Reloading .308 and 30-06

I have both and handload for both too.
My current bullet is a 150 grain Nosler Accubond but I too have the looming NY wisdom hanging over my head and have picked up some Barnes TTSX however have not loaded any of these as hunting season is here and have not had the time to develop a load for my rifles.
I will be loading 130 grain TTSX for my 308 and 150 grain TTSX for the 30-06.
My current loads are;
150 grain Accubond on top of 46 grains of Varget with CCI 200 large rifle primers and Starline brass for the 308 Win.
150 grain Accubond on top of 51.5 grains of IMR 4064 with CCI 200 large rifle primers and Starline brass for the 30-06.

with that said, IF you are so new, I would read everything I could get my hands on about reloading.
Get several loading manuals, either hard copy or on line, and compare them.
If you’re uncertain about anything, ask someone knowledgeable or find a knowledgeable source before you make any mistakes.
These are my loads and were developed working up from minimal powder loads to what MY rifles like.
Both are under max loads published for bullet and powder as referenced by several manuals.
They most likely won’t be the same loads that your rifle likes and that’s okay but it does give you an idea or ballpark as to where you can be.

I’ve been reloading both going on 50yrs.
Wolfsheads advice is good. But his loads might be a bit stiff.
I once had a Savage M110 LH .30/06 that maxed out at 50.0gr.

I’ve personally gotten better accuracy from the .308 with IMR4064. Just never seen the allure of Varget. I prefer H4895 or BLC2. Right now, I’m working through 8lbs of ShootersWorld “Precision Rifle” (clone of 4895), and “Match Rifle” (same as Accurate #2520). Also 8lbs of Tactical Rifle, so I’m set for mid range rifle powder.

My preferred load for the .30/06 is Reloader17. But it’s scarce these days. H4350, and IMR4350 are my preferred powders otherwise. Reloader22 is awesome in the ‘06 under a 180-200gr bullet.

The .308 and ‘06 are the two most flexible and often reloaded big game rounds so much data and choices abound.

My younger brother uses two bullets in his .308 (pre ‘64 Win Mod-70 FW!) to hunt/kill every big game species except bears in N.America. He uses the Nosler 150gr Partition to hunt with. A Speer or Sierra flat base 150gr for target or plinking ground squirrels. He’s never wanted for anything else. His only big game mount is a Pronghorn trophy buck. Shot it at 150yds! ( think Homer Simpson with a tv box for a sheild, waving a red handkerchief, knee walking towards a small heard of antelope, wearing boxer T-shirt, shorts, and a flourescent orange vest!!).

I've loaded a lot of both. 4064 will work well in either. If you don't mind buying different powders 4350 works well in most 30-06's. Any large rifle primer will work. I'm a CCI fan, also a Sierra bullet fan.

What powders do you have available to you? Sometimes we get recommendations for stuff that can be hard to find in certain parts of the country like NY. I like to use IMR4895 for both 30-06 and 308. AA2520 when I can find it. H4350 is unobtainium around this area (Utica/Syracuse). If you live in this area, I might have some I could share.

I've been loading a 30-06 for a lot of years and the best powder I have found for a hunting rifle is Reloader 17. I have four 30-06 rifles and a load that is super accurate in all of the rifles is 57 grains of R17 with a Sierra 150 grain GameKing bullet. Reloader 17 also works good with a 165 grain bullet and I hunt with 56 grains behind the Nosler Partition, Nosler AccuBond and the Sierra GameKing. My second choice of powder is IMR 4350 and I have taken many game animals with 57 grains and a 165 grain bullet. I have also used H4350, IMR 4064 and Reloader 16 but I won't use them if R17 is available.

There's an old saying that if a 30-06 rifle won't shoot well with 52 grains of IMR 4064 and a 150 grain bullet it won't shoot well with anything and I believe that. 52 grain is a stout load and I always used 51 grains. That same saying is also true with 57 grains of IMR 4350. The reloading manuals always caution a new reloader to work up to a higher load to make sure your rifle will handle the load. What they are really doing is to make sure your methods are correct in preparing the cases and measuring the powder.

I have both, almost never shoot the 30-06 anymore even though it was my go-to rifle for 40 years. If you're going to use the same powder, you might as well just load for the 308. With the same powder you won't get much more speed out of the 30-06. If you want to take advantage of the bigger case, you need to use a different powder in each.

California has been forcing me to use lead-free for years, so I feel your pain.

I have had reasonable luck with RL15 behind the 150 TTSX in both cartridges. 45 to 48 grains in the .308, 49 to 51 grains in the ought six. Neither is the very best load I have used, but that is the only powder I can think of that has been completely satisfactory in both.

