Wind Gypsy
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That’s prob where I’d start too with a 308. @Bowmannate2000 if you are in need of varget, monticello fleet farm had some in stock yesterday.
.308 win bullet selection for new reloader
- Thread starter Bowmannate2000
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4ohSick
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A lot happens in the milliseconds between deciding to shoot and the trigger breaking. I know, only take a shot you’re certain of, but I was glad to have the penetration of a copper bullet when a slight quartering away turned into a Texas heart shot right as I fired at a cow a few years ago.
Redmt
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I can't imagine the mess of a Texas heart shot with a bullet that didn't stay together. The would literally be shit everywhere.
My experience says that this is bs.
Laelkhunter
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Barnes 168 TTSX
Don Fischer
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I used the 308 as my main rifle for years. And pretty much always shot 165gr Hornady SP in it. Have never shot an animal with it I could complain about the bullet with. While in Alaska I carried it fishing into remote areas and tried a number of different bullets. Even took that time to try some 150gr bullet's, Would never give them another shot, lousy shooting. But I tried 180 gr Hornadys and they surprised me they shot so well. But also tried 200 gr Speer Hot Core. They did not shoot any where near as well as the 180's at 100 yds but at 50 yds were great. I also felt that the Speer 200gr HC would be a better bullet should we have bear trouble relatively close and at 50 yds were acceptable accuracy wise. But here in the lower 48 my choice would always be the 165gr Hornady as It served me so well for so many years. The 150 shot so badly in my rifle I'd never try them again. Also I test shot those 165gr bullets into newspaper and Hornady bullet's retained 85% of their weight but the bullet was loose in the jacket. Did the same with 160gr Speer HC in a 7mm mag and they also retained 85% of their weight but the cores stayed tight in the jacket. Didn't try lighter bullet's in the 7mm mag other than hunting and will only say that most the other cup and core bullet's at 7mm mag velocity's simply blew up hitting the animals. I'm a big believer in 7mm Speer HC bullet's, know little to nothing about their other bullets! This year I switched my 6.5x06 and 6.5x55 to Speer HC bullet's and simply started out with them in my new 260 Rem. I used Hornady for all those years because results were so good with them but in that old 7mm mag, The Speer HC's were slightly more accurate. Truth is in those days that really lit my trigger. The 160's out shot the Hornady 155gr SP by about 1/16" if I remember right, pretty thin excuse!
Forkyfinder
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cool
Don Fischer
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Something you'll discover about re-loader's is they all have what they thing is the prefect bullet! And to tell the truth, if they can properly place the bullet then they will find out they do have a great bullet. Then of course there's the other side that has never had the perfect bullet!
Shoot even I took a step up recently. from my old favorite Hornady SP to Speer Hot Core. never had either one do a less than excellent job if I did mine! How do you tell a guy using cup and core bullet's that have never failed him or the guy spending a bunch on the latest and greatest that never failed him either that his bullet's are junk?
Some people just like to kill things cleanly and other's want to try the latest and greatest, cost doesn't matter to them!
Redmt
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The old saying of 'you can sell a fisherman anything ' kind of applies to reloading also. I have several loads for each caliber in different bullet weights that work excellent for me, yet I still like to tinker around and find something better. With the occasional exception everything I've shot was one and done, but still I keep looking for something better. I believe it's a mental illness brought on by reading internet forums.
NY_BLUES
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I have found my Ruger M77 Hawkeye .308 likes Hornady 165 SST's over 42.5 grains of Varget. My dad has the target/varmint version with a longer barrel, and his likes 44.5 grains of varget for the 165s.
Get multiple projectiles and powders and play around. Every gun likes things a little different. Some very good info in this thread though.
Get multiple projectiles and powders and play around. Every gun likes things a little different. Some very good info in this thread though.
Nicoli7153
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Really like Hammer bullets in my .308. 137Hammer Hunter and 150 Power Hammer. Even played with the 124 Hammer Hunter.
Great velocities and accuracy. FWIW
Great velocities and accuracy. FWIW
Guy
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The 165 gr Ballistic Tips you're using now are a great all-around bullet. A few years back I scored on 4 big game animals using that bullet, from a 30-06, but I've also used it happily from a 308 Win.
