More speed out of 308

[Vern400]

Im running +/- 44gr of varget for a few different 308 loads (win brass, fed primers, 165gr TTSX, SMK, SGK) and speeds are all in the 2600 fps range out of a 21" bartlein.

Anyone have a powder suggestion to get a bit more speed out of this rifle? RL15? IMR 4166? N140?

Longer barrel, lighter bullet, higher case capacity. The End

 

[Rifles And More]

308 is not 30-06
30-06 is not 300wm

The only way I know to get more is barrel length and long throat - but why run loads at the ragged edge? No room for error or changing conditions.

 

[excaliber]

Im running +/- 44gr of varget for a few different 308 loads (win brass, fed primers, 165gr TTSX, SMK, SGK) and speeds are all in the 2600 fps range out of a 21" bartlein.

Anyone have a powder suggestion to get a bit more speed out of this rifle? RL15? IMR 4166? N140?

That's really not all that slow for such a small cartridge and small amount of powder. For comparison my 300 Win mag will push a 200 gr Eld-X with 79 g of H1000 around 2970 fps with allot more recoil.

 

[35WhelenAI]

130 TTSX out of the '06 has cleanly taken antelope and elk over the last 5 years. 110 TTSX out of the 270 Win has cleanly taken antelope and elk over the past 5 years. My 28 and 26 year old sons respectively. Velocity is beyond fast with respect to traditional weight bullets and the monos don't lose a bit of weight. Haven't recovered one shot from either of those rifles yet. That retention is based on 25 years of using Barnes mono's in general in different rifles and recovering a few that retained 100% weight after penetrating elk on strong quartering shots. They punch two or three bullet weight grades above their weight.

If you are able to find any, drop down to 130 ttsx, flatten out your trajectory and watch things end up in your freezer.

 

[Whhood]

I know this original post is almost a year old but that sounds pretty slow to me for a 21” barrel. I shoot 165 in three different 308s.

Rem 700 5r milspec cut to 18” -2650fps
Barrett Fieldcraft 18” threaded -2725fps
Model 7 16” threaded -2700fps

These were factory loaded Sig ammo chronoed at 60*, low humidity (for Florida) and at sea level and showed no signs of pressure. The Barrett and the Model 7 only saw 4 rounds each but had consistent results. The 700 has been consistently the same over the past two hunting seasons with this ammo.

 

[Newtosavage]

I don't like either of those options, lol. Of those 2, dropping to 150gr might be the way I go but Ive got 300 168gr ABLR bullets sitting around. Since varget is just as hard to find as any powder thought I would try something new.

What am I trying to do? Make 308 less Rainbow-like! And screw around with the supplies I have till I use it all up then rebarrel to something else....

IMR 4166 is advertised as a substitute for Varget and I've found that to be true in every way. Velocity, load density and charge weights are the same for me as they were for Varget. Plus I can find IMR 4166 because nobody knows what it is. LOL

CFE 223 might give you a bit more speed but you give up temp stability and it's a bit dirty.

 

[Trogon]

I know this original post is almost a year old but that sounds pretty slow to me for a 21” barrel.

That's what I thought too. I landed on trying out 155 scenars, but they have been hard to find (though showing in stock now in some places). Im loosely thinking of parting the rifle out and going to 6cm as the real solution.

 

[Whhood]

How many rounds have been through the barrel? Have you messed with seating depth? Is it for hunting or target shooting?

 

[Trogon]

How many rounds have been through the barrel? Have you messed with seating depth? Is it for hunting or target shooting?

I like I have something 500 rnds on the barrel (bartlein). I have not played with seating too much since Im running a standard wyatt's box I dont have a lot of length to play with. Running 168 ABLR at mag length and 45 grains I ran into some pressure issues. I have to go back to my notes to remember what the jump was on that.

Its a hunting setup.

 

[Tipps]

IMR 4166 is advertised as a substitute for Varget and I've found that to be true in every way. Velocity, load density and charge weights are the same for me as they were for Varget. Plus I can find IMR 4166 because nobody knows what it is. LOL

CFE 223 might give you a bit more speed but you give up temp stability and it's a bit dirty.

Will be hunting 4166 now. Appreciate the tip on this, almost out of varget and i know I won’t find any on shelf.

 

[Tberg]

Try IMR 8208. You should be able to fit more in the standard case and it's a superb benchrest quality powder. Filler up!

 

[Newtosavage]

Try IMR 8208. You should be able to fit more in the standard case and it's a superb benchrest quality powder. Filler up!

I shot through about 10 lbs. of IMR 8208 years ago in my 7mm-08's. It's very stable and consistent and the best metering powder I've ever run through my powder measure. It's not going to give you the best velocity however. But the accuracy tends to be very, very good.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Alliant Power Pro 2000-MR has been mentioned and I'll put it out there again. Speer has 165 gr load data, it's picking up 90 FPS over CFE 223. It's not the same as a mono bullet, however I have found comparable relationships of this type in my experience.

Midway had it in stock over the weekend and I got the package today.

2000-MR would be a tad slow for a 130 mono, but may get around 3000 fps with a 150 gr projectile. In my experience that's plenty for a starting velocity to get the Barnes monos expanding at longer range.

 

[tak]

I know this original post is almost a year old but that sounds pretty slow to me for a 21” barrel. I shoot 165 in three different 308s.

Rem 700 5r milspec cut to 18” -2650fps
Barrett Fieldcraft 18” threaded -2725fps
Model 7 16” threaded -2700fps

These were factory loaded Sig ammo chronoed at 60*, low humidity (for Florida) and at sea level and showed no signs of pressure. The Barrett and the Model 7 only saw 4 rounds each but had consistent results. The 700 has been consistently the same over the past two hunting seasons with this ammo.

That seems pretty good.
I've got a Remy 5R cut to 16", it's crazy accurate, but I'm getting under 2500 fps with FGGM 175 and 168 SMKs and 175 Terminal Ascent.

I've got some 130gr TTSX on order, and thinking that'll be the ticket for whitetails to 300 yards. I love the rifle as a truck gun and for shooting suppressed, so I'll leave the longer stuff to my other rifles.