Load data for 168 grain Custom Competition in a 308 Win????

[Ridgerunner665]

I just bought some 168 Custom Competition bullets and I would like to know what the Nosler manual says about loading them in a 308 Win. with Reloder 15 and Varget...(more interested in the RL 15)

OAL???
Min and max powder charge???
Length of test barrel and velocity given???

 

[JD338]

I just bought some 168 Custom Competition bullets and I would like to know what the Nosler manual says about loading them in a 308 Win. with Reloder 15 and Varget...(more interested in the RL 15)

OAL???
Min and max powder charge???
Length of test barrel and velocity given???

Ridge,

Here you go-

OAL- 2.810"
Lilja 24" test barrel

RL 15
Start 40.0 grs MV 2660
42.0 grs MV 2740
MAX 44.0* grs MV 2820


Varget
Start 42.0 grs MV 2662
44.0* grs MV 2758
MAX 46.0 grs MV 2820

* Most Accurate Load Tested

JD338

 

[Ridgerunner665]

JD,

Thanks a million...

 

[Ridgerunner665]

One more thing...

I forgot to ask what brass they used...

And it seems odd to me...they list a heavier charge of Varget than RL 15.

Its usually the other way around.

 

[JD338]

Ridge,

Nosler 308 Win brass.

JD338

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Heres how they worked in my Remington SPS Tactical (20 inch barrel)...

45 grains of RL15 (maxed out at 46 grains, but were not as accurate)
Rem brass
CCI BR 2 primer
2.82 OAL
2,590 fps

5 shots through chrono...SD was 0...ES was 0

5 shots @ 100 yards was one ragged little hole measuring .412 MOA

I can live with that.

Busted clay pigeons at 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards with that one.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Varget...same details as above except 45 grains was max @ 2,550 fps.

Accuracy was the pretty much the same for both loads, but the RL15 was more consistent.

ES for Varget was 32 fps...SD was 17 fps.

 

[2506man]

try imr4064 mine does great with 44.5 grains it's at the bottom but that's where my accuracy is great.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I have tweaked this load a tad...

I found that 44.5 grains of RL15 is more consistent at distance (tested to 600 yards)...with 45 grains I got a small amount of vertical stringing which I believe was due the barrel warming up and the metal expanding a tad...heavy barrels will get warm on the inside first and the bore diameter can shrink just a tad until the whole barrel gets warm all the way through.

That can wreak havoc with pressures (and accuracy) when you're running near max. (has happened to me before)

MV for 44.5 grains of RL15 is 2,569 fps @ 10 feet from the muzzle (2,575 fps actual at the muzzle)

I have used IMR 4064 and its a good powder...but I like high load density and that requires me to use RL15 most of the time.

 

[Desert Fox]

I use BLC-2 on 168 Nosler J-Comp. Here's the ten shot group @ 100 yards. 5 loaded with 43 grain and 5 loaded 43.5 grain. As you can see the group still clustered together even though there's a half grain difference in my load. The flier was my fault!

 

[SakoSteve270wsm]

Desert Fox,

NICE shooting man ! 8)

 

[Desert Fox]

Desert Fox,

NICE shooting man ! 8)

It's not me! it's the rifle :grin: As much as I love the Nosler 168 Comp, I still prefered the 155 grain Scenar for my 308. With 44.8 grains of Varget, I can push this bullet at almost 2900 fps, and just as accurate as the 168.

Here's the 3 shot group @ 110 yards

5 shot group @ 110 yards

3 shot at 510 yards

 

[YoteSmoker]

44.6 Varget is my gun's accuracy load with 155 Palma M.King bullets in my 13 twist 26" barrel.

 

[Bart B.]

Sierra Bullets used about 42 - 43 grains of IMR4064 in light weight .308 Western Cartridge Company cases testing their special production runs of 168's. This load would shoot consecutive 10-shot groups in the ones (under .2-inch) in their 100 yard test range with these special bullets.

Same load in Winchester cases won a lot of matches setting many records along the way when the .308 Win. was popular.

Still got a few thousand of those special production run Sierra 30 caliber match 168's and 190's; email me if you want some. I don't use 'em any more.

 

[Desert Fox]

I just bought some 168 Custom Competition bullets and I would like to know what the Nosler manual says about loading them in a 308 Win. with Reloder 15 and Varget...(more interested in the RL 15)

OAL???
Min and max powder charge???
Length of test barrel and velocity given???

I will be doing load development with this combination in a few weeks when I get a chance. I happened to acquire 10 lbs of Reloader 15 at a killer price. So if you haven't tried it yet, I'll let you know my result. The Pac-Nor Supermatch 12 twist - 3 grove barrel on my Gruning Precision Tactical rifle likes this 168 Nosler Custom Comp very much. So the only issue I'm going to have would be, how tight a group I will be able to produce with this combo.

Driver's Wanted

 

[Ridgerunner665]

44.5 grains of Reloder 15 works great in my rifle...5 shots make 1 tiny hole in the target.

 

[YoteSmoker]

44.6 grains of Varget with a 155 shoot same hole groups consistently in my 308 that I built on a Mauser 98 action with a Parker Hale M82 british sniper barrel with a twist designed to shoot 147 grain military bullets.

 

[Guy Miner]

I've never had any trouble getting the 168 & 155 gr Nosler comp bullet to shoot well from my .308, usually with Varget. Excellent bullets! I tend to boot 'em out a little on the warm side, but within Nosler's recommended data.