Thread: Recipe for Howa 1500 .308

Hi Guys. Working on a Howa 1500 .308, belongs to a young mate. Anyone loading for the same rifle that have recipes they would like to share. Only suitable powder I've got is 2206H. Cheers

My main rifle is a howa 1500 in .308win for which I reload. I don't think there is any advice i would give that wouldn't apply to any other 308.

2206H is ideal, and probably the most versatile powder for 308. There might be some that meter better, but it is what I use.

In my howa, book max or half a grain below book max using 2206h has given very good accuracy with every 150gr or 165gr bullet I've tried.

Also I load close to the lands and still fit loaded cartridge into magazine. I've used Hornady SPs and SSTs and now using Nosler BTs. Serria 165gr HPBT didn't group as well as those others, probably just due to my specific barrel length and suppressor relationship rather than being a Howa.

There's good and safe recipes in reloading manuals and on the ADI website.

Decide what you want to do with it and pick a bullet first.

In my ADI manual I have written "Muledeer (the gun writer John Barsness) says load 46.0 gns of H4895 with anything from 150 to 165 Gn" - this being in 308) and by gosh it works for me. H4895 is the USA packaged 2206H.

@Tentman, the Hodgdon max is 43.5gr for a 165, 45.5 for a 150 so your suggestion is anywhere from 0.5gr to 2.5gr over max.

Originally Posted by Pommy

@Tentman, the Hodgdon max is 43.5gr for a 165, 45.5 for a 150 so your suggestion is anywhere from 0.5gr to 2.5gr over max.

Ooops - Fark, well spoken @Pommy, wrong powder, that should have been with 2208 or Varget, just as well someone is awake!

Currently at 45.5 2206h pushing a 165 Targex and 47gn 2206h pushing a 150 Speer Hotcor. I don't reckon you can get enough stick powder in the case to get into trouble. Ball powder and mag primers however........

In my Howa Bravo .308 I'm shooting Hornady 155gn HPBT with 44.5gn of 2206h, Fed Match primers and Lapua brass.

Also Hornady 168gn ELD-M with 42.5gn 2206H. Same primers and brass.

Still playing with seating depth for both loads.

Sako A7 , 16 in barrel. 43g 2206h and any 150g pill except Barnes,all shoot under inch @ 100 m ,just slightly different point of impacts.

Just to throw another idea in the mix. I'm using Sako factory 123 grn in my howa 308 and get 10mm c t c groups at 100mtrs.