.308 grain bullet for 100 yards

J

jd.caldderon

Inactive
Hello,

Does anyone have a favorite .308 bullet/weight for 100 yards precision shooting? I have been using the 175 grain Sierra Match Kings HPBT. It's a great round for longer ranges but is there one that is more accurate at 100 yards?

Thanks
 
I am working up loads for the Lapua 155 and 168 Gr. Scenar's. What twist and length barrel do you have? Will try some Berger Hybrids in the 155 - 175 grain weight range also.

Bob
 
I would run with a lighter weight flat-based bullet. your HPBT tails are made for distance, take a long time to stabilize and the high BC's lend well for 300 yards and over. you can push a light and fast bullet with lower BC's to a target at 100 yards in a pretty much flat trajectory, you don't need the BT to help with the speed transitions and long distance stabilization.

berger and barnes make some nice flat base, nothing wrong with trying good ole VMAX either.
 
with your twist and wonderfully long barrel, I would take a hard look at these for 100yards. 135gr Berger Match Target HPFB, not cheap, but not ridiculous either http://www.extremeaccuracy.net/308cal-135gr-match-target/
just a suggestion, worth giving a try if you get a chance.

back to your original question, if you read ballistics tables, you will see the benefit of a boat-tail not showing up until after 300 yards. boat tails have lower drag at slower speeds. since the base of the bullet is the most important part to inherent accuracy, the claim is made that a flat-base bullet has more consistent bases and with one less step in the manufacturing process, it turns out more consistent bullets. plus the flat bases don't take as long to stabilize for shorter range shooting. note that all champion 100 yard benchrest shooters are winning with FB bullets, they probably know a lot more about than I do.

some reading materiel
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammo/ammunition_rs_boattails_093009wo/

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f28/flat-base-bullets-why-58320/

http://m14forum.com/ammunition/98312-tried-135-berger-fb-bullets.html
 
I dont shoot precision but I have to ask, if a bullet shoots great at long distance, why wouldn't it shoot great at closer ranges?
 
the question is, if the bullet shoots great at short distances, why wouldn't it shoot great at long distances. that is the flat base vs bot-tail debate. the flat base is just a more accurate bullet....period. but it cannot sustain long distances and speed transitions as well as the boat-tail. that it why we use boat tails for long distance, because we are forced to, even though the flat base is the better bullet
 
Thanks Skizzums, I'll start testing flat base bullets for 100 yard comps. I just stuck with my tried and true long range ones figuring they'd work well at any range but your explanation makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the input.
 
100 yards only? 150 Matchkings with IMR4064. Although being idle the 168 grain load I have will do nicely.
1/10 twist with a 26" barrel is a pretty standard rifle.
 
With regard to your question about, "if the bullet shoots great at 300 yards, why will it not shoot great at 100 yards?" Or something to that effect. '

When you start to really think about it, it will make more sense then you think. You may find a bullet weight / twist / powder charge combination that will hold 2" groups at 500 yards, but only 1" groups at 100 yards as their performance may not fall off as quickly, while some combinations may result in one hole (the reason for single shot multiple targets in 100 / 200 yard precision benchrest) at 100 to 200 yards and then totally fall apart once they get beyond 200 yards. Calibers like the 6ppc are great out to 200 and much more accurate at those yardages then say a 6.5x47L or even a 6mmBR normal that will hold together and shoot much better than the ppc at 500 to 1,000 yards.

Berger recommends a twist of 1:13 for their match projectiles up to 175 grains. At 1:10 twist, I would stay with heavier bullets.

Bob
 
Not 100 but 200 yards here is a example of different bullets fired at 200 yards from a match 1903 rifle.

interesting comparison

1903%20bullet%20accuracy.jpg


I shoot a ton of '06 at 100 yards in practicing for or shooting CMP GSM matches and have seen and talked to several people also shooting 30 cal service rifles at that (and 200 yard) distance.

What works varies. Most stick to 150-155 gr bullets. Some go to the 110-130 gr bullet. And some use the 168-175 match bullets.

I will say there is no advantage of the 175 SMK over the 168s up to and including 300 yards. That based on my 35+ years of shooting service rifle (M14/M1s) and even my bolt guns (Target Model 70s in 308 & '06).

I found that for 100 yards the Greek Surplus M2 ball sold by the CMP is more then capable of cleaning the target used in CMP matches. It even works at 600 but at that range, in matches I'll go to the 168 A-Max. I use the A-Max in my M1903A4 for the vintage sniper matches which is fired at 300 & 600 yards.

I do use the Greek M2 or practice at 100 yards on the reduced 300 & 600 yard targets. It works quite well in my A4 at that range.

When I was at the Ok City Games (CMP) people were telling me they got their best results pulling the M2 bullet out of the Greek surplus and installing 155 gr pulma bullets. I tried that at 100 and couldn't really see a difference but I haven't tried it at 200.

Then again all guns are different. Its best to try several bullets. I don't do that in my guns I use in the CMP games simply because I'll take 4 guns to the Games and that is too many variables to keep track of at a single match.

It really doesn't take much to shoot 100 yards. I don't think you'll gain much by moving to the heavier and more expensive 175s.

I might add, in the late 60s Gary Anderson set a record in the 300 Meter ISU matches that has never been broke. I ask him what bullet he used. He said it doesn't matter as long as its 168 Hornady's. But that was at 300 Meters, and bullets have changed since then, and I'm no Gary Anderson.
 
I was having an off the range day cleaning up around my reloading room, and ran across some 30 caliber round nose soft points I had for my long departed 30-30. Just for kicks I loaded some up with a medium load of Reloader 15 and the group size was about 3/4 MOA at 100 yards. I'm sure with that bluff nosed bullet that the trajectory wouldn't be very good for shooting much over that, but for 100 yard practice, it was an eye opener.
 
My imitation Springfield sporter was quite accurate with Speer 130 gr JHPs. So is my gunsmith's custom '06.

If you like careful load test shooting, it is a great opportunity to try a lot of different bullets and loads.
 
I have found that out to about 250 yards or so, the 125-150 grain tipped flat base bullets with high volume powders at the upper end of the velocity range have generally resulted in the best accuracy.
 
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