308 Bullet Selection
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FireFlyFishing
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Another vote for monolyths here. I use Barnes as they're cheaper than Hammers and I can find them on the shelves locally unlike the Hornady CX or Hammers. Any of the above mentioned are HIGHLY likely to create two holes in the animal. I suggest the 130 grn. offering from Barnes. Barnes also produces factory ammo in the .308 WIN with this projectile.
Alternatively, I have had outstanding results with the 165 grn. Sierra GK HPBT. Very precise bullet that is easy on load development and produces excellent groups as it's modeled after the 168 grn. MK. At shorter ranges, like your hunting grounds, there should be no issue with complete pass through.
Lastly, I'll give a hat tip to the Nosler Accubond line. Long range or regular. Great bullets and will give you your desired outcome.
For a .308 WIN, I would use light for caliber (150 and below) in the monolyths and bonded bullets, and 150-168 grn. in the cup and core family.
Lots of great options out there. Good luck!
Alternatively, I have had outstanding results with the 165 grn. Sierra GK HPBT. Very precise bullet that is easy on load development and produces excellent groups as it's modeled after the 168 grn. MK. At shorter ranges, like your hunting grounds, there should be no issue with complete pass through.
Lastly, I'll give a hat tip to the Nosler Accubond line. Long range or regular. Great bullets and will give you your desired outcome.
For a .308 WIN, I would use light for caliber (150 and below) in the monolyths and bonded bullets, and 150-168 grn. in the cup and core family.
Lots of great options out there. Good luck!
xsn10s
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Yeah I've heard that. Some gel tests had mixed results but wrench over at RS did well with the RDF. I think he used a 6.5 CM and took a big cow elk with it.
xsn10s
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That's impressive range of game for that bullets with a small meplat. The 6.5 140gr and 145 gr Barnes Match Burner is getting some good results too. So add that bullet line up to the mix.
Brad Quarnberg
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I also love the Accubond line and that is my preferred bullet for my WSM's because of the potential long range shots. But, I have 2 problems with those bullets these day: I have a difficult time finding them anywhere, and they are in a lot of cases, 2X's the price of other options. The only saving grace for me is that I have several boxes I bought before prices got crazy and bullets were hard to find.
I recently got my hands on some Hornady CX and Barnes TTSX and MRX to see how they shoot as I'm looking to move to all copper. My next purchase will be some Hammers.
I just went thru this for my new AR (.308/20" barrel) ended up picking the Sierra 165 gr TGK..tipped Game King. For several reasons..being an AR tipped bullets don't deform as bad as lead tipped, cost on the lower end to allow for lots of shooting and lastly…I've always had great results with Sierra bullets.
Lots of good choices listed above, I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them.
Lots of good choices listed above, I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them.
xsn10s
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Nosler 2nd's in stock. They've always worked for me when I hunted Central Oregon.
www.shootersproshop.com
www.shootersproshop.com
www.shootersproshop.com
Even some heavy RDF's
ShootersProShop
Explore the world of Nosler, renowned for crafting the finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, and brass. Discover our extensive lineup, including Partition, AccuBond, E-Tip, Ballistic Tip, Custom Competition, and more. Experience superior quality and performance with Nosler products.
www.shootersproshop.com
ShootersProShop
Explore the world of Nosler, renowned for crafting the finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, and brass. Discover our extensive lineup, including Partition, AccuBond, E-Tip, Ballistic Tip, Custom Competition, and more. Experience superior quality and performance with Nosler products.
www.shootersproshop.com
ShootersProShop
Explore the world of Nosler, renowned for crafting the finest bullets, ammunition, rifles, and brass. Discover our extensive lineup, including Partition, AccuBond, E-Tip, Ballistic Tip, Custom Competition, and more. Experience superior quality and performance with Nosler products.
www.shootersproshop.com
Even some heavy RDF's
Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Man the hammers and Barnes and Noslers certainly are great bullets.
But I'll admit for myself, at 308 velocity, at the distances y'all are talking, I'd probably just go with a 165-180 grain basic soft point and not worry about it. My brother in law and uncle have taken deer, elk, moose, black bear with their .308s shooting 180 grain Winchester super x power points. They give exit wounds and kill very emphatically. Neither of them shoot anything beyond 300 yards.
But I'll admit for myself, at 308 velocity, at the distances y'all are talking, I'd probably just go with a 165-180 grain basic soft point and not worry about it. My brother in law and uncle have taken deer, elk, moose, black bear with their .308s shooting 180 grain Winchester super x power points. They give exit wounds and kill very emphatically. Neither of them shoot anything beyond 300 yards.
xsn10s
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I typically use that range bullets for everything here in the PNW in 308 win. But the whitetails in the South can be smaller bodied so I'd go with a lighter range bullet like my buddy did. Which means 125 gr -150 gr BT's. But hey everyone has a free choice here.
I just developed a load with a 130 TTSX using AA2460 at 3130 from a 18" barrel. My good friends 10 year old son just killed a nice Cow Elk at 300 yards with that load in a model 70 with a 20" barrel and it was a complete pass through. Took out the liver and both lungs with a decent exit wound and blood trail. Elk walked 10 steps and fell over. I'd use the 130 or 150 TTSX and run em fast. Or try the Hammers or the Badlands. Badlands just came out with a new 136 that I'm waiting on being delivered as well. That 130 Barnes TTSX is a certified meat missile after seeing the results on the Elk I mentioned above. You can also run Varget and get good velocity with that 130 or 150.
That'sRight.
Down here in Louisiana we have smaller (130-150 lb) Piney woods deer but also have very heavy bodied (200+ lb) hardwood bottom land deer.
We also hunt in Missouri and have taken down heavy bodied whitetail with 6.5 cup and core on up to 30 cal 165 cup and core of different popular brands including H Inter-lok, BT, Accubond, ABLR, Sierra GK and Speer Hot Core.
Only a couple have completely left the scene and needed tracking … one quartering away front shoulder glancing shot (should have been put farther back behind the shoulder) at 100ish yards from 165 BT that required a second kill shot and one broadside in the crease at 200ish with Barnes Vortex factory Creedmoor bullet that eventually drowned with no good blood trail.
C & C bullets have done fine for me over many decades!
Calvin45
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Yeah that makes sense. I will say tho…while we do get some very thick skinned big bodied bucks up here in Saskatchewan…that's not the only things that they've used that load for. They're both meat hunters first, and won't turn up a decently large doe either.
All this to say, that 180 PP has a ton of exposed soft lead on the nose that does seem to make it much faster killing even on smaller framed deer than a lot of premium bullets (which really aren't necessary for deer out of a .308…at all).
