.308 bullets

[donnie]

question is about premium bullets for my .308 ruger. been shooting 150gr grand slams for years with 1.5-2" groups. looking to improve on this but not real sure about bullet B.C. what bullets meet the premium/ good B.C. criteria?
i know the gun will shoot better. 110gr v-max group around .3".
looking to get this performance with hunting rounds without losing the premium bullet 'on game' i've been getting.
thanks
kingdom

[Evan03]

since 110vmaxes shoot very well compared to others id think trying something in hornadys line might be worth while.

im checkn BC on the 150gr hornady sst. i dont know much about BC but i do know the better. this bullet has BC of .415 wich is pretty good. maybe bigbrother or roy or maybe will jump in and tell us about the Ballistic Coefficient.

the 150gr spire point(lead knose hunting bullet) has a .338 BC id shy away from this bullet

the 155gr Amax's BC is .435 pretty good. and would make a good deer bullet.

165gr interbond is .447 very good bc in a solid hunting bullet. and the SSt has the same BC

168gr Amax is .475 id hunt deer with this bullet in a heart beat. and i just might try it.

178gr amax is .495 now were cookin.


heres the page i got that info from.

https://www.hornady.com/shop/


if i was to grab a 308. or any 30 cal rifle today and start loading. id try either hornadys. sst in 165 or the 168 amax. the 178 amax has the highest bc and i might throw caution to the wind and give it a go first. any 150gr bullets would be at the bottom of my list.

then next on the list id try nolser bullets.

good luck

Evan


donnie.

it took me some lookin but i finaly found the info on speers grand slam. this to me looks like a bullet that alot of reloaders might pass by and never miss. its got a bc of .305 wich isnt very good. to be honest i havent heard much on the bullet.

but BC might not be everything. i shoot alot of 100gr core lokts through my 2506. they have a low BC. but can print very good 100yrd groups and kill game to 400 yards pretty dang consinstently if i do my part. there are other bullets with better stats even still the little core lokts give me good enough results to keep useing them. wich tells me more all general purposes and all. the low bc doesnt mean much of anything to 400yds. im throwing that 400yd number out there because ive taken quite a few rock chucks and coyotes in that area.

but any longer range than that and any and everything starts to matter at a very fast rate. but for me and the range i usualy take game and varmits i could let alot of things linger and still be consinstent.


ive been going to try sierra bullets but havent got around to them yet. ive heard these bullets in the green box are some the of the most consintent bullets in the bunch. if the box says they weigh 150grs that might be a plus more minus number. some might weigh 151 then others 149. suposebly the sierras are closer to beiing excat then most.

[PJgunner]

Originally posted by donnie
question is about premium bullets for my .308 ruger. been shooting 150gr grand slams for years with 1.5-2" groups. looking to improve on this but not real sure about bullet B.C. what bullets meet the premium/ good B.C. criteria?
i know the gun will shoot better. 110gr v-max group around .3".
looking to get this performance with hunting rounds without losing the premium bullet 'on game' i've been getting.
thanks
kingdom

