"Classic" 308 target load?

[*chris*]

I just picked up a Smith and Wesson M&P 10 and am going to reload for it.

It has a 18" barrel with 1 in 10" - 5R Rifling.

I will be shooting it from 100-300 yards.

I see there are a bunch of loads for 130-150gn bullets and Varget or 760 powder.

What particular weight bullet and powder leads in the target domain? I assume some sort of boat tail bullet?

Thanks

Chris

 

[RKG]

What probably qualifies as the "classic" 7.62 target load is 41.5 gr. of IMR-4895, pushing a 168-grain SMK. See:

http://www.zediker.com/downloads/m14.html

which, through aimed at the M14/M1A, contains a wealth of useful information for anyone loading 7.62 for an auto.

I, for one, do not use 4895, simply because it is too difficult to meter consistently and I don't want to take the time to trickle charges for the M14. My pet load for this rifle is 42.2 grains of Win 748, pushing a 168-grain SMK. I try to stick with Winchester brass. I use regular CCI LR primers (#200), but I do check each round to be sure the primer is seated at least about 0.004" sub-flush. I also use small-base dies and full length size the brass. This load has been clocked at about 2650 in summer time conditions.

While I don't shoot much paper, this load once fired a group measuring 1.25" center-to-center at 200 yards, using iron NM sights. I suspect that was a chance event (where the shooter errors worked to cancel out any machine errors). However, using the same rig, it will "ding" 6 x 8" steels at 300 yards consistently and 12" round steels at 500 yards 4.9 out of 5 so long as the wind is manageable.