Favorite 308 Loadings

[Brushhopper]

Starting load development for my Montana Rifle Company X3 308 24". Wanted to see what y'alls favorite loads were as a point of reference. Hunted the last two seasons with Buffalo Bore 150g Barnes TTSX loads and was impressed with the accuracy and performance on game.

[D u s t y]

Lot of it depends on what you want the load to do. I shoot a lot of eldm and amax as there great on paper and drop deer but I don’t expect them to blow through bone and out the other side.

[Brushhopper]

Lot of it depends on what you want the load to do. I shoot a lot of eldm and amax as there great on paper and drop deer but I don’t expect them to blow through bone and out the other side.

Definitely looking to develop a load that will pass through and leave a good blood trail too. I’ve also thought about loading a 130g really hot but not sure of how it’ll perform on game.

[Artos]

Varget is always a safe place to start with a powder...in my experience the barnes ttsx bullets work better the faster you push them.

[TacticalCowboy]

150 SGK and IMR 4064 or Varget.

Sexy? No.

Works? Exceedingly well.

[Notaguide]

16.5" barrel loading Hornady SST 165's with 42.5gr. of Varget with lowest SD at .01 off lands. Not fast but the SST's have performed well for hunting purposes. Recently pushed it a little harder at 45.2gr. gaining 170fps with good accuracy but higher SD.

42gr. of Varget seems to be the sweet spot for others that I know. Measured Fed Gold MM once and it was sitting right at 42gr.

[ColinR]

A stout load of Varget under a 165 Nosler Balistic tip bullet! It’s a hammer on huge pigs, deer, axis, and black buck so far.

[andre3k]

150 SGK and IMR 4064 or Varget.

Sexy? No.

Works? Exceedingly well.

Same. But I use both 150/165 Game Kings and Hornady Interlocks. Not fancy but they work.

[Ham]

Definitely looking to develop a load that will pass through and leave a good blood trail too. I’ve also thought about loading a 130g really hot but not sure of how it’ll perform on game.

My recipe - Barnes TTSX 130gr over CFE223 jumping 72 thou = 3030fps
Passes through pig and deer just fine. And leaves a half dollar sized exit wound.

[LWD]

For shooting, 168 AMAX over 44 grains of RL15. For hunting, 165 SST over 44 grains of RL15.

[Ag 96]

Just worked up a load for my finicky suppressed Springfield 2020…

168 gr. TTSX, 44 grs of Varget, 2.87” COAL yielded 5/8” 5 shot group at 100.

[KRB]

My 308 likes 168gr , drops everything . most accurate

[Chase4556]

150 SGK and IMR 4064 or Varget.

Sexy? No.

Works? Exceedingly well.

This is what I load. 150gr gameking or Speer hot core over a stout charge of IMR4064. Shoots amazingly well out of my Ruger American Predator. The Sierra and Speer shoot same POI, so I have mostly changed to the Speer due to the cheaper cost. Both shoot great. However, I did shoot an Axis last year at closer range(60yds) and the bullet came apart(‘tis but a cup and core) but the axis only made it 40yds.

I used to shoot the 165gr HPBT Gameking over a stout charge of Varget. Also shot well, but swapped to the 150s because the rifle liked them better. I still load them in 30-06 though. Those things are nasty on whitetail and axis.

[HTDUCK]

150 Accubonds over a max charge of Varget
2915 FPS

Or 165 Ballistic Tips over a mx charge of Varget

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

178gr BTHP over imr 4064
165gr partion over imr 4064