I have just started reloading and with the help of an experienced reloader have made up my first batch of .308 Winchester rounds.I have zeroed at 200 yds and would be interested in knowing the trajectory curve for this specific load prior to a stalking trip.The spec is 150 grain Speer soft point boat tail in fire formed IMI brass full length sized, loaded with 42 grains of N140 with Remington primers.

Going to need the average muzzle velocity of the actual round in the actual gun to givea decent estimate.

Short of having that- what is the barrel length?
To guesstimate the velocity from.

[ 10-09-2003, 03:28: Message edited by: trigger ]

Trigger is spot on. You have to know exactly what yourload does in your barrel. The loading manuals are nothing but a wild guess, and I do mean wild.
My .308 Win. with 168gr. at 2700fps. is zeroed at 200yds. that puts me 2 1/4in. high at 100yds.
That velocity is approx. as I didn't walk down stairs and get the exact.
You will also need to know the distance from center of bore to center of scope if this is to be accurate.
Good shooting!

[ 10-09-2003, 05:31: Message edited by: Ma Bell ]

Ma Bell: something is out of whack somewhere. Assuming your 168 gr 308 bullet has a BC of about .475 and a velocity of 2700, my Oehler Ballistic Softwase says that for a 300 yd zero, it would be 4.81" high at 100yds. If it were 2.5" high at 100yds it would be 6.93" low at 300 yds. What am I missing? Regards, Jim

Ah ha: I'll bet you meant zeroed at 200 yds, right?

[ 10-09-2003, 04:48: Message edited by: olarmy ]

here are some numbers from "Load from a disk"
Assuming the Speer 150 with a BT at a BC of .423
Scope at 1.5" above the bore, for two muzzle velocities that seem reasonable for the 308 Win.

yds 2700fps
0 -1.5
50 .94
100 2.07
150 1.8
200 0
250 -3.46
300 -8.75
350 -16.04
400 -25.56

yds 2800fps
0 -1.5"
50 .79
100 1.88
150 1.65
200 0
250 -3.18
300 -8.05
350 -14.76
400 -23.50

yds 2800 fps(235yd zero)
0 -1.5
50 1.23
100 2.75
150 2.96
200 1.75
250 -.99
300 -5.42
350 -11.7
400 -19.99

If I anticipated shootng at 300 yds, I would zero for where these number never went above 3" over the line of sight ( looks like 235 yds would work at 2800 fps). I don't plan on shooting over 300 to start with.

[ 10-09-2003, 05:15: Message edited by: trigger ]

Thanks for keeping me honest guys. That's a 200yd zero.