I have a box of 150 grain Sierra Spitzer bullets and I started looking through my manuals to see if I have any powder that can work for that bullet. Looks like I can use Accurate 2015 and CFE223 and BLC-2 for that bullet type. Then I wanted to see if I could use Accurate 2015 for any other bullet weights in .308 and I saw in the Hornady Manual that Accurate 2015 can be used for 110 grain V-Max bullets. Just wondering if anyone else has experimented with lighter grain bullets in the .308 and if you had any success wether that be just at the range or for hunting. I’d say lighter bullets meaning anywhere from the 100-150 grain range…
I've loaded lot's 100-125gr in 300WM and 30-378WBY, but no .308. Some have been more accurate than others of course but I've never had a load that wasn't suitable to hunt with. Those bullets generally don't stay together for me out of the 300 and 30-378 but the 308 won't be anywhere near those velocities. VMAX bullets aren't made to stay together anyway upon impact.
I like 45gr of BL-C(2) with 150 gr bullets in my 308 rifles.
Always seemed to be a sweet spot.
I have not tried fast small weight bullets.
Slow 100 gr cast stuff I have tried.
Here is a little dissection test with factory Remington 150gr .308 ammo I did.
https://www.okshooters.com/threads/disected-factory-remington-308-ammo-acuracy-ocw.216604/
Always seemed to be a sweet spot.
I have not tried fast small weight bullets.
Slow 100 gr cast stuff I have tried.
Here is a little dissection test with factory Remington 150gr .308 ammo I did.
https://www.okshooters.com/threads/disected-factory-remington-308-ammo-acuracy-ocw.216604/
I've used some 125's in my old 308, believe they were the NBT's, killed deer just fine
I used to load the original 130gr Barnes X bullets in my wife and my 308s. They would drop mule deer out to 300 yards with great consistency. My father borrowed my rifle one year and killed a very nice buck at 450 yards with those 130s, but it took 3 shots to get it done. Speed rules with light for caliber projectiles IMHO.
Hodgdon publishes data for reduced velocity loads using, I think, H4895. The data is on their website. I haven’t loaded any 308s, I have loaded other calibers using the data and they worked very well.
Anything that falls within the burn rate of Benchmark and BL-C(2) will work fine with lighter .308 bullets...you can even go a bit faster on burn rates if you drop down to 110gr projectiles.
I've used both TAC and both 4895s on the 130-150gr bullets with good success in my 1:10 twist, 18" .308 gas guns.
I've used both TAC and both 4895s on the 130-150gr bullets with good success in my 1:10 twist, 18" .308 gas guns.
Got some 110 grain bullets to try out. Unfortunately I don’t have a chrono but maybe I can at least group them at 100 and see how they do.
PanhandleGlocker
what gun are you shooting?I plan on shooting the lighter bullets out of a Mossberg 100 ATR
