SPEER 130 grain .308 semi?

[8mmFMJ]

I can get varmint Speer 130gr hot-cor soft points for cheap. I have 3 questions.

1. Will these cycle in a .308 semi auto?.
2. Anyone have reduced load info? Trying to make my powder and $ go farther.
3. What's the overall length of Speer Hot-Cor 130 .308s? My Lyman manual is different then my hornady, and both are different then load data...

I'm thinking ~36gr 4350 or 4895. Thank you!

[Mot Mi]

My speer #14 doesn't show much but for 130 HP and 125 TNT HP 4895 42grs 2654 vel to 46(compressed) 2922 vel. COAL 2.635 for tnthp and 2.615 for 130 gr HP. Use with caution as the bullets you're using are completely different than the ones listed in the available manual I have until I can boot my computer for older manuals.

[robert101]

My older Speer 10th Edition shows IMR 4350 @ min 48 grains for 2591 fps. And, IMR 4895 @ min 43.0 grains for 2680 fps. Above data is for 130 grain Speer bullet.

[8mmFMJ]

My older Speer 10th Edition shows IMR 4350 @ min 48 grains for 2591 fps. And, IMR 4895 @ min 43.0 grains for 2680 fps. Above data is for 130 grain Speer bullet.

Thanks guys, I'm really looking for reduced loads. Is that an issue to try and keep the 130s at only 2000 FPS or so? This is solely for 100 yards or less plinking and MOA on paper. Trying to save the powder, wallet, and shoulder.

[Mot Mi]

Try gallery loads for leas than 1700 fps if you want to save money but even then you arent saving much.

[Hunter57dor]

I have heard of some guys doing gallery loads for those with bullseye and blue dot with good success. they do cycle if ya tune it right, adjustable gasblocks are a godsend.


as for money saving.... you probably drop only 16 cents or so of powder per cartridge. its not really worth it to skimp on it and maybe save 5 cents of that, only to cause headaches later.

[8mmFMJ]

16 cents on 1000 rounds is 160$! (Though I think that is more savings then what I am planning).

A-max 168s are ~300$ for 1000 and 110 and 130gr are as low as 150$/1000

So I could potentially save ~300$ every other month by making and shooting low recoil/gallery loads.

I'm loading 5 rounds at 34, 5@34.5, 5@35, 5@35.5, 5@36, etc..and so on. I will see how the groups come out and what cycles.


Should I see an issue using imr4895 or H4350? As long as I'm over 65% case capacity I should be ok right?

[jh4db536]

I shoot both Speer TNT125 and the Varmint 130grs out of my Rem700 .308 because it's economical and I have a lot of it (since I got bored of my 300blk AR and it's more fun to play with reloading recipes)
The loading is very similar between the two projectile.

To reach the lands with the Varmint130 in MY GUN, bullet must be seated at 2.80". For TNT125 bullet must be seated at 2.948" which is not possible because it's so short, so I seat it at 2.80".

This will give you an idea how it shoots with different powders and grains. Did this all in 1 session...every bullet and grouping was labeled, every bullet was individually weighed/reweighed, every component down to the primer was matched to 0.1gr. Neck tension is set at 0.002. (LC08 machine gunned brass, WLRP) I should be able to shoot but who knows.

I'm inclined to try 49.2gr Varget again as it might've been a dud on my end. Plus the primer was barely starting to lose it's round. so I want to go higher just to see when the pressure really comes on.
Also, that is a Benchmark ladder even though it looks like a horrible group. I really wanted to get this powder to work for TNT125/130, but it just refuses.


I had all the targets up and I alternated targets and loads each shot. Benchmark vs W748. I was fighting some wind on this one, but I didn't make any scope adjustments.

[Hunter57dor]

16 cents on 1000 rounds is 160$! (Though I think that is more savings then what I am planning).

A-max 168s are ~300$ for 1000 and 110 and 130gr are as low as 150$/1000

So I could potentially save ~300$ every other month by making and shooting low recoil/gallery loads.

ehhh...not quite.

lets say you move to a cheaper powder setup and shave 5 cents off every round fired. (this is very generous for a round that shaved maybe a few grains of powder off factory)

thats 50 bucks per 1000 you saved, just to shoot a round that

1. won't hit in the same spot as your defensive or hunting ammo

2. won't have nearly the same distance capabilities

3. won't have the same recoil, muzzle flash, or sound properties as the rounds you are training for.

Your skills are only as good as your practice, and if your practice doesn't reflect field conditions, its not very useful.


also, why are you running super expensive A-max bullets if you are trying to save cash in the first place?

just buy some xtreme bullets, 150 grain, ends up being about 100 bucks per 1000.



OH one more thing:

IMR4895 is what i run also.

so lets say

35 grains = 200 rounds made per pound of powder.

26 dollars a pound for imr 4895.

26 divided by 200 rounds is 13 cents of powder. what a savings!

but

45 grains standard loading = 155 rounds and some change.

26 divided by 155 rounds = 16.7 cents per round. round it up to 17 cents, just to be nice.

4 cents. YEAH MATH.

[8mmFMJ]

Thanks for the replies everyone

ehhh...not quite.

lets say you move to a cheaper powder setup and shave 5 cents off every round fired. (this is very generous for a round that shaved maybe a few grains of powder off factory)

thats 50 bucks per 1000 you saved, just to shoot a round that

1. won't hit in the same spot as your defensive or hunting ammo

2. won't have nearly the same distance capabilities

3. won't have the same recoil, muzzle flash, or sound properties as the rounds you are training for.

Your skills are only as good as your practice, and if your practice doesn't reflect field conditions, its not very useful.


also, why are you running super expensive A-max bullets if you are trying to save cash in the first place?

just buy some xtreme bullets, 150 grain, ends up being about 100 bucks per 1000.



OH one more thing:

IMR4895 is what i run also.

so lets say

35 grains = 200 rounds made per pound of powder.

26 dollars a pound for imr 4895.

26 divided by 200 rounds is 13 cents of powder. what a savings!

but

45 grains standard loading = 155 rounds and some change.

26 divided by 155 rounds = 16.7 cents per round. round it up to 17 cents, just to be nice.

4 cents. YEAH MATH.

All that and you didn't factor in the cheaper projectile. The bulk of the savings. And you must have skipped over that part about the projected powder savings being higher then I estimated.

It's the reason I shoot 150s like they are going out if style vs the A-Max 168 or 175 HPBTs.

[Hunter57dor]

All that and you didn't factor in the cheaper projectile.

oopsie.

It's the reason I shoot 150s like they are going out if style vs the A-Max 168 or 175 HPBTs.

The .308 works fine with 150's anyways. everyone touts the superiority of 168 grain bullets, but I have yet to see a real difference in field. 150 is what the military loadings are, its what i shoot, it works fine.

xtreme bullets rock too