"Go to" mold for .308

[crabo]

What is your favorite "go to" mold for the .308 rifle.

Do you have one mold for targets and one for hunting?

What velocities and powders are you using?

[docone31]

I use the Lee 185gn. size to .308, two wraps of notebook paper, size to .309. I load with
39gns surplus 4895, 2500fps.
It actually turns out a little light, I get carbon on the neck. Next time I am going to try 40gns.
Pretty darn accurate!
Shot it yesterday.
If it wasn't for the carbon on the neck, I just might stay there.

[runfiverun]

in the 308 i like the rcbs 165 silhouette and a nei kinda copy of lymans 311 mold.
in the 30-30 and 308 for hunting i like the rcbs 150 f/p.
it may be my go to for hunting but it is definately not the most accurate.
it however is minute of deer to 150 in either the 308 or 30-30.
btw i can get more velocity with accuracy from my 30-30 then i can from my 308.

[Newtire]

I'm with runfiverun on that RCBS 165 silhouette. Hard to beat for .30-06. Another one I've discovered that is great is the RCBS 130 grain spire point. For .30 carbine, it's either the Lyman 311359 or the Lee 120 RN (the 311359 is more accurate in my carbine.).

In 30-30, the Lee 150 grain or the 120-RF for a plinker and the 311407 for a full out load. These are just the moulds I have. I'll bet there's a whole ton more.

[dk17hmr]

For targets I have an Ideal 311413, seems 1650fps is the limit in any 30 caliber I shoot, doesnt really matter what powder I use as long as I dont push it hard.

I have a Ranch Dog 311 165 for a hunting bullet.

[Kraschenbirn]

A hard-cast (bhn 20+) 311291 over 30 gr. of H4895.

[mroliver77]

For longer range I use the LBT 180 spire point. Hunting I use the LBT 150 flat nose or for woods ranges the lyman 311440 from a 6 cav group buy complimets of Cast Boolits. What a hard hitter this is! For short range plinking or small game I use a Lee DEWC of around 100 grains.
Jay

[Joel Chavez]

I have the Lee 7.62x39 mould that I shoot using 8.2gr of Bullseye in a Rem 700 .308 Tactical I built. This load will shoot about 1/4" at 50yds all day long. The barrel is still very new so it needs some breaking in. I'm sure once it's broken in, it should shoot much better. I also tried the Lee "soupcan", but had mixed results. Hope that helps some. Have a great day.

[JDL]

I haven't shot any cast in my .308 Savage 99 but, this oversight will change by Spring. I have Lyman 311644 that was designed for the .308 and I'll see if it does as well as in my '06. Plus, I'll try the LBT 165 LFN for a hunting boolit along with 31141 and RCBS 30-180 FN.
JDL

[ddeaton]

I have the Lee 7.62x39 mould that I shoot using 8.2gr of Bullseye in a Rem 700 .308 Tactical I built. This load will shoot about 1/4" at 50yds all day long. The barrel is still very new so it needs some breaking in. I'm sure once it's broken in, it should shoot much better. I also tried the Lee "soupcan", but had mixed results. Hope that helps some. Have a great day.

Joel, what are you sizing these at?

[Shuz]

311291HP does it for me!

[Larry Gibson]

What is your favorite "go to" mold for the .308 rifle.

Do you have one mold for targets and one for hunting?

What velocities and powders are you using?

I have 16 .30/.31 cal moulds that can be used in the .308W.

For targets out to 200-300 yards I find I use the 311466 more and more. It is proving to be the most accurate bullet for use in the .308W, especially at velocities higher than 2200 fps. For long range targets out to 600 yards the 311299 or 314299 (whichever fits the throat of a particular rifle the best) with it's higher BC gets the nod.

For hunting it depends on what is being hunted. For game up through deer (the larger blacktail, mulies and whitetails found in the NW) the 311041HP is my consistant all around choice.

For varmints with velocities up through 2200 fps it has been the RCBS 30-150-FN for some time but the GC 312-150-WFN may be edging that one out. For lighter weight varmints the 313631 or 311316 at 1600 fps are my choice.

For small edible game and plinking the TL314-90-SWC is my choice at 800 fps.

If I had to narrow it down I could live with just 311299, 311041HP and the TL314-90-SWC for use in the .308W.

Larry Gibson

[GrizzLeeBear]

Hey Larry, could you give some more info on your 311466 loads. I have a 4 cavity of that mold and was thinking of trying some cast loads for rifle silhouettes in a Rem. 700 in 30-06. Was looking at the Lyman ballistic charts and it looks like that boolit would stay supersonic out to the turkeys if started out at around 2100 fps. But was concerned that I might not be able to get it to that velocity with accuracy. Would be cast out of WW.
I plan on getting a 200 gr. mold for the rams, either a 311299 or the Lee 200 gr. RN. According to the lyman charts the 200 grainer should stay supersonic all the way to the rams if started at 2000 fps.