I gues it would help to know just what you're shooting at with a .308 that you need a premium bullet? Also, what big game animal needs .5" or less accuracy? Heck, even the BC changes with the velocity delivered by whatever 30 caliber round you're shooting. For more years than I care to count, I used the plain old simple Sierra 150 gr. bullet with a fairly stiff load of H-335. it was good enough to drop a 195 pound mule deer at 427 paces. The shot was witnessed by two others and we all pace it off, then took the average. No premiun bullet, just a plain old 150 gr. flat based spitzer. I wasn't too comfortable with some of the meat damage I got on closer shots, so I switched to the Speer 165 gr. Hot-core for use in the .308. Velocity is 2550 from and 18.5" barrel and 2610 from a 22" barrel. Deer at ranges from about 35 feet to 250 plus yards just lay down and die. Only one bullet has ever been recovered and it retained 65 percent of it's weight with a classic mushroom.
I've only used a premium bullet on deer one time, and it was the last time. Results were a disaster. I got the deer but I felt bullet performance left a lot to be desired. FWIW, it was the 180 gr. Nosler Partition on a 295 pound mule deer, an animal that was close to a yearling elk in size. I prefer 180 gr. bullets for the 30-06. If I'd have been using my normal 06 load using a 180 gr. Sierra, the deer probably would have dropped on the spot or did a short run before dropping. The first shot hit the top of the heart cutting a thumb sized groove in the heart muscle. The Sierra would have torn the heart apart. The muscle was not penetrated, that is, no opening was made in the heart allowing it to leak blood. The next shot was in the lungs. two more were complete misses and the last shot broke it's neck finishing this fiasco. No bullets were recovered and the wounds were all very narrow with little destruction of tissue. maybe that performace would have been OK on a bull elk or moose, but I consider it bullet failure on that deer.
I don't know what the live weight was on that deer, but with the head removed, skinned, gutted and the legs cut off at the knees, it weighed 295 pounds on a certified butcher's scale. I had to cut it in half just to get it in the truck. He was so old he had a small rack and did not go into the rut. His teeth were such that he would not have survived another winter. I just wish the bullet frim the first shot would have performed as it was reputed to do.
FWIW, my load for the .308 is 49.0 gr. of W-760 and the 165 gr. Speer Hot-core. Interstingly enough, it shoots to exactly the same point of aim as the Speer Nitrex premium ammo. Groups from both loads run right about an inch from a Winchester Mod. 70 and 1.25" from a Ruger 77 International, a rifle most fussy about what runs down it's short 18.5" barrel. But that's another story altogether as to how I found out what that thing liked to shoot. You can use other powders to gain more velocity, but that Ruger 77 is a very fussy rifle and the laod works well enough in both guns that I stick to it for both rifles to keep things simple.
I guess my point is this, does one really need to use a premium bullet for most of their hunting needs? Are they really more accurate, or is it gun writer BS? You have to remember, they get them for free and have to say how great they are.
I don't consider myself as any great shakes as a big game hunter, going mostly after deer, but I think I've been able to learn a few things over the 55 years I have hunted them. One, get as close as I possibly can. Two, place the bullet where it will do the job, and three, be able to turn down a shot that is questionable.
Paul B.

[Rocky Raab]

PJ's point is very cogent, donnie.

When picking a bullet, the first things to consider are the target and the range. If you're talking deer at normal ranges (and I assume that since you're using a .308), then you really can't do better than a standard softpoint bullet. Premium bullets are nice but not required.

The Hornady 150 #3031 has probably killed more deer than ANY other 30-cal bullet excepting .30-30 bullets. It's a top pick for the .308. Try some and use the money you save for a few more boxes of bullets.

Ballistic coefficient is irrelevant at normal ranges. Period. As much as I like Evan, I'd disagree with him about using target bullets on game. They just are not designed for that. Stick to big game bullets for bg game, varmint bullets for those and target bullets for paper. The bullet designers knew what they were doing.

[Evan03]

Rocky i agrre with you completly about not useing varmit and taget bullets on big game.

i should have worded what i said about the hornady Amaxes. they are rumored to be good deer bullets.

i wouldnt ever purposely shoot deer with a varmit bullet like the vmax.

but ive found 85 and heavier nolser balistic tipps dont do much damage on coyotes from 150yds and out. havent had a chance to use the bullet closer than that.

nolser suposebly uses a heavier jacket on theyre hevier balistic tips. i dont know where the cut off is between the varmit jackets and the heavier ones. i do know the 85gr balistic tip acts worlds apart when compared to hornadays 75 vmax.

normaly when i load for the 2506 i load 100gr bts for all my varmit and deer hunting. and would usesomething heavier for elk if that was ever to happen.

latlely ive been wondering about rem 100gr core lokts. they act more like a varmit bullet with every thing i shoot. so far ive shot a few crows with no bullet exit. this seems kinda odd to me considering a crow is little more than a ballon with feathers.

ive also shot some coyotes with them with pretty dramatic exit wounds. you saw that coyote from a few years back. softball size exit wound from only 10yds off the muzzle. youd think there would have been pin prick at those velocities shooting a stout bullet through light skinned game.

[donnie]

reallyjust looking for afew bullets to try out. i like handloading and the smaller groups are for the heck of it. who doesn't want .5" when they can gt them?
as for hunting, yes they are deer so far, maybe elk later. i want premium bullets from personal experience on game. the grand slam has always been one shot kills no matter what the angle or range (out to 300yds). core locked bullets have seperated, or flattened and deflected on bone hits requiring follow up shot(s) every time i use them.
also tried ballistic tip game rounds when they first came out and they actd like vamint bullets on small deer ribs.
price on premium bullets won't kill me but my ruger has about 8" drop from 200-300 yds and it seems a better bullet shouldn't do this.
anyway the grandslam has given me a recovered bullet from a texas heart shot at 100 yds with a bullet that measured just over .57" and weighed 147 grains when recovered just under the skin at the chest not pieces here and there.
thaks to all
kingdom

[Rocky Raab]

In that case...Barnes TSX.

