Looking for a good handload for my competitor in 308 win. Anybody got a favorite that I can try as a starting point? Am working with a 17" barrel. Thanks.

I have been using 42gr Benchmark in my 15 inch encore with alot of success. Max according to Hodgdon with 150gr bullets is 43gr. Good luck

The only .308 I currently load for a is a Savage 12BVSS. It LOVES Varget and 168gr SMK's...and will shoot an honest 3.5" at 500yds in good conditions. 100yd groups are typically under 1/2".

What Dan B said! Varget or 4064 are the standard for target work in .308-whether it be rifle or ahndcannon. I have used both extensively in my 15" Encore at Dan's SWPA shoots on previous years. I lean toward Varget because it meters very well and is not temperature sensitive. I used to use 4064 all teh time until Varget became available. I have 8 lbs of Varget on hand right now. Varget works really well in my 338-06 too. It is perfect for that case size.

Here are the loads I've worked up for Joe's .308 Encore (extremely deadly as can be verified by watching my video):

Deer and Antelope: Fed. 215 primer, 42 grains of RE-15, and EITHER a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip OR a 150 grain Nosler Partition.

For elk: CCI 250 primer, 41 gr. RE-15 and 165 grain Nosler Partition.

PS: Don't know that the different primers matter, just what I have worked with.

The first load: not a maximum load, has hunting accuracy of 1 to 2 moa for "normal ranges", and very hard-working, ie: gets the job done.

The elk load has not yet been tested on an elk, but will soon hopefully.

I have 5 308's and Its kind of a love affair at this point. The real question is what do you want to shoot/hunt? And what twist is your barrel? I love Ramshot Tac powder and it works in 110-175 grain bullets and meters great. I shoot it in everything from 110 V-Max's to 175 SMK's and it rocks!!! Varget is good too, but Tac is cheaper, meters better, and I have found it extremely temperature insensitive.

The .308 is my favorite bottlenecked cartridge in a handgun. I have had great results with Varget and 150 grain Accubonds in a couple of different Encore barrels. I shot two elk with this combination; one at 80 yards and one at 263 yards. Both were one-shot kills, however I did put an insurance round in the 6-point.




I liked the .308 cartridge so much that I had a .308 XP built for open country hunting. I am using 47 grains of Varget and 150 grain Sierra Game Kings in this gun.



I intend to use this gun/load on a Wyoming mule deer hunt this Fall.

nice shoot'in!

can't argue with results like that