I have an acquaintance that just started using the new Hornady CX bullet. He has been quite impressed with it, and after seeing one of his recovered projectiles, I would have almost thought it to be a “standard“ bullet. It was a beautiful mushroom.

If you are going to handload rifle ammo, be sure to always use a proper CASE GAGE that allows you to accurately reproduce the BASE-TO-SHOULDER dimension of your resized case.

Correct base-to-shoulder dimension will ensure that your handloads are the same dimension in that regard as FACTORY AMMO. Failure to do this is the most common overlooked IMPORTANT ELEMENT of handloading bottleneck rifle cartridges. If you botch this, you will have much grief. If this dimension is wrong, you will have ammo that won't go fully into battery, or you will have head-separations, or you will have primers that back out of the primer-pocket on firing. Get this dimension right.

Go real easy on the crimp - or better yet, omit the crimp altogether to avoid collapsing the shoulder of your case. If you can press the bullet of one of your handloaded rounds against your gun safe with one hand, and moderate pressure, and the bullet doesn't move back into the case, that's ENOUGH NECK TENSION. Usually neck-tension alone - with no crimp whatsoever - will pass this test.

TAC powder all things.

TAC is widely available, not overpriced, and it works GREAT in virtually any common centerfire cartridge.
Maybe not ideal for .22 Cheetah or .416 Rigby. But real good for almost any NORMAL caliber in-between.

https://ramshot.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WesternPowdersHandloadingGuide8.0_WEB.pdf

150 grain bullet - whichever one suits you. Everyone seems to have a favorite. As a practical matter, it doesn't matter much.
Rest assured, ANY .308 or 30-06 bullet you put through the thoracic cavity of any North American animal will result in the swift death of that animal. While there are "African cartridges" that bwana's use for hunting dangerous game in Africa, I'm pretty sure African game wardens are using .308 FMJ to cull animals as large as elephant when making "administrative" kills. Shot placement matters.

44 grains TAC for .308
48 grains TAC for 30-06

Consider that Ramshot fired these loads through some really long "test barrel."
You won't get the claimed velocities from most hunting rifles - just like the velocities Remington publishes on their boxes and website aren't what you'll get either from your hunting rifle.

I think the chamber-pressure Ramshot lists is about right for the respective bullet-weight/powder-charge.


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lobo9er said:

First off I'm a total newb to reloading.
Looking for 150 grain load suggestions for .308 and 30-06. Or other hunting loads you guys have liked.
I currently shoot Hornady American Whitetail 150 grain Bullet Style: InterLock® SP Muzzle Velocity: 2,820 FPS
in my .308 Ruger American
and
Remington Green box 150 Grain CORE-LOKT 30-06 I think on the box says something like 2950 FPS
in my Ruger Guide Gun

Would like the same bullet, powder and primer for both. Leaning towards all copper bullets, as the great state of NY is rumored to be banning lead in the future.

Thanks in advance

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@Wolfshead His info is about spot on. Im definitely with him on just using a known quantity for the brass, his bet being Starline, which is good serviceable brass.

Bear in mind that if you do to something that is an all copper bullet, it has its own rules for loading. Largely a safe bet is if youre using a 150 copper bullet, you use 168 cup and core bullet load data. Barnes has data out there for their bullets.
Im a big fan of Varget in 308, and H4350 in 30-06. Both are extremely well proven temperature stable powders that will shoot as good a group as you and your rifle can shoot with the right bullet. But if you wanted to just buy a single powder that would work in both guns, Varget would be the way to go. 4064 is another option for both, but isnt as temp stable.

sage5907 said:

I've been loading a 30-06 for a lot of years and the best powder I have found for a hunting rifle is Reloader 17. I have four 30-06 rifles and a load that is super accurate in all of the rifles is 57 grains of R17 with a Sierra 150 grain GameKing bullet. Reloader 17 also works good with a 165 grain bullet and I hunt with 56 grains behind the Nosler Partition, Nosler AccuBond and the Sierra GameKing. My second choice of powder is IMR 4350 and I have taken many game animals with 57 grains and a 165 grain bullet. I have also used H4350, IMR 4064 and Reloader 16 but I won't use them if R17 is available.

There's an old saying that if a 30-06 rifle won't shoot well with 52 grains of IMR 4064 and a 150 grain bullet it won't shoot well with anything and I believe that. 52 grain is a stout load and I always used 51 grains. That same saying is also true with 57 grains of IMR 4350. The reloading manuals always caution a new reloader to work up to a higher load to make sure your rifle will handle the load. What they are really doing is to make sure your methods are correct in preparing the cases and measuring the powder.

