good 308 powder

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Coldiron

New member
hey all I am wanting a good powder for 308. I will be loading 125grn all the way up to 180 and some 190grn bullets. I have used IMR4350 and W748. I am getting low on them and am wondering what are some others that are good. I can get both 4350 and 748.
 
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Doodlebugger45

New member
I honestly don't have personal experience with the .308... yet. But it is on my list of calibers that I will eventually be reloading. When I first started reloading I simply asked the most experienced reloader I knew what his recommendations were for good all-around powders for various calibers and I wrote down what he told me. Maybe they aren't the absolute best for a given weight, but they work pretty well for a variety of uses. For .308, the ones I have written down are H4895, H380, IMR 3031, A2230, and W748. For whatever that's worth. These days it's good to be flexible. I wouldn't doubt the advice about the Varget, but I have never seen it in my limited stores.
 
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crowbeaner

New member
WW 748; BLC2, RL 15, either 4895,either 4064, 4320, AA2520, AA2495, AA 2230, AA2700, Varget, H380 (!!!!!) and WW 760 will do for just about all 308s. For the heavier bullets, BLC2, H380, and WW 760 work very well.
 
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ronl

New member
My M1A seems to like IMR 4895, Varget and 4064. Varget works well in the 700. Since Varget is in short supply am working up loads using H4895 and Benchmark as they are readily available. The Benchmark has put in some very decent groups coupled with CCI BR primers and Sierra 155 match bullets.
 
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Ruger4570

New member
I guess you don't see it recommended a lot of late but some of the most accurate loads I have ever shot from .243 to 45-70 have been with IMR 3031.
Followed by RL-15 & Varget as equal to each other.
Whatever, just my personal experience.
 
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Coldiron

New member
Well it looks like Varget got the vast majority of votes! only one problem..... I can't get it due to no one seems to have it in stock. I just picked up some W748, and I have a few pounds of 760, 2400, RL15, 3031, 4350 and a few others but no Varget. I have quite a few 308 to reload and want to make sure I have enough powder to reload it all at least twice. oh and just for the record I got all of my powder and primers 1-1/2 years ago so I don't figure I contributed to the shortage any. :D I just don't want to have to buy ammo for a long time.
 
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Dave R

New member
H335 for me.

Tried Varget and 4064, but H335 gave me slightly better groups. Maybe just because it meters so well.
 
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Slamfire

New member
Well it looks like Varget got the vast majority of votes! only one problem..... I can't get it due to no one seems to have it in stock. I just picked up some W748, and I have a few pounds of 760, 2400, RL15, 3031, 4350 and a few others but no Varget.
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The wonderful thing about the 308 is that it shoots so well with a wide variety of powders. IMR 4350 is too slow for anything under 190 grains in my opinion.

If you can get Varget, I think that powder may be the most flexible in 308. In my testing it shot very well with 168's, 175's, and 190's. It should also do well with 125's.

The 308 case was developed with IMR 4895 as a propellant. I consider that powder "the standard". For mid weight bullets you cannot go wrong with IMR4895/H4895/AA2495. IMR 4895 has performed outstandingly with 125, 150, 168, 175 grain bullets. I have only used the 168's and 175's with that powder, but I have target shooting friends who use 125's at 200 yards with IMR 4895. And they shoot very well.

Some other suggestions, AA2520 works well up to the 175 grain bullets. This is a ball powder.

I have only used IMR 3031 up to 168 grain bullets. It shot very well. but it is way too fast for anything heavy, like 190's.
 
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