Need a good hunting for a Remington 700 in .308. Prefer something in the 165 Nosler, 165 GameKing area but open to....this is for general hunting nothing larger than Mule Deer, and our mulies ain't that big!
Thanks
Sarge

Hey Sarge,

You being in the Army (albeit retired)I guess you shot the M-14 from time to time? I loved mine in Ranger School, and afterwards. I was fortunate enough to attend the USA Marshmanship Training Unit's instructional seminar for two years in a row...the shooting teams, plus the guys from the sniper school gave us civillians two days of one on one @ Ft. Benning. In talking with the guys their favored accuracy load in the M-14 and M-1A was 43.0 grains of 4064 behind the 168 grain Sierra Match bullet. I used the load with great success and when using it for hunting just switched to a 165 grain ballistic tip or something similar. Worked great.

Will be using it tonight going after wild hogs raiding my deer property.

Use 210M primers and Federal match brass and you can't go wrong.

Rangers Lead the Way.

Hank, your load is VERY similar to the one I came up with for my M1A and Encore 308 (including the cases and primers) after much experimentation. It's about the best I've found for the 308.

If your not hunting larger than Mule Deer, try the 150gr Nosler Accubond with 46 to 47gr of Varget. If you just have to use the 165s try 42 to 44gr of IMR-4064. The laods are all in the range that I shoot with my Remington 700 308.

I've used the 165 grain Hormady BTSP and 43+ grains of IMR 4064 for over 20 years and it seems to work well in every 308 that I've tried it in.

Well it has been 748 WIN for me,46.3 gr. and 165gr. gameking,fed 210 primer,Rem, or Win, brass. Not all that hot of A load, 2645 fps but it shoots well.

Hornady SST 165gn 46gn Varget 2675fps shoots about an inch or better in my Whitworth Mauser. Some don't like polytips, but it's an Interlock and at those speeds opens well, holds together and penetrates about as well as any cup and core. capt david

Thanks guys keep them coming I want a bunch of choices!

Sarge

On several occasions, my pre-64 FWT M-70 has put three Hornady 165-gr. spitzers nearly into the same hole over 46 grains of Varget. Three 165-gr. Nolser Partitions enlarge the group slightly. This load chronographs at 2,650 fps. I honestly did not think I could shoot this well, even off a bench, so needless to say I'm delighted with the combination.

47 grains of Varget under a good 150 is also accurate, and should get you about 2,750 fps. I hear RL-15 is the best for combining speed and accuracy, but I'm sticking with Varget.

These loads are max, so work up in your rifle.


Okie John

I use surplus WC-846 (specs identical to WW 748 and BL-C2) in my .308. If I didn't, I'd use IMR or H 4895 just as happily. Charge weights are particular to the individual rifle, so I'll let you pick, starting with a judicious amount and working up until everything is "right".

My Remington loves the 165/168 grain bullets with 43.2 grains of IMR 4064 and the Fed 210 Match primer in Lapua brass. Load shoots 5 rounds into .35 if I can hold tight.

Several friends and I have been using remington 165 Core locks on deer and pigs here is south Texas for about 20 years now. We buy them in bulk. They are cheap, suprizingly accurate and kill deer like lightening if put in the right place.

Work up to 47 grains of Reloader 15 with the 165's.

Rem m788 in .308 All five loads subMOA
165gr Sierra GameKings
IMR 3031 40.6gr @ 2700fps MAX Load
IMR 4064 42.5gr @ 2700fps

I also like the 150gr GameKings a lot
RE-7 37.1gr @ 2700fps
IMR 3031 40.7gr @ 2700fps
IMR 4064 42.3gr @ 2700fps

sarge, I'd try 43-45grs RE15 with the bullets you mentioned, 45.5 is the max in the Alliant manual. That(45.5grs.) also happens to be my load for the 150SBT. I'd think about a grain less might be the most accurate for the 165s. Jay

Thanks Group you've given me a lot to work with!!
Sarge

44 grs of R15 / 165 is what ive been loading also.

I know you asked for load info, but you might try the Hornady Light Magnum ammo. Last year I bought a couple boxes with their 165 Interlock to try in my BLR. They make 2725 fps out of that short barrel and shoot MOA. I haven't found a 165 gr. load I could put together that comes close to that velocity. I took a nice Mule deer at 280 yards with them last fall--first big game animial I've ever shot with factory ammo.

