.308 load question.

[bjmac]

Disclaimer: I'm a semi novice reloader.
I have a hundred .308 primed cases reasy to be loaded with Varget and Hornady 150 gr interlock #3031. Looking at my handbooks Hornadys data seems way off! They list a 35.9 start, 44.9 max. Lyman and Lee list 42.5 and 44, both list 47 max. I'd love to start at 44 grain min. What are your thoughts?

[gghbi]

From Hogdon's web site; https://www.hodgdon.com/varget/

Cartridge: 308 Winchester
CASE Winchester
TWIST 1:12"
PRIMER Federal 210M, Large Rifle Match
BARREL LENGTH 15"
TRIM LENGTH 2.005"
BULLET WEIGHT 150 GR. NOS BT
MANUFACTURER Hodgdon
POWDER Varget
BULLET DIAM. .308"
C.O.L. 2.800"

STARTING LOADS
GRS. 44.0
VEL.(FT/S) 2,522
PRESS 43,300 CUP

MAXIMUM LOADS
GRS. 47.0C
VEL.(FT/S) 2,675
PRESS 50,300 CUP

I don't know that the interlock bullet should be that much different from the boat tail listed here. What version of the Hornady Manual do you have?
The Hornady website is useless for checking this. The Lyman numbers sound like a happy medium.

[Marcus99]

You're ok to start at 44gr if you want. I have a older Speer book that lists a max of 47gr. It also notes that the 47gr is a compressed load. I don't mess with compressed loads personally(neither does Hornady I guess) but its published in several sources soooo it's up to you.

[bjmac]

From Hogdon's web site; https://www.hodgdon.com/varget/

Cartridge: 308 Winchester
CASE Winchester
TWIST 1:12"
PRIMER Federal 210M, Large Rifle Match
BARREL LENGTH 15"
TRIM LENGTH 2.005"
BULLET WEIGHT 150 GR. NOS BT
MANUFACTURER Hodgdon
POWDER Varget
BULLET DIAM. .308"
C.O.L. 2.800"

STARTING LOADS
GRS. 44.0
VEL.(FT/S) 2,522
PRESS 43,300 CUP

MAXIMUM LOADS
GRS. 47.0C
VEL.(FT/S) 2,675
PRESS 50,300 CUP

I don't know that the interlock bullet should be that much different from the boat tail listed here. What version of the Hornady Manual do you have?
The Hornady website is useless for checking this. The Lyman numbers sound like a happy medium.

Thank you!! I know of Hodgdon's site, it sadly didn't occur to me to check it. These cases have been sitting for a year and I just ran out of factory hornady. Thank you!
Edit: Hornady 9th.

[frankski]

I've loaded that specific bullet with Varget. My chronied results matched Hornady's data very closely. There's no way I'd start at near max with any load. Especially for a novice reloader. Will you chrony results? Do you know how to recognize pressure signs?

The Hodgdon data listed above is for a Nosler BT. That's a different bullet than the Hornady 3031. The Hodgdon data that indicates 2522 fps for the Nosler BT at 44g Varget will be pushing the Hornady close to 2700 fps with the same powder load.

Don't do it. Start low and work up.

[MT1]

Why are you eager to start with the highest starting load? Just because it is more powder doesn't mean you'll get better performance.

[Twoboxer]

At least part of the difference in the load data may come from the COLs used. Hodgdon tested their 150gr bullets at 2.800" while Hornady #9 lists 2.735" as the COL for the Interlock bullets.

Note that Hornady lists all of the cannelured bullets at COLs less than 2.800, probably to allow for crimping at the cannelure.

If you are going to seat (and perhaps crimp) at the cannelure, I'd use Hornady's data and start at 43gr, working up. You can check for pressure signs and see how far you can go if need be. Alternatively, seat longer and follow the rest of Hodgdon's guidance as well.

[wanneroo]

To me it makes sense to start first with a manufacturers data for that particular bullet. For instance if it's a Hornady bullet I am using I start with their own data for that bullet and then tweak it to my needs. I would also invest in a chronograph as that gives you a data point to work with. There is nothing wrong with starting on the low end of the scale and working up. A lot of times I will find a compromise in the middle and work from there.

[Delkal]

The more recent Hornady manuals are worthless if you are looking for anything close to a max load. They group every bullet they make by weight and give one load for all of them. My manual shows for .308 they group 7 bullets together (including the 3031) from 150 to 155 gr. To make it worse they overlap everything from a standard soft point, blunt round nose, boat tails, and the long A-max bullets. There is no way the one load will be the same max for all of those.

What you get is a good load for one of the bullets (the highest pressure one) and a moderate load for the rest. You are better off using a powder companies data with a generic bullet and working up slow.

Also, The recent Hornady manuals (like most others) are getting more and more conservative compared their older manuals (pre-lawyer versions).

[bjmac]

Why are you eager to start with the highest starting load? Just because it is more powder doesn't mean you'll get better performance.

It's more the discrepancy between Hornady and my other manuals that gets me. It seems like a waste of time starting 8 grain below the other manuals. I'm not shooting a .308 150 2300 fps... I don't care if it's a 0 moa load. I would like to be in the 2700 fps area and have a 1 moa load. That would accomplish my "energy minimum" to 300 yards.