I have some questions about reloading for a 308 Garand.

What are the best M80 bullets?  Can you purchase the new Bi-metal bullets that Federal/LC is using to load XM80C?  Are M-80 FMJBT lead core a good substitute for SHTF, Target Practice, etc?  What kind of groups can be expected?

Are Hornady 155 and 168 Amax Bullets worth the money.  Anyone shoot the 178 AMax?  What are your results?  Can you hunt with the AMAX or is it just for SD and Precision shooting?

Can RE-15 and  VV N140 be used effectively in place of IMR 4064 and 4895? I just bought some LC brass and got both regular LC and LC Long Range.  What is the difference in the case.  Is on heavier (less case capacity than the other) ?

Are CCI 200 Lg Rifle Primers OK or do you really need the CCI 41 Military or another Magnum Primer?

It is not recommended to shoot over 168 grain bullets. M80's are great shooters.

I have the same questions as the OP.  I still have about 1000 168 AMAX bullets, but they are nothing special.

Is the reason >168 grain bullets are not recommended is because they are often loaded hot to get to 1000 yards and overstress the gas system?  175's work great in Garands in 3006.

I do know the 125 grain short line loads I used for 200/300 yard shooting in an M1A (and work great in a FAL) won't stroke a 308 Garand.  One of life's dissappointments.  

M80 (FMJ) bullets are poor quality and even the best ones aren't cheap. For four or five more cents per bullet you can shoot Nosler 168 grain Custom Competition when purchased in 1000 bullet boxes ($235.00).

You can safely shoot 180 grain and lighter bullets through a Garand or M1-A, the secret is not using any powder slower than IMR-4064, Varget or RE-15.

Slower powders will cause excessive port pressure and damage your operating rod. Store bought hunting ammo may damage your rifle, especially with the heavier weight bullets.

For general plinking with a .308, I used Hornady 150gr FMJ's.  They worked as a good substitute for 147gr FMJ surplus stuff.