Hornady latest reload manual

[Bearcatrp]

Anyone have the latest Hornady reloading manual? Need confirmation on the Hornady 308 174 grain bullet using 8208. Hodgdon shows start 39.0 gr and max is 42.4C. Fairly a new bullet thats not in my manual. Thanks.

[warrlac]

I still use IMR4064 for most of my .308 loads. With a 175 grain SMK I can get performance similar to Federal's Gold Medal Match with around 42.5 - 43.0 grains of IMR 4064...

Here's what GROK has to say about 8208 XBR:

Recommended Starting Powder Charge for Hornady 174 Grain .308 Winchester Bullet with IMR 8208 XBRIMR 8208 XBR is a popular, temperature-stable, short-cut extruded powder well-suited for .308 Winchester loads, particularly in semi-auto or bolt-action rifles for match or hunting applications.

For the Hornady 174 grain bullet (likely referring to the 174 grain InterLock or similar soft point, though match data is similar), published load data is typically listed for close weights like 175 grain bullets (e.g., Sierra MatchKing HPBT or Hornady equivalents). The 174 grain is very close in weight and profile, so the data translates directly with minimal adjustment.Based on Hodgdon/IMR official data (via their Reloading Data Center) and cross-verified with user reports from reloading forums, the recommended starting charge is 41.0 grains of IMR 8208 XBR. Key Load Details (for 175 grain HPBT bullets, adaptable to Hornady 174 grain)

Component Specification
Bullet
Hornady 174 grain (use 175 grain HPBT data as proxy)
Powder
IMR 8208 XBR
Starting Charge
41.0 grains (compressed load possible at higher charges)
Maximum Charge
45.3 grains
Primer
Large Rifle (e.g., CCI 200 or Federal 210M)
Case
.308 Winchester (e.g., Hornady or Lapua, trimmed to 2.005")
COAL
2.800" (adjust for your rifle's chamber/magazine)
Starting Velocity
~2,550 fps (24" barrel)
Maximum Velocity
~2,700 fps (24" barrel)
Starting Pressure
~48,000 PSI
Maximum Pressure
~58,000 PSI (SAAMI limit)

This comes from the official Hodgdon Reloading Data Center for .308 Win with 175 grain Sierra HPBT bullets and IMR 8208 XBR. The starting charge is the lowest published load that achieves safe pressure while providing functional velocity. For bullets in the 168-178 grain range, Hodgdon's data shows consistent patterns: starting loads around 41.0-41.5 grains for 175-178 grain bullets, scaling up from lighter 155 grain loads (43.0 grains start).

User reports on forums like AccurateShooter and Sniper's Hide confirm 41.0-41.5 grains as a safe, accurate starting point for 175 grain bullets, yielding sub-MOA groups in many rifles.

[Bearcatrp]

Thanks Warrlac. Someone on a different form had the newer book. Start was 38 gr and max was 41 gr. Will go off that until I get to the range and see if I can go any higher.Loaded a series to try. Will post my results.

[Rip Van Winkle]

From Hornady's website.

[Bearcatrp]

Thanks RIP.

[ex-LT]

From Hornady's website.

Two observations...

1. I find it odd that Hornady would list loads for other manufacturer's bullets.
2. The screenshot looks remarkably like the Hodgdon website.