Hi, I'm trying to develop an accuracy load for a rebarreled Rem. 700 .308 W. The barrel is an almost unfired 1987/1988 Shilen match 1x10" twist ( ) barrel. Which bullet brand and weight (as well as everything else) do you recommend? Here the only powders we can find at a decent price are the Vithavuori. Thanks.

Only one load you need to consider: Sierra 168's and 43.0 grains of 4064.

My two cents....

Merry Christmas

The sierra 168 will be very accurate. The VIHT 140 has the right burn rate also and somewhere between 39 and 42 gr.

With VithaVouri powders try the following loads

With 150 to 155 gr. bullets try:
Some where between 46.5 gr. to 47.2 gr. of N540
Winchester Brass
Federal 210M Primers

With 165 to 168 gr. bullets try:
Some where between 46 gr. to 47 gr. of N550
Winchester Brass
Federal 210M Primers

The above loads have proven safe and very accurate in numerous 308's they have been tried in. As always start lower and work up. Good Luck and Good Shooting

PaPa 260

I shot VV150 under 168gr SMK, the 167gr Lapua is also a great bullet (maybe easier to get there). Work up to 45gr.

My TRG-22 has a 1/11 twist and seems to favor 175gr Sierra's with VV N-150. Your rifle with 1/10 twist would probably be worth trying a heavier bullet in also. Though I've shot thousands of 168 SMK's and have come to think that the 175's are a better bullet overall anyway. If I were starting up with a new rifle in 1/10 they would be where I'd start.
Back in my silhouette days 190's with 4064 were a really good load for the 500 meter rams, they also might be worth a shot (or 5).............DJ

Using the Sierra 168 or the Nosler 165 BT I can strongly recomend VV 540 and 41.3 grainsin Lapua brass and using a Federal 210 match primer. Extrordinary results with the VV 135 and 125 grain Ballistic tips have also been seen, when charges filled the case a bit better...

308Sako: What was your load with the VV N135 behind the 125 gr. Nosler B.T.? I have used Win. 748 for years with that bullet. Accuracy has always been very good and the velocity runs around 3100 to 3150 in my rifles. However, I would like to find something besides 748. I have tried 3031 and Benchmark. But they did weren't as good as 748. I am a big fan of VithaVouri powders. Maybe a load using N135 would equal the 748 load and would get me away from ball powder.

PaPa 260

Years ago, I got the bug to shoot Hunter Class Benchrest. The gunsmith who built the rifle says "...just seat a Sierra 150gr Matchking .015" off the lands and start at 39.5gr of H4895. Go up in 1/2gr increments until the gun shoots 3/8" 5-shot groups or you get to 43.5. Somewhere in there, with that 36X Leupols you got, that rifle will shot a 1/4" group.". He was right. 42.5gr stuck five in a group that measured .213" at 100 yards...one perfect morning with no conditions to speak of.
Shot a lot of 5-shot groups in the low .3's over the next two years, won the Oregon State HBR 100 and 200 yardages,and combined 100/200 grand aggregate, and put me into 7th place overall in the TCL for the year.

Rich
DRSS
NRA Life Member

Papa, not to hyjack this thread, but... start about 45 grains and head north till the little hole is all that's on the target after many shots.

I shot the 168 match bullets from Hornady,Nosler ,Sierra ,and Berger in Norma bras with necks turned to .0125 and the flash holes deburred and trimmed religously to 2.010.with fed 210 GMM primers and A-2520 powder.I couldnt tell a difference in the bullets so used the Hornadys,they were cheaper.