Powder for 308

I've never tried it but Ill give it a try now . I do have some hunting rounds that I use 150gr GK for that would work . Most of the time I shoot 175gr+ bullets out of my 308s . I've always thought of it as a fast powder for those weights . . Then I see a range buddy using 3031 in his 45-70 :confused: I would have thought you would want a much slower powder for that cartridge . oh well still lots to learn here too.

IMR 4064 & 4895 are my go to powders but have used -2000MR , N540 with some good results . The N540 and 190smk was VERY accurate . Only had 2lbs of it and have not seen it for sale again .
 
I'm glad you posted that about the Blc2. I just found a store that carries it. Guess I will pass. Seems the 4064 and 3031 give me best groups. Reloader 15 seems to do better with Sierra bullets. Got to fool around more with the 4064. It's getting better though. Seems to do best with bigger bullets over 168 grains.
 
You'll see more people recommend 4064 than all other 308 powders if pure accuracy is your goal. I've used it with good results. 3031 will work, but wouldn't be my top choice. Varget is my go-to 308 powder giving me the best compromise of speed and accuracy. The fact that it is the 308 powder least effected by temperature changes seals the deal for me. RL-15 is my 2nd choice. 4064 is every bit as accurate and fast, but much more sensitive to temperature changes. Not a problem for target shooters, but as a hunter I can see 110 degrees temperature swing during a hunting season.

Loaded some varget 44 gr and 150 gr Nosler bt. Filled bass pretty full. Used 43.5 of the reloader 15. Brass still really full.
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You want a powder that fills the case. A slightly compressed load is usually the most accurate since the powder is in the same position at all times. If there is room for the powder to move around you can get inconsistent powder burns. You might get better accuracy and speed if you add some powder. It depends on the brass you're using. I'm running 47 gr of Varget under 150's for about 2850 fps with Winchester or Remington brass. Might have to reduce that for other brands.
 
RL-15 here. tried the rest and while they worked good, they did not do as good as RL-15. Crazy how all rifles like a different powder. You jst got to do the trial and error thig I guess. 43.2 gns RL-15/ 168 Serria Match and GM210M primers.
 
I tried 3 powders in 308 today. Varget 41 gr. 42 gr. 43 gr. 44 gr. cci primers. Hornady brass. 168 combined technology Sierra spitzers. Looked like shotgun pattern. I just can't seem to make it work. At best 2 inch group with 44 gr.

IMR 4034 178 Hornady Amax under 40 gr of powder. 5 shot group 1.23
IMR 3031. 40 gr Sierra spitzers. .542 3 shot group.
Reloader 15 40.5 grains 165 nbt. .634

I don't understand the Varget. Everyone recommends it for 308. Index card with Noslers even shows 44 gr Varget most accurate load tried. I know that's not my rifle it's talking about. I had used it before and laddered up .3 grains from 40 to 45. No luck. I don't get it.
 
I am super happy with this 7 mag 4831 IMR powder. It's consistent all the time. 62-63 grains prett much same under a dime. Either 140 nbt or combined technology Nosler silver tips. First silver tips I've used. Wondering how they will do on game at longer ranges.
 
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Wendyj said:
I don't understand the Varget. Everyone recommends it for 308
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Varget seems to be everyone's internet "pet powder". I tend to believe it's the internet "I better use it and brag about it cause everyone else uses's it and brags about it" scenario. It's also the FIRST powder that will fly off the shelves at the slightest sign of a gun "panic". I've tried it in both .308 and .223 and yes it works excellent. No better or worse than the other half dozen .223/.308 crossover powders that are available from my gathered data. Varget is overrated IMO. I have about 4 different powders with excellent loads ready to go and Varg is NOT one of them. So no matter what panic sets in of if there is continued powder availability issues in the marketplace, I got things covered with diversity ! ;)
 
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I can get acceptable accuracy in .308 Win with several different powders. Varget has never been my very favorite with any thing but it will do in a pinch. For my rifles in .308 Win, I like IMR-3031 for bullets under 150 gr and IMR-4064 for heavier bullets. YMMV.
 
