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Thread: 308 cast loads

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    308 cast loads

    It has been a couple of years since I got my Savage model 10 308 rifle, and reloading dies, but I finally got busy

    I am using a Ranch Dog design, on a mold made by NOE: TL310-180-RF RD





    Gas checks:



    After segregating by weight to weed out the extremes:





    Since my 18.5" barrel is 1-10, following Larry Gipson's advice here in the forum I am trying to stay in the 1900-2100 range for the "hotter" loads, using 35gr IMR3031 and 37gr Varget:

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    I also tried a load with Trail Boss:



    Of course the max load varies with the brass brand, as the internal volume does change a little as you can see here:






    Loading on a Lee turret. I am using an M die plug (from Noe), and modified the Hornady bullet seating die to allow the "fatter" cast bullet:
    Seating operation:



    This barrel is threaded, so I also want to use my suppressor on it, so I also made a few subsonic rounds (8.5gr and 9gr of Trail Boss):



    I tried these last Sunday and the guy in the bench to my right said that these sounded like a 22 cal rifle bullet with the suppressor on



    Will

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Great pics ,nice write up.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    I use the same mold for as the practice bullet my Ruger Scout - GREAT design! Ranch Dog really broke out the slide rule to design a dedicated .308 Winchester bullet, and as such, getting it to fit and shoot was really straightforward. As a happy coincidence, at about 2050 fps, it shoots just about to point of aim at 100 yards using the 225 yard "point blank" zero of my 3000 fps 130 grain Barnes TTSX's. Given that 2018 will be the last year that I can hunt with lead in CA, I may just take these out for a spin. Their effect on milk jugs is quite gratifying!

    I just started using NOE's push-through sizing dies (.310 bushing) to seat the checks running these base-first prior to dousing them in Ben's Liquid Lube. Definitely the easy way to do things.
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  6. #6
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    I have the same gun and shoot the same boolits from it. It is indeed a fantastic pairing. My go to load is under 2 inches at 100 yards with only a visual sort, 18.5 grains of AA9, mixed brass, plain base boolit powder coated and seated a little deeper into the case than yours.

    Good shooting.
    You never know how you rank amongst men 'til you have seen what will break another man.
    The original "Bluejay" US Army/ US Navy 1945-1970.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Man, good to hear

    After rejecting visual defects, I do weight sorting. Those who pass I then lightly coat them with WD-40 before sizing using a Lee push through sizer which also seats the Gas Check. I then clean whatever excess WD40 with a towel. Then they get the coating using Ben's Liquid Lube. I then let them sit overnight to dry before loading them.

    Will

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    I just loaded another batch with Ranch Dog's 180gr hunting bullet. This time I will be trying to find accuracy with Varget: 36gr to 37.5gr in .5gr increments (10x rounds each).

    This time I am trimming all brass:



    After neck sizing (this is brand new primed, pulled-brass from military 308 rounds), then using the Lee M expanding (NOE plug):



    Seating with modified Hornady die:





    And a light/medium crimp using the Lee factory crimp die:



    Hope to get a chance to try them out next weekend.

  9. #9
    Boolit Man
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    Hope the 37 grains of Varget works for you,as a back up insurance,take some rounds loaded with 30 grains of Varget.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    That was a great write-up. Thanks for bringing us along.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Wquiles You shoot Garland? Maybe we get together some time. These work pretty good.
    Attachment 216702
    Whatever!

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike H View Post
    Hope the 37 grains of Varget works for you,as a back up insurance,take some rounds loaded with 30 grains of Varget.
    I already tried 37gr Varget, so now I am trying "around" that power level to see what is most accurate, but I will certainly keep in mind the more mild load of 30gr of Varget as an alternative. Right now I have two plinking loads:
    - supersonic with 14gr of Trailboss (about max density)
    - subsonic with 8.5gr of Trailboss (with my current 45 caliber Form 1 suppressor - picture above)


    Quote Originally Posted by Taterhead View Post
    That was a great write-up. Thanks for bringing us along.
    You are welcome.


