Retesting the 315 in the 308

Ole_270

Well-Known Member
Just an update on the Saeco 315 loads I was playing with this spring. We had a cold front come through this week that dropped temps into the upper 80s, so when a bit of downtime appeared I setup the chronograph and shot a couple loads I had on hand to retry. I shot the Varget loads one day, cleaned the rifle and shot the H4350 the next day. One thing I've learned on this rifle, that pencil barrel doesn't like extended strings of fire. I have a hard time waiting in between shots, so it usually gets pretty warm

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100 yards Vari-x III 2.5-8​

H4350 Federal cases

42 gr 2192fps 76 Extreme Spread 1st three shots into 1 3/8”

43 gr 2226 95 1st 3 in 3/4, 5 in 1 1/2, 7 in 1 5/8



Varget PPU cases

35 gr 2159 fps 95 Extreme Spread 4 of 1st 5 in 1 3/8

36 2226 39 3 into 7/8”, last two spread 2” right., barrel had gotten too hot.



Just out of curiosity, this morning I fired a load with N202 at 2050fps into the end of a well seasoned (several years) stick of coffee bean ( Kentucky Coffee) firewood from 10 feet. It penetrated 8.5” and tumbled just as it came to rest. I found it facing back the way it came, with the gas check and a small piece of the mushroom right next to the main shank. Together they all weighed 121 gr out of the original 180, the shank portion weighed 80 gr. Pretty severe test, but it showed me that maybe it won't go to pieces if it hits bone while deer hunting. Alloy was 1.4 SN, 2.9Sb, PC and water dropped out of the PC oven.

All in all, I think I've got several usable loads that are well into 300 Savage or 30-40 Krag range of power. Still haven't experimented with seating depth (2.7 OAL is what I'm using)or tumble lubing after the PC. I'm getting anxious to try it out on deer this fall.
 

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
Good results!
I believe those loads will prove deeply problematic for the deer being shot with it. I haven’t tried the #315 much at higher velocities with PC. Seems i should give it a go, after the family holiday :)
 

Ole_270

Well-Known Member
I would recommend you work up to those loads, this rifle has an oversized throat and bore. I'm getting lower velocities than others have posted with the same loads, so I upped the charge to reach the velocity I was after.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
the P/C will slow things down some too requiring more powder.

it looks like your doing well with several loads, kind of a matter of just using whatever powder you have the most of at the time now.
 

Ole_270

Well-Known Member
took the rifle and the rest of the N202 loads(2050-2100 fps) out to my son in laws this afternoon. Did some shooting with my 12 year old Grandson and his new Kimber 308 in preperation for his Wyoming antelope hunt this fall. He was banging the 200 yard going fairly regularly with downloaded 120 BTs. The kid is finally starting to grow, maybe one of these days he'll add some weight to help handle the recoil. We tried the cast out of my rifle and after figuring the correct drop, hitting was easy at that range. The Varget and H4350 loads were more accurate than this load, just have to decide what I want to settle on velocity wise for a more long term load.