautomatic AR rifles. For the AR, he used the Rock River Arms LAR-8 Varminter. I own three Armalite AR 10 rifles. Both RRA and Armalite are solid platforms made by leaders in the civilian and para-military manufacturing of these style firearms. For his test of 168 grain Sierra Match Kings, he charged these much heavier bullets with 42 grains of XBR.
My ARs digest 43 grains of IMR 8208 XBR driving the lighter 147 FMJ SBT'S, without so much as a hiccup. No high pressure signs on the primers, nor chewed up bases on the cases, etc. The accuracy is spot on, and the maximum velocity is well within the range of pressure safety I always look for when handloading for these, as well as all my other firearms. Admittedly, the only draw back is they fling the spent cases pretty far, making for some interesting conversation at the range, when they go whizzing by the guy's head two booths over due to social distancing...told him to pull the netting down!
Handloading has been a devoted thirty year hobby for me. I handload all the cartridges for my rather extensive collection of rifles and handguns. I've made my share of missteps along the way, and I've learned a lot. One of the first things was, to follow the recommendations of the reloading professionals who do this stuff for a living, and publish their research findings in manuals and journals devoted to the subject. All the while, taking everything else you read, hear, or see on the Internet and other social media with a grain of salt. That in and of itself has kept my hobby enjoyable, and extremely useful. Especially in these times of empty ammo shelves at my local big box sporting goods store, and "Out of Stock" messages splattered all over anywhere you look on the web to score factory loaded stock. More importantly, to me at least, is the confidence that my handloads are dependable, and very safe because of that due diligence.
I reload .308 for gas gun. Been running 178gr ELDs with Lake City Brass and Shooter’s World Precision or RL15. To be honest it’s been a long road and took me a ton to get my gas gun to shoot. It’s a custom build with a 20” Bartlein barrel, Geiselle SSA-E, SLR adjustable GB, and JP LMOS BCG and silent capture. The 308 gas gun platform really teaches you a lot about recoil management and slaps you in the face for errors 😑
Give yourself a lot of credit for getting it dialed in. To put it in the proper perspective, Most people don’t even shoot well enough at distance to really see a difference.
@@bannedbycommieyoutube5time920
Ha thanks! I shoot quite a bit of long range PRS competition so I’m typically a bit OCD about dialing in to 1,000 yards. The gas gun stuff is just for fun. Totally understand why platforms like the m110 were adopted. Hits like a ton of bricks and unbelievably fast follow up
Excited… 308 is the MVP cartridge of all time
I love mine. I have a Bergara hmr and I searched and searched for one in 308. Finally got one and with the way this shoots I probably will never get into the 6mm or 6.5 stuff. 46g varget, cci br2s, and a 155eldm .3" groups all day. I have a hard time missing at 900. I also load 150g interlocks and those are just as accurate. 50.2g of cfe, and those 150g interlocks. Those even at 900, are smacking my target no problem. With these loads and this gun I don't need any thing else for what I do
We bought a couple of Tikka T3x Lite Veil Wideland in 308 for training rifles and were amazed at the accuracy!
Sub MOA confirmed out to 600 yards!
It shoots almost any good factory ammo (loves the Sierra 168 grain match kings.)
We hand load 168 grain Hornady ELD & Amax with H-1000 and shoot the lights out!
I always ignored the 308 but not any more! Easiest gun to load for I have found!
I love watching these old videos and seeing the powder spillage on the powder measurers. These days, I use a 3D printed cup to keep ball powders from bouncing out
Savage 110 picked up from the local pawn shop for $300, put a Shilen 308 match barrel on that action and dropped it into an oryx chassis. Sub MOA gun all day with match ammo. My next build will be off the Origin action. I like having the option of prefit barrels. I currently load 168 and 178 hornady match bullets over 8208 XBR and IMR 4064 loaded on a lee single stage. Patiently waiting on the Frankford X10 progressive to drop.
Imr 4064 is the tits, my rem 700 loves it
I use the .308 for everything. It’s a howa 1500 with a 26 inch criterion barrel. For prs I load 168 amax with imr 4064 and for hunting the 165 spear grand slam with reloader 15.
I really like how he got on target and fired. It’s my preference to find target and fire in a systematic manner. I do not waste my time trying to find the exact location for my shot, then cycle my breathing, hold on the exhale and fire. I’m continually training myself for expedited shot placement and be slow in a hurry.
