Getting the most out of a .308

[Demaiter]

I have a few questions regarding my rifle build.

I will be shooting a .308 and bullets of the 165-168 class.

1) Should I use an extended box magazine?

2) What are the advantages of using a twist specifically for 165 grain bullets vs a faster twist that will stabilize heavier bullets? For example - will shooting 165 grain bullets with a 13" twist rate yield faster velocities than 165 grain bullets with a 10" twist rate?

3) How long should the barrel be ideally?

 

[ranger dave]

308

you have lest a lot of things out . what ranges are you going to be firing at? what is the rifle going to be used for ? 1 in 10 i your twist rate for 168 g lenth can be anny where from 20 '' to 30'' with 24'' being the besy all around . if you are going for long range there are a ton better rounds out there. most of my 308 guns have been rebarreled to 243 and 22/250. a fast twist 243 shoots alot flater then a 308 just a thought let me know what you are using the gun for

 

[Demaiter]

Hunting deer and similar sized animals, black bear... and paper punching. Hunting 3-400 yards. Paper punching to 600.

 

[mapsjanhere]

For comparison, the Savage F/TR (long distance paper puncher) uses a 1 in 13 twist from a 30" barrel single shot. Obviously not a hunting gun.

 

[ranger dave]

308

for hunting i'd get a 22'' stainless steal the action i'd say you have a few to chose from a rem 700 , savage 10 or 12 , ruger 77 and a win 70 . all are good actions with the 700 holding the most value down the road. check out mid way usa at 1 800 243 3220 for a stock . they also have the floor plates to mag feed your 700 if you like p.s. do you hand load

 

[ronl]

22" or 24" barrel with 1-11 twist. Since you'll only be shooting out to 600yds, I'd probably go with the 22" as it should give you a little more accuracy and you will not be losing that much velocity. It's always a compromise. You really never know until you shoot it. I bought a 700 SPS with the intentions of having some work done on it and chopping the 26" barrel back to 24". The thing shoots so well after only lapping the lugs and dropping it into a new stock that I'm going to leave it alone.

 

[azredhawk44]

1:11 or 1:12 is what you see on a lot of the competition oriented M14 rifles out there, and I'd assume on the AR-10's as well. Those do nothing but digest 168gr HPBT match bullets.

I wouldn't go 1:10 on a .308. Too much spin for lighter bullets, you might tear the jacket off or overstabilize. 1:13 would be for shooting 125's or right around that range. I guess that'd be good for deer, or coyote at long range, but there's better cartridges for that work that cost less to reload, too.

1:10 would be good if you were deliberately going to develop low velocity, light-recoiling loads. More spin for the given velocity and help with stabilization.

Go 1:12. Works good for me on my M14, and I shoot 150gr FMJ, 165gr BTSP and 168gr BTHP.

 

[stubbicatt]

Palma guys have been shooting 1 in 13 tight bore barrels for awhile to maximize the potential of the 155 grain bullets in that competition, and the longer barrels eke out every fps available.

IME, bullets over 175 grains are just wasted in the 308, and if one is a 1 in 11 or so twist, the 155 Lapua Scenars provide just stellar performance, and remain supersonic out to about 1200 meters from a 26" barrel. It is also my experience/opinion that bullets of about 155 grains are perfect for this cartridge.

It is my belief that a 1 in 11 or 1 in 12 is about ideal for bullets up to about 175 grains, leaving you with a great selection of bullets in a mild recoiling rifle.

-- The slower the twist, the less noticeable is precession. It only needs to be fast enough to stabilize the projectile.

 

[ranger dave]

1 in 10

ive been shooting 308 for about 30 years now . all were 1 in 10 its good for 150 g to 180 g bullets if you want fire lighter bullets don't build a 308 99 % of all 30 cal made today ( factory ) are 1 in 10 twist . if you need to fire heavior bullets build a 30/06 or a win mag. you are building a hunting rifle for deer right 1 in 10 barrel will be in stock and not a custom order so the price will be less. no need to by a $ 400 barrel with a custom twist . if you don't beleave me look it up rem savage and win all list there 308's with a 1 in 10 twist