308 ammo..recommendation?

[HighDesertSage]

1) Buy one box of each: 165 Nosler Accubonds, 165 Nosler partitions, 150 Barnes TTSX.
2) Go to the range and figure out which one groups the best.
3) Figure out your dope to 400 yards.
4) Go kill anything on this continent.

 

[BRI]

I picked up a Ruger American .308 for a price I couldn't pass up. I purchased some of the 152 grain Hammers and found really accurate load with RL15 at 2,820 fps. Haven't shot a critter with it yet because I like my 280AI too much. But I plan to hunt with it next year.

 

[JohnCushman]

My Ruger American loves 150 grain Federal Fusions. My old Savage Axis .308 liked them too. Both shot sub MOA with them.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Factory ammo.

I mostly handload, but my T3X .308 shoots 165gn Hornady Custom very well. And I've never hunted with it, but it also had good accuracy with Federal Fusion.

 

[Hem]

1) Buy one box of each: 165 Nosler Accubonds, 165 Nosler partitions, 150 Barnes TTSX.
2) Go to the range and figure out which one groups the best.
3) Figure out your dope to 400 yards.
4) Go kill anything on this continent.

In a nutshell...good stuff.

 

[Hem]

Search Hammer bullets on Youtube...some major flaming.

 

[mtmuley]

Search Hammer bullets on Youtube...some major flaming.

Don't get your info from YouTube. mtmuley

 

[Hem]

Don't get your info from YouTube. mtmuley

I am rather limited today looking from the inside out.

 

[Don Fischer]

Something few people seem to realize. Make a bullet the proper size out of balsa wood and shoot it properly into an animal and the animal will die. As with most things, choosing bullet's is fairly easy, making them work requires a bit more, you have to know how to make them work and then stick to the program! Whatever bullet you think you like, learn to use it within it's abilities and it will seldom if ever fail you!

 

[RaiderRich]

My Ruger American 308 loves the cheap Federal 150 gr. PowerShok

I plan on reloading with 152 gr Hammer Hunters and/or 150 gr Barnes TTSX. Might look at the Barnes LRC as well

 

[VikingsGuy]

Search Hammer bullets on Youtube...some major flaming.

My son's 7mm08 Tikka T3X hated every bullet it saw except for the Hammer 134gn. It shot tights groups and added 175fps above any other bullet we worked up. Two for two on my son's kills since switching. Both dropped in their tracks, both over 400yds away. Lots of guys on this forum who hunt a lot more than me have lots of similar stories to tell.

While in theory, I would rather have a petal opening vs petal separation, the animals didn't seem to notice a difference. I also worried about availability, but in a covid world, Hammers are easy to get and my go-to TTSXs are hard to find. So I think Hammers are a top choice. At this point TTSX, LRX and Hammers are the three I test new rifles with to see barrel preference.

 

[The Hedgehog]

@Hem Remind me to show you the .308 ammo when you pick up your Spotting Scope.

 

[Don Fischer]

I would probably develop load around a 180 partition or accubond. You already have a light load, time for a heavy one.

Ya know, if all I had was one rifle, there's a lot to be said for this post. How many of you guy's have just one? Between 243 and 30-06 I have seven rifles, not a lot by a lot of standards. I over the years I developed the attitude that there is only one right bullet for each cartridge. Now that doesn't mean that other's won';t work. In my 308 all I use is 165gr bullet's anymore. In my 30-06 all I use is 180gr bullet's. I think the 30-06 handles the heavier bullet better. But I also think the 180gr would work in the 308. Contary to that I have two 243's. In one I shoot only 75gr V-Max's and the other just 70gr SMK's. I do still have a bot of 87gr for the one I shoot 75gr bullets from. Been laying around here for a long time so I'm plinking with them for the case's. They shoot very well but don't explode on a sage rat or coyote like those 75's. I could well reload say those 87's, 90's or 100's and use that 243 as a deer rifle but, I also have a 25-06 that kills deer as dead as anything with 117gr bullet's. Or I have my 6.5x55 which I can step up the bullet weight to 140gr and just might kill deer as dead as the 243's! Though about this idea for a lot of years, so many guy are overloaded with guns but end up making several different loads with different bullet's for each gun even in the same cartridges. probably works well but I would not load my 30-06 down with a 165gr bullet when I have my 308. And ain't about to load down my 308 to 150gr bullets when I have my 6.5x55 and it's 140gr bullets. And not going to load down my 6.5x55 to a 25-06 when I have a 25-06!



