Share your 4064 308 "go to" loads

[bluejay75]

Greetings Gents,

I just shot my best 308 load workup ever with with 4064 powder and the 168 Speer Gold Dot. From 41.5-44.5 all held right at or under MOA. Best was at 44 grains and a hot barreled hastily shot .409 inch group at 2650 FPS.

Factory Remington 700 AAC-SD 20 inch in a unbedded HS precision Stock
FC 11 Military Brass 3x fired
CCI34 Primers
COAL 2.810
Mixed lots of 4064 carefully combined into an 8 pound jug. Should be about 6-7 pounds in there

Am interested to see what else I can load with 4064 in 308.

My 150 SPs are getting 43.7 grains of 3031 (half MOA). 155 Scenars getting 45.7 TAC(1MOA but 2900 fps with 5 SD). 178 ELDxs and 180s are getting 43.6 grains of Varget (most accurate 308 load PERIOD). Spreading out the love until I can stock THE powder I want to load everything with and have enjoyed the journey so far.

Bluejay

 

[DMW1116]

Well at least someone else likes the CCI 34 primers. I have 3 pet 308 loads. First is a Hornady 168 grain A-max over CFE 223. Next is a Hornady 180 grain SST over IMR 4064. Finally is a 175 grain Sierra Match King over IMR 4064. I don’t recall the exact charges but they’re close to yours. I keep COAL between 2.800 and 2.805 inches for magazine fit and feeding. All three were developed in my PA 10 and all 3 run just under 1 MOA. The CFE 223 was the most consistent over the charges tested, or the A-max just likes my barrel. I haven’t chronographed them, but similar loads to mine are just under 2600 fps for the 175 grain SMK. For the gun and my relative inexperience at hand loading I am quite tickled at the accuracy and consistency of these three. The CFE 223 load needs some confirmation. I shoot 3 shot groups so I need to do a couple more to be sure it’s a good load. For this rifle I told myself I’d be happy with anything under 2 MOA.

 

[troy fairweather]

I shot a gods honest one hole 5 shot group from my 700 using 43.5 4064 165 Sierra gameking hp, wcc brass wlr primer. My buddy said wow that thing sucks since he only seen one hole, I was puzzled to since the previous load was 3/4 moa. Next day I loaded 10 more and shot those dots used for yard sales, one shot each it was shooting that good lol.

 

[Charlie98]

I get sub-MOA out of my Savage 10 TAC with IMR4064 and the 168SMK, but I think there is more to be had. Once bullets are available again, I want to test drive a few others, too. RP brass, CCI 200’s or #34’s

 

[Random 8]

I'm away from my notes, but my wife's Savage M11 (re-stocked and glassed) is at or below MOA with pretty much any 150 grain bullets and this powder. I believe we're running 1 or 2 under Lyman max with the Speer flat base Hot Core and PRVI brass with the Fed 210match presently.

.300 Savage ballistics with mild recoil and a deer hammer to 200 yards. Have also used core lokt, SST, HORNADY flat and BT and HORNADY 150 FMJ with similar paper results for range practice

 

[Bfh_auto]

Greetings Gents,

I just shot my best 308 load workup ever with with 4064 powder and the 168 Speer Gold Dot. From 41.5-44.5 all held right at or under MOA. Best was at 44 grains and a hot barreled hastily shot .409 inch group at 2650 FPS.

Factory Remington 700 AAC-SD 20 inch in a unbedded HS precision Stock
FC 11 Military Brass 3x fired
CCI34 Primers
COAL 2.810
Mixed lots of 4064 carefully combined into an 8 pound jug. Should be about 6-7 pounds in there

Am interested to see what else I can load with 4064 in 308.

My 150 SPs are getting 43.7 grains of 3031 (half MOA). 155 Scenars getting 45.7 TAC(1MOA but 2900 fps with 5 SD). 178 ELDxs and 180s are getting 43.6 grains of Varget (most accurate 308 load PERIOD). Spreading out the love until I can stock THE powder I want to load everything with and have enjoyed the journey so far.

BluejayView attachment 1001284

I run the same charge with 168 AMAX.
It was boringly accurate for shooting groups.
I moved in from 308 before I burned up all the AMAX.

 

[bluejay75]

Accuracy held up but velocity went down when I switched to new Starline Brass and CCI200s. This will be a hunting load for this rifle. Will load 50. Funny thing is I think I was a touch better with 3x fired FC.

 

[swg1]

Sort of off topic, but in my reloading for old surplus rifles using cartridges common to the military bolt guns over the years, more often than not, my accuracy load would end up being 4064.

