Recommended powder for 308

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I am just getting into reloading and have been shooting Federal 308, 168gr HPBT Matchking with great grouping. I am hoping to make a similar product but I don't know what kind of powder to get. I have been reading a book called The ABC's of Reloading and I found IMR 4064 and IMR 8208 XBR as potential powders but I would like to hear some peoples first hand use and recommendations.
 
There's a many choices for powder. Example with 168 grain bullets hodgedon/Imf/Winchester <all owned by same company. List 14 different powders just for 168 gn bullet loads.
1. What gun
2. Intended use
3. I throw this out there 4895/4064/varget/h335/cf223 gets a lot of buzz these days.benchmark is the powder for a few guys at my club. These seem to be the common choices. This is just one manufacture though.
 
I have loads using 4895 and Reloader-15, both with great results.

Reloader 15, really??? I purchased some RL15 for 556 a while back but never got to reload. I still have it and was going to sell it to get a more suitable powder for 308 168 HPBT

So you get good results?
 
I use WC846 military pulldown powder. Its ball powder that meters very well.

Stick powders like IMR4064 work well but don't flow well through powder dispensers. If you're manually dumping charges, its fine but thats slow and tedious.
 
My go to load for my 20 inch barrel Remington 700 is a 168gr SMK with 45gr of BLC2. I originally ended up with the BLC2 in the 1st primer/powder hoarding spree, it was the only stuff I could find, and I have been very happy with the results.
 
Reloader 15, really??? I purchased some RL15 for 556 a while back but never got to reload. I still have it and was going to sell it to get a more suitable powder for 308 168 HPBT

So you get good results?

I'm not shooting at any real distance but clover leafs are no problem at 100 yards.
 
Also according to a post on another forum, I have not seen this info posted elsewhere, so take it FWIW

Reloader 15 is what Lake City is currently loading under the 175 grain Sierra MatchKing in M118LR sniper ammunition. It is also what Federal is currently loading under both that 175 gr. SMK and the 168 grain SMK in their Gold Medal Match ammunition
 
Lotsa love for Varget, but that is about as common as an honest politician these days. Other good ones I've used are H4895, RE-15, AR-COMP, PP2000MR, Viht N150. Try some Wolf LR primers if you can find them, always had good luck with them.
 
actually varget was easy to find up until all the BS....dont forget alot of national match shooters are buying up powder this time of year to get ready for ohio.
 
44.5gr of BLC-(2) under a 175 SMK has been a good loading out of my Savage. I used to use Benchmark and had good results but you cant get over 2500 fps with it.
 
Hodgdon H4895 and IMR 4895 are both great powders in .308

I use 40.5 grains of IMR 4895, on a 168 grain Seirra Match King BTHP, At 200 yards you can get then to touch, PM me if you want OAL and or the O-Give lenght. I made them to be the same lenght of Federal Gold Metal Match.

I am shooting a Remington 700 PSS, and it loves the Federal so I made them to match
 
I do know of others who love Reloader 15 and use it for 223 and 308 loads

- - - Updated - - -

I do know of others who love Reloader 15 and use it for 223 and 308 loads
 
I've used both 4895's, Varget, RE15, BLC2, and Winchester 748. My best results in the M14 came with 748, although I was told by many it wasn't a good powder for .308.
 
For what it may be worth:

My "precision" load for a bolt gun is 168 SMK, 42.2 grains Reloder 15 (each charge weighed), CCI LR primers and Winchester Brass.

I've played around with 4064, Varget, and a couple of other propellants, but always come back to this load.

My "auto" load (M1A) is 168 SMK, 42.2 grains Win 748 (measured), same primer, mixed brass.
 
Anyone have experience with Accurate 2495 for .308 or .223? It was the only powder I could get my hands on.
 
In a bolt action gun, almost any powder that you'd find for that bullet would be fine. I like BLC(2) for the bolt guns.
The aforementioned WC846 is very similar to BLC(2).

HOWEVER..............

For M1 and M1A's.............. the other powders could be too fast, and might bend your operating rod.
For those guns, my go-to powder is IMR4064.
 
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