Anyone had any luck with reduced loads in the .308 Win? I ordered the wrong bullets for my wife's nephew's new .308 Win. I got excited to see some Speer Deep Curl 150 gr bullets in stock for a good price. Problem is that they are the flat nose for the .30-30 Win and speer says not to load them faster than 2200 fps or so. Anyone have any experience with trying this? I have TAC, AA 2015, CFE 223, IMR-8208 XBR and old surplus Accurate 2200 on hand and could pick up a pound of H-4895 if I have to. (would rather not since I already blew about $25 for the bullets) Oh, I have some Blue Dot, too, if that might work. Had pretty good luck with it in the .223 Rem duplicating .22 Magnum level loads. Or if you think I am crazy and should just try to swap the bullets for some more appropriate .308 Win. bullets, go ahead and say so.
Thanks for any comments.

Depending on what you want to use them for, you could still load them up to full power for target shooting and such. They only need to be kept to slower speeds for use on game. You could even use them at full power for varmints.

That said, there are lots of good reduced 308 loads, but I didnt see any data in the books I have handy for your specific powders. You might try looking up some loads for the 307 Win.

G-luck!

Thanks for the reply, WH. I came to the same conclusion myself as I reviewed my Speer No. 14 and Hornady No. 8 manuals. The .307 Win data should be about perfect if I want to load to 30-30 Win levels. Other responses on a different forum suggested just loading them up to normal .308 Win levels for targets and varmints and call it good. I think I will try both. Thanks again.

If you have a Lyman manual that list loads for cast bullets, try some of the powders listed for them. Most cast bullet loads operate at much less pressure and should be safe with the 30-30 type bullets.
Another thing is the Lee reloading manual It has a very large section on reduced loads like you are looking at.
In the Lee book under the 308 Win it list 25 gr of 2400 for 2215 fps. It also list several others podwer that give simular speeds with safe pressures.
Lee's book is one of the few that talks about cast loads in much detail. It also tells how to reduce powder charges to lower levels. It is all very interesting reading. Most of his data is bought from others but his low power cast bullet stuff he has worked out himself.
Leo

As, I suppsoe, most 30-30 game is shot at 50-70 yards...and as most 308 game starts at 90-110 yards I think that a load with a MV in your 308 Winchester that exits the muzzle at 2,300fps will be about "on the money" for 2,200fps (with that flat nose) around 100 yards.

I think that you might just have the makings of a nice reduced managed recoil load where that flat nose (and increased chance of expansion) compensates for the lower starting muzzle velocity!

So think of it as a benefit...you've a bullet that you can start of with low recoil but that will still perform at 100 yards as efficiently as a 30-30 does at 50 yards!

I've had good luck with 26.5 grains of 4759 at 2250 fps. also reduced loads of 2200. roger

I loaded some 30/30 bullets for a friend of mine several years ago to shoot in a light weight 308 rifle he had. I loaded them with 37gr of IMR 3031. The shot great and killed deer like the Hammer of Thor, and did not kick him out of his tree blind.