Powder recommendation for 308 benchrest

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marchboom

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I just received a rifle set up for benchrest shooting. It has a 25" Lilja barrel with a 1-12" twist, McMillan benchrest stock & a Jewell trigger. I plan to shoot Sierra 155 MK bullets. I have narrowed the powder choice down to the following: Varget, Reloder 15 & H4895. Is there one of these powders that you would recommend over the others? I will be shooting in temps between 40 & 90 degrees. Would Reloder 15 be at a disadvantage?

Thank you.
 
Although not the same rifle as yours, my wife has a 308 that is very accurate with Varget and Benchmark. The most accurate bullets always tend to be Nosler.

By the way, U.S.A.F. aircrew. Were you Recon?
 
IMR4046 has a well earned reputation for accuracy. Over the years I've seen more recommendations for that powder than all others where accuracy is the top criteria. I've used it and never found an inaccurate load. But I'm primarily a hunter and I'm out in temps from the 90's down to single digits. Varget and RL15 are much more stable in a wide range of temps. If 4064 is any more accurate than those I can't tell it in my hunting rifles. I've gotten excellent results with all 3. In fact I used 4895 in the past and cannot say anything bad about it either. Almost anything seems to work well in 308.

I've sorta settled on Varget. But wouldn't feel handicapped at all with RL15. And in those temps 4064 MIGHT be the most accurate powder.
 
The 4895 series shoots exceptionally well over a wide band of charge weights in the 308. So I would recommend H4895. I have an extensive library of vintage magazines and IMR 3031 was a common 308 Win Benchrest powder. That powder is now improved over the 1960's stuff, the older stuff was very long, and now it is a short cut powder. Incidentally, Remington used IMR 3031 in the targets shipped with a Rem 40X in 308 Win. Remington had a MOA or less requirement before they shipped at 40X, and Remington shipped the target with the rifle.
 
There's atleast 10 widely available powders that shoot well in the 308.

My 1st choice is h4895. But I have alot of it
 
Nature Boy has some posts about .308 loads that have worked well for him, might be worth checking out.
 
I would start with IMR4064, which will likely give you good results. I have a godly supply of IMR4895, so when I bought my Savage bolt gun with 24” heavy barrel I started there, but quickly found 4064 did much better (with 168grn bullets.) in reality, unless you luck out with your first or second choice, you’ll go through those 3 and more.
 
I found my best powder in 308 (winchester mdl 88) was IMR 3031. It did fine with 4895 or AA2895, but 3031 really pulled the group in tight.

That being said, the model 88 is my only manually cycled 308, and it never was a real tack driver (though it sure is pretty), but the 3031 did pull it down close to MOA relatively consistently.
Just my thoughts on it
 
I just received a rifle set up for benchrest shooting. It has a 25" Lilja barrel with a 1-12" twist, McMillan benchrest stock & a Jewell trigger. I plan to shoot Sierra 155 MK bullets. I have narrowed the powder choice down to the following: Varget, Reloder 15 & H4895. Is there one of these powders that you would recommend over the others? I will be shooting in temps between 40 & 90 degrees. Would Reloder 15 be at a disadvantage?

Thank you.
I’ve used Varget, H4895, and RL -15
Varget shot well compressed H4895 had the speed but hasn’t grouped quite as well-yet
Rl-15 has a similar speed and seems to group well around 44.2 grains.
I’m considering working up a load in warmer weather then during colder weather keep rounds in my pocket.
Just kind of a weird thought.

J
 
I'd be taking a hard look at varget & rl-15.

Played around with a 25" 1 in 11 twist with a chamber cut for the 175gr mk's on a palma rifle. It shot lights out with varget. Changed over to a shilen 30" 1 in 14 twist with a .340" match chamber cut in it for the 155mk's.Hate to say it but I've been having way too much fun playing around with cast bullets in that 30" bbl. Haven't gotten around to the 155gr mk's (2156's) but when I do I'll be starting out with varget (+/-47gr)

Oddly enough the cast bullets/hot loads (165gr to 190gr bullets doing 2400fps to 2700fps) aren't eating the throat on that shilen bbl.
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Thanks to all those who responded. I think I'll start with Varget and then H-4895. I like that they are "Extreme" powders.
 
When I first started reloading .308 win I googled "Federal GMM recipe" because it's always given me the best accuracy as far as factory ammo goes.

Imr 4064. 43.5 grains. I used that as a general starting point. Federal GMM primers. They said Federal GMM brass, I used Lapua. 168gr SMK. COL 2.800". Have been using that general load in various 308 wins ever since. I have a pile of R-15 on back up, but 4064 is my go to.
 
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