I was getting about a 2" group with the 165 game kings with IMR 4895 and about 1.25 with varget. I am currently leaning towards the hornadys or bergers and not going crazy trying a bunch of different powders since I have 8lbs of the Varget. I do think I should play with my OAL though, since I am only laoding to 2.8" but I cant get right up on the land cause they wont fit in my mag. I appreciate all the input guys. I do have the potential of some 400 yd shots where I hunt so I would like to fine tune as much as possible
Got chronograph? or a 400 yards practice range? If not I would set your sights 2.5" to 3" high at 100 yards (depending on whether you're near the high or low end of the min/max load range) and then limit your shots to ~260 yards (quite a long ways). This will put you in the kill zone for a deer within that range for any muzzle velocity between 2600 and 2800fps, even with your 1.25" group. This is about what you'll get from your 24" barrel between the start and max loads for Varget and your 165gr SGK. Not to mention that your bullet will drift 8" @ 300yd and 14.6" @ 400 yards in a 10mph cross wind.
Distances beyond ~260 yards, IMO, you will NEED to chrono your loads in order to get a ballistics chart, you will need to KNOW the distance to your quarry within 10 or 20 yards so that you don't miss/wound the deer.
Your 2.8" length is fine if it fits in your magazine and feeds and chambers properly. I've had excellent accuracy with both Sierra Game King, and Hornady SP Interlock (not in .308") but some rifles are more picky than others.
You've got 8lb of Varget and 165gr SKG come in 100 packs, so you've got really good odds of finding a good load with a known good powder and bullet, and still leave yourself with a box of ammo or two for your hunt.
The Hodgdon load data says to start at 42.0gr of Varget under a 165gr bullet and the max load is 46.0gr (compressed). At 0.5 gr increments and loading 3 rounds per increment will only take 27 bullets and <0.2lb of powder. (Nine different loads from 42 to 46gr.) If you don't want a compressed load, then stop when your powder starts getting up into the neck of the case). Load 3 extra at the start load for barrel fowling, to warm the barrel up a little, and sight in at 2.5" high at 100yd. Then put up 9 bullseyes @ 100 yards and start shooting round robin (one shot from each load at each target, then repeat). Watch for pressure signs on the brass and primers, and if the bolt is hard to lift STOP and don't shoot any more from that load or any loads that have a higher powder charge).
Then inspect your target and pick the two or three loads with the smallest groups. Load up 7 of each load, plus a couple more to fowl the barrel. Now you're up to 53 bullets. (Don't worry, you're spending less on a box of 100 bullets than you would buying 20 rounds of factory ammo.
)
Shoot each of the 3 loads one at a time, round robin style, at three different targets. Your load is the one with the smallest group.
If you really want to tweak, go up and down 0.2gr from the load that shot the smallest 7-shot group and load 7 of each of those. If either of those groups is smaller than your previous best, then that is your load.
I wouldn't touch your COAL until you've found the load/velocity your rifle likes with the bullet in question.
Why seven shot groups?
http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammunition/st_statistics_200810/index.html