Reloading for 308 Mossberg Scout

[seabreeze133]

I have a new Mossberg Scout 308, a bunch of Nosler 168 hunting bullets, LCLR brass and CCI primers. Barrel is 16.25". I have IMR 4064, IMR 4895 and H335. Hope to be able to shoot with reasonable accuracy to500 yds w/a scope.

Any suggestions for loading in the 2450 to 2550 range (if possible) and keeping the flash to a low level.

My past data was with 168 SMK, 41.5 gr IMR 4895, WLR primers and LC brass.

Thanks

seabreeze

 

[Guy Miner]

I don't know about reducing the flash, but 4895 and 4064 are well known for good results with the .308 Winchester & 165/168 grain bullets. Work up towards max.

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

Welcome aboard. Glad to have you posting here. Muzzle flash is unburned powder igniting outside of the barrel. You want a powder that burns at least 97% or so within the barrel. Check out this powder with a 168 grain Nosler BST.

Cartridge          : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .308, 168, Nosler CT BalSilTip 51160
Useable Case Capaci: 46.494 grain H2O = 3.019 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch = 71.12 mm
Barrel Length      : 16.5 inch = 419.1 mm
Powder             : Accurate 2495

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   81    33.92   2039    1551   30924   9208     96.3    1.277
-18.0   83    34.77   2091    1631   33079   9447     97.2    1.243
-16.0   85    35.62   2143    1712   35385   9669     97.9    1.209
-14.0   87    36.46   2194    1796   37852   9876     98.6    1.174
-12.0   89    37.31   2245    1881   40492  10064     99.1    1.136
-10.0   91    38.16   2297    1967   43318  10233     99.5    1.099
-08.0   93    39.01   2347    2056   46344  10382     99.8    1.063
-06.0   95    39.86   2398    2145   49587  10510    100.0    1.029
-04.0   97    40.70   2448    2236   53066  10617    100.0    0.996  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0   99    41.55   2498    2328   56800  10712    100.0    0.965  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0  101    42.40   2547    2420   60812  10803    100.0    0.934  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  103    43.25   2596    2515   65130  10890    100.0    0.905  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  105    44.10   2645    2610   69781  10973    100.0    0.877  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  107    44.94   2694    2707   74799  11052    100.0    0.850  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  109    45.79   2742    2805   80223  11126    100.0    0.824  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  111    46.64   2791    2905   86095  11195    100.0    0.798  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba    101    42.40   2646    2612   74661  10336    100.0    0.856  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba    101    42.40   2394    2138   47338  11214     98.4    1.043

That should address that issue. I would imagine that Varget or IMR4895 would also cut down on muzzle flash.

Cartridge          : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .308, 168, Nosler CT BalSilTip 51160
Useable Case Capaci: 46.494 grain H2O = 3.019 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch = 71.12 mm
Barrel Length      : 16.5 inch = 419.1 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon VARGET

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   85    35.28   2007    1502   31855   8526     86.4    1.212
-18.0   87    36.16   2057    1578   33950   8818     87.7    1.178
-16.0   89    37.04   2107    1655   36182   9106     88.9    1.145
-14.0   91    37.93   2157    1735   38563   9389     90.0    1.112
-12.0   94    38.81   2207    1817   41104   9666     91.1    1.079
-10.0   96    39.69   2258    1902   43814   9936     92.2    1.047
-08.0   98    40.57   2309    1988   46706  10198     93.2    1.015
-06.0  100    41.45   2360    2077   49771  10451     94.1    0.986
-04.0  102    42.34   2411    2168   53037  10694     95.0    0.957  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0  104    43.22   2462    2261   56529  10927     95.8    0.929  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0  106    44.10   2513    2356   60267  11148     96.5    0.902  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  108    44.98   2564    2453   64272  11356     97.2    0.876  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  111    45.86   2616    2552   68569  11551     97.8    0.851  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  113    46.75   2667    2654   73185  11732     98.3    0.827  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  115    47.63   2719    2757   78150  11896     98.8    0.803  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  117    48.51   2770    2863   83500  12045     99.2    0.781  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba    106    44.10   2631    2581   70961  11174     99.7    0.841  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba    106    44.10   2361    2080   49832  10642     89.9    0.982

Cartridge          : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .308, 168, Nosler CT BalSilTip 51160
Useable Case Capaci: 46.494 grain H2O = 3.019 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch = 71.12 mm
Barrel Length      : 16.5 inch = 419.1 mm
Powder             : IMR 4895

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   83    35.60   2046    1561   31739   9193     87.5    1.221
-18.0   85    36.49   2098    1642   33893   9506     88.8    1.187
-16.0   87    37.38   2151    1725   36170   9812     90.1    1.154
-14.0   89    38.27   2203    1811   38596  10111     91.3    1.120
-12.0   91    39.16   2256    1899   41185  10401     92.4    1.085
-10.0   93    40.05   2309    1989   43949  10682     93.4    1.052
-08.0   96    40.94   2362    2081   46900  10953     94.4    1.020
-06.0   98    41.83   2415    2176   50054  11211     95.3    0.989
-04.0  100    42.72   2468    2273   53426  11457     96.1    0.959  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0  102    43.61   2522    2372   57034  11688     96.9    0.930  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0  104    44.50   2575    2473   60897  11905     97.5    0.903  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  106    45.39   2628    2576   65038  12105     98.1    0.876  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  108    46.28   2681    2682   69482  12289     98.7    0.850  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  110    47.17   2734    2789   74256  12454     99.1    0.825  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  112    48.06   2787    2898   79392  12601     99.4    0.801  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  114    48.95   2840    3010   84927  12727     99.7    0.777  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba    104    44.50   2700    2719   72972  11762    100.0    0.835  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba    104    44.50   2409    2165   49256  11454     91.0    0.991

Again, welcome aboard.

 

[seabreeze133]

Gentlemen- Thanks for the replies.

DRMIKE:
Since I have a good supply of IMR4895, I will start with it and probably around 40 gr.

Question:

I am using military brass. The Lake City Long Range brass is especially consistent weight. Do the tables take into consideration military brass.

Thanks

seabreeze

 

[DrMike]

You should be able to start at 42 grains and work up in one grain increments, I should think. See what that does to tame the fire-breathing monster.

 

[BretN]

Welcome to the forum. The manuals differ as to how to approach military brass. Sierra says you only need to reduce your max load by .5-1.0 grain. Nosler says to start at minimum load and carefully work up.

I use military brass in my Tikka 30-06. It is old LC Match brass, but it cleaned up and works very well. I had several email discussions with the Sierra techs and they had no qualms recommending using military brass, assuming it is physically sound to start with. That being said, I don't push that load very hard either. I found a load well below max that consistently shoots about .5" at 100 yards and stopped.

I've had very good results in my 308's with IMR 4064, Varget, BLC2, and IMR 4895. I wouldn't hesitate to use any of them. Good luck with it.

 

[PJGunner]

If you do not want a bright flash and very loud muzzle blast, stay away from H335. Just ask me how I know. :roll: Seriously though, when I got my first .308, a Remington 660 with 20" barrel, H335 was the cheapest powder I could buy so that's what I went with. The muzzle blast was a load cuncussive boom and the very bright ball of fire that emitted from the muzzle was at least 3 feet around as witnessed by friends.

These days I usually use H4895 and am thinking on Re15 as well.

I'm thinking with that short a barrel, muzzle blast and flash will most likely be loud and bright as well. Naturally YMMV.
Paul B.