308 Ammo Help

[JohnCushman]

My wife's .308 shoots 150 grain Federal Fusions like a dream. She can touch holes at 100 yards with it as a brand new shooter. At 200 she can get about a 2 inch group, but we're working on that. Plus it's only about $15 a box.

 

[mtmuley]

I'd stick that TMK into an antelope under the right conditions. But, for the op's needs, the regular bullets are a better choice. mtmuley

 

[T-man]

Will a well placed 150 grain get it done at 400 yards on an elk ? Or would a 165-168 grain be better at that range ?

I am trying to come up with a good elk/deer .308 load myself, but I do not have experience out west yet for elk. I have to dial in to one good round for both. My scope is a cds

 

[belly-deep]

Will a well placed 150 grain get it done at 400 yards on an elk ? Or would a 165-168 grain be better at that range ?

I am trying to come up with a good elk/deer .308 load myself, but I do not have experience out west yet for elk. I have to dial in to one good round for both. My scope is a cds

It all depends on the bullet construction, but frankly at 308 velocities, I'd prefer the 150

 

[sbhooper]

Out to 500 or so, the 150-grain bullets hit nearly as hard as the 165s and shoot a tiny bit flatter. I would say that it depends on which bullet your rifle likes. My Ruger American likes 150 Interlocks better than anything and they smuck deer. If you are trying to stretch out farther than that, the heavier bullet wins the race. For elk, I would not want to push it past 350-400 with a .308 and would much prefer 300 or less.

If I want to stretch it, I have two 7 mags that do nicely.

 

[6speed]

Most mfgs recommend a minimum velocity of 1800 fps for proper expansion. The so called "magic number" associate with elk hunting is 1200 lb ft Energy. Below that is risky and I prefer 1400 lb ft as my personal standard. Although every gun is different the ammo mfg. Will put their tested numbers out for their loads. According to Federal their TBT 165 gr out of a 308 maintains 1939 fps and 1377 lb ft at 500 yards. Mathematically that should do the job as long as the bullet hits it's mark. Federal lists the same weight game King at 1708 FPS and 1069 ft lb at 500 yards. Obviously not the best option. If you keep 400 yards and in either a 150 or 165 gr factory loaded bonded round should work fine on elk. You just need to find the one that goes exactly where you want it to every time you press the trigger.

 

[Curvebow]

I'll vote second on Federal Fusions! While I've been a Nosler fan for many years, Fusions are the lowest cost loaded ammunition with a bonded core bullet on the market. And, they have shot very well to excellent in 7mm-08, 6.8 SPC, 223, 308, 30-06 and 7mm Remington Magnum in all the rifles I have tried them in. I would suggest them as a starting point to anyone and likely, they will not search any longer!

 

[10Dogs]

My experience on whitetails with a center fire is about 7-8 does and 2 bucks on mngt hunts.
Randy had recommended Partitions in either 150 or 165 grains for my A-Bolt in 06'
I opted for the 150`s as I had been using Core Lokt 150`s on paper.
What I found was that on the mature does I shot in Texas 105-115 lbs and the Bucks was that the bigger bodied deer fell over dead or within a couple yards.
Strangely the deer that were shot beyond 100 yards were DRT.
Unfortunately no bullets were recovered, however I think on larger deer or elk you may find some inside the hide.
My gun likes them and I will shoot 150`s for deer and heavier for the years I head West.
I buy the loaded ammo Nosler Trophy Grade Partition 150 gr PT

Stay safe.............10Dogs

 

[T-man]

Thanks for the input. Hopefully get dialed in with some factory ammo then take a stab at some handloads.
Definitely wont be shooting at game past 400.

 

[CiK]

All,
Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it. Can't wait to pick some up and start punching paper first.

Tony

 

[Bowhunter60]

Rule of thumb CiK, practice with what you're going to use in the field. If you're hunting, stick to hunting bullets, if you're match shooting use match grade bullets.

All,
I have a Savage 308 on its way to me. I am going to put a Vortex sight on it.

I am trying to narrow down the ammo. I am thinking about getting a box or two of the following ammo to try out......

- Federal Premium Gold 168gr Sierra MatchKing
- Black Hills Gold 168gr Sierra TMK
- Barnes VOR-TX 168gr Tipped Triple-Shock X

Thoughts on these? Should I add any to the mix?

Tony