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This second paragraph is exactly what I have found and used for years before I stopped hunting. They work.

Ask away lobo; lot of us here don't mind helping out.

If you choose an all-copper bullet, avoid anything that engages the rifling on chambering.

All-copper bullets jammed-into the rifling will do pressure shenanigans you won’t like.

My favorite 150gn 308 load for hunting is a 150 Nosler Accubond, 42.5gn of Varget, Federal 210M primer, OAL 2.810”, 2,657 fps.



1/2 MOA 5 shot groups



And it’s been successful in the field

As a NOOB reloader, I would first pick yourself up a box of 150 grain hornady lead core bullets. You're used to shooting them, they are cheap and easy. Powder is tough right now, as are primers. There are many that will work very well in both the .308 and .30-06 with 150 grain bullets. IMR 4064 would be my pick, but that is a hard one right now. So are most of the usual suspects, although Varget which will work in both has been available lately at a price. Recobs target shop presently has it in stock.

Peruse some data, and find a powder that is listed for both calibers. Work up some loads for your 150 grain Hornady bullets and spend some range time getting your feet wet with reloading. Move on to the 150 monos after you have some productive experience.

lobo9er said:

I agree with that idea I saw the Hornady Interlock bullets are a lot less than the copper stuff. And are plenty effective.
never paid much attention to reloading stuff wish I had started along time ago.

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I've killed a lot of deer with 150 soft points in .30 caliber. I actually push them in the .300 Savage speed range, whether I'm loading '06, .308 or .300 Savage. They just kill nice and are easy on meat fired in this manner. I'm not trying to set any range records with them, I have a .280 Rem for this purpose. I prefer the Speer Hot Core, but I have fired plenty of Hornadys also. Actually took my deer this season with a Hor 150 from my "new" .300 Savage (Rem 760 from 1952) as that's what I could find when I worked up a hunting load for it. They are a fine bullet, but the Speers just seem to shoot a little tighter out of my rifles and the tips feed more smoothly. Hope your state doesn't go the all copper route. They'd be taking a lot of fine old rifles in odd calibers off the table for those who don't reload, and nobody will ever convince me that any Mono bullet is superior for killing whitetails unless they are pushing a really fast muzzle velocity from some sort of magnum or pushing a small caliber .224 rifle to it's practical limits. I do burn a lot of IMR 4064. If you happen to find this one, or H/IMR 4895, you cannot go wrong with either choice for both calibers. IMR 4320 is another "sleeper" choice for both calibers, but it is a less popular propellant, so not sure what Barnes will have for data for copper bullets.

Copper? I’m still not sure when or if I’m going to make the move from lead to jacketed completely. I still mostly shoot coated lead or plain lubed lead.

It’s hard to go wrong with one of the faster IMR powders: 3031, 4895, 4064. Load to milspec velocity for the respective cartridge and you’re there. With jackets or lubed lead that’s a winner but I don’t know and can’t really say for pure copper.

dh1633pm said:

What powders do you have available to you? Sometimes we get recommendations for stuff that can be hard to find in certain parts of the country like NY. I like to use IMR4895 for both 30-06 and 308. AA2520 when I can find it. H4350 is unobtainium around this area (Utica/Syracuse). If you live in this area, I might have some I could share.

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Last weekend I was in Mayhoods in Norwich NY. They had 62 pounds of h4350 in stock. Problem is that it was just under 57.00 a pound, the price was raised up from the previous week that I stopped by almost 6.00 when they had 52 pounds. Was going to buy some but passed and got h1000 instead for 51.00 plus tax so 56.00 out the door.

lobo9er said:

Looking for 150 grain load suggestions for .308 and 30-06. Or other hunting loads you guys have liked.

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I’m also in the People’s Republic of Hochul. PM me if you want, if we’re somewhere close I have some components, and can lend a hand. I like the 150’s as well for our local whitetail. I’ve settled on Nosler’s Ballistic tips, they are for thin skinned game whereas the accubonds are for thicker skinned like elk. Lots of powders to choose from, Nosler has a lot of suggested loads including what they deem is “the most accurate” which usually means 100% case fill. Use published load data. Good luck.

lobo9er said:

Appreciate you guys. And those are both very generous offers. But the information and replies are already on and above. How ever I may pick your brains further as I get further into this new hobby. Information from experienced individuals is priceless. Thanks guys!

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Going over meeting and maybe loading a box of 20 would go a long way to knowing what your doing safely. Hell bring your stuff but the knowledge and experience will get you a long way in a hurry.