OK, I'll be the oddball here. I have a rifle that is so finicky about what goes down it's barrel that I nearly went nuts trying to get it to shoot. It's a Ruger 77 RSI, the one with the Mannlicher style stock. Nothing would group worth a damn in that gun. I tried IMR-3031,4859,4064 and 4320 with nary a decent group. It hates 180 gr. spitzer bullets, and 150s don't do much better. I tried the 165 gr. Speer Hot-core using 49.0 gr. of W-760 and finally got a usuable group of 1.25-1.50" when I do my part. velocity was only 2550 FPS but that load has killed Mule Deer for me out to 250 yards laser measured. All but one bullet has been a complete pass through and all the deer have been one shot kills, none moving more than maybe 20 feet. Most dropped on the spot.
Running that same load thought a Winchester M70, the velocity was 2610 FPS, with accuracy running in the one inch range. I personally don't much care for boattail bullets as they seem to shed their cores to often to suit my tastes.
FWIW, the most accurate load for that RSI is 48.0 gr. of W-760 and a 180 gr. Sierra round nose bullet, yet the same weight with a spitzer bullet will only do about 5.0" on a good day.
I did say it was a finicky rifle. My wife liked it so well, I bought her one and it is just as fussy. The same loads work the same way in her rifle.
I now have three of those rifles in .308, all bought fairly cheaply because their previous owners said they were not accurate. The 165 gr. load and 180 RN load shoot just fine in all three. Very wierd finicky rifles, but I love 'em.
Paul B.

I have killed a lot of game in the 308 with the 165 Sierra HPBT Gameking, 165 Nosler Partition, and the 165 Nosler Ballistic tip with 39.5 gr of IMR 3031.

Not only does this load shoot good in several bolt rifles but in H&K 91's, FN-FAL's M1-A's M1 Garands, and a Savage 99.

This is not a Max load, but I have killed antelope at 550 plus with it.

My most accurate load for my Rem. 700 .308W, using 165 grains Nosler Partition bullets, is 44.0 grains IMR 4064. Fderal Match L.R. Primers.

As long as I do my part, it consistently shoots 1 1/2" groups at 200 (two hundred) yards.

Very effective on Mule deer (and other deer), and will be using it this fall for elk.

Good luck.

L.W.

Again THANK YOU GROUP for all the choices you've given me. Now for just kind of a follow on I see lots of 4064 and RE 15 loads. Anybody using Varget? 30378 mentioned one load but not very many others. Anyone?
Thanks
Sarge

Got real ho hum groups with Varget...as a matter of fact, nothing I ever loaded with Varget has beaten my accuracy load for that given caliber. Want my cannister of Varget?

Hello SargeRN,
Yes I do use Varget and depending on weight of bullet, use as follows:

155 Sierra Palma, LC Match Brass, Fed. 210M primer, trim brass to 2.005", seat bullet .003 from lands and grooves, and 46 grains of Varget. 175 MK's, use 44 grains, 190 MK's use 42 grains. Barrel is Krieger, 30" 12 twist, Palma profile, 40x action, Master Class stock, Warner rear sight, Anshutz front globe w/ semi circle/post insert, 1.5 lens multiplier, Jewell trigger. Combination is good to 1000 yard mark with these three loads. (mind you, these are warm, but 1000 yards is all the 308 wants and you need to hump it a bit)
Wind slight or low, use the 155 loads, moderate winds use the 175's and if some 10 plus miles per hour or more use the 190's. For me, the 190's give me about a one ring advantage in strong wind.
I have found that you can substitute IMR 4064 for Varget and in fact use .2 more grains of powder per bullet weight. Both will work fine in my rifle and hold the 10 ring all day long and on a good day have 50% X's if I do my part. Have shot these loads for several years and like Varget very much for it is the least or one of the least sensitive powders to temperature change you can purchase. If the temp. in the morning of a match is in the 60's and by early afternoon the temp is over 90 plus or even over 100 it is hard enough stretched out there on your mat w/ sweat in your eyes and then you have to worry about the change of performance of your loads. Some say for every 15 degree in temp. change, increase, you can expect a 1 moa change in elevation and at 1000 yards that is 10" Varget is very stable compared to others. Just my experience and sure others will have more to offer.

Hank H...how much you got??? I buy it by the 8 lb jug!!
Driver - OH I'm VERY familiar with Varget! Use it in everything from my .303 Enfield to my custom tactical rifle, which uses 44 Varget over Lapua brass with the 175 MK or the 178 A-max with 210M primer. As with your experiance it will hold minimum of 1MOA - usually 1/2 MOA on a good day as long as I do my part and get good wind calls.
This is the reason I was asking about hunting loads using Varget!
Sarge

Hello SargeRN,
Since you like Varget as well, might want to switch the Sierra Game Kings for the Match Kings or close as possible and figure the results would be very good for hunting.

Every year I go to Perry and that is about every year, I pick up couple 8 lb. jugs of Varget. Price is better there and quite common for it is one of the preferred powders for lots of various calibers. I understand the world's Palma teams use Varget?? Good Luck.

As mentioned above, I'm using Varget. My father told me about it; he shoots Palma and F-class and swears by it.


Okie John

Okie John, Driver and everyone else that has spoken up THANK YOU! Now all I have to do is sort through all this and make a decision and start loading!
Again THANKS to all!!
Sarge