308 loads

[JP]

I have asked the same question on the reloading forum, but thought I might get someone else in this topic.

i am new to reloading and am in the process of getting my kit otgether.

I have got Varget, CCI primers and nosler partition heads 150gr, loading into my old rem cases, any suggestions and tips on laods etc. Obviously i will look at chart and spec, but value others knowledge?
JP

 

[finnbear270]

Check out all your brass, same headstamp/ once fired etc, all cut to length/sized etc? until you feel like you are getting into the swing of it, check weigh loads often, some powders don't run consistently through metering kit, make sure locking rings are nipped up on dies all simple stuff but if not attended to your info/data produced can be near worthless Steve.

 

[finnbear270]

Forgot to mention, If you have some time on your hands, have look at Chuck Hawkes web pages, if the answer isn't there you will have trouble finding it elsewhere!

 

[Muir]

I won't offer a bit of help until I hear that you have purchased, and READ, a good book on reloading. I recommend "Modern Reloading" by R. Lee. It is the most useful reloading book on the market and will teach you reams.

I mean, how can we offer "tips" when we're not certain you have the basics down?? ~Muir

 

[JP]

Muir,
I did mention it on my post on the reloading forum, but please be assured I am not an idiot, I already have completely read Lees book before even the first piece of loading equipment arrived and have just finished the ABC book of reloading. By the way Lees book would be a lot better without the constant adverts and about 100 pages shorter!

I was hoping for advice from people with experience, something you cannot learn from a book, now I have most of the kit and and am thinking about approaching my first loads. If this satisifes your crietria I am open to any advice you may have?

Finnbear, thanks for the notes, will look up the website you suggest and take on board your tips. I intend to load and weigh each round to start with until I get more confidence to use something like a powder measure?

I did post you a reply on the reloading 308 site, with Bromsgrove shooting supplies details for the loads you were after, more than happy to help if i can (legally) if they have them in stock, feel free to pm me and I will give you my mobile number. I am going there on Thu or Fri.
Cheers
JP

 

[finnbear270]

Oh, Ta for that!, I phoned Norman Clarkes, they have buckets of em', the info was for Yetidude, he's just up the road from me a little.

 

[Brithunter]

My only recommendation is forget the Partitions as they are not needed if you want to use a 150 grain bullet then may I suggest the Hornady 150 Gr SP or the Speer 150 Gr SP or if you must the Sierra 150 Gr PH. Personaly I would use either a 130 grain bullet or the 165 grain bullet. In .308 the Nosler Ballitic Tip of 165 grain weight works very well as does the Spper 165 Hot Cor.

Sorry I cannot help out with Varget as I ahve never used it int he .308 as I normally use either Reloader 15 or BLC-2 and have only fairly recently began using the BLC-2 and mainly with the Hornady 130 gr SP bullet. Nearly all my deer shot using the .308 have been using a 165 grain bullet and Reloader 15 powder.

I have only ever brought one box of Partitions and that was by mistake and they shot horribly .

 

[finnbear270]

My only recommendation is forget the Partitions as they are not needed if you want to use a 150 grain bullet then may I suggest the Hornady 150 Gr SP or the Speer 150 Gr SP or if you must the Sierra 150 Gr PH. Personaly I would use either a 130 grain bullet or the 165 grain bullet. In .308 the Nosler Ballitic Tip of 165 grain weight works very well as does the Spper 165 Hot Cor.

Sorry I cannot help out with Varget as I ahve never used it int he .308 as I normally use either Reloader 15 or BLC-2 and have only fairly recently began using the BLC-2 and mainly with the Hornady 130 gr SP bullet. Nearly all my deer shot using the .308 have been using a 165 grain bullet and Reloader 15 powder.

I have only ever brought one box of Partitions and that was by mistake and they shot horribly .

In your tube 8) people looking for loads should be encouraged to try a broad range of stuff from well known components, what may be a c**p load in your rifle/s may be a medal winner in someone elses

 

[Brithunter]

finnbear270,

I take it you mean "my barrel" yes that is true however let's face it with our deer species in .30 calibre a Partition bullet is NOT REQUIRED despite what the "experts" claim deer are not armour plated nor do they have access to kevlar. Although not a .30 cal it's a .31 cal Hornady 150 grain spire point (.303) recovered from a Fallow shot on the edge of Ashdown Forrest in March 2005. The bullet has expanded beautifully:-

The Fallow had seen something, probably my moving to get the rifle ready, so moved out into the field from the ancient hedgerow and stood facing me but not quite dead on. The only shot I had, that I was happy with that is, was a shot into the chest slight left of the beasts breast bone. The bullet was recovered under the skin just in front of the rump on the oppsite side. The Fallow spun and ran 25 yards out into the field of course so it meant a slightly longer drag through the Wheat to the edge. When shot the deer was about 70 yards out I suppose.

Would a Partition have done any better?

I very much doubt it as I said on our Deer species I cannot see the need for Partitions. If that Fallow had not seen me then I very much doubt it would have ran but instead dropped to the shot .

Now I also doubt I will ever get an accurate partition load as unless I cannot get anything else (unlikely as I will use another rifle) or don't read the label correctly whilst in a rush as happened when I ended up with those Partitions I did buy I doubt that I will ever buy any more of them .

 

[finnbear270]

Brit, I'm not trying to fence with you on bullet construction bud, I was just reasoning that if a particular bullet is very accurate in someone's rifle then construction is a close second in the mix, as long as it is doing its job on the beast in question, as to a Partition not being needed for light thin skinnned game, If it is an accurate load & does not wreck the beast then why not use it?

 

[matt458]

308

45gr of Varget under a 150gr SST is pretty good medicine.
Matt

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Hodgdon Basic Manual.pdf

 

[Brithunter]

Brit, I'm not trying to fence with you on bullet construction bud, I was just reasoning that if a particular bullet is very accurate in someone's rifle then construction is a close second in the mix, as long as it is doing its job on the beast in question, as to a Partition not being needed for light thin skinnned game, If it is an accurate load & does not wreck the beast then why not use it?

Hmmm that depends even though the Partition is an old design I suppose I am against all the "premium bullet required" hype we get foisted upon us in general.

Now I don't know how much you all shoot but as it is just using a plain old Ballistic Tip reloads for the 25-06 73p per re-load and that's dear enough without using a premium bullet that's not actually needed plus add the cost of shooting the three boxes of factory ammo in practice and testing and it get frighteningly expensive quickly enough as it is . I shall try some normal construction soft points once I can get some but the choice available locally is not great

Heck due to the costs spiralling so I have even been considering trying paper Patch bullets pure lead expands reliably. I began experimenting with them in a 9.3mm some years ago but as it's not no longer listed for shooting it all came to a halt but I suppose .303 would be a good candidate to play about with them in. Would mean getting a mould of course but if the cost of normal jacketed bullets keep rising at the current rate it might be the only way to keep in practice as it won't take much to take the costs up to £1 a pop even on handloads .

I suppose it's one way of restricting the shooting and shooters ............... price it out of reach for a lot of them ...................... not a new trick I might add.