Reloading 308

celse

I am getting ready to load .308 with a dillon 650 press. I have been advised that not all powders work well with dillons powder drop systems. Please advise.

fl23in

well i cant speak for your particular powder thrower, but i have a trickle thrower that will NOT throw exstruded style powders. so i reserve it for my ball powders. When i use stick (exstruded) in my trickle thrower it will bind up the handle turn, so it is very possible that yours will not throw certian kinds of powder

Rocky Raab

Dillon recommends that you use spherical powders with their progressive machines. Fortunately, the .308 was designed around spherical powders.

A great choice would be Ramshot TAC, for many reasons. Also good would be W748, BLC-2, Accurate 2230, or H380.

Small-kernel extruded powders are almost as good through those measures, and there are a lot of great choices: Varget, RL-15, plus IMR4320 or either 4895.

nemesisenforcer

what are you reloading for? What gun are you going to use the reloads in?

celse

I am using a Les Baer AR10 with a 24" barrel.

deadeye46

with a measure i use WW 748,charge drops very consistant and very accurate powder for my 308

sandwarrior

quote:Originally posted by celse
I am getting ready to load .308 with a dillon 650 press. I have been advised that not all powders work well with dillons powder drop systems. Please advise.


The reason Dillon recommends ball powders is they plain and simply meter better through powder measures than extruded powders. IMO, weighing extruded charges will give you better loads. But, if you are using a progressive, it means you will be doing more loads than will be convenient using a standard powder measure and weighing each load.
So, like with the single stage/powder measure system, I recommend you first work up a few ladders and see which load works best in your rifle. Once you find the best load, load it until your powder from that lot is gone and then work it up again.

One of the favorite loads for .308/7.62 at Camp Perry was AA2520 behind a 168-175 gr. bullet. Win 760 is a good powder for this also. TAC is very accurate, but burns pretty fast. I find it better suited to 155's. Also, for lighter 150-160 gr. loads, Win 748 works well as does AA2230 or 2460. Ramshot Hunter and Big Game work well too in progressive presses. By Ramshots book Hunter is a little slow for the .308. Depending on what your bullet load book shows I find Hunter very well suited for the .308. Even in gas guns. If you are loading in a gas gun and don't see a load you like then stick with the faster Big Game.

midnightrunpaintballer

i've had good results throwing ball and flake powder in my dillon powder measure. 748 is exceptionally consistent. as noted before, extruded powders are a pia to meter consistently. Some extruded powders are available in a "finer chopped" version. I can't remember at this time what they call it but basically it's the exact same powder that is chopped into smaller pieces at the factory to assist consistent metering. The short kernel versions will work fine for you if you decide to go with an extruded powder and there is a shortened version available for that powder.

in other words: stick with ball powders and you'll be a happy lever puller on that dillon.

alliedarmory

I don't progressive my match 308 loads. I save the progressive for the pistol rds or general blasting rifle ammo.

I have used a number of different powders, but always come back to Varget. Too bad it meters horribly.

Try 2000MR. I got some pretty decent groupings with 178gr A-Max.