Will also say, I’ve been shooting 168 A-Max & SMK’s out of a 20” Savage 10 FCP-SR. It’s a 3/4 Minute gun with either, and I only load 0.5 grains difference in charge weight with IMR 4064.
I shoot 308 projectiles in all my Swiss rifles and 168-178 is all sub moa with several different powders. Highly recommend the old straight pulls if you dig vintage
I reload 308 with tac and varget along with 150 gr Sierra hunters. Back when midway USA started to stock tac, they had a sale for $12 per 1 pound can, limit 10 cans. I limited out. Thanks
I got a ruger precision (I know, not the best thing out there) and I have gotten out to 700 yards. Which makes me super happy.
I’m reloading 308 on a single stage Lee press, using 168 gr A max bullets, mostly 43 gr of Varget powder with CCI BR large rifle primers. I will give Tac a go pretty soon….
✌🏼😎👍🏼
I have 308 conversion from Enfield very trustworthy and reliable. Use all ammonitions
My go to hunting gun is my Rem 7400 308. first gun i ever bought. I haven't reloaded 308 rounds yet but trying to get the set up to....
I've only just gotten into reloading with inherited equipment. Currently trying to learn with my 308 hunting rifle, a Howa 1500 Gameking, 22" barrel 1:12 twist. This rifle shoots sub MOA with Barnes TTSX 150 grain factory ammo. I'm trying to learn how to duplicate this factory load. Manually trimming with the Lyman case trimmer, I've got a Lyman Crusher single stage press and Lyman balance beam scale, RCBS manual powder throw and RCBS hand trickling tool. I've been full length resizing using RCBS full length deprime and resize die. I hand de bur the case then follow with hand priming with a Lee hand priming tool and CCI #200 LR primers, charging my cases with Varget powder, one at a time after weighing each charge on my manual scale. I then seat each 150gr Barnes TTSX bullet with the RCBS bullet seating die. I've noticed these bullets seam to stick in my bullet seating die or something and are difficult to get to seat at a consistent depth, sometimes varying up to .015 which drive me crazy. Any assistance or recommendations for changing my process? I've got about 75 rounds loaded and ready to test but I'm adjusting my bullet seating die on almost every one to get them seated consistently.
My current fav 308W is a Cadillac. No real recoil. I can shoot all day and not have any brusing or soreness. I did ad a custom 3 way adjustable butt pad on an AICS stock (raising my shoulder to being behind the barrel). It's an extremely accurate rifle (sub 1/2" moa). TAC 30 action, Bartlein M24 barrel, Diamond trigger @1.1 pounds.
I found the TACK works great with the 223 loaded with 77gr bullets. Never thought about using it in my 308's. I typically load 155gr Palmas over 4350, Varget, H380, and 4064 in my 308's up to 300 yards or so, and 175gr's over Varget for beyond 300 yards. I like the 168gr bullets, but they're in the middle; being neither here nor there.
Great vid and information! I shoot a Bergara B14 Hunter in 308 Win topped by a DNZ Products Game Reaper one piece scope mount/rings and a Burris 2x7 Fullfield E1 hunting scope. I recently printed a < 1 inch group at 200 yards with Lapua 167g OTM Scenar ammo. And, a Browning BAR (Type 2) made in 1980 I purchased new and topped also is a DNZ Products Game Reaper one piece one piece scope mount/rings with the original Leupold 2x7 Vari-x II scope. A couple of loads I like are 150g Hornady SST on top of 43g IMR4895 in Remington brass and 150g Nosler E-Tip on top of 43g IMR 4895 in Remington brass.
I have a rcbs rockchucker, which works great for precise reloading. I have a redding powder thrower which i am NOT real happy with but it is what i have. I have to weigh every powder charge. Then i use whichever brass i have. Most is military surplus. I was reloading the hornady max 165g. I used just a factory powder charge but MAN the accuracy out of my LR308 is amazing. I rebarreled that rifle with a faxon big gunner barrel and have a La Rue mbt-2 trigger in it... the last 15 rounds at 100yds were amazing. I had a very verticle string and once i got the scope right my last two rounds were dead bullseys! The stringing is from top of the target in 8 ring down to 9 then x... i believe i was using IMR 4895... I reload for a garand and a savage 111 fcns 30-06.
