Looking for advice

F

Flat Land

Guest
Just getting started, have 300 rounds thru the savage 308 BR, federal factory rounds, have not tried to reload. What advice do you have?

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Flat land,
Welcome to the site and I hope that you are enjoying your new rig. I have a few savages and they are very accurate guns and can be a lot of fun.
With regards to your question of advice you may get a few more responses if you are more specific in your request. This site has some of the top benchrest shooters in the world on it and I am sure that whatever questions you might have will be answered.
Is there something specific you were hoping to learn about? Do you have a particular discipline or distance that you wish to shoot?
If it is reloading for the .308 I might suggest the www.accurateshooter.com website and check out their cartridge guide on the left hand side of the main page. Once you have read through that you might be able to direct your questions better.
If you haven't been there www.savageshooters.com also has a lot of information on your gun and loads to try out.
If you are new to reloading or haven't tried yet, it might be helpful to find someone in your area that has and give you some pointers. The book "the ABC's of reloading will give you a great starting point if there is no one close by to help out.
Good luck with your search and please take this as being submitted humbly for your benefit. If you already reload or there are other assumptions made in my post they were not intended as such.
Mike
 
Mike - thanks for the reply. I really don't know enough to ask questions yet. I'll go to the sites you noted and start reading. I lost interest in hunting when my dad pasted. Didn't shoot anything for some time and decided to take up something different. I have loaded shotgun shells in the past but that was all, I would have to start from scratch with the 308. I think I need to learn how to get the most out of what I have before I take up reloading. The people I know that are good at bench-rest don't offer up much and the others, I'm not sure I want to take their advice. To start with I'm going to shoot the factory class at local clubs. I've been told to do a hard push/pin against the stop, light push/pin against the stop, hard hold on the grip, light hold on the grip, hard against the shoulder, free recoil, leather bag, cordua bag and on & on & on! If I tried all the combinations I would have to replace the barrel before I found what works. I was hoping some of the experienced shooters that have nothing to gain or lose would narrow down the options and point me in a direction that usually works for most shooters. Thanks again.
 
Nice rig Flat Land..... You just experiment with gun handling... IMOP, if it shoots well with a pin... That a Good gun.
Post back to this thread if ya get a chance with results... Know some who would be interested... Myself too..

Good luck and welcome to BRC,
cale
 
If I were in your shoes (and I have been, often) I'd first invest in one of these http://www.midwayusa.com/product/288765/wheeler-engineering-barrel-nut-wrench-savage-10-110 and reset the headspace to crush fit on your brass of choice.

I would then invest in a set of these http://www.lewilson.com/necksizedie.html and a tube of this http://www.amazon.com/Shooters-Choice-Hi-Tech-Grease-Syringe/dp/B00271ESH6 and remember to GREASE YOUR BOLT LUGS EVERY 25RDS!!! and have at it.

This will allow you to realize the potential of that barrel, birth a whole slew of relevant questions and get you well and truly hooked on rolling your own.

hth

al
 
This Flatland thingy can get confusing, FLATLANDER, is Dennis, from Western Kansas now we have FLAT LAND from central Kansas. Is all of Kansas flat??
 
Thanks, Cale & Al, I appreciate the input, its too cold to shoot so I can read more about shooting. Al - tell me more about crush fit? Thats a new one for me.
Jerry - from I-35 west, yes it's pretty flat!
 
Fed. Prem. Gold 168 Gr. - 10+ mph wind from right to left. Two good and one out - it must be me! Light hold, light pin
Click to expand...

Can't open the attachments... Wind..... The two "in" one out statement.... >Wind Flags<........
A must for any accuracy/precision shooting....

The Gold Medal 168's are darn good... In >some< rifles, amazingly GOOD..!

A few sticks of aluminum rod down range with a streamer of serveyors tape on top will give ya decent wind indication...
It's something... Real wind flags will be of a big help, as you gain experience.

cale
 
Cale - don't know what happen to the attachments, they opened when I posted it but I can't open as well. Tried again - maybe? I was not using wind flags, two shots were one large hole and the third would out. That happened on three of four targets. The fourth target was three overlapping holes in the vertical just left of the dot.
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This is a great site, and there are a lot of knowlegable people on here, but as mentioned in an earler post www.savageshooter.com will have a tone of information about Savage rifles, and your rifle as well. (I am one of the moderators over there.) I have had fisrt hand experince with the 12 BR, but the model I had was in 6 mm BR. The rifle works and does a fine job, Savages intent for this rifle was for mid to long range shooting. (600 and 1000 yards.) The gun is easy to modify, and depending on what you would want to do with the gun, would determin what mods you would want or need to do.

It looks like you have a super nice rest and rear set up, if you was to do any competition shooting with it, you could only use that rear bag set up, on long range heavy gun, as other classes require a rear bag without mechanical adjustement. I would say if you dont already get some good cleaning supplys such as a good bore guide, a couple of good 1 piece rods, an action cleaning set, a good jag, some brushes, and patches, and finaly a good solvent.

