reloading .308

[Doc Simonson]

I was reading a post on the hunting thread, and noticed that most hunters said they would rather reload 30-06 than any other caliber. I was thinking about buying a Savage 14 American Classic in .308 Win. Is there a problem reloading this caliber, or is it just that 30-06 is a hunter's favorite? Why am I considering the .308? Just a friends recommendation. No other reason. Thanks for the help folks!

 

[Mags]

I reload for 308, it is pretty easy, as I am still new to reloading. 308s normally use around the same range of bullets below 200 grains as 30/06 and 30/06 powders are also used in lower amounts in the 308. I like IMR4895, Varget, and Reloder 15 for my 308 loads with bullets from 150-168 grains.

 

[Nighthawk0083]

Being that 308 is one of the most popular high power rifle rounds I think you would find that there is more info on 308 than 30-06. Also it depends what you are going to use the rifle for. Target practice or hunting or both. I dont think you can go wrong with either

 

[srkavanagh6621]

I enjoy reloading for the .308! its easy and fun and you can sure make some real accurate loads! I dont think you can go wrong with the .308 jmo.

 

[ScratchnDent]

The process is the same for both, and there is tons of good data and components for both.

The only game in North America that I wouldn't be comfortable hunting with a .308 would be the big bears, browns and polar. I wouldn't choose a 30/06 for them, either.

 

[kutter]

Since the same bullets are frequently used interchangeably in both, and powders as well, it seems to me you need to decide what you are going to do with it.

Your statement suggest you are a hunter but you did not say of what. Not that it may matter that much, but the bolt action 30-06's I have shot compared to my .308 cause me to believe that unless I was hunting something that I needed the stopping power of the '06, then I would probably stick with something else. Having said that, if you need to drive a heavier bullet farther, then your question is answered for you. But I am certainly not anything to live by since where I grew up we hunted with 30-30 and shotgun, didn't have any need to reach out that far.

The '06 has a loyal following and for good reason, it is a very versatile round that has proven itself for more than a century so it is hard to argue with its track record, if you do not mind shoulder surgery in a few years, then I say, GO FOR IT

 

[Doc Simonson]

Casting bullets?

Any thoughts on casting bullets for the .308?

 

[MEHavey]

308 was created to provide the military identical ballistics to its Garand 30-06/M2 ball ammunition in a shorter case, shorter action. For that reason--and loaded correctly--it will kill anything on the North American Continent using the appropriate bullet at appropriate ranges. (It would be more than a little light on Kodiak Grizzly, however.) It is ballistically very efficient and inherently very accurate.

The 30-06 does everything the 308 does and a bit more, a bit farther, a bit heavier. With its bigger case it is inherently more flexible at the medium/high end, but a little less efficient/flexible at the medium/low end.

Eaxmple: with 155gr bullet

Cartridge Vel IMR4895 Press Ball Eff
308..... 2,880 46.8gr 56,400 31.3%
30-06.. 2,880 52.5gr 51,213 27.9%

As you can see, the 308 is topped out at 2,880fps/2,850ft-lbs energy
The`06 has room to grow to 2,970fps/3,030ft-lbs for the same pressure (and 54.3gr of powder)

Question then becomes: "What do you need?"


If I had but one gun, it would be the `06.
If I had two, one would be the 308.

 

[Doc Simonson]

Thanks

Since I am going to be target shooting, and hunting nothing larger than White Tail, I probably don't need the 30-06. The club I belong to has a 100yd range so distance isn't going to even be a factor. And I doubt I'll be hunting things much more than 100 yards from me. It sounds as though the .308 will be the right choice for me. If I bring my skills to where they should be, it will give me a one shot, one kill performance. And it's probably a bit cheaper to load which is a plus.

Thanks for the help in making a good decision.

 

[cougar1717]

Reloading bottleneck rifle cartridges employ the same process, whether it's something very small like 17 Remington or larger like the 300 RUM. A manual is a good resource for learning the steps as well as load information. That said, some calibers can be a pain due to the physical size of the components (those .172 caliber bullets are tiny!) but by and large there is very little difference between loading 30-06 and 308, except the brass and the quantity and type of powder. Just work up a load recipie according to the manual of your choice and you will be good to go.

 

[grubbylabs]

I just bought my first rifle in over 4 years and I went with the 308 in fact it is a Marlin XS-7 and that thing is a tack driver, I could not imagine what it would do with someone who knows how to shoot.

I feel I was very lucky I took the advise of someone else and copied their pet load which happens to be in the Speer book and it is fairly cheap. I use 165 grain BTSP Speer bullets that are about $20.00-25.00$ per 100, for powder I use IMR 4064 which runs about $20.00-$26.00 a lb and that will load well over 100 rounds. And if I buy new brass it runs about $20.00-$25.00 per 50.

So like I said I feel really lucky to have such found such an accurate load right of the bat, in fact I have not messed with it since round one, I see no need to.

The load is:

43 grains of IMR 4064
165 grain BTSP
Remington 9 1/2 primer

I think the guy that I got the load from shoots it in a Remington. I shoot it in a Marlin and more often than not my bullet holes are touching and I am not a good shooter by any stretch.

The Powder charge is about mid range for that bullet according to my 13th edition Speer book. I have a new Hornady book and while they say how well that powder performs for them through out the bullet weights they fail to list a load for mid range bullet weights.

Good luck and remember I am new to this as well so take my advise with a grain of salt.

 

[BigBob3006]

Doc,

Since both cartridges are so alike I suggest you let the #2 species you hunt or want to hunt somewhere down the line decide it for you. If elk is a sometime dream, go with the '06. If deer and black bear is the top of your list then there is a lot to be said for the .308. When you compare any action you wish, the .308 is lighter. When it is late, suns starting on the down side of its travels and you're on the wrong side of the hill, it will make a difference.
I'm lucky, I had the Marine Corps and the Boy Scouts to teach me how important it was to be ready to sleep and eat where ever darkness catches you. As a result, I've always been ready to sleep dry and eat (Thank God for Jerky.) where ever I happened to be. That's one of the reason I like to hunt alone. The hunts that I had company, other than my kids, I seldom got game. Others all seem to move like tanks. When I was alone I could move as slow as I wanted too, and glass as long as I wanted. If you get a .308 Give Varget a try. With both 150gr and 165gr bullets, I would be willing to try the 165gr on elk if I were selective about which elk I wanted. This would be true only if I used the Hornady Interbond bullet.

 

[efelien]

I started with a post-64 Model 70 (30-06) in 1967, reloading for it with a $10.95 Lee Loader. I shot many deer, one moose, and one caribou with it. I switched to a Ruger M77 MkII in 308 four years ago. I like the shorter action, and recoil seems less. I load Barnes TTSX 168 grain over 42 grains of Varget, and this seems to be a very accurate load. Besides being lead-free (for what that's worth), the bullet has phenomenal terminal performance. We have quite a few eagles in our area, and there have been instances of them getting lead poisoning from eating lead-containing carrion - presumably from a lost wounded deer that dies and get scavenged. I for one don't want to contribute to that problem - but proper shot-placement will prevent lost game.

 

[W.E.G.]

Buy a good case gage.