I JUST bought a savage model 10 fpc-sr 308 with a 20" fluted barrel. Bought it for myself 12-18-21... havent pulled the trigger YET... I use milsurp ball to smooth the barrel as it is BRAND NEW and then i have federal premium gold medal match 168 and 175... see how thise shoot outta that 20" barrel. Then i will test those same handloads in it after i fire that new barrel a bit...
Love my .308! I full length size but use the decamping rod out of my .243. My next step is a sizing mandrel. I’m not a fan of expander balls!
Just loaded 110 hornady V-max. 40gr 3031. Light training loads for my son to develop skills. Classic ruger M77 MKII.
Just picked up a .308 ar10 to learn long range.. perfect timing
I load 308 to slightly lower pressures (NATO) for an Ishapore bolt gun. I use 146 gr or 150 gr (Hornady 3037) over 41.2 gr of Varget for just over 2500 fps. For an old battle rifle, it shoots that load real well. And of course, my 300 Savage load is not that much different, at 2500 fps also.
Great item to have and easy to maintain.
I love the 308. I run two AR308 rifles (gas gun). Built one and bought the other. Honestly, I depend allot on good barrel life. The 6.5 and 6mm barrels just burn out faster then I like. Because I shoot allot and the 223 bores me lol. I shoot allot of 308. I am a. 300 yard and in shooter, therefore, 308 works great. If I want to reach out I have my 300 PRC and if I want home defence I have my 300 BLK. I only have to stock a few bullets in my collection. I would love to see more 308 and 300 BLK loadings.
g/day from the land of OZ. I use Savage 10FP with 30" krieger barrel for FTR in .308. I find that the best results are achieved with minimalistic approach, no unnecessary steps. This means depriming, primer pocket cleaning, annealing, FLS with body only die (reeding), neck sizing in the next operation (Lee collet die), tumble, charging on FX300i and seating with Wilson die with Arbour press. I find RCBS charge master to be twice as expensive as a lab scale / auto trickler set up and nowhere near as accurate. It is a better option for a PRS shooter pumping out large amounts of rounds though. Also, after many measuring operations, I concluded there are absolutely no benefits in concentricity by using mandrels as opposed to a simple Lee neck collet die.
""I find RCBS charge master to be twice as expensive as a lab scale / auto trickler set up and nowhere near as accurate."
How is a chargemaster twice the price of a Auto trickler set up?
@@TheSODA17 good pick up, I was thinking the matchmaster
@@mickroberts5166 with that cleared up i agree. No matter how much you spend a strain gauge will never compare to a force restoration balance like an a&d.
I hunt with my 308. My current hunting load is 168 Barnes ttsx, lapua brass, IMR 4895, and federal match primers. I’m looking to build a training load that’s similar bullet weight /BC but not as pricy as Barnes. Also would like to work up a 150 and 130 grain loads to have a little more variety for hunting.
It would be really awesome to see you guys do a primer seating depth test with the CPS.
X-terminator is my go to for 308. 40 to 44 grains with 150 to 168 bullets works wonders in my ar-10.
Love the history and tradition of 308 but I went with 6.5 Ceeedmoor for target shooting.
I'm reloading 308 Winchester for my Ruger precision rifle. I'm using Starline small primer 308 win brass. CCI small rifle Magnum primers. Sierra matchking 168 grain boat tail tipped. With 43.6 grains of Varget. Lights out. Echo
I've found with flowy powders, I just set a volumetric powder thrower and start running loads. I check every 10-15 rounds but I've never had a variation. Hunter in my 243 and CFE223 for service rifle.
I love the Area 419 loading blocks and funnel kit. I added the 3” drop tube to my funnel kit and like that for fitting the max amount powder in the cases.
175smk, 44.4gr win760, Winchester lrp.
Another funny thing. The super tight fit seems to lift the case when you pull the funnel of. See how he holds the case down not to be lifted upwards. So when you lift it with the case having powder you might spill it all over the place when it falls out. Also the crevices in the funnel shall capture powered as they are tapered … I stick with my nice rcbs plastic 5 dollar funnel 😀😂
Thank you for this series on .308. I'm interested in starting to load .308 for an AR-10 and Remington 700; mostly for distance shooting. I'll be using a Hornady Iron Press.