Black bear at about 325 yards. Quartering away shot. Through the ribcage, destroyed the lungs, bullet jacket recovered in the off-side shoulder but the core exited. Dead bear within 10 yards.
5x5 muley buck at about 140 yards. Was facing me head-on. Put it in his chest, bullet recovered from flank, well expanded after a lot of penetration. Did need a finishing shot when I walked up on it, but that buck wasn't going anywhere.
Pronghorn at about 245 yards. Crossing shot. Don't really need a 30 cal, 165 gr bullet for a pronghorn. Through the shoulder, out the other shoulder. Dead pronghorn in between.
Cow elk at 340 yards, one shot, punched through one shoulder blade, broke the opposite side shoulder blade, may or may not have penetrated the second, never found the bullet or an exit wound. Massive destruction in between. Very quick kill.
It was indeed a great season for me and that 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip didn't let me down at all. It's a good bullet but any decent 165/168 gr lead core bullet or a 150 grain mono should do just peachy for you.
Varget is excellent with the 308 Win, and has been for a long time. I wore out a few 308 barrels, and that takes some shooting.
I'll recommend making your choice, stock up on components and do a lot of practice so you can properly place whichever bullet you choose when the time comes.
Best of luck to you this season and into the future!
Regards, Guy
Black bear at about 325 yards. Quartering away shot. Through the ribcage, destroyed the lungs, bullet jacket recovered in the off-side shoulder but the core exited. Dead bear within 10 yards.
5x5 muley buck at about 140 yards. Was facing me head-on. Put it in his chest, bullet recovered from flank, well expanded after a lot of penetration. Did need a finishing shot when I walked up on it, but that buck wasn't going anywhere.
Pronghorn at about 245 yards. Crossing shot. Don't really need a 30 cal, 165 gr bullet for a pronghorn. Through the shoulder, out the other shoulder. Dead pronghorn in between.
Cow elk at 340 yards, one shot, punched through one shoulder blade, broke the opposite side shoulder blade, may or may not have penetrated the second, never found the bullet or an exit wound. Massive destruction in between. Very quick kill.
It was indeed a great season for me and that 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip didn't let me down at all. It's a good bullet but any decent 165/168 gr lead core bullet or a 150 grain mono should do just peachy for you.
Varget is excellent with the 308 Win, and has been for a long time. I wore out a few 308 barrels, and that takes some shooting.
I'll recommend making your choice, stock up on components and do a lot of practice so you can properly place whichever bullet you choose when the time comes.
Best of luck to you this season and into the future!
Regards, Guy
Bowmannate2000
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Sounds like a heck of a season Guy! Thank you, and everyone else for the advice in this thread.
Guy
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Thanks! The freezer was very full indeed... 
One of the reasons I went with the Accubonds was the reviews of the early ballistic tips. I’ve also heard that they’re better now, but I’m extremely happy with the Accubonds, their performance for me, and I get the “blems” from SPS - now from Nosler, for the discount price.
slatebuilder
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As this thread points out there are so many great choices out there. Dam it’s fun loading and shooting projectiles.
EastTNHunter
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I am very similar. I had bad experiences with the old ballistic tips out of my .270 (blew up on deer shoulders on quartering shots), so I went to the Accubond. I love that bullet out of the 30-06 (165) and 270 (140), but have historically used the ballistic tips for rough load development and practice since they were cheaper and shot very similarly to the Accubonds. Now I have so many 308 165 Accubonds through the old SPS that I have considered going to it in my .308 Win since my stock has been low on the NBTs. I was recently able to acquire some more 308 165 NBTs for a fair price and will quite possibly just stick with them… even though I have less cost per bullet in the NABs by a small amount
Vanishe187
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I've shot many different rounds in my 28 years of shooting and loading 308. Beauty of it is options available to load for it. No other cartridge has as many available options to choose from. I shoot 125gr for coyotes and deer. Been using 165 past few years for elk and bear. I shoot varmint rounds in 125 and the 165 are hornady sp. Really so much to choose from. Was using 150gr prior but have about 3k of the 165gr to use from now on. Really depends on what your hunting and how far you plan to shoot. I'm sure you can customize something that fits your style perfectly. I shoot a lot of different bullets as I shoot anything and everything with my 308.
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