New to 308 Win, time is short, season on the way

[bluedog69]

So my 14 year old has a 308 win in a factory savage tactical. (Killed many yotes at 200+ with 110's and a thermal)
24" barrel
1-10" twist.
I have 8 lbs of Varget to work with.

He is eventually wanting/hoping to work Dope out to some fairly long ranges.(may take a year or two)
Deer season is in 3 weeks and we need to get to cranking on trying a few loads out.
In reality a 600 yard shot on deer would be a pretty long shot. We do have a field he might push to 1000.

For now what bullet should we start with(that is available to buy somewhere)
150? 155? 168? 178?

He has been to busy killing steel deer at 100 yards with his bow...now the time crunch is on to switch to rifle. LOL

 

[ARlife4me]

168's are a perfect fit for 308win and 175's if you have m118 chamber. Kinda comes down to what the barrel likes.

 

[Critter Picker]

I've had good luck with Sierra 165 Game King. Not fancy but for me,better results than game changer.

 

[bluedog69]

168's are a perfect fit for 308win and 175's if you have m118 chamber. Kinda comes down to what the barrel likes.

Pretty sure it is just a standard 308 chamber(factory savage tactical barrel).

 

[Dean2]

For long range, 165 or 168. For regular hunting I use 150 grain Hornady Interlocks at 2950 FPS. They kill Elk and Deer just fine to 600 yards but most of my shots on game are 300 and under. The farthest I shot a moose with this combination is just over 200 yards. One shot, died where it stood. Shot lots more Moose that we called in, in the 50 to 150 yard range. All shots were well placed, so pretty much anything will do the job in that situation.

 

[bluedog69]

For long range, 165 or 168. For regular hunting I use 150 grain Hornady Interlocks at 2950 FPS. They kill Elk and Deer just fine to 600 yards but most of my shots on game are 300 and under. The farthest I shot a moose with this combination is just over 200 yards. One shot, died where it stood. Shot lots more Moose that we called in, in the 50 to 150 yard range. All shots were well placed, so pretty much anything will do the job in that situation.

I figured you had to have a 300 RUM sized rig for moose!

 

[Dean2]

I figured you had to have a 300 RUM sized rig for moose!

Ours don't have Kevlar yet. I have lots of big boomers like 375 Ruger, 45-70, 338-378, 7 Rum etc, but the 308 kills them just fine too. Best thing I like about the 308 is, it is a Melvin Forbes built NULA in LH. Full mag, scope and sling weights 6 lbs 4 ounces with a 20" barrel. The older I get the less I like packing long and heavy guns.

 

[xsn10s]

What bullet has he been using for his coyote hunts? Depending on how close the shots might be I'd go with Berger 168 Hybrid, or any of the 168 bullets including some "match" bullets.

 

[Pauleye]

The 150 grain bullets are more than enough for deer. Too many hunters are now concerned with shooting long distances rather than hunting. Use your knowledge to teach hunting and not just shooting. hitting a gong at 1000 yards is doable but hunting is the real thrill.

 

[HSmithTX]

The 168 Amax is an excellent bullet for killing deer in a 308 and they are also relatively inexpensive. Varget is the best powder I have used with them. This is my standard hunting and long range shooting load for my 308. My load is stout for sure, 2840 out of a 26" barrel. Primer pockets are getting loose in 5-6 loadings with Winchester brass. It is very accurate out to 700-750 and shoots very well out past 900 but in my opinion a 308 with a 168 class bullet is not a good choice for shooting deer much past 600 for very capable shooters. The wind moves it too much. I have shot this combination a LOT. My 28 Noslers feel like a chip shot at 600 compared to the 308, with a 162 it is 550 fps faster and a much higher BC bullet. 6.5 manbun with a good 140 is substantially easier to shoot at 600 as well, similar velocity but a very slick bullet makes a huge difference. For a less skilled shooter I would probably move that max 308 distance back to 400-450 in relatively calm conditions with plenty of time to get it done. Don't get me wrong, I love my 308, it's what I typically grab to go hunt deer or shoot because it's a great rifle and cartridge, but there are LOTS better choices if you want to really stretch the distance. What that 308 IS, without a doubt, it is a great rifle for learning long range shooting and wind reading, and that is 100% because it is a lot more difficult to do with a less efficient bullet and lower velocity. Learn to shoot a 308 well at 700-800 and then get rifle that will shoot a more efficient bullet to hunt long range with.

