.308 powder question

Greg81

New Member
Hello, I am new to the forum here. Thanks for including me.

I have experience loading only pistol rounds and am just starting on loads for my first scoped rifle- a Savage 12 chambered in .308 Win, 26" barrel and 1:10 twist. I do not cast my own bullets yet but I have picked out a cast bullet to use from Missouri Bullet company, that being their "White Tail #4" -- .311" -- 165 grain RNFP -- Brin 18. I want to try shooting out to 300 meters with this bullet. Could anyone give me their thoughts on a slow powder that would keep velocities low enough for cast lead but also adequately fill the case? With so many powder options and my lack of experience with this caliber I am reaching a point where I need some advice. Much thanks.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
I use H4895 for my 308W, get about a 6" drop @ 200 so @300 you will get a lot more with the low BC whitetail bullet. I used it in my 30/30 and it is a good plain base bullet. 4895 will get you max fps but the drop will be difficult to compensate. Varget & several others will do the same. Try https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product-category/rifle/?filter_caliber=308 for GC bullets, to start. Results will be better/faster and more to your liking. You can play with plain base after you get some experience loading for rifle.
 
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Ian

Notorious member
Well.....no, Greg. Unfortunately there isn't a slow-burning version of Trail Boss, though it would be welcome if anyone could develop it. If you're just punching paper, get yourself any Lyman reloading manual and utilize the cast bullet loads recommended. Unique and 2400 are excellent in the .308 and will shoot just fine to 300 yards, albeit with some significant drop and wind deflection. Your first task is to get the bullets to group on paper at shorter distances, then move on out farther.

If you move up the velocity spectrum where you are approaching jacketed bullet pressures and using those powders from the 3031 to 4831 range (in the IMR line, as an example), then you will find that powder selection is no more complicated than in the pistol-shotgun realm, just different.
 

Ian

Notorious member
After reviewing the source, there's another possibility that might get you better results, faster: The Whitetail #1, Hi-Tek coated .309" bullet. You will need a cast bullet expanding die for your .308 (similar to the ones all the pistol sets include), I'd look at a .308" diameter expanding spud. The coated bullets will likely shoot a lot better for you than the commercial cast ones, can likely be pushed faster with better accuracy, and the coating in my experience does better when the bullets are sized a little smaller than traditional cast. If they had a .310" option that would be preferable, or you can buy the coated #4 (.311") and a .310" Lee push-through bullet sizer and size them yourself to better fit your rifle. I wouldn't try .311" coated bullets in a .308 as the Savage chambers typically have throat entrances ranging from .3095-3105" according to chamber casts from half a dozen factory Savage .308 barrels I've ended up with. Not trying to tell you what to do, just an option to consider until/if you start making your own.
 

Kevin Stenberg

Well-Known Member
Any new loader should read at least 1 loading manual a couple of times to get an idea of what is needed to reload rifle ammunition.
Also in the site forums. One of our most experienced members has a series of articles on relevant subjects.
This spring i am also working on 308 loads.
Welcome to our site. Never be afraid to ask a question you need help on.
 
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Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Don't make the mistake of not trying at least one (both are a better deal) of the "universal loads" for bottlenecked
military cartridges of the last century. The .308 qualifies. 10.0 gr of Unique and 16.0 Gr of 2400 have each proven,
many, many times to be excellent. Many start at 10 Unique and wind up at 12 or a bit more, same with 16 2400,
many wind up at 17 or 18 or so. These tend to deliver in the 1500 to 1700 fps range and are safe with any of
the normal cast bullet weights.

Bill
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I went and looked the bullet up.
you can't get there from here [well you can but your not going to be happy with the amount of powder left in the barrel]

your going to have a lot better results using a fast pistol powder and going for a speed more inline with 1,000 to 1,200 fps.
plain base bullets just respond to those speeds better and the faster powder speeds are going to be a lot more efficient in not only accelerating the bullet to speed but in efficiency of burning properly at the somewhat lower pressures.

now had you shown us a bullet that has a gas check and one with lengths and diameters that will match your 308 better [that bullet is for 30-30 rifles and more specifically Marlin rifles] we could give you some better fit loads to get you up to 1900 fps or so which would also match your goal of shooting 300 yds consistently.
by staying above the supersonic speed all the way to the target.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Son of a diddly....Don't I feel stupid. Those pictures rather sucked and I had to zoom until they pixilated but sure enough.....no freakin' gas check. Sure looked like there was at first glance, good catch, Fiver. Yeah, I'd say 10-12 grains of Unique is just about gonna be all there is to get.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I thought it might be the same 165gr mold I used to sell back in the day.
they come with a .298 diameter nose for the first 25 years the mold was available, and had a bevel base long enough to take a gas check to really kick things off wrong.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Hello and welcome from the mnts of Virginia.

Love the 308 and cast.....and a Savage bolt is a great way to go. Mine are all fine shooting cast rigs.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Welcome. I 2nd the suggestion of either getting the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook or this online book- http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm In either case 30 cal plain base bullets at 300m with a slow burning powder...no, wrong recipe. Your choice is a plain base hunting bullet near as I can tell. 300m you want something meant for longer ranges. Gas checks aren't a cure all, but they make starting out with cast exponentially simpler. I'm not trying to talk down to you, but you do understand you aren't going to be able to just jump to the same velocities with cast as you use with jacketed? Whole different ball game.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
If Greg comes back, I would actually recommend some 168 Amax or Hornady 150 SPP (# 3031?) to begin. Cheap but gets him into rifle reloading easy with decent results to begin. He needs a jax baseline anyway.