Thread: .308 178gr ELD-M Load development questions

I’ve used both AR2208 and 2206H with 178gr ELD-X with my .308. Both performed just fine though I did notice quite a bit more kick with the faster 2206H.
@mickeyduck is 100% correct with the freebore comments, and for that reason I generally seat mine according to the book COAL. However, I do have a batch of ELD-X that I seated 0.030” off the lands with a full load and they worked very well too. I only did this to see what difference it made (not a lot) knowing that due to the length of the projectile they were still seated a good way in for good concentricity. I have a long Waters Rifleman mag for the longer high BC .308 projectiles.

I used these .308 ELD-X on medium range goats (see current goat thread in Hunting) but gave up because the recoil was enough to make smooth, fast re-acquisition of the targets that much harder with the scope magnification close to max and a very narrow field of view. So for that reason I went to the Creedmoor. But as a one shot deer cartridge it is bloody fantastic, hard hitting and no mercy.