308 loads for Hoosier deer

[Scotmak]

I currently load 358wssm for my AR.

 

[NKBJ]

I just ordered 100 Hornady 165gr Spire Point Boat Tail bullets to load in my 308 for deer hunting this fall. This gun shoots the 155gr A-Max bullets very well, so hopefully the 165gr SPBT's group somewhere around an inch.

Anybody else loading up 30 caliber or 243/6mm loads for deer hunting in Indiana this fall?

Good choice on the 165 BT. Heavy and not too heavy. Won't slow down much.
More than needed for white tail, and therefore just right!

How far are going to put them from contact with the rifling?

 

[Broom_jm]

Good choice on the 165 BT. Heavy and not too heavy. Won't slow down much.
More than needed for white tail, and therefore just right!

How far are going to put them from contact with the rifling?

I'm trying them at .030" off and will adjust on that, if needed. So far these bullets don't like H4895 nearly as much as the A-Max bullets do. I'm going to try IMR4320 next.

I may or may not even hunt with this rifle, since I'm working on a new wildcat.

 

[bwframe]

Gotta work up a deer hunting load for my Ruger scout rifle.

 

[Deereman7]

42 grains imr 4064 and a 168 grain Berger hunting hp. 2.835-2.840 oal. They are running 2550 outta my 18" barrel

 

[Broom_jm]

Spent some more time testing the 308 loads this weekend. I ran charges of 40, 41, 42, 42.5 and 43 grains of IMR 4895 under the 165gr Hornady BTSP. The first three charge weights were ho-hum at around an inch and a half. The last two were considerably better, with both shooting to the same POI and less than 1" groups for four rounds at 100 yards. This is listed as a starting load on the Hodgdon site, but a near-max charge in the Hornady manual. Either way, it should be generating about 2,600fps, which means it will have a reasonably flat trajectory with plenty of energy to perform well out to 250 or 300 yards, particularly once I have practiced with it at that range.

 

[spencer rifle]

Spent some more time testing the 308 loads this weekend. I ran charges of 40, 41, 42, 42.5 and 43 grains of IMR 4895 under the 165gr Hornady BTSP. The first three charge weights were ho-hum at around an inch and a half. The last two were considerably better, with both shooting to the same POI and less than 1" groups for four rounds at 100 yards. This is listed as a starting load on the Hodgdon site, but a near-max charge in the Hornady manual. Either way, it should be generating about 2,600fps, which means it will have a reasonably flat trajectory with plenty of energy to perform well out to 250 or 300 yards, particularly once I have practiced with it at that range.

What is your OAL for these? I'm looking at the same load for my Ruger American 22" 308.

 

[Hookeye]

Nobody running 4350?

 

[RMC]

Nobody running 4350?

I use 4350 religiously in my 30-06 and it does fine with my Browning 308. I got a bit more snort with 4831 but stayed with the 4350 to keep my inventory down. I've heard some say Varget is good with 308 but never got around to trying it. I tried it in my 22-250 and it sucked. I ended up using what I had left for charcoal starter where it performed great.

 

[Broom_jm]

What is your OAL for these? I'm looking at the same load for my Ruger American 22" 308.

I'll double-check that for you tonight. They are not crimped, but loaded with the mouth pretty close to the cannelure.

I've tried some of the slower-burning powders in 308 (4350 and 4831) but with the light-to-medium-weight bullets, found slightly faster powders to work better with the given volume. Maybe with 180's or heavier the slow powders would work well. H4895 and IMR4320, along with Varget, tend to be good choices.

 

[Hookeye]

Been running 4350 in .243 the last 2 decades.
Some boom/flash in 18.5-22" bbl rigs running 70gr varmint bullets.
But accuracy has been stellar.

 

[spencer rifle]

I'll double-check that for you tonight. They are not crimped, but loaded with the mouth pretty close to the cannelure.

I've tried some of the slower-burning powders in 308 (4350 and 4831) but with the light-to-medium-weight bullets, found slightly faster powders to work better with the given volume. Maybe with 180's or heavier the slow powders would work well. H4895 and IMR4320, along with Varget, tend to be good choices.

Thanks. Should I let the chamber/rifling determine this for me? If so, do you have any procedure/advice for this?

 

[Broom_jm]

Thanks. Should I let the chamber/rifling determine this for me? If so, do you have any procedure/advice for this?

The length of the loads I'm shooting is 2.750". The cartridge OAL is somewhat subjective and there are any number of ways to figure out what will work best in your rifle. The easiest is to load to the length specified in the load manual for the bullet you're shooting. Another factor that sometimes determines OAL is the magazine length; you load as long as you can to fit the magazine but still aren't loading into the lands. For single-shot rifles, or rifles with ample magazine length, the most precise way to determine a starting point for your loads OAL is with a Stoney Point gauge (now called a Lock-n-Load gauge).

Other methods also work, but the description of the process varies and always leads to arguments. Suffice to say that you seat a bullet way too long and adjust until it fits without experiencing undo resistance while closing your action. That is a bullet seated right next to the lands...I usually back off about .020" and work from there. With some bullets, like Barnes, the recommendation is at least .050" clearance off the lands.

Then you have rifles like my old 7RM where I don't think the throat was cut right because I couldn't seat even 150gr bullets short enough...or Weatherby chambers where a lot of freebore is cut and reaching the lands is often impossible, with normal weight/length bullets.

 

[spencer rifle]

Thanks for the help. Looks like I'm at 2.83 OAL (quite a bit below the cannelure) but fits in the mag and the bolt closes normally. Going to try some at 42.3 grains H4895

 

[Broom_jm]

Thanks for the help. Looks like I'm at 2.83 OAL (quite a bit below the cannelure) but fits in the mag and the bolt closes normally. Going to try some at 42.3 grains H4895

41.0 to 43.5 is the range recommended by Hodgdon, for that combination. I'd put together at least a few at 41.5 and 42.0, just to inspect the cases and ensure the bolt isn't sticky. Stranger things have happened.

 

[ChrisK1977]

I reloaded some 150 grain SST's for my .308. I used 44 grains IMR 3031. Guessing a little over 2700fps from my 20" barrrl? My daughter already killed one deer with the rifle but was using 150 grain Federal SP.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Anybody else loading up 30 caliber or 243/6mm loads for deer hunting in Indiana this fall?

No, I use the 6.5x.284.

The deer I have killed have been with a 140, so your 155, 168, 170, etc. in .30 should all be optimal.

Happy hunting, Broom!

 

[Broom_jm]

No, I use the 6.5x.284.

The deer I have killed have been with a 140, so your 155, 168, 170, etc. in .30 should all be optimal.

Happy hunting, Broom!

Thanks, KF.

The 6.5x284 is a great round, for sure. The 6x284 would be legal on private lands during the gun season, under the new regs. (Then again, hopefully it won't be long and all rifle cartridges bigger than .224" will be legal!)

Do you use your 6.5x284 during depredation hunts or also during the regular gun season? Do you have any 30-caliber options you might try out, now that they're legal?

 

[patience0830]

85 gr Gamekings. Got some 10 y/o reloads in the basement I found yesterday. Got 10 left after I checked the Tikka .243 zero on Sunday. 1 should be enough. Still have about a dozen 100gr partitions in the stash that are nearly as old as I am. Might load them up next yr. Took me a while to locate the ammo can with .243 in it. Mostly 58 gr varmint stuff loaded up.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Do you use your 6.5x284 during depredation hunts or also during the regular gun season?

Just depredation. Farms/orchards north of me.