You gotta whole lot going on in that post Mark.....
1) The game hasn't changed, just more chickens in the field.
2) Bullets. I personally don't use them, but have exp with the Lapua. I don't like Berger bullets, they REQUIRE fiddling with that others don't. The 168 SMK has LONG be recognized as having a poor boat tail angle, for Trans-Sonic velocities.
The big trade-off is between tail angles for high BC, and Trans-Sonic survival. Berger's monster BC's are at the expense of that surviveability. Given how heavy the juggernaut is, your general requirements will be: NEEDING a faster twist, NEEDING to not cross trans sonic.
Unless you refuse to learn drift and scope adjustments, you can get the 155 class bullets to 1K wi much less drop.
For your short range PBR shooting, the light weights are quite popular, as BC is essentially meaningless at those ranges.
3) If you are looking for LR loads, especially with the bullets listed; STOP using 100 yards as your benchmark. They are different animals. My 1,000 yard loads are sighted at 500. When I do shoot them at the 100 yard line, I have a group slightly more impressive than a shotgun; from MOA at 1K.
4) your rifle isn't "chambered" anything but 308. Your longer than SAAMI throat just proves you have a gun that was made on mass production lines. I've never had a gun of any make/chamber, that did NOT have a longer than "spec" throat.
5) COAL is gun/load dependent. My 175 SMK's are perfectly happy with everything else I shoot, at Lee's 1/32" off the lands. I find that Berger bullets are very fickle for the COAL. Apparently I am not the only one, as they now build Hybrids to combat that issue.....Which they won't admit was an issue. Basically it is a Sierra front half bullet, and the typical Berger tail. ...What was that saying about imitation is the sincerest form of flattery....
Find a decent reloading manual and read it. Case fill and volume are VASTLT more important that case weight, or head stamps. REALLY pisses people off when I bring mixed headstamps and my 10FP, and outshoot therm.
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