 

[lightman]

My favorite Deer load is;

Any case, usually Lapua
CCI Large Rifle BR
46 Grains of IMR4064 (please approach with caution)
Sierra 150 Grain Pro Hunter

Please note this is over some books suggested max load so work up to it. I think it was John Wooters pet load. John was an old time gun writer. I get no pressure signs in my Remington 700 and get good case life.

 

[bluejay75]

Lightman,

Are you shooting that at 2.800 or shorter/ longer?

JB

 

[jmr40]

46 Grains of IMR4064 (please approach with caution)

That may have been considered top end at one time, but I'm seeing 47.7 or 48 gr listed as max in all of my sources.

4064 isn't my go-to powder for hunting, but it is a very accurate powder for me in 308. I load a lot of rounds that I intend to use only at the range and 46 gr is what I use with most 150 gr bullets. Accuracy has always been good.

The only reason I don't use it for hunting is because there are other powders that I find to be equally accurate and give me the same speeds, but are less sensitive to temperature changes. I realize that may never be an issue, and I might be overthinking it. But as long as I get the same speeds and accuracy I see no downside to using powder less temperature sensitive. If there were a difference in accuracy I'd use the more accurate powder.

But it seems that I can always find 4064 for sale and usually for less money. Using it for range use loads saves the other powders for hunting loads.

 

[DMW1116]

IMR 4064 is useful in all the rifle cartridges I load and is very accurate in 223 and 308. I keep kicking myself for passing up an 8lb jug at the beginning of the shortage.

 

[bluejay75]

JMR,

What is your goto for hunting?

JB

 

[DocRock]

For my PTR, it’s 4064 all the time.

mixed brass, but mainly LC, WLR primer, General Dynamics 147 grs FMJ, 43.5 grs 4064. Does all that is required.

 

[bluejay75]

Anyone else? Im still working with 180 grain SGK and 4064 in 308. Have gone from 41.8 up to 43.3. No pressure yet. I may settle between 43 and 43.3 but need to proof it.

 

[DMW1116]

I’d have to look but I think I’m around 42.5 gr IMR 4064 or so with a 180 grain SST. I need to confirm but I only had enough SSTs for testing plus one box.

 

[DMW1116]

I get sub-MOA out of my Savage 10 TAC with IMR4064 and the 168SMK, but I think there is more to be had. Once bullets are available again, I want to test drive a few others, too. RP brass, CCI 200’s or #34’s

Good to hear the Savage 10 Tac shoots like that. I’m holding out for one in 308.

 

[Charlie98]

Good to hear the Savage 10 Tac shoots like that. I’m holding out for one in 308.

I'm really, really happy with mine. I didn't expect it to shoot so well, for some reason. It's got an Accustock and Accutrigger, that's certainly part of it, but I also think it has a pretty good barrel. I debated .308 vs something else... but I'm already tooled up for .308, so that's what I got.

That's it on the right, at the last shooting confab I had out in NV. I finally added a cheek riser, which helped it's shootability a LOT. It wears a Burris 4x20 Veracity. It is one heavy rifle, however... with all that barrel.

 

[bluejay75]

I’d have to look but I think I’m around 42.5 gr IMR 4064 or so with a 180 grain SST. I need to confirm but I only had enough SSTs for testing plus one box.

Seated to the cannelure or longer? I have a few of those as well.

What I have found since I started down this road that the bullets with boat tails are closer to 44 grains as a max for 4064 than 43 for most 180 grain load data. For now I can live with 43 grains but an testing 43.5 grains and reshooting 43.

 

[bluejay75]

Looking at the target I think I’m dealing with a point of impact shift downward but the pulled shot could easily be me. If 43.5 has good SDs that is going to be my load. Sacrifice a little accuracy for speed as long as the group is near moa.

 

[DMW1116]

I need to look, but I do not believe I seated them to the cannelure. The Hornady app has them seated less than 2.800 but I think I bumped them out to 2.800.

 

[DMW1116]

I'm really, really happy with mine. I didn't expect it to shoot so well, for some reason. It's got an Accustock and Accutrigger, that's certainly part of it, but I also think it has a pretty good barrel. I debated .308 vs something else... but I'm already tooled up for .308, so that's what I got.

That's it on the right, at the last shooting confab I had out in NV. I finally added a cheek riser, which helped it's shootability a LOT. It wears a Burris 4x20 Veracity. It is one heavy rifle, however... with all that barrel.

View attachment 1002181

I handled a 6.5 CM with a 24” barrel (left hand action) and it shouldered easier than my current 308, which is just over 10.5 pounds unloaded. Even if it is heavier than standard bolt actions, I’d be ok with it if I could find a lefty one.

 

[Nature Boy]

I’m one of those oddballs that hasn’t found a load I’m happy with using IMR4064 and I’ve tried with multiple .308 chambered rifles.

 

[55fairlane]

IMR 4064 is my go to powder in my 22-250 with a 69 SMK