 

[bluedog69]

What bullet has he been using for his coyote hunts? Depending on how close the shots might be I'd go with Berger 168 Hybrid, or any of the 168 bullets including some "match" bullets.

He has been running 110's for yotes. Just think it would be really smart to go 150 or more on deer.
We get some big body weights with tough winter hair.

 

[xsn10s]

He has been running 110's for yotes. Just think it would be really smart to go 150 or more on deer.
We get some big body weights with tough winter hair.

150gr would be better due to the mass and construction. If he's having trouble with 150's then try Nosler 125 gr BT's. But not out to 600 yards. 3000 fps I'd probably keep the shots within 350 yards.

 

[bluedog69]

The 168 Amax is an excellent bullet for killing deer in a 308 and they are also relatively inexpensive. Varget is the best powder I have used with them. This is my standard hunting and long range shooting load for my 308. My load is stout for sure, 2840 out of a 26" barrel. Primer pockets are getting loose in 5-6 loadings with Winchester brass. It is very accurate out to 700-750 and shoots very well out past 900 but in my opinion a 308 with a 168 class bullet is not a good choice for shooting deer much past 600 for very capable shooters. The wind moves it too much. I have shot this combination a LOT. My 28 Noslers feel like a chip shot at 600 compared to the 308, with a 162 it is 550 fps faster and a much higher BC bullet. 6.5 manbun with a good 140 is substantially easier to shoot at 600 as well, similar velocity but a very slick bullet makes a huge difference. For a less skilled shooter I would probably move that max 308 distance back to 400-450 in relatively calm conditions with plenty of time to get it done. Don't get me wrong, I love my 308, it's what I typically grab to go hunt deer or shoot because it's a great rifle and cartridge, but there are LOTS better choices if you want to really stretch the distance. What that 308 IS, without a doubt, it is a great rifle for learning long range shooting and wind reading, and that is 100% because it is a lot more difficult to do with a less efficient bullet and lower velocity. Learn to shoot a 308 well at 700-800 and then get rifle that will shoot a more efficient bullet to hunt long range with.

I agree. He will probably upgrade as time goes along. He is a lefty so he wanted to try a lefty rifle. The .308 in the tactical Savage was what was available and affordable. So now he knows he likes having a lefty rifle he can put more money into a better long range cartridge down the road.
As far as a shot goes he will rival and beat out many adults... rifle or bow. I have seen him shoot the tightest groups with a 300 win mag at 400 out of several guys shooting the same rifle.(sub 2" group) He has taken probably close to 20 deer with rifle and bow so he is already getting picky. He doesn't want to shoot deer at 100 to 200 yards with a rifle. He is wanting to stretch it out so that it is somewhat challenging. He also knows how to judge his max in conditions and whether or not to take a shot on a game animal. This video shows what he has for ability....
80 some men vs 2 boys, and Tackett won it.(Wyatt beat out about 1/2 of them) He also won another one like this last year. So he is 2 for 2 in the crazy long range bow division. LOL I tear up every time I think how blessed I am to have the family I have. About 4 years ago Tackett said, "Dad, I'll never be as good a shot as you are with a bow." Now I can't start to hold a candle to his rifle or archery skills and he is just 14.

Enjoy,

 

[bluedog69]

Are Berger 155 VLD hunting bullets worth the price? Do they perform well on game? Any more accurate than
plain 150's or 168's? (yes I know its what the rifle is hungry to eat)