load workup guide?

[idcastandblast]

Maybe I have read TOO much so that I have too much information? Looking for a step-by-step process overview of the 'best' way to develop a load for a R700 .308.

[38superman]

Okay, I don't know your skill level so I will make this pretty basic.

The process is simple and works for any rifle caliber.

Bullet selection depends on the task, such as varmint shooting, target or hunting.

Pick a bullet for the specific task and that you want to try in your gun.

Go to the loading manual and pick a powder that is appropriate for that bullet.

The manual will list a variety of powder and bullet combinations along with minimum and maximum loads.

Never start with the max load. Always back off at least 10% and work up.

In a .308 I would start about 4 grains of powder below the listed max and work up in 0.5 grain increments.

These incremental powder charges are commonly referred to as ladder charges.

For a hunting rifle I usually load 3 rounds of each charge. For target I shoot 5 round groups with each charge.

Starting with the light loads and working your way up, watch for signs of excessive pressure, i.e. flattened primers, pierced primers, sticky extraction, etc.

If you see signs of excessive pressure, stop there and go no further.

Shoot each group very carefully from a rest and document the results.

Rinse and repeat.

I typically repeat each ladder charge 5 times and then take an average of the group sizes.

This will diminish the human element and avoid skewing the data too much due to the occasional flyer.

If you don't have a chronograph, get one. For a reloader it is the best money you can spend.

The chrono will take a lot of guess work out of load development.

Once the testing is complete you will find that one or two particular loads perform better in your gun.

For hunting, the hope is that this "sweet spot" comes at or near max.

That is where you get the best ballistic performance along with accuracy.

For a target load, I will happily sacrifice a couple hundred fps for a load that stacks in a tight group. (Depending on the range of course.)

If you don't get the results you want try a different powder and repeat the process.

Some barrels tend to do their best work with faster powders vs. the slow. Some barrels prefer lighter bullets vs. heavy.

Every gun has slight differences in chamber and barrel harmonics.

Experiment to find what works.

Once you find a load you like, you can also play around with the overall length.

Some bullets are more sensitive to seating depth than others.

However, use caution. Seating too long or short can create issues.

There is tons of documentation on the subject so do your homework.

Until you have a good understanding of how and why to do this, stick to the OAL that is given in the manual.

Below you will find a range card for my .270

The loads listed may or may not be safe in any other rifle so follow the procedure and work up if you want to use them.

They are offed only as an example of the process I use. YMMV.

Tls

270 Loads.pdf

[427Cobra]

Read the first post

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3814361.0

That is a tried and true way to develop most accurate load for your rifle, couple of things to consider though, mag length limitation, chamber throat length, both of those are the things that are different between his single shot custom rifle, so I would recommend against using VLD bullets

[idcastandblast]

Thanks for the thorough responses. I appreciate the help.

[Old3GNR]

Don't try to reinvent the wheel. There are very many proven .308 loads using 4064, 4895, Varget, RL 15 and other powders. Do a search. For starters, try 175 SMK, BR-2 Primers, Win Brass, 2.800" oal, 44.5 Varget.

[asr1]

I agree with Old3GNR for many years and it is proven that Varget + 175 SMK are the combo for 308 Win.

Primers he is correct BR-2 is good but with my 308 I been lucky I can use what I get my hands on and still shoots bug holes.

Sadly Varget is hard to come by these days amd my supply running short, so I got my hand on some IMR 4064 to see how it going to work.

Keep in mind 168 SMK is good also and very forgiving, but based on other shooters not as the 175 SMK for past 600 yard.

[dauntedfuture]

Ok, try 40-41g of H4895 in a LC case with a 168g SMK. If this does not work something is wrong with your rifle. Expectation management is key, you have a factory rifle with a factory barrel. Contrary to what many people read, post and claim, a factory Remington is a good 1-1.5 MOA barrel for a 10 shot group at 100 yds with good ammo. Occasionally wind will push shots together. Others will post a 4 shot group that measures .3 with a "flyer" that opens up the group to .75/1". I would bet that another 5 rounds would round that whole group out. Be happy with 1" and go and shoot. If you keep looking for a .25 MOA load you will wear your barrel out testing.

Other good options include 175 SMKs, 150 SMKs for bullets and varget and RL15 for powder. FL size, weight sort and trim your brass. Stay away from FGM brass. VLD bullets will not likely shoot as well in long throat guns.

[ShooterSteve]

Do a google search for ocw test by Dan Newberry. Some of the information goes against "standard" work ups, but it's hard to argue with his results once you do it.

[BTDT83]

Dan Newberry knows his stuff. You may also want to google "Ladder technique for load development." I use to burn through a lot of ammunition before finding the optimum load for my precision rifle. Using the ladder technique, it takes between 20 and 40 rounds.

A good starting point for a .308 is a quality 168g projectile and 41.5g of H4895, H4064 or RL15 with a C.O.L. of 2.800". I could type several paragraphs on optimum C.O.L., but .2.800" has worked well enough in a few of my rifles that I did not change the C.O.L. until I saw a significant change in the free bore. I think it is a very good starting point.

Edited April 3, 2015 by BTDT83

[dkynoch]

I have shot f class with a 308 for the past 7 years. I have done many ladder tests and have never gotten any conclusive results and that was with a 18 lb rifle. I have always seen to much shooter error involved to get any data from 1 shoot at each charge. I have shot 10 shot groups that where under 3 inches at 600 yards off a bipod. I still just believe in shooting 5 shot groups with several different charges of a known good powder for a given caliber and going with the smallest grouping load.

[ShooterSteve]

The process above is good if you hand weigh each charge, but the ocw process will help eliminate those pesky fliers. Since most of us are throwing charges from a measure, the charges may not be exactly the same, and this process will put your loads in the middle of the sweet area for your rifle. Ocw tests are best done at 100 yds, which is different from a ladder test. It would be well worth your time to read Dan's page on ocw testing. I didn't believe in it a whole lot until I read and understood the whole process. After taking a lesson with Dan, I am very impressed with how he does things. I would recommend his lessons to anyone who is new to the long range game.

[Hardmix]

Go spend time on Snipershide reloading for 308....more than enough data. Personally, I would grab some Varget, Lapua brass, and some smk175's and start at 42.5 and work you way up.

Hardmix