Some people dream about buying big houses and fancy cars. I dream about being able to play with all the cool reloading equipment y’all have! I’m not a big .308 guy. I got a cheap used Savage that I bought (for the action) that I’ve never got around to buying a chassis or barrel for. I loaded a few rounds up, to see how it shot, when I first got it, and I got some decent groups with CFE223, but that’s the only .308 powder I had at the time, and I’ve never got around to doing anything more with that rifle. Kind of depressing myself thinking about it now! Need to get off my butt and get an MDT chassis for it!
Awesome awesome awesome just got a Bergara HMR B-14 for Christmas. And I almost have everything you guys have on the bench. This is going to a really interesting video series. It’s good to know that I’m going to get a few thousand shots out of my 308 guns. This and the bulk ammo are some of the reasons I went with 308 over 6.5 creed
👍 family bought me one as an early Christmas present. Seems to shoot good.
3-Oh-Hate! Love to see it! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
-Isaac
Really nice seeing what y'all talk about really good information to know .....
I am just getting into reloading and precision shooting. I will be reloading 308 for an M1 Garand (that has a 2011 308 barrel) and a Winchester XPR Sporter with once fired used brass, H335 powder, CCi #34 primers, and Armscor FMJ 147gr bullets on a Dillon 650 Progressive press using Redding Micrometer 3 die set. The powder, press, and die set was recommended to me by a friend and the rest of the components are what I could find. I am primarily reloading to have ammo safe to use in the M1 Garand but having ammo that improves accuracy in the Winchester XPR would be a bonus. My plan is to initially test and develop in the Winchester XPR and then test with MagnetoSpeed chronograph in the M1 Garand to double check velocities in the M1 Garand.
If you get the Hornady reloading manual, it has a section on 308 Winchester Service Rifle, which is lighter pressure loads than the 308 Winchester (bolt action)
Nice, I use 308 for training gun for this exact reason! Plus just starting to get into reloading so this fits me perfectly
I'd like to see a video comparing new un prepped brass VS prepped brass in a side by accuracy test. showing difference in accuracy between the cases .
Lyman All-American Press
RCBS Universal Hand Primer Tool
Lee .308 full Length die
21 Century .306 Expander Mandrel
Lee Bullet Seater
I have used about every different die there is (minus the super expensive) and I find Lee has the most consistent full length resize. Lee just gets it done for me.
I can’t get TAC to group for shit in my AR-10s/Scar 17. I prefer IMR 4895 for 175 SMK’s and XBR for 168 SMK’s.
Fantastic video guys. Thanks .
Excited to see more 308win!
Howa 1500 in .308 Win w/20” heavy barrel - 175gr SMK on top of 41.8gr H4895 loaded to 2.85” COAL.
I recently bought/found a Rem 700 LH 308 with a 26" 'heavy barrel'. I do reload, but dont have an annealer. Also, just recently have heard about this 'mandrel' thing a few have mentioned. I reload on a Hornady single stage using Hornady fl dies.
I have a RCll I do all my reloading on and I have a M1 Garand in 7.62x51 (original NAVY rifle), a Springfield M1a, my brother has a Rem 700 Tactical and my son has a Savage Axis XP all in 308. For training or just blasting ammo I go by the Hodgdon 60% rule with H4895, a 130gr. Mk319 SOST bullet for a muzzle velocity of 2550fps., I can go as low as 2000fps. if need be. Very consistent, accurate and economical shooting 1 moa or under at 100 yards in the Savage and Remington, 1.5 in both the M1 and M1a. Perfect training ammo and I've even used it in some National Match rounds off the 200 yard line with a little stiffer load (2800fps). I've used that formula in 270Win in my Savage and 30//06 for my other Garand's with 130 and 150 bullet weights and out to 200 yards it really gets the job done.
Great videos, trying to learn about reloading .308.
sig dmr with the heavy barrel. using a lee anniversary single stage press. rcbs dies and rcbs chargemaster light scale. hornady 168gn match bullet. and i am going to try cfe223 powder.
I'm reloading. .308 on a dillon XL750 with dillon steel dies hodgdon powder H335
Federal primers I'm going to switch to
Imr 3031 powder just because
Shooting it out of a ruger American Hunter 20" barrel bolt action
This week it shot sub moa @100yards
I'd like to better understand the process of iterating the load towards match readiness, in particular some insight on evaluating groupings and performance to refine load parameters. Also interested in what the two final loadings look like, and what drove the decisions for each role. Great video as always, you guys work well together and explain a lot of interesting stuff well.
Gavin show a lead bullet load for 308 win and the mold you used to make the bullets with and the weight in grains of the bullet and the powder you used!
