.308 Bullet selection for stalking

[6mmBR]

Just wondering what everyone favours in their .308's for deer?

I've been using my 6.5x47 Lapua up to now on roe and fallow.

Would like to use a .308 as a much broader choice in bullet weight over the 6.5, so could pick a bullet to suit the quarry.

What are all your thoughts and what have you used with success.

Cheers

Dave

[brown dog]

Dave,

 

I've used 165NBTs for years on reds. Started out with 150gr, but it wasn't man-enough in all situations.

Once all the fancy flying through the air stuff is done; when it's in the animal it's all about momentum - mass matters. If I was starting again I'd go for 180s.

 

Read this from Litz; not quite the same subject, but shows how we think 'oddly' about bullet mass in 30 cal: 150gr is extremely light for this calibre...a 190 gr 308 is proportional to only a 120gr 6.5mm

http://www.appliedballisticsllc.com/index_files/30cal_fullVersion.pdf

[6mmBR]

Thanks Matt most interesting.

Funny I picked up some 180 NBT's to try so may be a wise choice.

At the moment my 6.5x47 is shooting 100 NBT's fine on roe but I'm finding ok on fallow but feel it would be marginal on reds.

I had a great deal of problems getting my 6.5 to shoot and have tried other bullets without success.

The only bullet otherwise to shoot well was the 120 Berger BTHPM but they are not designed to expand.

Hence my venture into something with more clout hence the .308.

I'm used to shooting heavy bullets in my .308 match rifle and use 210 SMK's so I expect the powder of choice for the 180's will be N540 or N550.

Cheers

Dave

[matchking]

I have almost only ever used 150gr sierra prohunters in my .308s.I have shot all the u.k wild deer with them from munties to 300lb wild boar.They seem very accurate and preform very well with minimum meat damage.BT's are ok if you like eating copper ATB SEAN

[terryh]

Dave,

 

I've only ever use 120g NBT's in my 6.5x55 for Reds and luckily no one has told the deer it's not 'enough' bullet

 

I do not take long shots by some folks standards, don't shoot offhand (I'm not that good) so able to place bullet in the spots banned by DCS etc. but the deer drop anyhow and we generally get more money from the game dealer as a result (not looking to open debate here re. where to shoot, just stating our situation)

 

My 6.5x47 will push the same weight bullets at equal speeds (actually a bit faster) to the 55 with 10g less powder.

 

Terry

[eldon]

Well for me i started off with 150 grain sierra 2125 but moved onto sierra 2140 165 grain HP and stuck with them. Does everything I want.

 

Sierra 2140, OAL 2.820", Lapua cases, Vit 140 44.5 grains, CCI primers out of a 24" barrel it gives me 2725 fps.

 

I have head shot with 150 nosler BT's and they were very effective with 46 grains v140 but found shrapnel in the back (not in the bullet path!) in places where the bullet had disintegrated.

 

Have used and liked 130 gr speer HP's but supply was poor so stuck with sierra, not that supply is fantastic for those tho'

[6mmBR]

Thanks lads for the info.

Cheers

Dave

[Paddy_SP]

I currently use 165gr Sierra GameKing soft-points (over 44gr N140) in my .308. I was using 150s, then 180s, but when they ran out I switched to the 165s. They work very well on reds, roe and foxes.

[eldon]

Paddy for foxes with a 308 you can't beat nosler bt 150's it just peels them inside out. If you hit them anywhere near the front shoulder head on it removes one side.

Not a good deer bullet though.

[devilishdave]

I am using 165 grain blaser partition rounds in .308. they expand to 20mm and retain 140grains after the shot. The deer dont like them thats for sure.

 

Dave

[17 Rem]

I cannot recommend the Hornady 150 grain SP (no. 3031) highly enough.

It's been deadly accurate in numerous 308's, it's forward section mushrooms perfectly on impact and the rear holds together incredibly well. With 45 grains of N140 in a 308, your search for the ideal red deer combination will be over.

[Toby]

I also use the Sierra 165 grs soft points. A mild load with 42grs N140 750m/s gave little meat damage on my one and only roe so far .

[huntsman]

I cannot recommend the Hornady 150 grain SP (no. 3031) highly enough.

It's been deadly accurate in numerous 308's, it's forward section mushrooms perfectly on impact and the rear holds together incredibly well. With 45 grains of N140 in a 308, your search for the ideal red deer combination will be over.

 

 

That is very interesting ,I have used these on fallow with 44gr of n140 .They were accurate on paper ,but I have never seen as much blood splash . Prefect heart lung shots at 180-200 yds.

I will never use them again!!

 

I used federal fusion 150gr sp all this season, much happier.

Dave

[6mmBR]

Thanks some interesting replies.

Have any of you guys tried 150 or 165 Hornady SST's they seem to be quite good value both around £30 per hundred.

I see a lot of you use N140, I have on tap 150 or 540 so any thoughts?

Cheers

Dave

[eldon]

Thanks some interesting replies.

Have any of you guys tried 150 or 165 Hornady SST's they seem to be quite good value both around £30 per hundred.

I see a lot of you use N140, I have on tap 150 or 540 so any thoughts?

Cheers

Dave

 

A friend used to use sst's so I tried some but in the end we stuck with sierras. I used N140 and he used N150. If my memory serves me right generally we found similar velocities if you used 1.5 grain more N150 than N140, approximately.

 

Edited due to putting the powders wrong way round

[6mmBR]

A friend used to use sst's so I tried some but in the end we stuck with sierras. I used N140 and he used N150. If my memory serves me right generally we found similar velocities if you used 1.5 grain more N140 than N150, approximately.

Did you find anything lacking in the SST's or was it just the Sierra's were so tried and tested in your rifle?

Thanks

Dave

[eldon]

No nothing really wrong with the sst's but my rifle seemed to favour the 165 sierras and I had a few in stock so seemed sensible to stick with what worked.