Pet Loads for the 16" LR 308

[jkarlsruher]

I'm looking for reloading data and results others may have had recently with the shorter barreled 308's.  I just got a DPMS LR308 RECON 16" (Stainless).  It's the first 7.62/.308 I've had in 40 years (the last one belonged to the Army and they just had to keep it).  I reload practically everything made but the .308.  What I am really interested in is a dependable, accurate 7.62 X 51 equivalent.  I don't need speed or long range stuff.  Got plenty of that in other calibers and platforms.  I want to be able to engage targets to around 300 yds and be able to stay in a 6" circle.  What seems to be the most probable venue is a good 168 gr bullet that mimics the National Match velocities and trajectory.  Any help with load data, especially powder choices, will be greatly appreciated.

JK

[neovader]

Ditto on that brother.  I've looked everywhere for the same info and there are tons of load data but all seem to be for 20"-24" barrels.

[jkarlsruher]

It is really quiet here.  Must be some real secrets to be guarded.  In that case, I will begin this week with some 180 gr. Match King Boatails I had set aside for the .300 Win. Mag.  I have unlimited access to the largest range in North American, so I'll set up and start working at 100 and 200 yds. and see what happens.  I will also get started on the 147 and 168 gr. loads and see what works best for each.  There must be some reason that the military favors the 147, so I'll see why for myself.  The 168 gr. is self explanatory and the 180 gr. is just becsause they already live on the loading bench.

JK

[392heminut]

I have unlimited access to the largest range in North American, so I'll set up and start working at 100 and 200 yds. and see what happens. 

JK

Do you shoot at the Ft. Bliss Rod & Gun Club? I try to get over there every month for the USPSA match.

[Matt.Cross]

It is really quiet here.  Must be some real secrets to be guarded.  In that case, I will begin this week with some 180 gr. Match King Boatails I had set aside for the .300 Win. Mag.  I have unlimited access to the largest range in North American, so I'll set up and start working at 100 and 200 yds. and see what happens.  I will also get started on the 147 and 168 gr. loads and see what works best for each.  There must be some reason that the military favors the 147, so I'll see why for myself.  The 168 gr. is self explanatory and the 180 gr. is just becsause they already live on the loading bench.

JK

Looking forward to your data. I don't think there's a lack of participation so much as a lack of proper equipment. To date, I'm not aware of any members who are running the 16" barrel. Can't wait to see your results though! I always find the methodology behind this stuff just as interesting as the data.

[LocoGringo]

I'm literally just getting started in reloading.  I worked up my first 25 test rounds this past weekend.  However, I don't have a 16" barrel.  I've got an 18.5", so my data will be of limited use for you.  It might be a guide, but not exact.  Haven't shot my loads yet and will have to wait as I am having my rifle modified and want to wait until it's done.

[MikedaddyH]

It is really quiet here.  Must be some real secrets to be guarded.  In that case, I will begin this week with some 180 gr. Match King Boatails I had set aside for the .300 Win. Mag.  I have unlimited access to the largest range in North American, so I'll set up and start working at 100 and 200 yds. and see what happens.  I will also get started on the 147 and 168 gr. loads and see what works best for each.  There must be some reason that the military favors the 147, so I'll see why for myself.  The 168 gr. is self explanatory and the 180 gr. is just becsause they already live on the loading bench.

JK

147gr = Cost

Weight range of bullet 147 to 168gr ,because of the twist rate. Save your 180 gr bullets for the other gun.

150gr hpbt or ballistic tip/boat tails are my favorite.

Powder , Varget  43gr to 45gr , RL15  42gr to 46 gr

Primer , CCI 34 or Win WLR

[fr3db3ar]

I'm far from an expert at reloading and am currently resizing my brass for certain reasons disclosed earlier.  I'm shooting the DPMS Oracle.  LC brass CCI 200 primers, mag length.  150 BTSP over 46 Varget and 175 SMK over 44.5 Varget.  Both loads shoot MOA or less out to 400 when I do my part.  I really need to do some 10 or 20 round groups to show what I can with it.  I don't shoot from lead sleds, strictly bipod and supported rear for groups.

YMMV

[seasprite]

I'm going to start reloading for my Oracle when I get all my stuff together for bottle neck cartridges. Currently I reload for my .45 & 9mm, I have my dies and trimmer for the .308 just need to get some case lube and some components then I should be able to work up some loads. I think I pretty much decided on Alliant Power Pro 2000 for a powder to start with and PPU brass still haven't decided on bullet or primers yet. So I'll be keeping an eye on this thread <munch>

[jeffreyC]

I will be following this thread too.

