Powder for .308

Like several others others, I love Varget. That said, if I had other powders on hand, but no Varget, I wouldn't hesitate to try to work up a load with them first.
 
Do you need magnum primer in winter for BLC2?
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Yes. BLC2 is a ball propellant used in the USGI 7.62 round and military primers are magnum. Summer, winter, no matter. Use the magnum primers. Ball powders have a deterrent coating, and less space for the flame to move around, so they can be harder to ignite consistently. I understand that as the case volume/powder stack, increases, and powder speed decreases the benefits of magnum primers are greater. They will go bang with regular primers.
Taken to an extreme, I have loaded 308 full of WC872 (VERY slow), and even with magnum primers, it leaves a trail of unburned granules down the bore.
Extruded powders like 4895, 4064, Varget, etc, are easier to ignite with regular primers. Usually these extruded powders are treated to have some degree of temperature insensitivity.

I use CCI #34 mil spec primers for 308.
"Specifications and Features:
Mil Spec Sensitivity
Non-Corrosive
Initiator mixed for ball powder
Easy to seat"

Back to OP's question, see this link to Hodgdon's burn rate chart and powders #80 to #115 (I have used data for many from #83 to #106) is the general range of appropriate powers for 7.62/308. ALWAYS consult published reloading data. Burn rate charts are NOT reloading data.
https://www.hodgdon.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/burn-rate-color.pdf
 
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For two of my 308s, the best powders are IMR 4064, H4895 and N140 in that order.
For the third .308, the best powders are N140, H4895 and RL-15 in that order.
Each of the rifles have shot over 1000 groups with lots of powders and lots of bullet weights.
The third rifle has been retired after well over 6500 rounds due to excessive throat erosion.

Shooting conditions make a difference and I am a lot better shooter now and the third rifle is older and many of the groups were shot without the changes in my technique so I don't trust the data as much.
 
748 gave a large fireball. Varget and RL15 gave the best velocity and H-4895 gave the best accuracy, all with 150 "whatever".
 
Barrel Length Matters

jmr40 said:
Barrel length has nothing to do with anything. The fastest and most accurate load from a 26" barrel will also be the fastest and most accurate from a 16" barrel.
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Those two sentences are not always true and are unrelated to each other. If you use a slower powder the average pressure will be higher and one gets a higher velocity. There are exceptions like when the case fills and you can't reach the maximum SAAMI pressure. The velocity of the bullet leaving the muzzle is determined by the average pressure on the base of the bullet and the length of the barrel. Slower powders usually allow that to be higher. Look at the charges. If a faster powder maxes out at 44 grains and a slower powder at 50 grains, a longer barrel certainly may enable one to achieve higher average pressure and velocity with the slower powder.

Accuracy doesn't have a lot to do with burning rate. There are several powders with nearly identical burning rate but one may be more accurate than another. The same goes for barrel length. Experiments have been done shortening barrels and they find an optimal length. That length depends on the rifle, the calibre and the load. Loads may be tuned to particular lengths of barrel. Shorten it and the load just isn't quite as accurate.

Certainly length of barrel is not the only factor involved. Chamber, throat and rifling all matter too but length of barrel certainly matters. That's why all barrels aren't some convenient standard length. I doubt anyone would put a 16" barrel on a .50 BMG and folks are unlikely to put a 40" barrel on a .308 Win. but folks do put longer barrels on many rifles to give higher velocity and/or accuracy. In .308 for instance, some bullets lose accuracy if they drop below the speed of sound at long ranges. Give the rifle a heavier charge of powder and a longer barrel and the range at which that problem arises increases.
 
I am a big fan of Varget but also a big fan of use what ya got. Before buying a new powder I would see if I can get acceptable performance on what is on the shelf.

If what you have on hand fails get a jug of Varget and some 168SMK's dip the case down in it and pour off enough to be able to seat the bullet with no crunching sounds. If that doesn't shoot then throw the barrel out. Only half kidding
 
I have never used Varget. IMR-4320 is a good one. Hey, use what you have. Load some up and go shooting. Have fun!
 
