CMV
Member
My boy needs a proper deer rifle. TN size deer, not like up north where they're noticeably larger.
Anyway, have a Savage Axis II in .308WIN on order for him that should be here later this week. I have dies & some LC brass but have never loaded .308 before. I do load 300BLK so have an assortment of 30 cal projectiles. I'm thinking I'd like to use Hornady 125 gr SST if that would be appropriate. My 300BLK hates them so I have several hundred sitting here with no good use other than trade fodder.
Seems like IMR 4895 is a real popular choice, but the 125gr maybe not so much. Thinking I probably need to buy a powder for .308 anyway because all I have on hand is H335. Seems like H335 will work, but there are many other flavors of powder that do the job better. Also planning to use LC military brass because that's what I have - along with a few hundred rds of factory Federal M80 which will make more LC brass. As I understand it I do need worry about case volume in this instance due to the thickness of the military brass where that isn't an issue using the LC brass for .223 that I load continuously.
Anyway, goal is to make an accurate, game-appropriate round for this rifle. 22" barrel that I will most likely cut back to 20", re-crown, & thread 5/8-24. 1:10 twist.
So with those variables - 125gr SST, LC brass, X powder, CCI #200, what are the recommendations?
Also to note - I'm not a hunter. I have no idea if a 125gr SST is appropriate for ~140lb deer but I kind of imagine just about anything from a .308 would be considered 'humane'. No idea if that bullet will work well in 1:10 rifling - I know my 1:8 300BLK dislikes it but has no grief with other 125gr projectiles. So if it is just an all-around poor choice for that application, I have these on hand if any would be more appropriate:
110gr VMax
110gr Hornady SP
125gr Speer TNT JHP
125gr SMK
208gr AMax
220gr SMK
Anyway, have a Savage Axis II in .308WIN on order for him that should be here later this week. I have dies & some LC brass but have never loaded .308 before. I do load 300BLK so have an assortment of 30 cal projectiles. I'm thinking I'd like to use Hornady 125 gr SST if that would be appropriate. My 300BLK hates them so I have several hundred sitting here with no good use other than trade fodder.
Seems like IMR 4895 is a real popular choice, but the 125gr maybe not so much. Thinking I probably need to buy a powder for .308 anyway because all I have on hand is H335. Seems like H335 will work, but there are many other flavors of powder that do the job better. Also planning to use LC military brass because that's what I have - along with a few hundred rds of factory Federal M80 which will make more LC brass. As I understand it I do need worry about case volume in this instance due to the thickness of the military brass where that isn't an issue using the LC brass for .223 that I load continuously.
Anyway, goal is to make an accurate, game-appropriate round for this rifle. 22" barrel that I will most likely cut back to 20", re-crown, & thread 5/8-24. 1:10 twist.
So with those variables - 125gr SST, LC brass, X powder, CCI #200, what are the recommendations?
Also to note - I'm not a hunter. I have no idea if a 125gr SST is appropriate for ~140lb deer but I kind of imagine just about anything from a .308 would be considered 'humane'. No idea if that bullet will work well in 1:10 rifling - I know my 1:8 300BLK dislikes it but has no grief with other 125gr projectiles. So if it is just an all-around poor choice for that application, I have these on hand if any would be more appropriate:
110gr VMax
110gr Hornady SP
125gr Speer TNT JHP
125gr SMK
208gr AMax
220gr SMK