.308 favorite load?

My 308 likes 180 grain SSTs and IMR 4064 powder for a hunting load. It’s a little heavy for deer but it was all that was available for a while.

I used CCI #34 primers, partly because they were all I could find but also because it’s an AR style and I was skittish about a slam fire in that style. I’ve tried Winchester LRP too.

For non-hunting it’s hard to beat the 175 grain Sierra Match King with the same powder and primer combo. I had good luck with 168 grain Amax and CFE 223 powder accuracy wise but it is over gassed in my rifle but might work well in a bolt gun.

DMW1116 said:

My 308 likes 180 grain SSTs and IMR 4064 powder for a hunting load. It’s a little heavy for deer but it was all that was available for a while.

I used CCI #34 primers, partly because they were all I could find but also because it’s an AR style and I was skittish about a slam fire in that style. I’ve tried Winchester LRP too.

For non-hunting it’s hard to beat the 175 grain Sierra Match King with the same powder and primer combo. I had good luck with 168 grain Amax and CFE 223 powder accuracy wise but it is over gassed in my rifle but might work well in a bolt gun.

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What charge and COAL worked for you?

bluejay75 said:

How much 3031 are you running with your 150s.

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I'm at 41.5grn IMR3031 with a Hornady 150grn FMJ, loaded long (not to the canellure.) I get 2550 out of the 16" barrel of the M1a. It takes 43.5grn IMR4895 to match the velocity of that load.

Because I'm not necessarily looking for absolute velocity in the short barrel... I acknowledge the shortcomings of the 16" barrel... I am looking more for good powder burn characteristics, and, of course, accuracy. I can't imagine the muzzle blast I'd get trying to use Varget or IMR4064 with a lighter bullet.

I work up a new hunting load every season.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/2020-deer-hunting-load.878826/

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/308-hunting-load-work-up.857238/

bluejay75 said:

Newby advice sounds like this. Don’t fall into the ball powder trap.

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Curious... Care to elaborate?

M-14 said:

Curious... Care to elaborate?

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Depending where you live. Temperature during hunting season can be anywhere from 40's to well below zero. Ball powders are more likely to be out of their accuracy node or have substantial velocity changes.
I run ball powder in my wife's rifle. But it was worked up the week before hunting season to make it was close to hunting temperature as possible.
Most extruded powders don't change as much as ball powders do.

M-14 said:

Curious... Care to elaborate?

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Ball powders are easy to work with. They flow through powder measures better. A must for progressive loading of 308. Usually gives higher velocities than extruded. But what I found is that extruded are as easy to work with. All other points covered above.

Bfh_auto said:

Depending where you live. Temperate during hunting season can be anywhere from 40's to well below zero. Ball powders are more likely to be out of their accuracy node or have substantial velocity changes.
I run ball powder in my wife's rifle. But it was worked up the week before hunting season to make it was close to hunting temperature as possible.
Most extruded powders don't change as much as ball powders do.

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Ball powders are harder to ignite period and making that load cold only exacerbates that aspect. Changing to a magnum primer can help but informal testing is watched with h335 and weak primers was a bad combination in the cold.
Using small primer 308 in cold hunting situations is also not something I would recommend.

AJC1 said:

Ball powders are harder to ignite period and making that load cold only exacerbates that aspect. Changing to a magnum primer can help but informal testing is watched with h335 and weak primers was a bad combination in the cold.

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Yes they are. Some being worse than others.
I haven't had issues from W760. But our cold now is usually high teens.
When I lived in Michigan my dad wouldn't use ball powders in anything.

I use Varget about 40-41 grains with a 180 grain bullet. Works great on deer.

I load .308 for a Browning BLR and a DPMS AR 10. My load for both is 45 grains of H380 under a Hornady 150 grain SP Interlock. For the warm days I use a standard large rifle primer. For extreme cold (+/- 0 degrees) i use a large magnum rifle primer.

An accurate 308 Win. GAP 10. All @ 100 yards. Other accurate powders in this Rifle are MR 2000 and XMR 4064.

My Savage Hog Hunter likes 45 gr. of IMR 4895 and 150 gr. Hornady Interlocks. Very accurate and a fairly cheap load to produce.

For gas guns I stick to IMR4895 (or AA2495) and 150gr bullets and they are happy.

