I am a beginner in the sport & hobby. I found your forum yesterday and I would like to say there's alot going on here that I wish I knew about earlier.

I'm just getting my reloading equipment together and trying to read the two manuals I just purchased Lyman's 48th Edition Reloading Handbook & Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.

I am looking to reload my CZ 550 American Model .308 Win. 22" Barrel and 1:12 Rate of Twist.

I've come to this forum to ask for advice and suggestions. I want to learn the correct way or at least a way that has some sort of method to its discipline.

I came across a topic posted on Feb.6, 2007 where Hot Core shared the Load Development Method of Mr. Creighton Audette. I think this is the method I want to adopt from my very first beginnings. Thank you for sharing!

I would also like to ask what type of Powder/ Bullet combination one would suggest I begin with.

My son & I would be recreational target shooting 100% of the time with this rifle.

95% of the time we have only access to a 100 yard target at a local range.

Although I haven't reloaded yet, I did pick up some Sierra Matchking 168 HPBT & 175 HPBT from my local gun shop and some Winchester LR Primers.

I purchased the single-stage LEE CAST PRESS and LEE DELUXE DIE SET, other LEE products for case preparation & a DILLON SCALE.

Could anyone share with me the powders that they use that have proven themself for this caliber, bullet weight, rate of twist, and barrel length as I begin my load development.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I seek to learn as much as I can before I press my first bullet.

Thak you very much!!!

Hi LB

For 0.308 with SMK 168 the std receipe is 42.3 gn Reloader 15.
The Audette method is great but you do need a 200-300 yd range if your rifle is inherantly accurate to log the seperation or you just end up with a ragged hole.
Failing access to a long range you can try the Optimal Charge weight development that HotCore hates (I am sure he upholds the right to democracy and free speech though )
http://home.earthlink.net/~dannewberry/dannewberrysopti...ightloaddevelopment/
I personnaly find it better when restricted to a 100 yd range and it does work very well.

Mark

Congratulations on joining the sport of shooting and reloading.
You have selected an excellent cartridge for target shooting. The 308 Win is used in many competitive shooting sports. There are volumes of information on reloading for it.
From a NRA high power competitive view point. The most often used combination of components is Lake City military surplus brass, Sierra 168 grain Match King bullet and IMR 4895. If you do use Military cases you should reduce your loads by about 10% below what will be listed for commercial cases. The Military stuff has thicker case walls which reduce the internal volume. You may want to check out Hornady"s loading data for Military cases. They have actually developed load data for the Mil surplus cases.
Commercial cases will work well maybe better in your bolt action rifle. However if your rifle won't shoot accurately with the Sierra Match Kings it probably won't shoot any thing else. That is not to say another bullet may be more accurate in your rifle, but it should do well with the MKs.
The Audette mehtod of load development is the most often used and is considered by most as the standard. But as MarH mentioned the Optimal Charge Weight method will also work.

muck

Late-bloomer, I've had good luck with both IMR 4064 and varget with the 168 gr. SMK. Like another poster stated, RL 15 is well suited to the 308 case. It will usually produce top velocities, but accuracy has not been great in my rifles. However, your experience may vary.

I also highly recommend any of the following:

Re15 (my personal best groups with 165-168 bullets)

IMR4064
Varget

I got all 3 of these powders to do very well with 150s and 165 class bullets. You have a perfect twist rate too.

I too only have access to a 100 yard range for load development. I "modified" Mr. Audette's system by using use a series of single targets for each shot so there is no question of where any one shot hit. Each target is numbered large and heavy enough to see through the scope, and load data to match the one load is marked on it. I usually pin up 4 to 6 at a time, but more could be posted if need be.

After my total series is fired, usually 10, I lay each target over a blank one and pencil mark/number each hole on the blank "master" target. That master target, and the load data details, goes into my files. The original targets are then trashed.

This makes it easy to find which loads give the most promise for further development even tho it's all done at just 100 yards.

LB your next purchase should be a Sierra reloading manual. Don't be afraid to use the toll free number to talk to thier staff either. They are very helpful.
I like Reloader 15 with the 168 Match King also. I have seen some very good groups using this combination.
I say again, buy a Sierra relaoding manual & start with the starting load listed & work up form there.

Late Bloomer,
Welcome to the forum.
I'ts very difficult to develop your load in a reliable manner. Most reloaders start with some minimum charge and work up, using a bullet they like and shoot normally three-shot groups and take their decisions, often by chance of a specific small group. This forum contains lots of statements that just a single 5-shot group is not reliable at all and this brings me to the conviction that even three or four 5-shot groups per charge increment can not be more than a slite indication. Consider why most factory ammo shoots better than a lot of handloadings. So what you will achieve by handloading is in the beginning only a development that indicates what might become a reliable load. So you can start with mr. Audette to achieve this indication and after that you can finetune your loads. And for hunting, even here in Holland we can find some area which is not too crowded and where you can shoot some 20 rounds in the open at 200 to 300 yards. Mind the wind.
For the Audette method: go to https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/571104925 Perhaps this post will help you!
Nice day,
Jan

Another vote for Dan Newberry's "Optimal charge weight". I used it several times, with good and useful results.

Late-Bloomer,

I've used both and respect both. I've talked to Dan (OCW) over the phone a few times and I feel he is a total gentleman. If 100 yds is the limit of your range, then the OCW will get you what you want. Where I live in Utah, I can be within a 45 min drive of what ever range (Utah West Desert) I want to shoot as far as I want. I recently took a new 26" stainless Lilja barrel in 30-06 Ackley Improved through the Audette process and successfully found two loads using Rel 25 and the Nosler 180 Ballistic Tip and Speer 180 Hot Core spitzer.

http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat...age=2&fpart=all&vc=1

Good luck!