125 Grain Sierra Match Kings (Or Other) in 308 Winchester

[DMW1116]

I’ve had a bug to tinker with my 308 lately and just wondered if anyone tried this. Velocities are generally about 2850 to a shade over 3000 fps for different powders with bullets in this weight range. I have a 1/10 twist barrel in 416R stainless in a PSA PA10.

I’ve settled on a load for my Amax bullets so I’m just kicking around ideas for another one. I’m just target shooting so max velocity isn’t a priority, just looking for an accurate load.

 

[redcon1]

I was getting some good results with the 125 gr Nosler BT out of a 16" barrel with TAC-right around 3,000 fps. The Nosler has a slightly better BC and, I would guess, better terminal performance than a matchking.

 

[DMW1116]

Wow, that’s screaming out of a 16” barrel. I forgot to mention my barrel is a 20”. It’s a heavy one that’s for sure.

 

[TEXASJD]

With 125g bullets it hard to beat Win 748 or WC 846, I have shot these in AR-10s M1As and bolt guns with vary good results. In bolt guns you will fine that you can’t put too much 748 in the case

 

[TEXASJD]

One of these was shot with a Armalite AR10 T and the other 2 with a bolt gun, remember to start low and work up

 

[Charlie98]

For a bullet that light, I would reach for IMR3031... it's what I use when I load the 110grn V-max.

 

[AJC1]

For a bullet that light, I would reach for IMR3031... it's what I use when I load the 110grn V-max.

I was thinking benchmark.... have you tried that. It's one on the list to be acquired and tested.

 

[redcon1]

Wow, that’s screaming out of a 16” barrel. I forgot to mention my barrel is a 20”. It’s a heavy one that’s for sure.

That was the point of the endeavor. I was getting like 2,200 fps with the 168 gr AMAX and 40.8 gr of Varget out of the DPMS Gen II Recon's 16" barrel. It was extremely accurate however but that velocity just sucked so I tried a number of different light for caliber rounds in order to compensate and came to settle on the 125 gr Nosler BT and TAC. Nosler lists 50 as max at 3,284 fps out of a 24" Lilja barrel. My last load entered in my chargemaster was 48 gr. Nosler says that goes 3,173 fps out of the 24" barrel. Figure about 25-30 fps lost per inch of barrel and you get down to around 2,933 fps - 2,973 fps. Seems like I was actually getting around 2,997 fps out of my barrel and I was pretty happy about that. I will be getting a magnetospeed here pretty soon and I intend to do do some more work on that particular load to find an accuracy node somwhere around that velocity. This load was nowhere near as accurate as the 168 gr AMAX.

 

[Slamfire]

You can actually push a 125 grain bullet in a 308 Win to 270 Win velocities, and even faster in a 30-06. I shot one deer with a 125 out of a 30-06, under 50 yards, hit hip joint and that bullet shattered the bone down near the knee and ruined the meat in that leg. Second shot was through the neck.

Look, the 130 was touted as the bullet in a 270 Win, there is no reason a 125 won't work as well in a 308 Win. And, with that barrel twist, it should shoot fine. I know highpower shooters who used a 125 grain bullet in the 308 Win for standing and sitting rapid fire. Less recoil, very accurate.

 

[DMW1116]

I think the 125 grain SMK was intended for 300 BO or other such caliber. Will it work in a 308? After searching around I didn’t find many 125 grain bullets in 30 caliber of any kind.

 

[AJC1]

The 155 is the Palma bullet for reasons....

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Wow, that’s screaming out of a 16” barrel. I forgot to mention my barrel is a 20”. It’s a heavy one that’s for sure.

Maybe take a look at data specific to the T/C Encore? Barrel lengths tend to run 15-20" and I've seen loading data for bullets as light as 110gr. JSP (for the .30 Carbine) in .308Win.

 

[Nature Boy]

I was thinking benchmark.... have you tried that. It's one on the list to be acquired and tested.

I made up a 308 load for a prairie dog hunt a few years ago using 125gn Speer TNTs and Benchmark. It was ~3,000fps and accurate. I’ll have to look in my notes to get the specifics

 

[AJC1]

I made up a 308 load for a prairie dog hunt a few years ago using 125gn Speer TNTs and Benchmark. It was ~3,000fps and accurate. I’ll have to look in my notes to get the specifics

Your just making me want some.

 

[DMW1116]

My Lyman manual has 110 grain data, as does Hornady for their 110 grain soft point and FMJ round nose bullets. They’re screaming too.

 

[redcon1]

Your just making me want some.

I have 500 of them, 100 loaded up and ready to go.

 

[2ndtimer]

I have settled on the Speer 125 gr TNT HP for my plinking/ coyote load in my .308 Win PA-10. The bullets are accurate and affordable in the 500 bulk pack, and paired with 48 gr or so of Ramshot TAC, it chronographs about 2900 FPS out of the 18” barrel.

 

[DMW1116]

Do you have an adjustable gas block? Will those cycle the action?

 

[Bartojc]

I use Sierra 125s in 30-06. Less recoil and accurate enough for hunting. I used h4895.
Jeff

 

[2ndtimer]

Do you have an adjustable gas block? Will those cycle the action?

No adjustable gas block. My PA-10 is a Gen 1 that I got a complete upper and lower from PSA for less than $600 during the good old post Obama days. They cycle the action and are 100% reliable. Decently accurate for the cheapest .308 Win AR I have seen. I dislike the over-gassed mid gas system that throws the empties in front of the firing line, but like the rifle overall.