Loading some 308 mil spec brass... Lighter than book loads because of the heavier wall or ??? What do y'all think? Using 43/43.5/ 44 gr of Varget with a 165 gr Nosler ballistic tip. CCI primer. Thanks
-
ODT Gun Show this Saturday! - Click here for info and tickets!
Lighter loads for 308 mil spec brass ?
- Thread starter Emmersom Biggens
- Start date
I have not really done much as far as lightening the load for my milspec stuff as they are mixed in with commercial for my plinkers. However, boom and recoil is more noticable. The plinkers are produced en mass and a +/- .1 variance. Regardless, I can almost always tell when a milspec round was fired.
My plinking load is 43.1 grains varget with pulled 147 fmjbt m80's. set to crimp groove and lightly crimped. This is out of a 16" saiga
My plinking load is 43.1 grains varget with pulled 147 fmjbt m80's. set to crimp groove and lightly crimped. This is out of a 16" saiga
If you are developing a load use a specific componet for each and don't change if you want accuracy and precision out of your loads. Always start low and work your way up, just picking a random charge number is not going to be the most easy route to a good load. I guess what I am trying to say is there is a difference anytime a componet is changed from what the book load was developed for. Most of the loads in a book are going to be from a commercial case. Just start low and you will be fine.
This is correct. Segregate your commercial brass from military. I worked up a great .308 load using Hornady 165gr SST bullets with commercial brass. I tried sorting by commercial brass brand to see if that would make any impact on accuracy and it did not. As long as it was sized the same and trimmed to the same length in printed great groups. If I tried military brass the groups weren't as consistent. I don't load .308 for volume shooting like I would 5.56 so I just throw the military stuff off to the side and stick to commercial brass.
The more that a case is re-sized the more the different brands will show their differences. Different brass brands will have different neck retension over the life of the brass that can affect accuracy due to bullet movement. I notice it more in remington and PMC brass with less loadings than most other commercial brass.
Just don't go below published minimums and you'll be alright. Many people don't realize just how dangerous an under charged case can be.
I have had my own experiences with undercharged cases because as a younger man I was hard headed and didn't heed the warnings of others or my manuals. A really stupid thing to do. I haven't blown up a gun but I have had serious hang fires. Click....1....2....3....BOOM. while trying to reduce some rifle loads. Just lucky I guess.
Here's a link to several guys who weren't as lucky. http://www.reloadammo.com/liteload.htm
There is a reason every load manual I have ever read cautions against going below published minimums.
Here's a link to several guys who weren't as lucky. http://www.reloadammo.com/liteload.htm
There is a reason every load manual I have ever read cautions against going below published minimums.
Last edited:
