Reloading The .308 Winchester Rifle

Loads for .308 Winchester Rifle:

(Note: These are near maximum loads, you should use 10% less to start.)
(See note on Powders below or read all about various Powders.)
Bullet is .308" diameter. Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not get near the FPS charted. It is just a guide and the reason you should start under these charges and work up.

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100 grain Plinker (Cup Jacket with lead nose)
    IMR 4895     45.0 gr.   2,770 FPS
    IMR 3031     44.0 gr.   3,080
    Reloader 11  43.0 gr.   2,900
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110 grain JSP or JHP (Sierra Jacketed Spire Point)
    IMR 4895     49.0*gr.   3,130 FPS
    H4895        49.0*gr.   3,239
    IMR 3031     45.0 gr.   2,990
    Reloader 7   42.5 gr.   3,130
    Reloader 12  50.5 gr.   3,200
    H380         53.0 gr.   3,145
    A2230        47.5 gr.   3,171
    A2460        48.5 gr.   3,193
    748          53.2 gr.   3,300
* compressed load
-----------------------------------------
125 grain JSP (Sierra Spitzer Point)
    IMR 4895     49.0 gr.   2,925 FPS
    H4895        47.0 gr.   3,075
    Reloader 7   40.0 gr.   2,920
    Reloader 12  49.0 gr.   3,040
    H380         52.0 gr.   2,986
    A2230        47.0 gr.   3,017
    A2460        47.0 gr.   3,014
    748          52.0 gr.   3,175
-----------------------------------------
150 grain JSP (Spitzer or Spire Point)
    IMR 4895     44.5 gr.   2,780 FPS
    H4895        44.0 gr.   2,830
    IMR 3031     45.0*gr.   2,830
    2400         25.0 gr.   2,215
    Reloader 7   37.0 gr.   2,750
    Reloader 15  46.3 gr.   2,880
    H380         51.0 gr.   2,876
    A2230        43.5 gr.   2,712
    A2460        45.0 gr.   2,765
    748          48.5 gr.   2,865
    Trail Boss    9.5 gr.   1,095 (mild plinking load)(will not cycle autoloader)
    Trail Boss   12.2 gr.   1,322 (max - still a plinking load)
* compressed load
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165 grain JSP (Spitzer or Spire Point)
    IMR 4895     41.0 gr.   2,421 FPS
    H4895        40.0 gr.   2,525
    IMR 3031     37.0 gr.   2,457
    Reloader 12  44.0 gr.   2,650
    Reloader 15  45.5 gr.   2,780
    H380         48.0 gr.   2,634
    A2230        42.0 gr.   2,610
    A2460        42.5 gr.   2,601
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180 grain JSP (Spitzer or Spire Point) or JRN
    IMR 4895     41.0 gr.   2,346 FPS
    H4895        40.0 gr.   2,540
    IMR 3031     38.0 gr.   2,411
    2400         28.2 gr.   2,210
    Reloader 15  44.0 gr.   2,645
    H380         47.0 gr.   2,624
    A2230        40.0 gr.   2,439
    A2460        41.5 gr.   2,474
    748          46.5 gr.   2,610
-----------------------------------------
200 grain JSP (Spitzer or Spire Point) or JRN
    IMR 4895     38.0 gr.   2,249 FPS
    IMR 3031     34.0 gr.   2,158
    748          43.0 gr.   2,435
-----------------------------------------
220 grain JSP (Spitzer or Spire Point) or JRN
    H4350*       46.0 gr.   2,369
* use magnum primers
-----------------------------------------

Discussion: IMR 3031 is a faster burning powder than IMR 4895, so you use less of it for similar volocities. I have listed powders of Hodgdon, Alliant and Accurate also. Use which ever you have handy. Slow burning powders generally work better in longer barrels and heavier bullets. 308 Cases will stretch, especially with hot loads, and you definitely need to check each in a case length guage and trim off excess brass. Of course, discard any cases that show a split anywhere on the case. For hunting at long distances with an unobstructed view, you should choose the spire point with a soft lead tip. For hunting at shorter ranges in brush, as is common in the woods of Alabama, you should choose a round nose bullet. They are less easily deflected and/or deformed by brush that you may be shooting through. The flat nose bullet is used especially in tubular fed magazines to prevent pressure on the primer in the cartridge above it.

There are a number of other high performance bullets on the market. The "boattail" is a very good long range target match bullet. It has very good wind performance. If you are shooting for precision, you should weight each powder charge and put exactly the same amount in each case. Each case should be exactly on specs and the bullet should not be crimped into the case. (These bullets don't normally have a crimp ring anyhow.) (The Hunting bullets below DO have a crimp ring.)

Actually ALL 30 cal. bullets are .308 in diameter.
*
#2400, Reloader 7, 11, 12, and 15 are products of Alliant (formerly Hercules) Powders.
H380, H450, H4350 and H4895 are products of Hodgdon Powders.
IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company.
A#2230, and A#2460 are products of Accurate Arms Company
WMR, WSF, WSL, 760, 748, 680, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div.

References: Accurate Arms Co. 1996 Reloading booklet - - Alliant Powder Co. Reloaders' Guide (1995) - - Hodgdon's Basic Reloaders Manual (1996) - - Speer Reloading Manual, #12 - - Winchester Reloading Components Manual, 14th edition - - Lyman Piston & Revolver Reloading Handbook, 2nd edition. - - VihtaVuori Oy Company, reloading booklet (1995) - - Numerous magazine articles on reloading special calibers and personal loads where noted.

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