Infallible performance, complete penetration, very accurate in some guns and decidedly premium.

[Catfish]

Personaly, I believe useing premium bullets on deer is a mistake. Premium bullets are not as accurate as Serria or Hornady bullets designed for deer size game and will kill a deer no deader. Maybe for tougher skinned game you might justify premium bullets, but no way for deer. I shoot more Serria bullets than any other brand, and next would be Hornady. I`ve tried the Nosler partations, and while the preform excellantly, they are just not accurate enough for me.

[donnie]

what sierra and hornady bullets are you talking about? i've got all summer to "test" several rounds and just want to improve on my current groups while keeping performance the same.
just looking for suggestion on some places to start. thanks
kingdom

[Rocky Raab]

Donnie, as mentioned above, the weight of deer that have been taken with standard Hornady, Sierra and Speer bullets would collapse a train trestle.

If you like Grand Slams, just try a box of regular HotCors in 150 or 165 grain, plainbase. Or the same flavors in Hornady or Sierra.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but you can concoct a helluva .308 hunting load by seating a Hornady #3031 bullet over a charge of IMR 3031 powder. Try 40.0 grains.

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

For under 300 yards shooting there is absolutly no need for a Boat tailed bullet and in fact you may find that flat based bullets shoot better. Also even the round nose bullet shoots flat enough for 300 yards shots. Now as to bullets for a .308, well I personally shy away from Sierras as the very first Deer I shot was a Roe Doe at about 90 yards. Because I had been told about excessive meat damage on these light deer, she weiged 35lbs. I loaded some 180 grn Pro Hunters and the bullet blew apart on the rib with a mid range load taken from Hodgdons #26 manual.

If I can get them I use Hornady Spire points,as my local shops don't stock many Hornady's I normally have to order them but I have been very happy with their performance. My last deer shot with a Hornady was a Fallow a few weeks ago using a BSA porting rifle built on a P-14 action and still chambered in .303 British. The shot was about 70 yards head on and the bullet entered just to the right of the sternuim and I recovered the bullet under the skin just behind the Diaphram, it retained 82% weight and weighed 123.2 Grns. Bullet was a 150 grn spire Point and it took out the right side of the heart penetrated the front stomache befoer ending up under the skin. The deer turned and ran about 45 yards due it being alerted having seen me. I also used the 139 Grn Spire points in 7mm to good effect on Whitetails in Missouri in 2003.

Speer Hot cores have proven good as well, I have used the 165 grn spitzers to good effect

[Ken14]

I may get bashed for this...but...as far as an accurate bullet the Nosler Ballistic tip 150gr is probably the most accurate out of any of my .30's. Do not know if one would classify it as "premium" or not but I have used it since '87 without any problem at all. Second would be the above nentioned Hornady 3031 spire point. As far as boat tail bullets...I like them and think they are more accurate in my rifles.

[Rocky Raab]

The 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip is indeed an excellent deer bullet, especially at .308 muzzle speeds. It is designed for exactly that application.

I didn't recommend it because I've never shot a deer with it. I have so much confidence in the Hornady 150 that I may never try the Nosler. If I ever decide to experiment, I think the first bullet I'd try would be the Barnes TSX. That's also the one I'd pick for game bigger than deer.

[Cal Sibley]

I've been using Sierra 150gr. HPBTs in my .308Win., and find it's quite accurate in front of IMR4895 44.0grs. It has grouped as well as .543" (5 at 100yds.) and can be counted on to come in around .7". I use F210M primers and Lapua cases. I seat this load out pretty far at 2.805" so that bullet is not very far into the case. You might give it a try. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Montana Cowboy]

Howdy All
I've used your standard run of the mill Hornady. Nosler, Sierra, Remington, Nosler ballistic tip bullets for hunting deer and antelope all my life and they have worked very well. The only time I load up a premium bullet is for elk, and for that I use Nosler partition bullets, also use them in my .257 Weatherby because of the velocity and .243 Winchester because 100 gr. bullets are usually the heaviest bullet you can get. Shot a lot of deer and antelope with those standard bullets. mc