New reloader needs powder info

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Wendyj

New member
Haven't loaded anything yet. Just got Lee challenger kit. Couple of calipers and have digital scale other stuff coming tomorrow. Been reading for a month to buy and get started. Everything I read for reloading 308 calls for varget powder. Went and bought powder but lol they had was hodgdon benchmark precision that reloader at store advised me to purchase. Wanting to load 165 grain nosler bt and can't find any charges for it. Hodgdon shows a 168 hornady sst load but I would like a safe starting load. Really want to do this safe. All I've done so far is tumble some brass I shot out of sps varmit with 1-12 twist. Gun was too heavy for hunting so Remington 700 upshot yet with 1-10 twist is waiting on a safe powder charge of the nosler bullets. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
There are a lot of powders that should work well. It's fine to have favorites. But in times of shortages we sometimes have to make substitutions. For ball/spherical powders,you should get excellent results with W-748 and Hodgdon BL-C(2). For extruded powders, any of the 4895 powders should do well for you.
 
Wendyj said:
Haven't loaded anything yet. Just got Lee challenger kit. Couple of calipers and have digital scale other stuff coming tomorrow. Been reading for a month to buy and get started. Everything I read for reloading 308 calls for varget powder. Went and bought powder but lol they had was hodgdon benchmark precision that reloader at store advised me to purchase. Wanting to load 165 grain nosler bt and can't find any charges for it. Hodgdon shows a 168 hornady sst load but I would like a safe starting load. Really want to do this safe. All I've done so far is tumble some brass I shot out of sps varmit with 1-12 twist. Gun was too heavy for hunting so Remington 700 upshot yet with 1-10 twist is waiting on a safe powder charge of the nosler bullets. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I've spent a lot of time experimenting with severall different .308 powders and there are many excellent options. First you should decide on a bullet to suit your needs. I have the same rifle as you and my rifle's favorite bullets are the 168 SMK , and the 155 SMK's . My go to powder is Win 748 ball powder. Ball powder is the best choice for the beginner as it will meter very easily precise. My other favorites are 4064 , 2000MR , 8208XBR and Benchmark (BM for the 155's). Notice Varget is not my fav ? That's because while I do use it and it's an awesome powder, back a year ago in the height of the "powder scare" Varget was nowhere to be found, period. So I was forced to work up some non popular powders as options. I have a ton of load data for the R700 Varmint .308 so PM me and I can help you out. Here's a pic of my "meat n potatoes" precision R700 that I shoot at 600 yds.

 
FWIW. I always suggest that a new reloader search his reloading manuals and determine a load before he buys components. If needed, make a list of powders you can use and stick to it. I disregard any "everybody uses this one for that cartridge" advise without me researching it. Many less headaches. Also, I pay very little (read no) attention to any forum expert, gun counter clerk, pet loads website, range rat, or gun shop guru. I have been reloading and purchasing components for 30 years and have heard some very questionable "advise" in gun shops and at the range They may be just trying to be helpful, but what are their credentials?. I still use my manual(s) for 98% of my load data. Plenty of combinations I ain't played with yet...

In your case, if you have to, use the data starting load for the near equivalent bullet, in your case the Hornady 168. Work up from there and watch for hard extraction, etc. I use IMR4064 and IMR 3031 in my .308 w/168 Nosler, so take that with a grain of Bullseye...:D
 
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Well everything came in. I loaded 38.5 grains of benchmark which according to the hornady sst 165 gr was their lowest load. Highest being 42.3. I bet I measured that poder 10 times on digital and analog scale. I really couldn't find oal for this anywhere so I measured my factory Nosler load which is just shy of 2.8. I st it to 2.723 which is what my factory oal was. Used case length guage and trimmed and deburred. I'm going to set up 5 at 38.5. Five more at 40 and five more at 40.5. Don't want to go max until I know what I'm doing the safest way I can. So first load was hornady brass 38.5 grains of benchmark powder and a 165 grain nosler bt. I didn't blow up but sure was scared to pull trigger first time. Have just fls 30 cases and deprived. Have them running in the tumbler again and all I can say is I'm hooked. Kind of like loading my old flintlock years ago. I thank you for all your responses.
 
Benchmark is a slightly faster burning powder best suited for 155's from the data i've gathered. Not to say you won't have success with BM and 168's just throwing out my experiences. I tried BM with 168 smk's and the consistency was just not there. BM is also a great 5.56 AR-15 powder.
 
Got to range today. Unfortunately it's only 75 yards. Had to zero scope. New gun new scope. Using benchmark and 165 gr bt got these results from 3 different loads. All five shot groups but one.

Factory ammo appr 1 inch.
38.5 gr reload .725
40 gr .695
41.5 gr .70 Only four shot group on this one as I had one failure to fire. Bad primer I guess. Using winchester primers but want to try cci. That's what I use in my muzzleloader anyway. I have to say the reloads even at worst outshot the factory all day long. Looks like 40 grains best load today. I'm sure I'll have more time to experiment but safety is my main concern right now. That and a 20 round box of Nosler trophy grade is $44.00 a box. May never make my money back but I'm a hooked reloader. Hope to find some varget powder and think im going to try the 180 grain bthp somewhere down the line. Brownells recommended the 180s since my rifle has the 1-10 twist. Happy with today's results as a new reloader.
 
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