Probably a bit off track with this but that post above got me thinking, something some of you really hate! If you had four 30-06's in your cabnit and say one loaded with 150gr, one with 165gr, one with 180gr and one with 200gr. I suspect if you chose the rifle by which load worked best in it, the one with 150's or 165's would be your deer riflle, 180 makes a good ekl load and bigger than elk or dangerous, the 200's would fill the bill. I think in truth if you only had a 30-06 that only shoot 150gr bullet's, you could kill a moose very dead with it. Then too if that 30-06 you only shot 180's in it just might kills a deer!

Something I started when I got my second 243, first time for two rifles of the same cartridge. Both have their own set of dies and each set is set up to size one case exactly the same every time and seat one bullet the same every time. What I manage to find out is resizing each by partial sizing, the rounds from one of the rifles will not load in the other! And I have the bullet's backed back just off the lands, 70 SMK in one and 75gr v-max in the other. Don't remember to overall length of each, for all I knot they may be the same but Now I never have to fool with adjusting dies going from one rifle to the other. And both rifles shoot equally well.

Bottom line is I think, for this thread, is what bullet you shoot is nowhere near as importand as how well they work in the gun and on the game your shooting. The OP was talking about the 308. 150's have never shot that well in my old 308 but were certainly good enough to hunt with. 165's shot great! 180's shot great but increased recoil more than I wanted. used 200's init in Alaska fishing where bears were. Recoil was up again but tolerable and accuracy I would not have excepted with any other bullet. I thinkit was around 2" and the load was designed for shooting a bear at close range that might decide to eat me. Now I never had to use it on one but I found tracks along that river that made me think i would not go out there without a gun,,,just in case!

He mentioned he'd tried reduced loads with a 129gr bullet and I'd think that would work well. Only problem is I wonder what she thought? I have 180gr cast loads for my 30-06 that put recoil on par with a 22RF! Kid heere in town had inly ever shot his grandfather's 30-30 and tried out my 6.5x55. Didn';t complain about the recoil of the 30-30 but when we'd go shooting he wanted to shoot the 6.5x55 all the time, said it was better. So one day I let him shoot a 243 and he is now certain that that is all he want's to shoot. Point is kids that like to shoot might keep from you how much recoil really bother's them. let that kid try a 243 or even 223 and see if she likes it better. if shooting doesn't bother her she might be open to hunting!

 

[Hem]

Ya know, if all I had was one rifle, there's a lot to be said for this post. How many of you guy's have just one? Between 243 and 30-06 I have seven rifles, not a lot by a lot of standards. I over the years I developed the attitude that there is only one right bullet for each cartridge. Now that doesn't mean that other's won';t work. In my 308 all I use is 165gr bullet's anymore. In my 30-06 all I use is 180gr bullet's. I think the 30-06 handles the heavier bullet better. But I also think the 180gr would work in the 308. Contary to that I have two 243's. In one I shoot only 75gr V-Max's and the other just 70gr SMK's. I do still have a bot of 87gr for the one I shoot 75gr bullets from. Been laying around here for a long time so I'm plinking with them for the case's. They shoot very well but don't explode on a sage rat or coyote like those 75's. I could well reload say those 87's, 90's or 100's and use that 243 as a deer rifle but, I also have a 25-06 that kills deer as dead as anything with 117gr bullet's. Or I have my 6.5x55 which I can step up the bullet weight to 140gr and just might kill deer as dead as the 243's! Though about this idea for a lot of years, so many guy are overloaded with guns but end up making several different loads with different bullet's for each gun even in the same cartridges. probably works well but I would not load my 30-06 down with a 165gr bullet when I have my 308. And ain't about to load down my 308 to 150gr bullets when I have my 6.5x55 and it's 140gr bullets. And not going to load down my 6.5x55 to a 25-06 when I have a 25-06!