The only “manually operated” 308 I have is a Winchester mdl 88, and ironically enough, is much happier with 3031.... even with bullets around 180gr.

I bought BL-C(2) because it looked like I could load 223, 308 and 30-06 with it and I like keeping things simple. No one's mentioned it, any particular reason?

sisyphus said:

I bought BL-C(2) because it looked like I could load 223, 308 and 30-06 with it and I like keeping things simple. No one's mentioned it, any particular reason?

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Probably because there are other powders that typically provide better results in all three cartridges, like 3031, 4895, 4064, Varget and Ramshot TAC.

bluejay75 said:

Ball powders are easy to work with. They flow through powder measures better. A must for progressive loading of 308. Usually gives higher velocities than extruded. But what I found is that extruded are as easy to work with. All other points covered above.

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So no real "trap" per se, just the usual caveats.

jmr40 said:

Barrel length does nothing to determine the best powder to choose. The best powder for a 26" barrel is still the best option for a 16" barrel. The shorter barrel will be slower than the longer barrel, but the load that was fastest from the 26" barrel will still be fastest from a 16" barrel.

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If velocity is your only barometer, then, yes, but I don't agree with the statement that the best powder for a longer barrel is the best for a shorter barrel, and you could flip that vice versa, and that's not even considering pistol cartridges and powders.

Charlie98 said:

If velocity is your only barometer, then, yes, but I don't agree with the statement that the best powder for a longer barrel is the best for a shorter barrel, and you could flip that vice versa, and that's not even considering pistol cartridges and powders.

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I was itching to question this ideology as well but let it go. I believe in rifle alone there are way to many factors to make this true no the least of it being chamber cut and design. Barrel harmonics would also be against you. Testing would be terribly expensive to prove or disprove so I know I'm not talking up the mantle to myth bust it.

sisyphus said:

I bought BL-C(2) because it looked like I could load 223, 308 and 30-06 with it and I like keeping things simple. No one's mentioned it, any particular reason?

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As 2nd Timer suggests... there are better powders. BL-C(2) is a ball powder, so might require a Magnum primer for good ignition in some circumstances (cold weather, for example.) It has also been described as being 'quite blasty,' which I agree with. It's ball powder cousin, H335, is also the same... although I use it in 5.56mm at the moment because it works pretty well, I really don't like it in .30 because of the fireball. It's not a terrible powder, but it wouldn't be the first powder I'd reach for to load those cartridges. One powder for all is rarely the best solution for everything... although, like you, I like simplicity.

AJC1 said:

I was itching to question this ideology as well but let it go. I believe in rifle alone there are way to many factors to make this true no the least of it being chamber cut and design. Barrel harmonics would also be against you. Testing would be terribly expensive to prove or disprove so I know I'm not talking up the mantle to myth bust it.

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There are a number of factors here, besides the actual cartridge and rifle... bullet weight is a huge factor. I think too many people look at the velocity as their only measure of whether a powder is the 'best' powder.

Charlie98 said:

There are a number of factors here, besides the actual cartridge and rifle... bullet weight is a huge factor. I think too many people look at the velocity as their only measure of whether a powder is the 'best' powder.

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That idea is reinforced by the manufacturer, and the sales people. Faster has sold new guns since forever.

M-14 said:

So no real "trap" per se, just the usual caveats.

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I still shoot ball powders in 308. Both 748 and TAC. But I know there are better powders out there and that the ball powders work better if you trickle them with the same precision as extruded so you really aren’t gaining anything but velocity. But those loads will be temp sensitive. Cant go too low or too high. Primers start to matter more. Even if you get that part right your groups may still walk on you a bit. So the time you saved working with ball is lost on all those other factors.

In shorter barrels that speed is needed and a lot of times I can crimp my way to better combustion to cut down on flash.

M-14 said:

So no real "trap" per se, just the usual caveats.

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About the 4th time you have IMR3031 bridge in the drop, then drop all over your shellplate... you'll start to think about ball powders more seriously... Having said that, I still prefer the end performance of extruded powders, although that might change if I ever get to try TAC, which has been described to me as Utopia in a can for 5.56mm and 7.62mm.

If you were closer I’d send you some. I bought an extra can “just in case”.