Need help with a .308 load.

[James Dietz]

I am trying to find a light 125gr .308 load to use in a Spanish Mauser. This used the .308 CETME load and it is advised NOT to use full power loads in this rifle.

All the loads I am seeing has the round at 3000+ fps and I would like one in the 2500 fps range.

Does anyone have a load that you would recommend?

Thank you!

 

[Charlie98]

I load cast bullets in the .308 for my Savage 99... not the strongest action on the planet... at a reasonable velocity. I'm sure you could find something useful using IMR3031, or on the outside, a reduced load of H4895 (which Hodgdon claims is safe for reduced loads.)

 

[forty_caliber]

I concur with the old standby (IMR)H4895 sentiment. The go to GI powder. It can be a little tricky to meter in a drum given the stick form factor but just the thing for military style loads.
.40

 

[243winxb]

Hodgdon receives a lot of calls from reloaders looking for light recoil, subsonic, youth hunting, or informal target and plinking loads. Hodgdon has developed extensive data just for these applications. The youth loads developed for hunting approximate pistol velocities in rifles, and therefore, similar performance on game animals. This provides our youth, women, young at heart and beginning shooters with loads effective to 200 yards with minimal recoil. There are several options of Hodgdon powders to choose from include H4895®, Trail Boss®, TightGroup™ and Clays™. For complete information on the reduced recoil loads in one place, look at the Hodgdon website under the “data” tab.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com Look up 308 load data using the above powder. Trail Boss®, TightGroup™ and Clays™ No data for 125 gr, but other weignts.

For a 125 gr load, the 60% Youth loads may work, but will be dirty.

 

[243winxb]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

2600 fps would be about 40 grs of H4895 with a 125 gr bullet. My guess.

.308 CETME load

 

[James Dietz]

Thank you all very much. Now I have a starting point. I have loaded for 30+ years but this is the first time I am going off the listed data to load and it helps to have your input.

 

[2ndtimer]

If you want a few tested loads:

 

[30Cal]

I shoot 125TNTs with 41.5gr IMR4895

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

FWIW H4895 can be used for reduced loads. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-education/tips-and-tricks/low-recoil-loads

 

[243winxb]

From post 7 link

 

[Reloadron]

I also would take the H4895 route and simply download some 308 using between 110 and 150 grain bullets. Some good sample data from 243winxb.

Ron

 

[Mule]

I have used the above data with Sierra 125 gr bullets in my copy of that rifle for a long time. Lately I have gone to cast, but still keep pressures reasonable.
Load it down. Let the grandkids shoot grandpa's big rifle, and not get the snot kicked out of them.

 

[Slamfire]

Based on my own independent research, as long as you keep pressures at or less than 43,000 psia, you will be within the original structural limits of those Spanish Mausers. I also am of the opinion that this load, a 165/168 with 39.0 grains of IMR4895/H4895/AA2495 is within these pressure limits. I have shot thousands if not tens of thousands of this load down range, standing and sitting rapid fire, in NRA competiton, in 308 Win match bolt guns. With a proper barrel it is very accurate.

AA2495 is Accurate Arms knockoff of IMR 4895, they told me they blended it to the exact pressure curve as IMR 4895, but stupidly, they don't call it AA4895, so they confuse everyone.

I believe 40 grains with a 150 would probably also be within pressure limits for a Spanish action, but you would need to check loading manuals. Whatever you do, plan to buy a tall front sight for your rifle as I have never had a military Mauser shoot to point of aim until I found a tall front sight. I also recommend that you bed the action of your rifle. It is a bother but these old military rifles have been around for 100 years, the wood has compressed, or been replaced, and often the action is bowed within stock. On every military action I have bedded, the rifle started shooting round groups to a consistent zero. Before bedding, some of them would not group on a 8.5" X 11" piece of paper at 100 yards.

This is a 20 round group I fired in a 100 yard reduced course, prone slow fire, with irons.