What do you load for hunting in 308?

I'm loading 150gr accubonds over 46.2gr Varget for my brothers LAR-8

YMMV, of course

I used varget with 165gr Accubonds and Ballistic Tips with good success. The also shot same poi which was nice.

150 grain Nosler ballistic hunting tip.

150 core locked or interlocked.

Any A-max, Sierra Game king, Pro Hunter, Hornady SP or SST. Lots of good options.

I have killed over 25 deer with the Speer 165 BTSP over the years and very much like that bullet. Max book loads of WW760 and IMR 3031 gave me the best combination of velocity and accuracy with no pressure signs in my rifles. BLC-2 is close. Everybody loves Varget and it's a great powder but my three .308s just like the first two I mentioned better, and I have tried about every medium burning powder there is.

I switched to the Hornady 165 BTSP for my Weatherby Vanguard because the Weatherby chewed up the soft lead tip of the Speer too much. From what I can tell from its performance on deer, the Hornady is a harder bullet but it's very accurate in my Vanguard and has accounted for several deer now.

Rick

165 Sierra Game King spire point
178 A-max

Both over H-Varget

Sierra, Speer, Hornady 150 grain S.P. bullet over IMR 3031.

Hard hitting, very accurate.

150 gn Hornady sp with 45.5 gn imr 4064

I am shooting 150 grain Gamekings over 47.4 grains of H414. Mild load and drops hogs in their tracks. All but the biggest boar have been shot thru and thru.

Try 165 Accubonds with 43gr of IMR-8208. Works great!

150 gr Hornady SST, 43.9 gr Varget, CCI LRP, and Lake City Long Range 1x brass.

^^Awesome shooting!^^

150 Nosler BT Varget 46.2gr or BLC(2)46.5gr

Thanks! Although all these boys shooting 46 gr of Varget compared to my 44 gr is making me start to second guess myself! What am I missing except a compressed load and a more tender shoulder?

I had a chrony malfunction after a few shots when I was developing but I think I'm getting about 2800 FPS with this load, which is what the data says I should be getting.

Consistency trumps velocity. Clearly you have the consistency taken care of.

You missed the X.

Also, his dime is larger than my dime.

Milsurp LC brass will need to have a grain or two reduced load...the thicker MS brass can create pressure problems with book max loads, according to all of my manuals.
Ron

kry226,

Please provide more information on your rifle that you used for that amazing grouping.

Ron, you're right. I had forgotten about that.



Remington Model 700, trued receiver, tuned stock trigger, Hogue overmolded stock, stainless Hart 20" bull barrel- all built by a no-name gunsmith in Georgia who specializes in M700s. But understand that's me on my best day. While the rifle is capable with every shot, I'm not.

Interestingly, this is the second accuracy node I found while working my ladder. The first was 43 gr Varget.