Probably a bit off track with this but that post above got me thinking, something some of you really hate! If you had four 30-06's in your cabnit and say one loaded with 150gr, one with 165gr, one with 180gr and one with 200gr. I suspect if you chose the rifle by which load worked best in it, the one with 150's or 165's would be your deer riflle, 180 makes a good ekl load and bigger than elk or dangerous, the 200's would fill the bill. I think in truth if you only had a 30-06 that only shoot 150gr bullet's, you could kill a moose very dead with it. Then too if that 30-06 you only shot 180's in it just might kills a deer!

Something I started when I got my second 243, first time for two rifles of the same cartridge. Both have their own set of dies and each set is set up to size one case exactly the same every time and seat one bullet the same every time. What I manage to find out is resizing each by partial sizing, the rounds from one of the rifles will not load in the other! And I have the bullet's backed back just off the lands, 70 SMK in one and 75gr v-max in the other. Don't remember to overall length of each, for all I knot they may be the same but Now I never have to fool with adjusting dies going from one rifle to the other. And both rifles shoot equally well.

Bottom line is I think, for this thread, is what bullet you shoot is nowhere near as importand as how well they work in the gun and on the game your shooting. The OP was talking about the 308. 150's have never shot that well in my old 308 but were certainly good enough to hunt with. 165's shot great! 180's shot great but increased recoil more than I wanted. used 200's init in Alaska fishing where bears were. Recoil was up again but tolerable and accuracy I would not have excepted with any other bullet. I thinkit was around 2" and the load was designed for shooting a bear at close range that might decide to eat me. Now I never had to use it on one but I found tracks along that river that made me think i would not go out there without a gun,,,just in case!

He mentioned he'd tried reduced loads with a 129gr bullet and I'd think that would work well. Only problem is I wonder what she thought? I have 180gr cast loads for my 30-06 that put recoil on par with a 22RF! Kid heere in town had inly ever shot his grandfather's 30-30 and tried out my 6.5x55. Didn';t complain about the recoil of the 30-30 but when we'd go shooting he wanted to shoot the 6.5x55 all the time, said it was better. So one day I let him shoot a 243 and he is now certain that that is all he want's to shoot. Point is kids that like to shoot might keep from you how much recoil really bother's them. let that kid try a 243 or even 223 and see if she likes it better. if shooting doesn't bother her she might be open to hunting!

We shot 125's from a sled. I also mentioned she liked shooting but wasn't interested in hunting.
I personally don't care about bullet size to fit some sort of slot. I just want an extra rifle to be usable. My focus would be hunting deer and elk in tight quarters with a rifle that is smallish. I am well aware of the potential of the .308.
Mostly just curious to hear from other hunters.
Thanks.

 

[dk88]

I have a tikka T3 superlight in 308 and have had great luck with several factory loads from federal with the best accuracy from the federal premium loaded with 165 accubonds. Off a lead sled the gun shoots about 1/2 MOA with that load. I also have used this load on multiple deer and elk with good results.

 

[std7mag]

Ok, so am i the only one that caught " it's compact with a 24" barrel"??

No NEED to go super heavy with a 308. Something in the 150-165gr class should do you well. 130gr for monos.

Time to get that press!!

 

[nwihunter]

I shoot a Howa in 308 and have had good luck with the federal premium Berger hybrid 168 gr. I’ve used it on a couple of deer and one elk with good results.

 

[RobertD]

I just started shooting a .308 and am happy with it so far. Shooting Nosler Trophy Grade 150 grain accubonds. I've shot two whitetail bucks with that round now, and it performed admirably on both

 

[Hem]

Ok, so am i the only one that caught " it's compact with a 24" barrel"??

No NEED to go super heavy with a 308. Something in the 150-165gr class should do you well. 130gr for monos.

Time to get that press!!

It is compact...it is a youth model and I have the stature of an adult.
Right on the bullet size.
I have more interest in a dozen other things than reloading.....yet , somehow, without much problem I kill as much as the next guy.

 

[Southern Elk]

If you decide you want to sell it, let me know. I’m looking to upgrade my son from a .243. This year will be his first year being able to elk hunt. I let him shoulder the standard version of the Tikka at Sportsman’s yesterday, but the stock is a little long. Youth stock would be perfect for him.