I need to get loading equipment yet.

What I develop I will share, but my 16" has a rifle length gas system so my load data may not work for you.

Most likely I will try to stay around 168 gr. to 175 gr. bullet weight.

[jkarlsruher]

The silence has been broken!  Thanks for all of the input.  To answer 392heminut (I'm a 6.1 L Heminut);  I do occaisionally go to Ft. Bliss Rod & Gun.  It's a great facility.  However, the range I use the most is a little to the West of there.  I have a portable stooting bench and target stand that fold up in the back of my Jeep and I go set up out in the vast open spaces of the BLM land that stretches from El Paso to San Diego to the west and from the Mexican Border to probably Canada on the north.  I have endless land to hunt and shoot in, so I don't go to formal ranges unless I need to spread out (like when I am developing loads).  As to the reloading; I am going to start with about a hundred of the 147 and 168's and work up a few loads to see what works best.  I will probably load up some of the 180's for grins anyway.  I'll do this work in lots of ten rounds per each different powder charge and/or brand using my RCBS Rock Chucker.  When I find the load I want, I'll set it up on my Dillon RL550B and mass produce it.  My goal is to always have at least 1,000 rounds of each caliber on hand.  Right now I'm cranking out the .223's and the .45 ACP's.  I do a lot of shooting.  Seldom does a week pass that I don't at least go plinking.  I have been known to shoot jack rabbits with a .300 Win Mag and a .50 BMG.

JK

[392heminut]

The silence has been broken!  Thanks for all of the input.  To answer 392heminut (I'm a 6.1 L Heminut);  I do occaisionally go to Ft. Bliss Rod & Gun.  It's a great facility. 

JK

LOL! The 392 part is a holdover from back when I had a 392 Chrysler Hemi in my Cuda. It has a 5.7L Hemi with a 6.1 SRT cam in it now, has just as much power and handles a LOT better! I know what you're saying about the BLM land around here, I've been known to use the Florida Mntns. south of Deming here as a backstop! I'm just getting started reloading 308 also and I still need to get the stuff to change my RL550 over. Might be a while though, it's spring and the wife is wanting some landscaping done. Since she got me the LR308 for Christmas I figure I better get her stuff done first.

[survivalshop]

My reloads work the same in both my 20" & my 16" , both have rifle length gas systems so I'm only losing bbl. length vol. , which only matters at long range any way.

I use a milspc powder( WC 846 ) so my load data will mean nothing to any of you . All barrels will most likely shoot different or like different loads any way so you have to see what your barrel likes .

Bullet manufacturer & bullet weights may like one barrel & not another or one barrel my like a certain velocity & another may not print good with it . Its all a trial & no error ,just what one barrel likes & not.

If you want me to post some loads & Chrono data of my work up loads I will ,but as said ,what works for me may not work in your barrel .My rifle length gas system on my 16" will also give different results than , say a carbine length or for that matter a Mid length .

Any loading manual will have starting loads , as you know  & start there & work your way around them .

[Tripledeuce]

  Primers can make a big difference  in a load.

  I once bulit a 218 Bee improved on a small martinee auction.  Could only get Remington primed brass, so I stayed with Rem primers.  My best load  would only shoot 1.5".  I was very un-happy!

  a friend suggested a change in primers.  With the best load, and only change being primers. the group  shrank to .75".

    Yea,,,,primers can make a big difference.

    Respectfully

    Terry

[seasprite]

Well I got all the stuff I needed to start working up loads for my Oracle  <thumbsup>. Had to make a few changes though I couldn't find any Power Pro locally so I went second choice which is CFE 223 along with Hornady 168gr A max and Winchester primers. Having second thoughts on my primer choice though when I seated them it didn't take much effort to seat them. (forgot that win primers run small compared to others)

After sizing and case prep on my PPU brass I check case capacity verses fed cases and found that PPU held an average .2gr less than the Fed. cases so I reduced my charges by that amount instead of starting at 46.6 I started at 46.4 and ended .2 under max. Then seated them to 2.815 COL with a light crimp 1/2 turn on the lee factory crimp die. thats all for now, a friend from church is going to let me barrow his crony so I can get some speeds from this 16" barrel it might be a week or so for the results.

[MikedaddyH]

What store did you get the CFE 223 powder from ?

