Reloading the .308

[FINNWOLF]

Anyone have any favorite loads for 147-150gr bullets with IMR 4064 powder which are accurate at 100 yards?

How about reduced loads? I have seen data for the .30-06 referring to 110gr projectiles with 14-17 grains of Unique powder. I don't know if the FAL would cycle the reduced loads. Any comments?

[Wadman]

I've gone through about 12 pounds of IMR 4064 in the past few years. It's one of my favorites in .308 behind either a 150gr BTHP (Nosler) or the 168gr. Sierra BTHPM MatchKing. I use 43gr. of it with Lake City match brass.

[Noname]

40.2GR's of 4064 with Sierra 155 GR Palma's. My Bud gets .250 5 shot groups with this load in his Tikka 595 Sporter. Ran fine through a M1A this weekend---.800 to .900 groups. Never fired this load through a FAL though. (brass was LC)

[DJ]

Finnwolf, My favorite powder for 308 and 30-06 is imr4895, so I can't help much there. I did want to warn you to be careful using Unique in 308-30-06 cases. you may want to use a filler to keep the powder at the base of the case so that you don't end up with a detonation. I have seen pics of bolt rifles that were literally destroyed by small charges of fast powder in reduced loads.

[TideWater 41009]

FINNWOLF;
FAL's need full powered, or nearly full powered loads using bullets from about 150 to 180 grains and medium burning rate powders to properly cycle the action. Greatly reduced loads with light bullets will not cycle.

I have loaded 180 and 190 grain cast bullets (w/gas checks) with moderately reduced charges of IMR 3031, 4895 and 4064 that reliably cycled in FAL's and an HK91.

Be cautious with the use of fillers, as many loading manuals say to avoid them, or only use them if the load was developed with them and specifically calls for them.

Richard Lee's "Modern Handloading" (I think that is the correct title), written in the mid-90's, has some excellent information on SAFELY developing reduced loads.

Have fun,
Refinishing Guy

[1927 A1]

in my sar-8 43 gr win 748 hi tech 150 gr fmj lc brass win lr primers has been very accurate.it also shot well in my cia fn-fal before I dumped the P.O.S.

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[PoiDog]

How about crimping? Do any of you crimp your reloads? I've heard it both ways, crimp for semi-auto, don't crimp for bolt action. What do you gents think? I'm talking .308, not .223.

[Wadman]

If you've got cannelured bullets, definitely crimp. I've heard Federal crimps everything, cannelure or no cannelure. Now I've never pulled any of their 168gr, Gold Medal Match to verify, preferring to shoot them. But if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die.

[LAFAL]

147GR Win. FMJBT, once fired R-P brass (deburred flash hole), CCI LR primers, and 46 gr IMR 4895 gave me the following:
2860fps 6 ft from muzzle
extreme spread 42fps
avg dev. 11.4fps
energy 6ft off muzzle 2670ft#s
I only loaded up 10 to chronograph and haven't been back to the range to shoot at paper. Louisiana is verry muddy right now after 2 wks of rain.
these were shot using my STG-58. Hand guards on, gas system open and on 4, sandbag rest from bench. No signs of excess pressure on fired brass and they all landed in a pile about 10 ft behind and right.
I'd still like to try 4064 and 748.
Oh, and I used Lee's factory crimp die, also.

[Scott S]

I, too, use the Lee Factory Crimp die. Crimped some Nosler BT 150s; they shot better than the factory Remington ammo I used.

[ProGun1]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by LAFAL:
[B]147GR Win. FMJBT, once fired R-P brass (deburred flash hole), CCI LR primers, and 46 gr IMR 4895.

What do you prefer for overall length? Are you loading near max? I have a lot of LC brass I'd like to use. Have you used any and what was your load then? I understand it has to be less due to added pressure. I'm comfortable loading .45 acp with Bullseye and 230gn Ranier but haven't done any .308 since surplus was so cheap to shoot. I've got quite a bit of the round you mentioned so I'm eager to use it. Thanks.

[Wadman]

My M1A standard seems to love this load:

43gr. IMR 4064, Lake City '91 Match, Win. LR primers, Sierra 168gr. BTHPM Matchkings seated enough to fit in a magazine. But when I first started shooting highpower, the .30 cal shooters said their pet load only used 41.2 gr. of IMR 4064. That light a load just wouldn't cycle reliably in my rifle so I had to push it up slightly.

[LAFAL]

Progun, I'll get back to you on the OAL I use. I have some LC and IMI brass- you should use a small base sizing die on any military brass. At least I do. I think the military cases seem to be thicker and tend to "spring back" somewhat to the fired dimensions when sized with a regular sizing die. The small base die works. I also bought 1000 primed FN brass from Wideners that I'm fixing to start playing with. Will save the once fired stuff for experimenting with different powders cause I had already deburred the flash hole. The idea is to remove all the possible variables between rounds- trim to same length, deburr flash hole, weigh each charge on electronic scale, primer seated to same depth, crimp, etc.

[Aifwikir]

My favorite load (and it works in my FAL & M1A)

165gr Nosler Ballistic tip
IMR 3031 @ 42.5gr
gets right at 2625fps & very accurate


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I don't suffer from insanity,,,,
I enjoy it!