P

Road Clam- Varget is the number 1 powder in 308 loads. Lots of top bench shooters use it. Varget is not a internet myth by far. It is like Unique Powder in pistols. It is the one powder that just works in almost everything. If I had to choose just one powder for all my rifles it would be Varget for sure. Thank god we don't have to though. That said-I am with you on 308 loads. I do not use it in 308. I do use it in 223 and my 6MMBR.
RL-15 is my 308 powder. Will be intresting to see if the new Varget ( Varget extreame) is going to be as popular. Also- The 308 is probably one if not the easiest cartridges to come up with a load for. It just shoots good with lots of powders.
 
I'm going to have to go with Bluegrass. His same powders work identical with me. Varget may work for some people and I know it's popular but doesn't do it for me. I've put mine up in case I buy a 243 or 270.
 
.308 loads

4runnerman; You load Varget long enough and you'll find that it works BEST at the top of its pressure range...Just like IMR 4895. They are as close to the same powder (in burning rate) as you can get. They are the most accurate at max loading in the .308 case. 47.0gr either Varget or IMR 4895 under Nos.150 BT is .5 MOA in three of my .308s, with a Ruger 77 Varminter going .375" all day long. Pick your case/primer, and keep the bullet .005-.015' off the lands and you'll start to find your sweet spot.

Metal god; Powders which are generally considered as [fast] burning are often the better powders for [Straight-walled] cases, even with the heavier bullet weights. In those cases, they seem to "slow down" in burning rate as compared to [shouldered] cases. At that point, the slower burning powders which are good in the shouldered cases tend to become more slower burning in the straight-walled cases and velocity tends to fall off and sometimes accuracy goes out the window as well. Rl-7; 4198 (both H and IMR); H322; Rl 10X; and a few more on the faster burning side will tend to work better in the .375 Win, .444 Mar, .45-70 and other like cases.
It's just a matter of finding the right powder for the combo at hand.


Wendy; The Nos. BTs and the C/T BSTs are of the same, exact construction except for the tip color and the black [oxide] coating on the BST. No need to pay anymore for the C/T-BSTs. Not one iota difference in terminal performance.

WILL.
 
Will J could be what you say, but I just found RL-15 to be better in my 308. I did shoot FTR Class with my 308, and while a lot of people there did use Varget there where a lot the did not. I have never found a load that shoots or should say out shoots a mid range load for accuracy. I don't hunt so my loads are built for accuracy only. I understand that a hunting load is different than a target load. My load of 42.3 RL-15, GM210M and 175 Serrias was a very good load for 1000 yard matches.
 
.308/Varget

Road_Clam;
Don't know how long you've been reloading; To what degree you've ventured in your loading, and, with all due respect... Don't really care. As for this thing about Varget and Internet BS...."I'd-better-get-it -because-everybody-is using-it" crap is just that...CRAP.

I've been using Varget since it first hit the shelves, and that was a helluva long time before I EVER thought about the Internet, Or ANY computer, for that matter. 40 yrs at the bench...8+yrs with Varget and a few others in that range [but the comp./Internet since only last Sept.]

My experience with Varget is tried and true and has been for years... not some [I'd-better-do-this-because-everyone-on-the-Internet-is doing-it] thing.
If it works for you...fine. The point is...IT WORKS. If your rifles get only "X" accuracy with any varied combo of recipes and Varget or, any other powder for that matter, meets that level of "X" accuracy...It works. No big deal one way or the other. If you worked on your rifles and got a bit more accuracy from them, perhaps you might find that Varget just might be a bit
more optimal than some other powders you've been using...Both in accuracy and velocity....But don't categorize it as [This Internet wonder powder] that everybody is jumping on the wagon and praising....Because it just may not work for everyone. But, for whom it does work, and works well, let them enjoy the benefits it gives them and leave this Internet BS to some other site. It does not belong here; Folks here are supposed to be helping one another with the loading scene, not denigrating anything, or anyone, because one does not agree with what another might or might not agree to; Or they agree/disagree with someone else other than yourself, for that matter.

