Just picked up a like new Windham from a pawn shop. I've worked up a few loads for my 88 Winchester. NATO rounds use 150 gr bullets. Should I stick with these or try some 165s or 168s?

Try 'em all, see what it likes. So far mine seems to like 150s better than 165s. Even sprung for a box of Federal Gold Medal Match 168s and accuracy, while not terrible, was nothing to write home about, either. My 150 grain hunting loads shoot better. Best accuracy so far has been with 125 grain Sierra spitzers. Shot one coyote with one of those, it ruined his day to say the least.

The twist of the barrel's rifling will determan the maximum weight/length bullet it will stabilize. You can go lighter, and all gun are individuals. As a rule of thumb, 155 Palma, 168, & 175 grain bullets are the weights, that work for long range accuracy in 308's. Many of the polymer tipped bullets are performing as well as or better than the BTHP Match bullets. Sierra's loading manual has a whole section dedicated to semi-auto 308 loadings. I don't currently have a semi-auto 308, but for long range look at Sierra's 155 gr Palma (product# 3256) and their new 155 grain poly tipped match. Hornady also has VERY GOOD poly tipped bullets at 155, 165,& 168 grains in the A-Max line up. They have been pushing the new 185 grain A-Max for a couple of years. It is quite accurate but, just too slow in normal 308's.

I have one friend that really likes the 125 gr A-Max for 600 yard 3 position targets ON CALM DAYS!

I have had two guns in 308, that liked/stabilized 110 grain V-Max bullets. If you gun will shoot them well, it will be lazer beam flat (compared to heavier bullets) and vaporize varmints out to 400-450 yards.

I still have an older Bushmaster AR-15 in 223, from when they were at Windham, and it has always preferred lighter bullets for the twist rate than other brands of AR's and shoots them extremely well.

Keep us posted on what works in your rifle.

Ivan

My DPMS LR-308 likes 178gr. A-Max the best. It sounds like every gun will tell you what it does like. Have fun.

The right bullet is half the story.........

You will also need a powder and primer that your rifle likes.

Have fun putting the puzzle together. It will take time and have its ups and downs but always sweet when you find a good load.

What type of shooting are you planning on?

I have been having good luck with Hornady 150 gr FMJ BT bullets over 49.2 gr of Hodgdon CFE 223 powder and CCI 400 primers. They shoot real nice in my M&P 10. This is a 10 shot group at 50 yards , leaning on a deck rail. Seem to group well.

Attached Images

0315151716.jpg (79.8 KB, 35 views)

__________________
Not so Free in the Free State

Don't really have a plan. It was kind of an impulse buy because it was almost a steal for the price and I didn't own one. FWIW it has 1:10 rifling. Thanks for the input fellas.

I got it to the range yesterday. I took two boxes of Winchester white box and and an old brown box of, I'm assuming, surplus , LC brass, with a $3.95 original price tag that I got for 9.99. Both 150gr fmj. The white box shot about 2-3" and the brown stuff was around 1 1/2". Is the 1:10 rifling better for shorter or longer bullets?