Another 308 question

[TxxAgg]

I picked up a Tikka T3x 308 Compact. It'll get threaded. Do I keep it at 20" or chop to 16"?

I'm inclined to go 16"...but it sure does seems like those bullets leave slow.

Open to pointers. Let me know what yall think.

 

[deerhunter628]

My 168 Speer Gold Dot out of my 16” barrel is at 2495 muzzle velocity.

 

[BLJ]

I cut mine to 18” from 22”.
For me 20” wasn’t a big enough jump to justify at the time so I went to 18”.

For reference factory Norma 180 Bondstrikes have a MV of 2531 from the 18 and 4” of Tikka barrel weighs 4.6 ounces.

 

[The Guide]

What is your maximum range and what bullet weight do you plan to shoot? The research I've done shows that a 190 ABLR will still be at 1800 fps at 440 yards at sea level with a launch speed of above 2365 fps MV. The 308 can do that with a 190 but just barely. If you drop down to a 168 ELDM you need a MV of 2550 fps to get there. If you go down to a 130 TTSX Barnes you need 2925 fps MV just to get to 1800 fps at 440 yards which is below the suggested 2k fps minimum expansion velocity.

What bullet are you looking to shoot and to what distance?

Jay

 

[deerhunter628]

I get 2585 muzzle velocity with the 168 ABLR. That puts me at over 1800 fps to 500 yards at 975 ft altitude.

 

[TxxAgg]

Thanks guys. This is helpful.

This rifle isn't for a specific purpose...one of those "wants" rather than a need. Just seeing what the available options look like.

 

[deadwolf]

1 and suppressed : )


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kkp005]

My brother bought one for his boys Christmas present . I had a guy cut it to 18” and thread it. Put a trijicon credo on it and screwed a silencerco scythe on her… man it’s a handy little gun. I sighted it in with 150gr fed fusions and the chrono showed they were like 2750ish

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I picked up a Tikka T3x 308 Compact. It'll get threaded. Do I keep it at 20" or chop to 16"?

I'm inclined to go 16"...but it sure does seems like those bullets leave slow.

Open to pointers. Let me know what yall think.

If you are putting a can on it, go 16”. If not… then keep it longer.

 

[TxxAgg]

If you are putting a can on it, go 16”. If not… then keep it longer.

It'll only be shot suppressed.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

It'll only be shot suppressed.

Cool. I am partial to short barrels… for the last decade one of my primary hunting rifles is a 12.5” 6.8 w/7” can. I don’t like long guns. My latest bolt rifle project is a 16” 6.5CM that started with an 8” can, but moved quickly to a shorter 6” can (Scythe). That rifle killed a cow elk at 302 yards this year without issue using 130tmk at 2750 from the muzzle, and is above expansion velocity out past 700 yards… which is plenty for me.

The difference between 18” and 16” is going to be around 50 fps. If you plug your numbers into a ballistic calc, using 1800 fps as min expansion velocity for match type bullets (ELDM, EldX, TMK, etc..) or 2200 fps for monos, when you hit the number is your maximum effective terminal range. Does 50fps matter?…

This is my real 308 data from a hunting load (handload) shot through a 16” large frame AR with 7” can. It is not a max load by any stretch… mid level.

150gr Accubond at 2675 muzzle = 1800fps at 440 yards (1808 fps)

If we add 50fps of muzzle velocity, that changes to 460 (1814 fps)

This data for for my current atmospherics in the desert and will be better at higher elevation.

Point is, does the 20yard delta matter to you?

I prefer the handiness of a shorter rifle.

 

[MHWASH]

From my 18" Tikka, I get 2770 w/155s and 2650 w168s. I was able to reach 2850 with the 155s using CFE 223, but the groups were not good.

 

[BLJ]

From my 18" Tikka, I get 2770 w/155s and 2650 w168s. I was able to reach 2850 with the 155s using CFE 223, but the groups were not good.

Did you use CFE 223 for all the loads? Which 155? Thanks.

 

[TxxAgg]

16" sounds like the ticket

 

[MHWASH]

Did you use CFE 223 for all the loads? Which 155? Thanks.

155 Lapua Scenar w/TAC
With the 168s I was able to reach 2650 w/CFE & 2770 w/TAC.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

20”

 

[H80Hunter]

I have a 16.5” Sig Cross 308 that shoots the Federal 168 TMKs at 2540 which gets me 1800 fps out to 446 yards where I live.

 

[General RE LEE]

20"

My 178 ELDX handload is very similar to the Hornady Precision Hunter 308 load. 2517 FPS out of 20"

I wouldnt want it to be leaving muzzle much slower.

 

[TxxAgg]

My 168 Speer Gold Dot out of my 16” barrel is at 2495 muzzle velocity.

168 Gold Dots look pretty good. Shots are probably 300 yds and under 99% of the time.

Anyone else have anything I should be looking at?

 

[deerhunter628]

168 Gold Dots look pretty good. Shots are probably 300 yds and under 99% of the time.

Anyone else have anything I should be looking at?

I have not been real happy with the Gold Dots and that is too bad because i bought a bunch of the 150 grain. I have been happier with the terminal performance of the Nosler Ballistic Tips.