[seasprite]

What store did you get the CFE 223 powder from ?

Cabelas, they have a sale going on 10% off on all in stock powders. I took the last 2 one pound bottles they had in the Kansas City store. There primers are on sale also picked up a 1000 win large rifle for $30.00

[MikedaddyH]

Cabelas is too far of a drive for me , its like 95 miles round trip just for powder. Wish Bass Pro shops or Sportsman's whse had that powder.

[jkarlsruher]

Just as I am about to begin working up loads for the new .308, I see the CFE223!  This is definitely going to be a part of my load workup.  In the meantime I will use the CFE223 to rehab my poor little AR15 who has probably got commercially minable quantities of copper fowling in the bore.  Let me know how the test batch of 168's goes.

[seasprite]

Cabelas is too far of a drive for me , its like 95 miles round trip just for powder. Wish Bass Pro shops or Sportsman's whse had that powder.

I here yea there its 45 min from my place so I don't go very often. I know Midway & Graph & sons is 2 hours to the east and Powder Valley is 2 hours to the west would love to be able to just drive to these places and pick up my supplies but I guess not  :'(

On a side note I decided to use Dan Newberry's OCW method of development it took a while to wrap my head around this method but finally got an understanding on what he's doing besides I only have 100 yards to work with at the local range I was hoping for next weekend but my wife's birthday is next weekend so the wait continues its driving me  :cookoo:

[fngmike]

My go to load for .308 was always 168 gr. SMK, 40.0 gr. IMR4064 in LC brass, WLR primer, and seated to 2.800.  Now that I know better, lmao, I'm trying to not measure to OAL but rather to the ogive.  4064 is probably the slowest powder you want to use in a gas gun and I actually came up with this in a 700 bolt rifle, but it does seem to work well out of my 16" EA carbine upper.  I know that back in the M1A high power reloading days, most were using 4895.  I think either Varget or RE15 will work fine. 

I'm putting together some Varget loads right now for this upper which brings me to another question but I will start my own thread for that.

[ghorn]

LocoGringo, I have a 18" DPMS so I will be interested in hoe your rifle shoots and what you are using so that I have a starting point.  I am really interested in bullet weight with an 18" to get my best grouping, so anyone out there that has info, I'm interested.  Thanks to all that reply!!

[NoFail]

Okay I'll try...

I have a 16" stainless match barrel on my LR-308 type build. I am doing hand loads for it. I have to be honest and say I don't know too much, really nothing, about all the different powders and how they compare. I relied on my brother in law for his advise on what a good load is. He shoots a Stoner rifle with a 24" barrel, it is very stupid accurate. He gave me the load he uses for his SR25. Now like I said I knew nothing about where I should begin with my 16", why should this load he told me to use be good in a 16" when he loves it in his 24"? Well I don't know if it matters. The load fills the case and I can hear the crunching of the stick powder a little bit sometimes when I seat the bullets. He didn't instruct me to work up the load, just do it. Stupid me I just did it then. But you know what? It works very well I think so far.

This is the load;

168 gn Nosler Ballistic Silver Tip

Nosler Custom Case

IMR 4064 43.5 gn

Remington #9 1/2 large rifle primer... He said it's brass is thick and better for a gas gun so less chance of slam fire.

I am using this load with A-Max 168's and Hornady Match Cases too and this so far has been most accurate. Also 168 SMK's in Win brass and those are good too. But Nosler's also very good, but more expensive.

I will not up the charge in this load, maybe I should reduce a little, I don't know what if anything I should change right now but it is working very well in mine, tested out to 200 yards at over 8000 feet, it is very accurate.

[fr3db3ar]

I need some way to reliably speed my load up.  I'm shooting near max load of Varget and 175 SMK.  Strelok says I'm shooting around 2450 out of my 16" barrel.  I'd really like to speed that up a bit with a temperature stable powder.

[NoFail]

I need some way to reliably speed my load up.  I'm shooting near max load of Varget and 175 SMK.  Strelok says I'm shooting around 2450 out of my 16" barrel.  I'd really like to speed that up a bit with a temperature

stable powder.

A lighter bullet, and you can up the charge a little? But I knew velocity was the trade off when I went 16". In my case there is nowhere I can shoot +600 anyway so the choice was pretty easy. There is the argument that shorter barrel more accurate due to higher ring frequency (less wobble).'makes sense to me. My load I'm probably at around 2450 fps, I'm not concerned. I would like to chrono though so I know.