Tikka .308 painless method recommendations

[Wolfshead]

I would like to thank everyone for their replies, they are greatly appreciated!

I’ve tried Varget and a ten round group that I shot with the “best” load I had was over 2”, and I know that my rifle shoots better than that.
So, I’m changing powder. Changing to TAC.

I have some Ramshot TAC that I have not tried yet.
I would like to see what that powder can do before moving on.

I guess, I’m having trouble with starting at max with a powder that I’ve never shot before, in anything. I don’t see that as good practice.
I guess that is where my issues are with the Painless method, as I don’t know where to start.

So I guess to be very specific, if you’re experienced, and use the painless method, how would you proceed, using TAC and the ttsx, how would you start?

 

[112Savage]

Okay. Hodgdon says max 50.8 and Barnes says max 51.2 with Tac and 130TTSX the mins listed are 45.7 and 46.1 respectively. Use what you learned from working up a load with other powders to know what your rifle does. If it hit pressure before max with varget then don’t start with max using Tac. If you saw no signs of pressure even at max with varget then I feel more comfortable starting with TAC. In general maximum loads like what hodgdon lists at 61500 psi are not going to blow up a rifle even if they’re 20,000 psi higher. Yes, you may have a broken ejector, firing pin, stuck bolt, but likely not a kaboom in a modern bolt action rifle.

Use what you have learned, do what makes you feel comfortable. You don’t have to do everything like some dude on the internet.

 

[bowrunner81]

Mine likes IMR4895. But, Id mess with seating depth on those monos. I do my own little painless method. ~1 grain under max. I load up 5 at book length. 5 deaper and 5 longer and just see if there a big change. It would be a big change in groups to be something worth messing with. But, like others have said, some monos like clean barrels.

 

[Wrench]

If I flopped on the barnes, I would immediately buy some 155 scenars and be glad the barnes didn't work for me.

The scenar 155 is probably THE most underrated bullet made. In a 308 it goes head to head with anything to 500 and is a contender at 1k.....and cheap to shoot.

 

[sdupontjr]

My varget load is stoked up pretty good. I use 49g of varget. I'm also further than .050 off lands.

 

[Formidilosus]

I guess, I’m having trouble with starting at max with a powder that I’ve never shot before, in anything. I don’t see that as good practice.
I guess that is where my issues are with the Painless method, as I don’t know where to start.

You stated that you read the thread, but this says that you did not. No where in there did I state to start at max charge weight- quite the opposite. Now I may start at book max with certain loads that I am comfortable with, but that is not what is stated to do.

Drop 2 grains from book max, load one round. Then one round at .5gr increasing increments until book max is reached. If at any point any sigh s of pressure show up- drop 1 grain from that, load ten and see how the shoot. If ho pressure at book max, load ten and see how they shoot.

 

[gman82001]

I would like to thank everyone for their replies, they are greatly appreciated!

I’ve tried Varget and a ten round group that I shot with the “best” load I had was over 2”, and I know that my rifle shoots better than that.
So, I’m changing powder. Changing to TAC.

I have some Ramshot TAC that I have not tried yet.
I would like to see what that powder can do before moving on.

I guess, I’m having trouble with starting at max with a powder that I’ve never shot before, in anything. I don’t see that as good practice.
I guess that is where my issues are with the Painless method, as I don’t know where to start.

So I guess to be very specific, if you’re experienced, and use the painless method, how would you proceed, using TAC and the ttsx, how would you start?

Don’t start at book max. Go read the painless thread again

ETA: beat by 5 minutes by Form lol

 

[Pharmseller]

https://bergerbullets.com/shoot-better/shooting-knowledge/how-to-load-a-vld-bullet/#

I look for velocity, then play with seating depth. Hasn’t failed me yet. No matter the bullet style.

Notice the only difference is seating depth.



Then



Then




Just did this for my brother’s 6.5 PRC.

Also, swap out the short action bolt stop for a long action bolt stop, and buy M+ magazines, you can load to the lands. I did this with my 7mm-08s, made all the difference.





P

 

[Formidilosus]

https://bergerbullets.com/shoot-better/shooting-knowledge/how-to-load-a-vld-bullet/#

I look for velocity, then play with seating depth. Hasn’t failed me yet. No matter the bullet style.

Notice the only difference is seating depth.

View attachment 860635

Then

View attachment 860637

Then

View attachment 860636


Just did this for my brother’s 6.5 PRC.

Also, swap out the short action bolt stop for a long action bolt stop, and buy M+ magazines, you can load to the lands. I did this with my 7mm-08s, made all the difference.





P

Let’s say that is actually representative of what to expect across that seating depth range…. how are you dealing with throat wear? That is a relatively tiny difference in depth to lands to cause such massive differences in precision. Are you seating the bullets out longer ever 20 rounds to keep the distance to lands the same?

 

[Pharmseller]

Let’s say that is actually representative of what to expect across that seating depth range…. how are you dealing with throat wear? That is a relatively tiny difference in depth to lands to cause such massive differences in precision. Are you seating the bullets out longer ever 20 rounds to keep the distance to lands the same?

Hasn’t been an issue yet.

Most of my experience hasn’t been that dramatic, but when doing load workup one seating depth is always noticeably better than the rest.




P

 

[Wolfshead]

You stated that you read the thread, but this says that you did not. No where in there did I state to start at max charge weight- quite the opposite. Now I may start at book max with certain loads that I am comfortable with, but that is not what is stated to do.

Drop 2 grains from book max, load one round. Then one round at .5gr increasing increments until book max is reached. If at any point any sigh s of pressure show up- drop 1 grain from that, load ten and see how the shoot. If ho pressure at book max, load ten and see how they shoot.

I’d like to make clear that I have no issues with the painless method, and I’m not questioning the validity that it works.
I could have worded my post better.
I did read the thread, multiple times, and to be correct, you said something to the effect of “loading near max” I believe.
It was said in one post, in this thread, “I’ll try max and max-1gr. If that doesn’t work I’ll try a different powder or two” (Not by you)
I apologize for my lack of communicating well.
I will say that I may have been getting frustrated when some of the responses were to change the bullet and/or powder before I have even shot them to see if they may work.
Again most of the problem has been my lack of communicating correctly.
I probably could have made this much easier if I had just said “at what grain would you start loading this powder for this bullet to start the painless method.”
Thank you again everyone for your replies!
I do sincerely appreciate all of your responses.

 

[Vern400]

308 is highly likely to shoot well with Varget.
No guarantee though.

A lot of factory rifles are picky about bullets. Even 308. Try something different and stay one grain off of Max as a starting point if you're not seeing pressure.

Nuclear option: get your hands on #2125 Sierra 150 game Kings. Or 165s. I have seen few rifles that wouldn't shoot those well, and I've tuned savage, ruger, remington, and Steyr and custom rifles for them. 0.01 to 0.02 jump.
Let me be clear. I'm not saying they're the best bullet ever. But the ogive shape I believe is fairly forgiving. If it won't shoot those,"Houston we have a problem".

Even with the 308 some factory rifles can be a little bit picky despite the reputation that 308 is easy like falling off a bucket.

 

[LeftyWilbury]

for my roughtech 308 i tried in vain to get handloaded 130 TTSX to work as well as just buying a box of barnes loaded ammo. couldn't get close to their velocity without being over-pressure. factory ammo was solidly accurate for me though. tried 5-6 different powders.

i went to hammer to get my velocity/precision fix for that 308.
and then i went down to 243, because it goes even faster.

good luck.