[Joel Chavez]

ddeaton, I size the 155gr. 7.62x39 pills at .311 with a Lyman sizer using Lars C. Red lube with no gas checks. I've been using 8.20grs. of bullseye with good results, but today I tried out 10.2grs of Unique with a very promising outcome. The Unique load needs some serious consideration and more "play time." It might be a great head shot round out to 100yds. So far I got an ave. of 1455.80 fps(low-1447, high-1461) for a 5 shot string and a .5moa at 50yds. My .308 Tact. has a 20" heavy bull barrel and has less than 100 (lead) shots through it. I'm thinking it should get better. But, like I mentioned earlier, I need more time to test the load and determine if it's a keeper. Later.:Fire:

[Larry Gibson]

Hey Larry, could you give some more info on your 311466 loads. I have a 4 cavity of that mold and was thinking of trying some cast loads for rifle silhouettes in a Rem. 700 in 30-06. Was looking at the Lyman ballistic charts and it looks like that boolit would stay supersonic out to the turkeys if started out at around 2100 fps. But was concerned that I might not be able to get it to that velocity with accuracy. Would be cast out of WW.
I plan on getting a 200 gr. mold for the rams, either a 311299 or the Lee 200 gr. RN. According to the lyman charts the 200 grainer should stay supersonic all the way to the rams if started at 2000 fps.

Your M700 Remington will have a 10" twist. At 2100 fps you are pushing the RPM threshold so you must do everything right to achieve succes. That bullet is one of the best to push the RPM threshold with so I don't see any reason why you can't achieve that goal.

I use LC 79 Match cases but any brand of cases that are "match prepped" and well fire formed should work fine. I also use a Redding bushing die to neck size only giving .002-.003" tension on the bullet. I use a Lyman .31 M-Die. Primers are WLRs. Lube is Javelina.

The 311466 I use is cast of 60/40 WW/linotype which gives a BHN of 18. Hornady GCs are seated using the Lyman GC seater on the 450 sizer. the bullets are then lubed in a .314 sizer (that's as cast for my bullets, I'd suggest an as cast diameter sizer for your bullets initial lubing also). I then size them to .311 using a Lee .311 push through sizer. I seat the bullets so the about half of the front driving band is engraved by the leade. I would suggest that if you don't have the linotype to add to your WWs that you add 2% tin and water quench the bullets right out of the mould.

Start at 44 gr of RL19 and work up in 1/2 gr increments to 48 grs. I use no filler with RL19 in the .308W case. This should give you a velocity range of 2050 to 2300+ fps. If you shoot 5 shot groups in this intial test you will definately see when accuracy goes south. Drop back to where it was best and work in +/- .5 gr increments around that load with 10 shot groups.

If RL19 does not work then fall back to 4895 with a 3/4 dacron filler. Start at 26 gr and work up to 30 gr in the same 1/2 gr increments. When you find the best 5 shot group test with 10 shot groups from 1/2 gr below that to 1/2 gr above.

Cleaning the barrel between groups and fire 2 foulers before shooting the test groups.

Let us know how you are making out and don't hesitate to ask any other questions as needed.

Larry Gibson

[GrizzLeeBear]

Wow, great info. Larry!

I will be doing some bedding work on the rifle (I got the BDL stock second hand and it needs some fitting to the action) this winter. Was planning on trying some loads with RL15 as I have over 8 lbs of it. Looks like I should be able to find a load with it since its between 4895 and RL19. Was planning on working up from 38 to 40 grains or so.
Didn't think too much about the hardness, but looks like I'll have to try some water dropping to harden them a bit. Cast some the other night and they drop at .311. Tried to hand fit one into a case that was fired in this rifle and it will not go in, so I will have to size smaller. I droped one into the chamber and pounded it into the throat and back out with a dowel to get a measurement of the throat. With the front two bands into the rifleing they measured right at .308 across the grooves (bore dia.) and the next two bands, which would have been in the throat area, measures .3085 - .309, so looks like I will need to size to .309. I do have a .311 die for my Lyman 450 so I could lube them "as cast" and then get a .309 push thru sizer. Does this process give more accuracy than just lube sizing them to final size?

[compass will]

Lee 200 grain C309-200-R, sized to .310, yellow hard lube (store bought)
Winchester LRP. 26.5 grains Varget.

Savage model 12FP with 1 in 10 twist. 5 shots touching at 100 yards.

I found the load here from Mike in CO (thanks Mike). This is what I am taking to my first cast boolit match saturday after Christmas (if in it's not to cold).

I still want to try the C309-170-F I got with Varget.

[medicstimpy]

Another vote for that RCBS 165gr Shilouette boolit. The thing flys great behind some H4895. :)

[Larry Gibson]

GrizzleeBear

If they drop .311 from your mould I would use a .311 sizer die in the lubrasizer to seat the GC and lube the bullet. I would then push the bullets through a Lee .309 die for the final sizing. For ordinary loads you can get away with just sizing them in the .309 sizer and lubing them without problems. You might get away with it anyway. However, many do not believe how easy it is to cause some distortion, bending or concentric damage to bullets when sizing down .002" or more in lubrasizers. This induces imbalances into the bullet even before the stress of accelleration. Since you are pushing the RPM threshold you want as little imbalance in the bullets as possible. I find that a final sizing with a push through sizer many times causes far less imbalances or concetric damage to the bullets.

Larry Gibson

[dromia]

Not done much with the .308W but I've found the 314299 to work very well out to 600yrds for target work in an L39.