Favorite all-around hunting ammo for .308 AR

[Wolfgang1952]

I’ll be using the CBC 168g HPBT for Bambi. Now here are a few pics of some of my Wolfs. I don’t hunt Werewolves, I just raze um.

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[Dane Armory]

3rd picture looks like our old family dog "Wolfy" , Husky/Wolf mix.

[unforgiven]

Nice doggies/wolfies. :))

[Wolfgang1952]

All three pictures are of the same Wolf, His name was Boo.  No Dog there, he was a pure Wolf, but not pure single sub spices.   He was cross between BC (British Colombian) and Else Meir Island Timber.   The first picture was taken when he was around 3 months old.   He was going through his first shed when the second picture was taken at about sex months old.   He was 5 years old when the third picture was taken.  My avatar is of Leo one of my others

[Nereus]

168 grain anything

[Nereus]

The wolves are AWESOME. I want one.

[shepp]

After this past weekend I don't have much faith in hornaday rounds. My buddy was using 150 grain rounds he had two kills that didn't thru and thru they were kills but after shooting 30-06 we're used that and also they didn't tip right over I know I know I'm asking a lot. I was using Winchester 150 grain power points, I myself had no issues my doe was a 150-200 yard shot in behind the shoulder out the ribs took out the kidneys she maybe went 15 yards (typical to every deer I've shot) buck was 30-40 yards same deal tipped over in >5 yards. After talking to another friend who's very gun knowledgable, he said he doesn't like anything under 165 in .308 due to 150 being to light (it's ok out 30-06 cuz of the extra charge).

What are your thoughts??

[planeflyer21]

Like all proper answers…it depends, Shepp!  :yup:

 

Around here, 150gr from .308 will serve you fine out to 200 yards and beyond.  Now if you're talking about a corn-fed, midwest trophy buck, you may have some issues.

 

Shot placement is king, there is no magic bullet in any caliber.  I know plenty of people who repeatedly get 1-shot DRTs on deer, with "obsolete" leverguns, shooting "obsolete" hardcast lead.  Hole in, hole out, PLOP.  If a 150gr fancy bullet is too little out of a .308 platform, wouldn't a 150gr home-made lead bullet in a .30-30 with half as much powder be less effective?  But .30-30 has been dropping deer for over a century with a claimed "maximum effective range" of 250 yards.

 

Between .308 and .30-06, the difference between the two in factory-ammo ballistics is negligible up to about 180gr, then the .30-06 starts pulling away.

 

On paper.  Real world, it's shot placement.

[Ben Diss]

I like plain ol' Sierra 168 gr GameKings for northeast Deer and Barnes TTSX 168 for Texas pigs.  Both fly fine with 48 gr or CFE223.

[Magwa]

I have shot barnes since they came out I now shoot the 150 and 168 TTSX version if you like thru and thru and a nice exit wound every time without blowing up meat or bloodshot meat they are the cats A$$ spendy yep but well worth it.

 

Wolfgang1952 If you ever come to Idaho please keep them in a cage they would not last long if they got out here... Wolves (of course not yours) have been the scourge of the last 15 years and the stupidest reintroduction ever! I like the black phase....

Edited December 3, 2013 by Magwa

[mrclif]

opps

Edited December 4, 2013 by mrclif

[mrclif]

I loaded some 180gr corloks up federal brass 44grs of varget, very inexpensive and moa accuracy out of my 16" ARP barrelled 308ar and my remmy M700 AAC-SD. So far everything I sicked it on has been DRT.

[Dane Armory]

I like plain ol' Sierra 168 gr GameKings for northeast Deer and Barnes TTSX 168 for Texas pigs. Both fly fine with 48 gr or CFE223.

I loaded 400 of the Sierra GameKings in the 165gr varity. I have not hunted with them but they have destroyed melons and 2L bottles. Loaded with Varget in 308 and with H4350 and IMR 4064 in 300WSM.

[kayak]

As to the through and through, or lack thereof, I think there is something to be said for all of the terminal energy of a bullet being expended inside the animal, as opposed to part of it being expended on the ground or tree behind the animal.

[Magwa]

As to the through and through, or lack thereof, I think there is something to be said for all of the terminal energy of a bullet being expended inside the animal, as opposed to part of it being expended on the ground or tree behind the animal.

Well in theory that is true but it is also true that a 1 sided wound bleeds only 1/2 of a 2 sided wound or not at all depending on entry angle. example you shoot from a tree stand and the bullet goes in thru a lung and lodges in the briskett, no blood trail... now for a guy who is really woods savy no problem but you would not believe how many deer and elk are lost each year because of no blood trail. Now the same situation with a Barnes or any well constructed bullet it goes all the way through and it is like a faucet. Remember a hole is a hole if that hole is placed in the correct place it does not matter what you use for a bullet....

[planeflyer21]

For hunting and combat, through and through holes are best.

 

More squirts, less hurts.

[kayak]

Anyway, to the original question, my personal pref (using a DPMS RFLR-308) is a Nosler Ballistic Tip or Nosler Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip, 168gr. either one.  I've used on whitetail and on one coyote (tore the coyote into two pieces, front and back).  My gun prefers the 168 over 150.

[Libertarian623]

Always used Federal Premium 180Gr Nosler Partition, good for 1 MOA out to 4-500m out of my LAR-8. These shot so good out of my rifle I used them in a match last year. The down side is the wind will really push them around a lot.

[DEER HUNTER]

I'm partial to the 150 gr Hornady superformance SSTs in my DPMS Classic 20 &Savage Bolt gun, but my new AP4 prefers the Hornady Whitetail 150 gr soft points.

The SSTs are devastating on Whitetails.