In short...If it works for you....well and good. If NOT for you, but for someone else...all well and good also. The thing is...It will work for someone, somewhere, sometime, somehow....Whether or not it works for you...To your satisfaction.

WILL.
 
Will-j : WHOA there little fella . I had to go back and re-read Roadclams post to see where that high horse you road in on came from . I believe he was quite clear that he's used Varget with excellent results . He just thinks it has a lot of internet hype . Nothing wrong with that .

Furthermore , I've been apart of this forum and this internet thing for quite awhile . There are guys here at TFL that I respect greatly after a few years of reading there post . Although there has been a few that say Varget is there number one powder . There are MANY more that say IMR 4064 and RL-15 and a couple others are there go to best powders . Case in point , Federal gold metal match used IMR 4064 then went to RL-15 then I think back to 4064 . hmm no Varget in there ??? Why would they not use the best powder- "Varget" ? I guess Federal does not know what they're doing . So how bout you put a few more post under your belt before you start calling members out like that .

Metal
 
I've been happy with Varget with 150gr bullets and I've been happy with bl-c2 for 168-169gr bullets. Both loads shoot under 2" groups for me at 200yds from a Howa 1500.
 
Hodgdon Burn Rates ~"308 range"

80 Hodgdon Benchmark
81 Hodgdon H335
82 Ramshot X-Terminator
83 Accurate 2230
84 Accurate 2460s
85 IMR, 8208
86 Ramshot TAC
87 Hodgdon H4895
88 VihtaVuori N530
89 IMR, 4895
90 VihtaVuori N135
91 Alliant 12
92 Accurate 2495BR
93 IMR, 4064
94 NORMA 202
95 Accurate 4064
96 Accurate 2520
97 Alliant 15
98 VihtaVuori N140
99 Hodgdon VARGET
100 IMR, 4320
101 Winchester 748
102 Hodgdon BL-C(2)
103 Hodgdon CFE223

I like Varget, but will be trying most of that list. You may notice that the powders mentioned for long range and accuracy are the slower burning extruded powders, like Varget, R15, 4064.
 
4Runner;
I fully understand and agree with you on the RL-15. I have an H&R Ultra in .308 which shoots 165gr SSTs, Nos. BTs, and 168 Match pills of just about any flavor into 1-hole groups (some a little more ragged than others) at 100 yds. and ONLY with RL-15...46.0gr/ LC Match case/and either BR-2, Fed210M, or CCI # 34 primers.(why the 34s?...Haven't the slightest.) Still, most of the other loads prefer Varget and/or IMR 4895 to any other powders, especially with 150gr bullets.

The match loads will go into 1.74"@ a measured 440yds and [minute-of-baseball] at a laser-measured 660+ yds.

The H&R did need some attention to the forearm bedding resulting in floating the forestock and cushioning the barrel lug/stock pad with a neoprene doughnut washer as found in faucets..( DAAAMMNN.. Didn't mean to give that bit of info out.) Oh, well; If it helps other H&R shooters,(?) and a bi-pod works well also.

All seriousness aside, runner,.. Every rifle has its own preferences in recipes for accuracy, and those preferences are what we need to address.
The only way to find them is through trial-and-error. 1/2 gr.+/-, .005"+/-, neck-size vs. FLS...who knows? I've been at the bench 40 yrs. (come Nov.) and I don't think I'm even close to halfway through finding out everything I need to know about my stuff. I do know [that] there are others out there with much more time at the bench and they are [likewise] no closer than I am to learning all there is to learn. However....

I digress, and apologize for wandering...such as happens as we get on in years. Take care and keep on with trying different things.. Perhaps one day we'll all find that one magic recipe for all our loads.

WILL.
 
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