    Quote Originally Posted by popper View Post
    Wquiles You shoot Garland? Maybe we get together some time. These work pretty good.
    Attachment 216702
    Absolutely - that is pretty much the only range I go to. Pretty cool you were able to identify the range from the pictures. Look forward to meeting you there one of these days

    Will

  13. #13
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    How did the Varget workup go?
    You never know how you rank amongst men 'til you have seen what will break another man.
    The original "Bluejay" US Army/ US Navy 1945-1970.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    Those are some cool looking bullets. I'm not familiar with the design logic behind this Ranch Dog profile. Mind sharing a bit about what that bullet's all about?

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by bluejay75 View Post
    How did the Varget workup go?
    Loaded them on Sunday, so I have not had a chance to go to the range yet. Hopefully this weekend!


    Quote Originally Posted by Taterhead View Post
    Those are some cool looking bullets. I'm not familiar with the design logic behind this Ranch Dog profile. Mind sharing a bit about what that bullet's all about?
    Thank you. This was a project by Ranch Dog from back in 2015, for 30 caliber hunting bullets for the 7.62x39, 308, and 300 Savage. Note that first and foremost these are designed as hunting bullets, with a wide meplat. Also, most/all of his designs are made for tumble lubing (hence the many, narrow lube grooves). Here is the original thread:
    http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index....pic,585.0.html


    My mold is a NOE 4x cavity, Al version of the 308 design => TL310-180-GC


    Will

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    Finally got the other 308 cal mold I wanted to try - the 30XCB mold!







    Right now finishing the heat cycles NOE recommends. Hope to cast with it very soon

    Will
    Last edited by wquiles; 06-02-2018 at 09:43 AM.

  17. #17
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    Great job. Great write up. Great info. I can not wait to see how the 310-165 FN works for you. I have a older savage 110 in 308 and might have to give one of these molds a try.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master rsrocket1's Avatar
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    You'll have fun with those Trail Boss loads, but once you run out of TB, realize that you can use almost any fast to medium fast powder at the ~10 grain level and get the same performance at a lower cost. TB is great stuff but it's expensive (and some people say it stinks or smells funny).

    In a rifle 10g is completely burned well before the bullet exits the muzzle so the powder doesn't make too much of a difference so you can use anything from e3, Titewad, Clays or Red Dot all the way down to 800X, Power Pistol or BE-86 and get similar performance.

    With a real suppressor, it would be fun to make some subsonic loads and see how quiet you can truly get.

    This group was at 50 yards

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by wquiles View Post
    Loaded them on Sunday, so I have not had a chance to go to the range yet. Hopefully this weekend!



    Thank you. This was a project by Ranch Dog from back in 2015, for 30 caliber hunting bullets for the 7.62x39, 308, and 300 Savage. Note that first and foremost these are designed as hunting bullets, with a wide meplat. Also, most/all of his designs are made for tumble lubing (hence the many, narrow lube grooves). Here is the original thread:
    http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index....pic,585.0.html


    My mold is a NOE 4x cavity, Al version of the 308 design => TL310-180-GC


    Will
    That's great. Thank you for the explanation, and for the link to the thread about the RD design.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outer Rondacker View Post
    Great job. Great write up. Great info. I can not wait to see how the 310-165 FN works for you. I have a older savage 110 in 308 and might have to give one of these molds a try.
    Thank you for your kind words.


    Quote Originally Posted by rsrocket1 View Post
    You'll have fun with those Trail Boss loads, but once you run out of TB, realize that you can use almost any fast to medium fast powder at the ~10 grain level and get the same performance at a lower cost. TB is great stuff but it's expensive (and some people say it stinks or smells funny).

    In a rifle 10g is completely burned well before the bullet exits the muzzle so the powder doesn't make too much of a difference so you can use anything from e3, Titewad, Clays or Red Dot all the way down to 800X, Power Pistol or BE-86 and get similar performance.

    With a real suppressor, it would be fun to make some subsonic loads and see how quiet you can truly get.
    This is my first go at reloading the 308, but I must admit I am typically leery of going that route since I have experienced and chronograph speed variations with case/powder position with small powder charges (low case density) in other cartridges, which is why I am primarily using Trail Boss despite the higher cost. That being said, your 50 yr target (nice shooting by the way!) is also good proof that in the 308, powder position/density might not be that important for subsonic loads

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check