Progress on My .308 Load Development

[RangeHot]

I've been experimenting with different powders for my .308 handloads and finally settled on Varget for its consistent performance. I managed to get some time at the bench this weekend and am looking for any tips on fine-tuning my seating depth. What are you all working on?

 

[Greyjoy]

When I was working on my .308 loads, I spent hours tweaking seating depth by just a few thousandths at a time. Once I found the sweet spot, my groups tightened up big time

 

[Hitman01]

For seating depth, I start a little shorter than max and adjust slowly while testing for accuracy. Right now I'm doing the same with my .223 loads

 

[natejavier_]

First off, you'll want to check out the lands. Get a comparator or an OAL gauge to figure out where your bullet makes contact with the rifling. Once you've got that down, pull back just a bit, typically around 0.005-0.020". It's all about dialing it in to get the most out of your setup

 

[pan.da64]

What bullet weight are you using with the Varget? And what kind of charge weight range are you playing around with? I've noticed that the 168 and 175 grains often have their own preferences when it comes to seating depth.

 

[PioCampo]

Just make sure that your longest cartridge can actually fit and reliably feed from your magazine. It's frustrating when you find the perfect ammo for accuracy, but it doesn't work in your hunting rifle because it's too long.

 

[Pepoots145]

I've been experimenting with different powders for my .308 handloads and finally settled on Varget for its consistent performance. I managed to get some time at the bench this weekend and am looking for any tips on fine-tuning my seating depth. What are you all working on?

Start by setting your rifle to its max magazine length, and then take it down in tiny steps, adjusting by 0.010" as you get closer to the lands. You’ll find that a lot of .308s tend to perform really well when they have a jump ranging from 0.020-0.080".

 

[Jooniper_]

I've been experimenting with different powders for my .308 handloads and finally settled on Varget for its consistent performance. I managed to get some time at the bench this weekend and am looking for any tips on fine-tuning my seating depth. What are you all working on?

Great choice with Varget! You just can't beat how consistent it is when you're loading for .308.

 

[JosephSGo]

Lately, I've been working with some 6.5 Creedmoor loads, really trying to get that H4350 to work well with 140gr bullets. It's been surprisingly easy to get the hang of so far.