Powder for a 308. I suspect you could put cow dropping's in it and it would work! I never tried slow powder's in mine and never fast unless shooting cast. Everything just seem's to work. Don't recall what it was I settled on, probably IMR 3031 or BLC-2
 
I use H4895 and Accurate LT-32, leaning more to the LT-32 and I’m still learning and doing load development, but in a 22” Barrel it is more consistent velocity than H4895, that I attribute to my volumetric powder throw rather than trickled weight since the H4895 is courser by a lot and will not meter as smoothly and consistently. Since I don’t plan to powder trickle every round but instead develop a load that is accurate and consistent enough using the micrometer style powder throw... LT-32 works better.


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Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, SAF / CRPA / FPC member and supporter, USCCA Member
 
I haven't seen anyone mention Alliant MR 2000 yet. It's a flattened ball powder, so it meters pretty well. Still have to trickle the charges if you want every one exact down to the tenth of a grain, but it's far more consistent than extruded powders through my Redding measure. It's a newer "high energy" powder, so it's capable of higher than usual velocities to boot.
 
I just bought a pound of the PP 2000-MR and based on reports, it should be a good one.

My best load for my 24.5" Sako 308 is a 165 Trophy Bonded Tipped bullet pushed to 2850 with a full load of Ramshot BIG GAME.

She's a winner.
 
I've used IMR-4895, H4895, IMR 4064, Varget... but the best load I ever found for my Savage 10FLP uses RL15! I seat the bullets out to fit the throat - but it still feeds through the magazine 100%. It's a tack driver and my hunting load. The Lubalox coating on Silver Tips bullets really does keep the pressure down. I tried substituting regular Ballistic Tips once and they didn't work out as well.

Good

Bullet: Nosler 168 gr. Ballistic Silver Tip
Powder: Alliant Reloader 15 45.0 grs
Primer: Federal 210
Case: Winchester
LOAL: 2.895 (2.273 Base to Ogive)
Average Velocity: 2625.35 fps
Extreme Spread: 10.83
Standard Deviation: 4.12
Comments: Five shots at 200 yards measured 1.626 inches.

Better!

Bullet: Nosler 168 gr. Ballistic Silvertip
Powder: Alliant Reloader 15 46.0 grs
Primer: Federal 210
Case: Winchester (2nd Firing)
LOAL: 2.895 (2.263 Base to Ogive)
Average Velocity: 2663.36 fps
Extreme Spread: 4.69
Standard Deviation: 2.64

IMG_0656.jpg
 
Always used 4064 or 4895 with most of the best loads with 4064. Never had much success with Varget although most love the stuff. Now that I'm loading on my Dillon I've been trying 335 which works pretty well also.
 
There is no shortage of powders which will perform well in the .308 Winchester cartridge. That said the choice of powder depends to some extent on the rifle being loaded for, including the differences between a bolt gun and a gas gun. While I shoot quite a bit of bolt gun I also load for my M1A as well as my AR 10. I try to keep my loads rifle specific but generally speaking I also try to use powders like IMR 4064 and no slower for my gas guns and like IMR 4895, Hodgdon H 4895 and a powder I like quite a bit is AA 2495. While Varget works great in my bolt gun I was never fond of it in the gas guns. Overall my thinking is that the best powder is the powder which performs best in your rifle. Don't limit yourself and try a few at varying ends of slow to fast.

Ron
 
4064/Varget

Years ago, I read a John Wooters article listing 4064 as his favorite powder in .308. I dropped one grain from Wooters suggested load for 150 gr slugs, and have not shot anything else since with that bullet weight.

Later, I dabbled in F-T/R matches with .308/175 hr Match Kings and Varget was widely used by those folks. I had a bit of trouble with max loads of 4064 being temperature sensitive and switched over to Varget also. Pressure issues ceased, and accuracy was the same, if not a tad better. I also use
Varget in a hunting load using 180 grain Nosler ballistic tips in one of my .308 rifles as well.
 
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