Blaser R8 - 308 Reloading

[ZanedeBeer]

Good morning everyone,

I have recently gotten myself a Blaser R8 Semi-Weighted .308 rifle and I am looking to develop a load for hunting.

I will be using the following components:

Vihtavuori N140, CCI200 primers with Nosler Accubond 165gr

or

Vihtavuori N140, CCI200 primers with Norma Oryx 165gr

Any starting loads or starting points will be much appreciated.

[Vaughan]

It's been a while since I used the 165gr NABs but my load was with Hodgdon H4895. I wonder if you could get enough N140 into the case?

[Olsen]

I use 39,5 grain N140 for Hornady GMX 165 grain and 43 grain N140 for Hornady SST 165 grain, and the both hit same zero

[ZanedeBeer]

It's been a while since I used the 165gr NABs but my load was with Hodgdon H4895. I wonder if you could get enough N140 into the case?

I wonder if Hodgdon h4895/Varget would not be a better choice of propellant perhaps? I have not bought the propellant as yet...

[ZanedeBeer]

I use 39,5 grain N140 for Hornady GMX 165 grain and 43 grain N140 for Hornady SST 165 grain, and the both hit same zero

Thank you Olsen, what speeds were you getting with those loads? Did you have to compress the loads at that grains?

[Vaughan]

FWIW.....
From Quickload and general settings, nothing tweaked.... so these are just numbers!!!

Using my COAL for the 165gr NABs, which is 2.860"

43gr of N140 (slightly compressed) produces a calculated Mv of 2566fps
44.5gr N140 (105% compressed): Mv 2649 fps (still below calculated max pressure)
44gr of H4895: Mv 2766fps (a load I have used). I have chrony data for this but can't find it. It was not as fast as calculated but close.
47.3 gr N550 (105% compressed but a load I have also used): Mv 2657fps
42.5 gr N530: Mv 2733fps
44gr Varget (103% compressed): Mv 2671fps
N140 should work just fine. I have not tried it in the 308win. I'm a bit reluctant to run compressed loads so I shifted to a faster powder than N550. YMMV.

[ZanedeBeer]

FWIW.....
From Quickload and general settings, nothing tweaked.... so these are just numbers!!!

Using my COAL for the 165gr NABs, which is 2.860"

43gr of N140 (slightly compressed) produces a calculated Mv of 2566fps
44.5gr N140 (105% compressed): Mv 2649 fps (still below calculated max pressure)
44gr of H4895: Mv 2766fps (a load I have used). I have chrony data for this but can't find it. It was not as fast as calculated but close.
47.3 gr N550 (105% compressed but a load I have also used): Mv 2657fps
42.5 gr N530: Mv 2733fps
44gr Varget (103% compressed): Mv 2671fps
N140 should work just fine. I have not tried it in the 308win. I'm a bit reluctant to run compressed loads so I shifted to a faster powder than N550. YMMV.

Thanks so much for the info!

[Olsen]

I use 39,5 grain N140 for Hornady GMX 165 grain and 43 grain N140 for Hornady SST 165 grain, and the both hit same zero

Thank you Olsen, what speeds were you getting with those loads? Did you have to compress the loads at that grains?

Havent checked the speed, but they work great at roe deer and beaver

[slugslinger]

Up front let me say my experience is with a Sauer 202, not a Blaser R8. So accuracy nodes might be different between the two.
I've used Nosler Accubonds and some of the old Nosler Solid Bases (soft point, flat base), both in 165 grains. I load for accuracy, not MV . . . and I don't hunt "long range" (generally not past about 400 yards).

N140 was getting there, but I ran out of powder capacity before I hit the accuracy node for my rifle. I'm not a fan of overly-compressed loads so I stopped. Interestingly, Nosler's load data favors the light load 40.5g of N140 (for accuracy). Unfortunately Vihtavuori's published load data wasn't matched to the bullets I was using so I had to experiment a lot.

Varget seemed to work well in the 44 grain range. I usually develop test loads 0.5 grains apart and then when I get close, I reduce it to 0.2 to 0.3 grains apart. I'm in that process now and won't know for a few weeks which load "wins". I'll also probably try Reloder 15 since it seems to have a good load density (fill percentage).

Nosler load data seems pretty good if you're using Accubonds, but of course it depends on your specific brass, primers, freebore, neck tension, etc. I'm using Lapua brass, Federal Match LR primers, and 2.810 COAL.

https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/308-winchester/

Regards,

[secondtry]

If you have access to ADI/Hodgdon powders, H4895/2206H has been the best for me for accuracy and velocity with 150/165s. BM8208/8208XBR the same.

Varget/2208 has always been slow in velocity for me.

If speed is your thing Alliant Power 2000MR will give you plenty in the 308, also with good accuracy (.7 MOA for three 165 NPs) in two 308s of mine.
With 165s 2000MR gave me 75/90 FPS more than I could get with the others.

I have no experience with Vihtavouri or Sonjheim.