Best loads so far for 308. :)

[Joel Chavez]

Taking a day off from putting bad folks in jail, I opted to venture to my favorite playground...........the gun range. I was trying to fine tune some light loads my little boys shoots out of a Rem 700 5R mil spec 308 using cast boolits. Today's flavors was Lee's mold, the 7.62x39 cast from range scrap(BHN of 8 and air cooled) Bullseye and Unique powders. My load consists of CCI LR primers, Winchester Nickel brass trimmed to 2.010", loaded with 8.2gr of Bullseye, 11.50gr and 10.3gr of Unique. OAL was set at 2.62" and crimped with Lee's Factory Crimp die. The pill weighs in at 160 with GC and lubed with Lars C. Red lube. By the way, it is great stuff. The results are very good considering I had no rest, but my tool box to rest the rifle on and to top it off, I had a 15 to 20mph crosswind. One thing though, I've noticed that my first three shots are very good and then the fourth and fifth open up the pattern. Do you guys experience this too? Thanks for your time. Here are some photos of my results.
http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz97/joel45axp/SANY0430.jpg 11.5gr of Unique at 50yds. Fourth and fifth shot opened up the pattern. :(

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz97/joel45axp/SANY0432.jpg
8.2gr of Bullseye at 50yds. The gray circle in the middle is .35". Fourth and fifth shot opened up pattern.
http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz97/joel45axp/SANY0426.jpg
This is at 100yds with my 50yds settings. First three went into a .70" pattern! The fourth and fifth opened up the pattern quite a bit. Very strong crosswind! 10.3gr of Unique.

[Doc Highwall]

Nice job you did there. I would not recommend the LEE factory crimp die for cast boolits as it is resizing the boolits in the case, best to leave it for jacketed/condom bullets. Try shooting that load with out a crimp as long as they will chamber and any case mouth belling will help center the round in the chamber

[Joel Chavez]

Thanks Doc, I'll give it a try next week. Have to work the remainder of the week now. :groner: I went out again this morning and was met with the same strong crosswind, but today, it was blowing at 20+mph.[smilie=b: I'm trying to fine tune my 10.5gr load. Here are the results at 100yds. Load is Lee 7.62x39 cast from range scrap(BHN 8) and sized at .311" loaded with 10.50grs of Unique seated to 2.620". Check out the first two shots! It printed .25" center to center. I'm very stoked at the moment.:holysheep The third was me doing everything to keep the gun on target. I hate wind!http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz97/joel45axp/SANY0440-1.jpg

[Ben]

I'd throw that Lee factory crimp die as far as I could.

Here is the same Lee 155 gr. spire pt. bullet fired from my Hvy barreled stainless .308 Win. bench gun. 5 shots @ 50 yards. 17.5 grs. 2400 , bullet sized .310 dia.
I wouldn't dream of using a Lee factory crimp die on these rounds that I shot this group with !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/IMG_1075.jpg

[Heavy lead]

First of all the Lee Factory Crimp die DOES NOT work like the straight sided handgun rounds (in fact not all the straight handgun rounds do either) it only works like a regular crimp die period, if you think it does either you have never seen one, or need to study how they work a little closer.
Secondly, I don't believe I would ever crimp this round. I only crimp rifle boolits (or bullets) for a tube magazine rifle, or a super hard butt kicker.

[Joel Chavez]

Thanks for your input guys. I'm trying it out again next week, but without the Lee FC Die. Just wondering if you guys use H4895 in cast boolits with a 308? I'm always open to try something new and adventurous. Thanks again.:-P

[Ben]

Joel :

IMR ( or H ) 4895 shoots real well with cast bullets in the 308 Winchester !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/IMG_0654.jpg

[Joel Chavez]

Thanks Ben. That's what I wanted to see. Like I said, I'm always open to new things and simply love to experiment with new powders and boolits. Never know, it just might lead to something great. Good shootn' Bro. Laters.:bigsmyl2:

[Joel Chavez]

Ben, what kind of MV are you getting with 24.5gr of H4895? Have you tried them at 100yds?

[Ben]

They shoot fine at 100 yards, about 1.5 " group.

The muz. velocity is around 1,600 fps.

Ben