1000 yard load for 23", 1-11" 308 barrel?

[The Lord Flashheart]

What is the current thinking on how to approach loading a 308 for as much distance as possible before going transonic?

I have a decent load with 155 grain SMK that I use for shorter range feel plate shoot with a friend on his farm in Leicestershire but am looking at lit never range shooting at Bisley again with my club.

The rifle is a Sako varmint I've had for a long time, this benefits from having a contessa 20moa rail and a PMII on it already so I would like to use this rifle for a season or two before exploring other rifle options.

Tia,

[JSC]

I got best results from my 26" Rem700 using 175 TOTM Bergers at approx 2650fps. Designed to be loaded to magazine length or long for single loading and stay very stable through the transonic region. 185 Juggernauts are even better but it will depend on what OAL you need to load to and how it's chambered.

A first step might be to get your hands on a few different bullets around that weight and see how far out you will be able to seat them for your rifle as that will dictate the case volume you'll have and hence which powders you may be able to choose to get them going at the required velocity to keep them stable.

[AlieN]

I'm certainly no expert on shooting at that distance, but did happen to visit Bisley's Stickledown range this Sunday just gone for our club's annual 1000 yard shoot. I was using a middling load behind Lapua Scenar 155gr bullets, producing a velocity of around 2700 and I was inside the 5 ring much of the time - well until the wind got up anyway...

My rifle (CZ550 Varmint with 26" barrel and 1/12" twist) is certainly no specialist long distance rifle, but I was pleasantly surprised at the results, and at that MV it is quite pleasant to shoot as well.

I would certainly explore the 155gr SMK some more before writing it off.

AlieN

[The Lord Flashheart]

Thanks JSC,

I can get around 2.850" in the magazine, the sierra 155 I have tried like to jump
A fair way into the lands though ending up at around 2.740" OAL.

Are the bullets you mentioned designed to be jammed into the lands?

[kennyc]

What is the current thinking on how to approach loading a 308 for as much distance as possible before going transonic?

I have a decent load with 155 grain SMK that I use for shorter range feel plate shoot with a friend on his farm in Leicestershire but am looking at lit never range shooting at Bisley again with my club.

The rifle is a Sako varmint I've had for a long time, this benefits from having a contessa 20moa rail and a PMII on it already so I would like to use this rifle for a season or two before exploring other rifle options.

Tia,

the 155 SMK is fine for occasional use at 1000, the wind is more likely to be a problem than the bullet going subsonic, unless you are well down on velocity, how fast are you pushing them at the moment?

[JSC]

If you're just having a bit of fun and not that bothered about ultimate accuracy and consistency then by all means use 155gn target loads (GGG is good stuff if you don't want to load).

If you're shooting on Stickledown with a 23" barrel and the conditions are less than optimal, you might just find that it will start to become frustrating and in any case Flashheart was specifically asking about keeping it supersonic to 1000yds, which is where the heavier bullets come in.

The big benefit of the Berger TOTMs is that they don't care about jump, so if you load them to 2.850" you'll be fine. I loaded them a bit longer as it's possible to modify AI magazines and get them out a bit further, but they'll work with any jump.

In Quickload, the load I used predicts a MV of 2578fps with a 23" barrel, which is still just supersonic at 1000yds, so well worth trying.

Bear in mind, I was trying to be competitive in FTR using that rifle, so I was looking for any improvements I could get and trying to get the shots into a 10" bull. If you're intending to only ever shoot on NRA targets, you may not want to go to the lengths I did!

Just to give you one more thing to think about - I was on Stickledown on a calm day and just out of interest I put a few 155gn Imperial rounds through my custom FTR rifle (32" barrel) and the group was one of the best I'd ever shot at that distance. I worked out those bullets were jumping at least 1/2 an inch in that barrel.

A 155gn bullet is a great choice in some circumstances.

[kennyc]

If you're just having a bit of fun and not that bothered about ultimate accuracy and consistency then by all means use 155gn target loads (GGG is good stuff if you don't want to load).

If you're shooting on Stickledown with a 23" barrel and the conditions are less than optimal, you might just find that it will start to become frustrating and in any case Flashheart was specifically asking about keeping it supersonic to 1000yds, which is where the heavier bullets come in.

The big benefit of the Berger TOTMs is that they don't care about jump, so if you load them to 2.850" you'll be fine. I loaded them a bit longer as it's possible to modify AI magazines and get them out a bit further, but they'll work with any jump.

In Quickload, the load I used predicts a MV of 2578fps with a 23" barrel, which is still just supersonic at 1000yds, so well worth trying.

Bear in mind, I was trying to be competitive in FTR using that rifle, so I was looking for any improvements I could get and trying to get the shots into a 10" bull. If you're intending to only ever shoot on NRA targets, you may not want to go to the lengths I did!

Amir is talking about recreational shooting and if he has 155 SMK then why buy more exotic stuff? if he decides he likes it I'm pretty sure he will be the first to go out and get something more competetive I am biased insomuch as when my 20" barrel with 155's gets frustrating I change to my 26" K31 with 174grn GP11 and battle sights
PS dannywayoflife was getting very good performance from a 16" barrel a couple of years ago in .308 if I remember correctly.

[JSC]

I'm just responding to the original question which was "What is the current thinking on how to approach loading a 308 for as much distance as possible before going transonic (out of a 23" barrel)?"

If you can do that with a 155 then great. But I think it will be difficult for long range unless you don't care about chamber pressure.

If we're talking about 600 yds or less then no worries, crack on!

[A-series]

I've a howa 24" in .308 and it likes the heavy bullets, berger 185 juggernauts were good but expensive, so now I've settled on the sierra 190 (2210) which is an old design but reasonably stable if it goes transonic (so im told) I can get these to 2590fps without any problems using n150 which may be ok for 1000yrds ish, but have yet to try, but will do soon!
Always a struggle with a short barrel though

[ovenpaa]

The 190 grain SMK also worked well for my son with a 24" barrel in an Accuracy International. As suggested N150 was his choice of powder and I have watched him shoot to 1200 yards and stay in the equivalent to the 4 ring on a summers day at Barton Road.