Picked up a 308 Scar last fall and have been playing around with various hunting rounds to see what shoots best and gives me highest performance without going too far. Have my chrono set up on my back porch bench and shot pretty much all day long yesterday, probably 100 rounds.

Using 40-42 grains of TAC, 8208XBR, and BLC2 with 165-168 grain TTSX, TSX, Accubonds, Nosler Partition Spitzers, GMX, Grand Slams, and Game KIngs; got between 2332-2476 and didn't have any bad signs or primer problems. I used COLs from manuals even though my OAL gauges said some were 100 thousands off the rifling; but some were only 30 thousands off also.

Now I was using my red dot / horse shoe Acog so groups weren't as tight as I normally demand but I'm satisfied I can kill caribou out to 500 yards with this setup.

So what I'm wondering is even though the books give max loads around 46 grains and I'm not even thinking about loading that much in a 16 inch semi auto; would you all try 43-44.5 grains that might get me up to 2600? Or is this just the wrong way to go in a SCAR 308?

For what it's worth, all 3 shot groups were under 3 inches, the game kings & accubonds were close to an inch, and the nosler partitions & ttsxs were under two inches. Remember this was with an Acog ghost ring scope, no cross hairs. Funny thing was the Accubonds were seconds I bought cheap from S.P.

So what do you all shoot in your 308s? HOw many grains up would you consider going in a semi auto? This is a hunting gun, probably won't shoot 100 rounds/ year once I get her where I want her.

To get an idea of what the rifle was designed to shoot look up the pressures and velocities for the 7.62 NATO round which you know is the military version of the commercial 308 Win. That will give you an idea where to start at. Just because it's a semi auto military style rifle doesn't mean it's weak.

I think you are wasting time "developing" a load for a rifle that shoots into 3 inches. Looks like you already have some good loads, and also, smokinj is right.

Thanks for the response. FNH ain't much on cust serv and of course it seems most on the Scar site don't even go hunting. I also have a 6.8 and all those Texas pig hunters really post some good reloading info on the 6.8 site; they are way down the road with their reloads. I have to order a Larue for the Vortex I picked up a couple weeks back, has crosshairs and I think that will make this ordeal a bit easier. I really like the Acogs for quick shooting just the same, but she ain't a bench scope.

I'm not too worried about the groups with the Acog, but I'd sure like to get my velocity up to 2600 if possible. I have my 6.8s over 2600 and have killed bear & caribou with 110 TTSXs. I have half a dozen reloading books and they sure do vary some, and then I see some of the 6.8 loads out there and they are way past what you will find in any book.

Anyway, thanks, appreciate the response.

Something else. I have a nephew here in Alaska that is a PJ in air guard, gets sent off to Afghan bout every other year. He came up for visit and to hunt a couple weeks back. Bugger got a silver star and two bronze stars with valor for his last two deployments. NOw I was in KOrea backin early 70s when they were bringing in entire transportation companies with all their helos and all the wounded warrant officers I met; none ever had a silver star. I read all the paperwork he had with medals, I told him man that silver star is worth more than all the degrees you could ever get; speaks of his character. So now that I bragged him up, what he really impressed me with was an Elcan DR he had purchased, 1.5-6 power, glass was exquisite. I guess they go for around 1600 and it had crosshairs & a very fine red dot, seemed much smaller than my acogs; but the quality of glass is what set me back; got to work on the wifey to get one of those. He also had a set of Geovids 10X42 and they ranged out to 1400 yards. I could only get them to work out to 800, but once again the best glass I have ever seen on a set of binos; coming from a guy that only has ever owned binos under $300, ha ha. Have you all ever looked through Geovids?

Your hinderance is that 16 inch barrel. In Ramshot's loading data using TAC powder and the 168 grain Sierra they got much higher velocity with their 24 inch barrel. Your barrel is 9 inches shorter and that's substantial. You can get a little more velocity out of it with the faster powders, but then at the expense of higher pressure.

I favor the AR rifles and none of mine have shorter then 18 inch barrels. I'm not into the military type thing. I don't use my rifles for close quarter combat. I use them for hunting, long range target shooting and varmint hunting.

Another thing that reduces your powder burn efficiency are the cold temperatures in Alaska.

I congraduate your nephew on his military service to our country.

Dummy me, wasn't even thinking much about barrel length; but you sure are right. I like the shorter barrels for riding the narrow trails around where I call home; boy I hate about getting knocked off the 4 wheeler when them trees jump out and grab my barrel. The nephew also told me they use 13 inch barrels now after attending a few gun & sniper schools; mainly for working on people in pavehawk that are shot up. He claimed the accuracy between 16 & 13 inch barrel on a 556 is insignificant; but sure helps them moving around.

Hee is a great article about gas guns! Although he talks about the M1A1 I think it has good principles for semi auto gas guns.
Care and feeding

Rusty, Good read there on semi autos. I really like the Nosler Partitions but could change my main hunting bullets in the Scar to 165 Accubonds or TTSXs as I have over a thousand of each stocked up on my bench and I have used both in my 6.8 stag for years with success. I have a 338 Fed AR-10 Armalite that has had over 300 210 Nosler Partitions through it without any problems. I can see what he said about the lead tips though. The Scar does rough up the brass more than any other AR I own.

I'm going to have the wife print the piece out nx time shes down the school, stick in my file.

Thanks

I can recommend one 308 load that I have been using since the early 1970's.

This load has performed perfectly in FN-FAL's M1-A/M14's, 308 Garands, and H&K 91's. It works great in bolt, single shot and lever 308's as well.

In many rifles it has been more accurate than Federal 168gt Match ammo, which is probably the most acurate factory 308 ammo on the planet.

I have killed a lot of game with this load, and shot thousands of rounds of it over the years.

THE LOAD:

39.5gr of IMR 3031.
The Bullets; it works great with the following bullets, for target 168gr Sierra Matchking;
For hunting, the Sierra 165gr HPBT Gameking, the 165 gr Sierra Spitzer BT Gameking, the Nolser 165 gr Ballistic Tip, and for heavier game the 165 gr Nosler Partition.

Thisnsame 308/7.62mm load has worked so well for me in so many different rifles, I have never thought the need to develop another, except for heavier bullets for long range competition.

I loaded a hundred rounds of this same load with the 165 Sierra HPBT just yesterday.

I have never seen ANY 308/7.62 rifle that did not shoot this load pretty good, most shoot it very, very good.

This is a fairly light load, and gives long brass life.

I will go out on a limb, and state IF you have a 308/7.62 rifle that does not shoot this load, and/or Federals 168gr Match load very good, then there is something not right with your rifle...

I use h335 rather than tac with 163? Sst bullets in my r25. Submoa and kills pigs dead. 40-42 grains suits me

been using AR-Comp for the M1a and the Sav 99 with 168.

I have been chronographing my 18 inch barrel Ruger International bolt rifle in .308 for the last two weeks and I can get 2600 to 2635 FPS with max 180 gr. bullets with only two powders, WW-748 and IMR-4064 and very close to that with Varget. Mostly the problem is compaction and that limits the available powders, and also the lack of available powders on the shelves in twon..I'm still working on it and when I get some CFE-223 I will probably up that. but I am working at pretty high pressures..I doubt that this could be done with any but a bolt action rifle or something on the order of a Ruger no. 1...

Ray. Please don't share these thermonuclear loads. 2
30-06 vels out of a 308 is scary