If you want to squeze all the potential out of that gun you are going to have to start reloading. On reloading set up, there is a ton of diferent schools of thought, and it is up to you to see what works best for you. I would recamend getting the best brass you can get, such as lapua. A great press to start out with is a RCBS rock chucker. I highly recamend you make your set up mobible, so that you can take it to the range. I would recamend buying good dies, and I would recamend getting a seater with a micromeater adjustement. I believe that FL sizing is the best way to go, some will argue that neck sizing is the way to go, you will have to do the research and trial and error to see what works best for you. Get a good powder measurer, the best you can afford. The RCBS chargemasters are great if you have the money. I like Harrels culver style powder measures, they alow you to go to diferent charge rates and back by numbers, and they are super accurate, but they are pricy. On the low end the Lee perfect powder measure work well. The main thing is dont dictate to the gun/barrel what to shoot, let it tell you what it likes. when I say that I mean try diferent powder types, and weights, and bullet types, brands and weights to see what it likes best. each barre has its own personality, and no two are the same, so what works in one may or may not work in another.

When shooting, relax, be comfortable, and ALWAYS use wind flags! Wind flags dont have to be expensive, a few pieces of survayors tape on stick set out at 3 or 4 places between your target and the shooting line can work wonders. (say set at every 30 yards.) Read a few good books, they have a tone of information, on the cheap side try "Ultimate in Rifle Accuracy" by Glenn Newick you should be able to pick up a copy for a couple of bucks, and heck it has a TON of great information. http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Rifle-Accuracy-Glenn-Newick/dp/0883171597

On the more expensive side get Mike Ratigans "Extreme Rifle Accuracy" http://extremerifleaccuracy.com/ Execelent book.
And last but not least is Tony Boyers book "The Book of Rifle Accuracy" Tony is without a doubt the most competitive shooter in Benchrest history. http://www.rifleaccuracybook.com/
 
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82boy -- Great info - Thanks
Currently I want to shoot the factory class at the local club, nothing over 200 yards. They don't have any rules on the rear rest, thats why I made the base for the rear. I take it that the best powder measure unit you can afford is the way to go? i've been told about the lapua brass, any thoughts on bullets or powder as a place to start? If I went for the Harrels Culver powder measure (I assume with this you don't need a scale?) and the RCBS rock chucker, can you get into reloading for $1500 ?
 
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Dick - if I'm going to reload, where do I start? I've spent the last few days looking at info on the net and there are more options than opinions about politicians? Any direction would be appreciated. This is a factory savage 308 BR and I want to shoot the factory class.
Thanks
Flat Land
 
Flat Land you can get into reloading for $1500 without much problem, but I'd hate to figure out how much it'd cost to replace all the "stuff" I've bought over the years. As with a lot of things the most expensive isn't necessarily any better than a less expensive option. Redding's bushing sizing dies and competition seaters work very well with a good press. The press should have enough strength and leverage to allow full length sizing of the .308 cases without over stressing the press or your arm. If you don't plan on loading at the range right away, the RCBS Chargemaster weighs charges to within 0.1 gr which is better than the average guy can do with a powder measure, and is easily adjustable. A hand priming tool allows you to feel the primers seating much better than priming with the press mounted priming equipment. A good set of dial or electronic calipers (not the cheap made in China ones if possible), a bullet comparator that allows you to check the length of the loaded round to a place on the bullet's ogive instead of overall length (you need the calipers to use it), and a case comparator so that you can adjust your full length sizing die so that you're only pushing the shoulders back 0.002" ± 0.0005". That shouldn't push $1500, and there's always more stuff to buy as you learn and see "neat new stuff that you can't live without", once you get into it. A chronograph is also handy for developing loads and getting an idea of where you're at. The velocities in the manuals aren't what your rifle will produce with the same charges.
 
Flat Land
I really don't see the above statement about $1500 as at all helpful , having in the area of $1000 in your rifle you probably do not want to hear it is going to cost $1500 to get into reloading. It is true if you get bitten and become serious about precision shooting and precision reloading 10 years or so later you could easily end up with that kind of investment , but basic reloading could be started for under $100, start with a Lee loader kit for .308 for $25

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/735723/lee-classic-loader-308-winchester

A better starting point would be $90

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/42...reech-lock-single-stage-press-anniversary-kit

You will also need a set of dies $16 and up

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/738184/lee-rgb-2-die-set-308-winchester

A shell holder and reloading manual are other absolute necessities. this would be your absolute rock bottom starting point for tools.

Dick
 
I'm not trying to discourage, but I also don't think its fair for you to be misled. There's no way you can start from scratch and be reloading anything for $100 or less. Putting the cost of equipment aside - brass, powder, primers and bullets will cost you more than that. It ain't cheap, but it is a heckuva lotta fun!
 
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