Lovex with hornady interlock 180gr and Sierra brass, works for me here in south africa
Gavin have you ever looked at the 375 Raptor based on a 308 case?
Looks like a fun cartridge.
Great stuff for beginners like me
Since you love doing all these measurements. How does it compare to factory store bought? You might have already done it but just glancing through the video list I didn't see one.
But do a measurement of box of ammo show the margin of error across all loads
then compare to same number of rounds that you hand reload
compare whatever else on the reload process against the box ammo
Then compare shot accuracy against the box ammo against the reload ammo.
then a final video dicussing how to fine tune the reload process to get the most accurate shot.
3 videos or 1 video up to you.
I have a Dillion 550B progressive reloader set for 45 Colt and I am looking to start reloading 6.8 western. With a conversion kit and some dies, I’d be interested in what you would recommend for “close-to” precision reloading
I've been trying to buy a 308. Surprisingly, I can find another 6.5 CM if I want one but not a similar 308.
Great video as usual, just added more things to my .308 reloading shopping list.
Starting with factory ammo shot through my rifle, how many times do you estimate the brass can be run through the whole reloading process without annealing?
Happy new year Gavin I shoot and reload 308. I reload with CFE 223 and Varget powder and I’m testing to find out which powders my A.R. 10 likes the best. I run a 18 inch barrel I am loading 168 grain Hornaday bullets. I am running different grains of powder right now to find out what this rifle likes best any suggestions. 👍🤠🔫🦃🦌🙏🏻🇺🇸
Great vid guys
I'm not reloading yet but I have a PSA 10 with 18" barrel and a budget 3-9 optic. I'm a little undecided on which press to get going with.
How much does your gun weigh. What should a 308 chassis bench rifle weigh. How much should a competition 308 weigh.
What was your accuracy requirement for this and did you meet it?
Love your videos! I'm looking forward to your 308 AR 10 videos! I'm currently working on my second round of test loads for my 308 AR 10 that I built. First rounds shot pretty good. I'm using IMR 4064, federal gm LRP's, SIG brass, and sierra 168gr bthp. Just got an annealer so I'm interested to see the results from it.
Gavin will you please tell me how you chamber mark your barrels.
Thank you
@Travis Fox Thanks Travis
That’s a good idea with the savage barrel. Is it a small shank?
I haven’t yet but I want to reload .308 for my M1A NM and my AR-10. I’d like to find a load that would cover both.
168gr Serria match king acc 2520 CCI 200 primers Remington 700 5 R
Reloading with the 155 tipped match king, switched to the 155 because it has a better BC than the 175
Same here. Lapua or Berger 155 @ 2900 fps has about 25% less drop and drift than the 175s.
I find when you get much above 150, you're really approaching .30-06 sweet spot. I tend to draw the bullet grain line for .308 at that point; with 147 grain FMJ SBT'S seemingly being my AR 10's bullet of choice.
@@bustabass9025 the 175 sierra is a very good bullet for the 308 win. The tipped 175 machking is getting shot after I run out of 155s
@@Dave-cf2ng
Yep, in the final analysis it's all about what works best for you. My '06 loves 168 grain Ballistic Tips and 175-200 grain anything else. But for some reason I can't always seem to duplicate the same BC's, accuracy, and flatter trajectories when I feed those heavier bullets to any of my .308 Win rifles.
Guess that's why I have more than one rifle. That, and the fact that I am a certifiable gun-nut; ever since I first fired the ol' man's 12 Guage off the back porch on New Years Eve, circa 1957!
"HAPP-EEE NEWWW YEARRR!"💥💥💥
Good stuff.
lol I have the exact same loading but I’m using CFE223
42gr is on the low end of the powder charge.
I have my .308 in browning hells canyon reloading with tac powder and it is funny but my best group was from 42 gr loud using hornady a max 168. I need to get a better optic but shoot within a pie plate at 250 yards
And using lupua brass and winchester large rifle primers
I know you didn't crimp these BUT you mentioned needing to do some training loads for AR10 and I wondered, do you/would you bother with running mandrel through necks if you were crimping the finished round? seating force would be uniform, tension so be the same if using Lee Factory Crimp die, but are you negating the work done using the mandrel when you crimp? 🤔
I have a PTR91 in 308, but I get a fluting type of markings on the brass when ejected. I've never tried to reload any of that brass as I was not sure if you could.