Need help. Last minute bullet choice for 308 out to 400ish

[Winny94]

Due to a last minute change, I need to find a bullet for a 308 to use on antelope out to 400ish. I would prefer to keep it in the 168-175 range just because that's what Im used to shooting and familiar with wind and drop with those weights. Any suggestions?

 

[sable tireur]

Winny94,

I've used the Berger Hunting VLDs for quite a while now, without any problems or failures. Both the 168 gr. and the 175 gr. will fill your tag.

Enjoy your hunt!

 

[Greyfox]

For that distance on medium sized game I have had good success with Nosler 165 Ballistic Tips and Hornady 165 SST's. Both give reliable expansion and energy delivery at 308 velocities at the range you are hunting. Given the time, they are no fuss to develope an accurate load. I get 2800 FPS and sub .5MOA with 45gr of Varget, but any of the similar burn rate powders seem to work well with these bullets in my 308's.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I could have a box of our 166g Hammer Hunters out to you on Mon. We designed this bullet with the 308 and 30-06 in mind. Should be the easiest time you ever had load developing. Load them to fit the mag, find your vel, and you should be good to go. They will handle close and far shots equally well.

Steve

 

[snox801]

I could have a box of our 166g Hammer Hunters out to you on Mon. We designed this bullet with the 308 and 30-06 in mind. Should be the easiest time you ever had load developing. Load them to fit the mag, find your vel, and you should be good to go. They will handle close and far shots equally well.

Steve

I would go this route also for the above mention. These bullets are getting A great reputation for easy of load development. Usually when I load this type of bullet it's exactly what said above load to mag length and find max load charge. Bonus is mono bullets tend to be extremely tough. I wish I saved the artical from a few years back but the whole thing was about how monos were making smaller calibers Handel larger rolls. They seem to hold true especially mine for my 300blk. It handles big pigs like a 308 shot them and they die. I will be using the hammers in my next two long range rigs that should be finished soon.

 

[mtwarych]

I have not used any of the Hog Hammer line but I will be over the next "off" season.

I believe for ease of load development and maybe a little savings, I also suggest the Nosler Balistic Tip 165 gr. .308 slug for the deer/antelope type beasts.


Good luck with your choice and your season this year.

 

[WildRose]

I have not used any of the Hog Hammer line but I will be over the next "off" season.

I believe for ease of load development and maybe a little savings, I also suggest the Nosler Balistic Tip 165 gr. .308 slug for the deer/antelope type beasts.


Good luck with your choice and your season this year.

Given a choice between Rockys bullets and the BTs Id definitely leave the BTs at the store.

I shot a lot of them for probably a decade and I just saw far too many of them break up, many of which seemed to essentially turn inside out (jacket) shucking all or most of the lead and while all of the animals hit perfectly died within a few steps I had several that only punched the lungs resulting in deer and hogs that ran a long way before dying.

The Accubond is a much better bullet and the way the Hammers are constructed you should get a complete pass through with reliable expansion with every shot.

 

[snox801]

Just to be clear the hog hammers are Barnes loaded ammo. I was referring to the hammer bullet company. They are in my mind a better design than Barnes.

 

[WildRose]

Just to be clear the hog hammers are Barnes loaded ammo. I was referring to the hammer bullet company. They are in my mind a better design than Barnes.

Thats my read on them as well and weve been shooting Barnes since they first came out with the old Barnes X in .177 cal to shoot in our .17 700bdls.

Nothing else would hold up for us and they did great on turkey, small wild hogs, and eve a few head/neck shot deer.

Bullet tech has come along by leaps and bounds since the early 70s when that was all that was available.

 

[TC338]

I've had good success on whitetails out to 500 with the 150g sst and Accubond. Haven't had one go more than 40 yards. Sst didn't expand real well at 475 with no bone to hit. My gun preferred the 150's over the 165's.