Advice for a 0.308 load with RWS DK

[Silvius]

Hello Gents,
I am looking for advice and recipe suggestions for reloading once fired 0.308 RWS cases with 10.7 gram RWS DK bullets please. My rifle is a Blaser R8.

I love the performance of the RWS DK bullets -deer rarely go far once hit- but the cartridges are quite dear. I am wondering if anyone can recommend a recipe that will roughly match the velocity of the factory ammunition which is published as 800m/s, though from the fairly short barrel of my rifle, it may be a bit less.

I am new to reloading rifle cartridges. I know its a rabbit hole that you can fall down only to emerge a better but poorer rifleman but I am hoping to just poke my nose down the rabbit hole to start (you may advise me this is a futile hope). I am not setting out to achieve unparalleled accuracy -I have so far shot all my deer below 100 metres range. I am just looking for ideas that will reduce the amount of testing I will need to arrive at a round that does not perform radically differently from the factory ammunition.

Many thanks in advance,

Paul

 

[enfieldspares]

In practical terms velocity test, in your rifle, the factory ammunition. Then just pick a reloading recipe from the many on the internet that appears to match that velocity. Without knowing the velocity the factory ammunition achieves in your rifle all else is speculative and burning powder to no goal.

 

[kenbro]

I would get the bullet weight you want, then, go to something like Hodgdons load data centre and find a suitable powder for that weight bullet, ( I know some same weight bullets by different makers require different charges)then, start at the lower end and work up until you get acceptable accuracy. If you have a chrongraph and you think velocities are too low, you can carry on upping the charge and somethimes you will find another accuracy node with more velocity. You can also fine tune loads by changing seating depth. Look for pressure signs as you proceed. Printed load data is usually a little on the conservative side.
I personally wouldn't mind slower bullets as long as accuracy is there. Not much gets killed by very fast bullets that miss. Ymmv.
Ken.

 

[kennyc]

Viht N140 around 40-43grns and work up the load, its really not rocket science, use the Viht manual and chose a similar weight bullet. RWS once fired can be had at .20p a case, so not too expensive over the number of reloads you can get out of them

 

[Silvius]

Thank you very much for the advice. It sounds like I will need to get a chronograph then. Any thoughts on how much one should spend to get a good enough one?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[d0nni]

Thank you very much for the advice. It sounds like I will need to get a chronograph then. Any thoughts on how much one should spend to get a good enough one?

Thanks,

Paul

I picked one off here this week for £60 2nd hand. Thought was good enough value for a chrony f1. Usually around £110-120 new so snapped it up. I've found my load. Just want to confirm velocity. Book says ~2600fps. I just wanna know for certain to try a few long range wacks at some steel for the craic