308 ammo

[Fullquiver]

Assumption, since you did say thick thick woods…if it groups 1.5 MOA, you’re good.

If you are not copper limited, the cheapest soft point (*not FMJ) you can find will do the job.

I found that the cheapest 150gr. Winchester white-box, the 150gr Federal Blue Box and 150 gr. Norma Whitetail ammo all group 1” or better in my rifle. All run 2700-ish at the same point of impact. So, not exactly much to think about.

as a friend of mine once said…”deer just don’t need a whole lotta killin’”

For Deer sub 300 yards, if it groups well, it kills well. Don’t over think it.

Pretty difficult to argue this statement. Deer aren't difficult to kill and the 308 with virtually any softpoint is up to the task. I've got a Savage 99 in 308 that's been killing deer for more than 5 decades with 150 gr corelokt rounds. Most drop at the shot with the few that run dying in just a few hops.. I've also shot Federal blue box through it with great success and I even killed my first elk with it using handloaded 150 grain Nosler Partition bullets..

 

[Shangobango]

Luckily I have a pile of Nosler Trophy grade and a pile of Accubond bullets for reloading stockpiled from before the prices went sky high. I have one .308 rifle that absolutely loves that round. I am a big fan of the Nosler Accubond but it is pricey these days.

I also have a .308 rifle that shoots the Hornady American Whitetail very well. Inside a couple hundred yards I have had zero issues knocking deer down with it with well placed shots.

My son has a .308 that is very accurate with Remington Core Lokts but won’t group the Hornady American Whitetails for love nor money.

In the woods, like so many others have said, find a cheap round that expands well and groups fairly well at 100 yards in your rifle.

The one issue I have had with the regular core lokts and the Hornady American whitetail is on bigger bodied deer (200+ lbs) at longer ranges (200+ yards) and with quartering shots, I have personally had both of those bullets fragment. I haven’t failed to recover due to that but it has made for longer than usual tracking jobs.

 

[Trapper330]

I only use Hornady Interlock 165 gr boat tails for .308. Inexpensive, accurate, deadly

and...Dependable!

 

[ATouchOfRusticTaxidermy]

We use the Hornady American Whitetail Rounds here in Northern Michigan for our Whitetails. They have always done us right out of our 308's and the 6.5 Creedmoor

 

[GBrokx]

Barnes TTSX 168 grain. Specifically designed for 308. Killed 3 elk and 2 deer so far and none have traveled more than 20 yards. I get tight groups in the range. In the end use what shoots well out of your rifle as shot placement probably means more than bullet type, but I personally like using non-lead

 

[MTLabrador]

I like my Noslers but there’s nothing wrong at all with basic soft points, especially in the .308. I know two big Montana moose and a whole shop full of bull elk that were all killed very efficiently by 130 grain Winchester Power Points from a .270.