How heavy of a bullet can a 1 in 12" twist 26" .308 shoot?

Status
Not open for further replies.
U

unwise11

Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Messages
1,518
Location
Where the Red Fern grows..
I've been a member for a while, and I reload, I just got a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .308 Win... I broke it in today and was shooting sub MOA at 200 yards.
I'm wanting to know how heavy of a bullet will this be able to handle..
I'm shooting 168 SMK's right now with pretty good results (I handload)

Thanks guys.
 
Thats a 24" or 26" barrel? I forget...but yes, it matters because of the velocity potential.

Ideally it will shoot 175-185 grains best...but some barrels have a will of their own...it might even get 208 grain Amax's going fast enough to stabilize (appx. 2,500 fps)
 
It's a 26".
I am looking into getting some 175G SMK's or the AMAX's if they're made in 175..
I handload and I was shooting the 168's over 43 grains of varget at 2.8"

I don't really like shooting factory stuff. I know my loads can beat it because they don't have someone making 100% sure there is an exactly consistent amount of powder in the cartridges.. I do.. No tolerance at all.

I'm getting back into shooting after taking a while off and I'm just as good of a shooter now as I was before.
 
Personally...I wouldn't waste my time on anything over 190 grains, even if it were a 30-06.

30 caliber bullets weighing more than 190 grains are best left to the belted magnums and the RUM's...in my opinion.
 
JD...you're off to a good start.

You can "usually" load the 308 to 2.82" OAL and still feed them through a factory 700...it may or may not help accuracy any, never know until you try.

I'd also just roll with 175 grain bullets...Sierra's are fine, I like the Berger 175 VLD's in my 30-06 but they may or may not shoot well in your Remington due to throat length. I also get some REALLY good accuracy out of Nosler Ballistic Tips (165's, 168's, 180's)...they are a little pricey to some, but they ARE accurate.

Hornady does (or did) make a 178 grain Amax I think...
 
Well I guess the 175 should be pretty good.. I have a box of 125's I have never loaded but I had those for coyotes.. I don't know if I'll load them or just keep them around because I don't really care how bad I blow up a coyote but I wouldn't want to run into a hog and not have enough thump.
 
JDMorris said:
Well I guess the 175 should be pretty good.. I have a box of 125's I have never loaded but I had those for coyotes.. I don't know if I'll load them or just keep them around because I don't really care how bad I blow up a coyote but I wouldn't want to run into a hog and not have enough thump.
Click to expand...

A 125 into a hog's head or neck will drop him just as dead as a 175 grainer will.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
But if I don't make a clean shoot it won't do as much internal damage as a 175 will..
Not saying I won't.. But I don't like chances.
Click to expand...

Here is what is good about neck shots:
1. Shot is placed where you want it - Central Nervous System is disrupted, animal drops instantly.
2. Shot is placed low - Round impacts and destroys the wind pipe, animal dies shortly thereafter.
3. Shot impacts high - flesh wound that animal will recover from.


If you make a poor shoulder shot on an animal, then it will be living with a broken shoulder, or even a gut shot that will take the animal hours to die from. Especially with hogs, chest shots are rarely immediately incapacitating.
 
Buy a box of the 175 gr and try them. I have a Winchester stealth in .308 with the same twist. In mine 168 gr shoot excellent, so well in fact I doubt I'll try the 175 gr. Now, I may try the 155 gr but that's about it.

I have larger cartridges to shoot the heavy stuff.
 
your 1-12 should like the 175 matchkings they have been the goto round for the long range 308 croud. i have taken them to 1100 with some consistancy, but tend to stay around 1000yds with them. that being said the 155 scenars are worth and look and are a game changer for the 308. If loaded right they breath new life back into the 308 for the long range shooters.
 
I don't know. 1:12 is sort of borderline for anything longer than a 168gr SMK. From what I've seen, it's sort of hit and miss territory. This is one of the reasons that the 1:10 and 1:11.25 twists are so popular.

If you try 175 SMKs, or the like, and don't get the desired results, I do believe that Berger has bullets heavier than 168 that will shoot in a 1:12 twist barrel.

As mentioned, the 155s are worth a look. They have a fairly high BC, the only downside being that you really have to zing them to make them work better than a 175 downrange. Something around 3000 fps has worked for me.

Since I don't get to shoot beyond 600 much, I shoot 168s the most. They do very well out to 600 or so, with a pretty standard load.
 
i agree that 1-12 is hit or miss territory but for the most part they seam to shoot great from stock remmy rifles. There are plenty of older 700p and pss with that twist out there that loves the 175. Also if your handloading the 155 no reason not to run them to their full potential
 
I try not to go over too much.. I don't think it's safe. I'm going to look into the 155's.. I don't have access to a real rifle range and I can't see myself having a coyote shot over 400 or so..

I run 43 grains of varget with a 168 SMK as my stock load and my rifle loves it but I like to try new things...

Today I misread my book when loading 125's.. I loaded 7 with 44 grains before I realized that Varget isn't even an acceptable powder for that bullet... I saw the 125 and the 150 and looked at the data for the 150.. Good thing I double check everything..

I enjoy reloading, I just full length size, trim if needed, clean out the primer pocket, re prime and re load.. Pretty simple.. I don't load hot anything because I don't shoot out to 1000..
 
JD, your load for 168 load is pretty close to mine. I run 44gr of either Varget or Reloader 15. I use Reloader 15 when I can get it because I get better velocities.
 
I shoot a semi custom built on a Remington 700 action. Barrel is a 26" 1:10 twist Krieger.
 
My Howa Varminter Supreme has a 24" 1:12 barrel and it shoots 175gr SMK's better than 168's, but I have only shot out to 300 yards.
 
I have a Howa 1500 in .308 with the stock contour not heavy barrel, in the hogue stock, that I have shout out to 300 yards and had a 2.5" or less group.. It was a while ago and I am selling it now.. Howa makes good stuff.

I don't remember the load, it was either a 168 SMK.. Or a 150 Hornady softpoint that the rangemaster loaded for me at the time..

I like Remington 700's alot more and I will shoot those until I get something from GAP which I think I'll ask for for my 18th birthday / HS graduation.
 
One thing I haven't seen mentioned. I wouldn't use SMKs on game, go with something that is designed for hunting.
 
I'll offer advice to those loading with Varget. Run your reloads over a chrono before settling on a load. Varget is one of those powders where I have been unable to hit the velocity advertised in most reloading manuals.

I have a Winchester 70 Stealth in .308. My load with the 168 gr SMK is 45.5 gr Varget and it clocks 2720 fps. I also use Varget in my Rem 700 .22-250. In this one it's the same thing, I need 38.0 gr to hit what books show for 36.5 gr. In 6 years I have never seen any pressure signs. It may be the batch of Varget I have but it takes me 1.5 to 2.0 gr more to hit the advertised velocities.

I also would not use an SMK for hunting. For hunting there are better made bullets.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

jonc
  • Locked
Heavy barreled 700 in 30-06?
Replies
3
Views
528
USSR
U
E
  • Locked
How much bullet will a 1:12 barrel stabilize?
Replies
18
Views
3K
Haxby
H
Olympus
  • Locked
308 Twist? 1:12 or 1:10
2 3
Replies
53
Views
21K
joed
joed
U
  • Locked
Show off your long range shooters?
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
Dthunter
D
J
  • Locked
.308 Win barrel twist rate vs. bullet length/weight
Replies
10
Views
6K
kludge
K
Back
Top