New to reloading.. be easy on me!

Welcome to THR and the wonderful world of reloading!

My .308 barrel also has 1:12 twist rate and as a newbie to rifle loading I did the same as you, asked a lot of questions and read a lot of threads.

For me, at the recommendation of various forum threads, I selected H4895/I4895 for lighter weight bullet and Varget/Reloader 15 for heavier weight bullet.

I have used CCI BR2, Wolf and Tula primers with good consistency (I hand prime all rifle cases).

Check out this benchrest shooting website that's chock full of information - http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/p/articles-index.html

If you are getting good groups with factory ammo, you should do better with handloads, depending on your reloading skillls and consistency.

My groups with Hodgdon 4895 (not IMR 4895) more than reduced my groups by 50% compared to various factory ammo. However, YMMV.

Ooops, duplicate.

Well, your friend didn't say to bring powder. Maybe he has some on hand that he's going to use. But for me, I got very good results with Varget. Then I switched to RL-15 and got even better results.

Well, your rifle will tell you what kind of powder it likes to shoot .5 moa with. Mine might shoot varget .5inches at 200 yards and exact same load will shoot 3 inches at 200 yards in your rifle. There is so much more to it than just the powder. Get a pound and work up the load that shoots best. Then change your head space a little, if that doesn't get you where you want then change powder, primer, bullet, brass, scale, dies, rifle and if after all that still no luck, change monkey behind the trigger.
No pun intended.
Seriously, just pick one ( I like Varget) and see what you get, if no luck; ask for help again.

Welcome to the reloading world !! Lots of good powders, I would probably start with IMR4895 or RL15 based on experience.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned INR 4064

You may buy anything on the shelves with confidence, IF there were any brands of anything to 'avoid' they would have been removed from the market long ago.

Walkalong said:

Hard to go wrong with IMR 4895 in .308. It is a great powder for beginners loading .308.

Welcome to THR

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I also like Hodgdon 4895 (H4895) because it's happy to be downloaded for lighter rounds (training newbies or shooting at short ranges).

For the full-on stuff, you can't go wrong with Varget or RL15. I would guess that 90% of .308 competition shooters use one of these two--and at least 95% of them use Varget, RL15, or a 4895.

That's easy.....Varget

manuals

You should buy two or three-READ THE BEGINNING PAGES----READ THE BEGINNING PAGES----never load max loads to start--always start at the lower end and work up---it is possible that max loads listed could be too much for your weapon!!!! Every weapon is unto itself!!!!! Make sure your brass is in good condition!!! Only the powder you are using should be on the bench!! Brass length and OVAL can have a drastic on pressures!! Did I tell you to READ THE BEGINNING PAGES IN THE MANUALS!!! Best of success , and welcome to the fine art of reloading!!!

Another vote for RL15 or Varget.
I probably get just a hair better accuracy with RL15, but it's seldom available where I shop.
Besides the deer will never know (or care).

IMR 4064, IMR 4895, Varget.

Any of the above mentioned powder. PLUS a photographic memory and open ear. Some DO and some TEACH. Pay attention and ask questions when you don't understand what is going on.

You might want to rethink your bullet weight choice. IMO a 175gr bullet in the .308 is on the heavy side unless you're shooting at 1000 meters. Most reloaders I know use a 150gr bullet for range work and move up to a 168gr bullet for distance. Sierra's new 155gr Palma MatchKing bullets are reported to shoot extremely well in the .308 but I have not personally tried them yet. (Part #2156, not #2155)

Powders have been covered above fairly well. IMR4895, H4895, IMR4064, Varget, BL(C)2, Benchmark, AA2495, AA2520, Ramshot TAC, RL15, RL17, Surplus WC846 and probably a few I missed are all in the burn rate range to work well in the .308.

When loading for the .308 I use mostly H4895 as I do when loading 30-06 ammo for my Garand but be aware, AA2520 is called the "Camp Perry" powder because it's very accurate when loaded in the 308.

175 grain is ideal for rifles with 1:10 Twist. Most US made rifles are that twist. So you should be golden with that weight in a good bullet. Another good weight for 300 yards or less is the 168 grain bullet. Note: Use premium bullet brands for the best results.

I like Sierra Match Kings, but I shot a lot of high power very successfully with those and it's been ten years. Something better may have come along since then.

Best Regards,

Dave

Varget, R15, H4895

Go look up the optimum charge weight method. Load up a set of rounds using that method.

The way you "ring" your barrel when you fire the rifle will be a major factor in accuracy. Once you determine what charge is right for your rifle you will be pleasantly surprised. And it is almost never the maximum charge.

There is no such thing as use "this load combo" to get sub moa with anything. There is only what works for your rifle and it is likely to be a few tenths of a grain difference from someone else s.

I use IMR 4064 for .308 Win., with really good accuracy results. I find 4064 very versitile and have gotten really accurate loads in 223 Rem. and 270 WSM.

Call your cousin

ranger335v said:

You may buy anything on the shelves with confidence, IF there were any brands of anything to 'avoid' they would have been removed from the market long ago.

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Hold on there, Ranger.

Not everything on the shelves is good for rifle cartridges, much less a specific chambering (308 Winchester), nor for learning with.

For instance, I would not recommend Bullseye for the 308, even though it is a great powder for small cases at moderate power levels. Trail Boss is great for novices, as it occupies a lot of volume, but the maker recommends AGAINST using with jacketed bullets. Both great powders, but not for THAT intended purpose.

I don't have a personal recommendation for the OP, but disagree with the suggestion that any powder he finds on a shelf will fit his current need; something to learn with.

To jmichael99 (the OP), I just suggest picking up the phone and asking his cousin what powder. As Funshooter45 suggested, perhaps he has a powder in mind already that he has on his shelves. Besides, the powder you learn to load with is likely not going to be the one that becomes your favorite. Learning the mechanics of loading, operating the press without pinching your fingers does not depend on the powder used. You just want something forgiving and safe. After you learn the mechanics, then you can go to fine tuning, including selecting powders.

Besides, buying a whole pound of powder might be wasteful. There are plenty of handloaders who have three quarters of a pound of powder that showed promise which did not work out (for that particular gun, bullet, whatever). Your cousin may have 20 of those just wanting to be used up in a teaching situation.

Welcome to reloading, congratulations on your decision and on finding a mentor.

Lost Sheep