200gr bullets in 308 Winchester

Did you weigh the recovered bullet? I forget what my 165gr ended up being buy it really didn’t loose much weight, 20gr maybe?

No, but lemme see if i can find it weigh it now after work. Its a pretty nice mushroom with no apparent big chunks broken off. Like you said, the deer didn't go anywhere, so....lol

Losing 20gr aint bad at all! Sould have figured it would end up more in the 30% territory.
 
I use 190 gr target bullets in one of my precision 308's. It just loves them. You don't get much speed though, and for most hunting I don't see a 200 gr in a 308 as an advantage. - dan

I've heard good things about heavy weight bullets in the 308 for long range. I keep meaning to fool with the 208 AMax an N550 as I have heard good things both accuracy and velocity wise, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
 
No, but lemme see if i can find it weigh it now after work. Its a pretty nice mushroom with no apparent big chunks broken off. Like you said, the deer didn't go anywhere, so....lol

Losing 20gr aint bad at all! Sould have figured it would end up more in the 30% territory.

Double checked, it weighs 132gr so it lost 33gr in total.
 
Double checked, it weighs 132gr so it lost 33gr in total.

That's why I feel like the 130gr mono will do the same thing pretty much, with a slightly narrower wound channel. But its good performance any which way you slice it. 80% ish
 
That's why I feel like the 130gr mono will do the same thing pretty much, with a slightly narrower wound channel. But its good performance any which way you slice it. 80% ish

The year before I shot my biggest wt buck so far with the same 165gr interlock and the exit hole was big enough to almost put my hand through, that buck didn’t go far let’s just say that.
 
There are so many really good premium bullets in the 165 grain weight including monoliths which will perform like a 180 grain in penetration that 200 grainers are a bit obsolescent.
Better ballistic coefficients and better terminal performance in modern bullets have changed everything.
 
I've heard good things about heavy weight bullets in the 308 for long range. I keep meaning to fool with the 208 AMax an N550 as I have heard good things both accuracy and velocity wise, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I have some of those I was running in a 300 RUM. Sold that rifle, but once it warms up a little I'll try them in my 300 WM and 30-06 improved. Maybe one of the 308's. If I'm lucky I will have that 30-338 up and running by then. - dan
 
Does anyone use these cup and core on deer and moose? A long shot would be 200 yds.

I've used 200 grain cup and core bullets out of a Pattern 14 sporter, chambered for 303 British, which would give similar velocities as those from most 308 Win sporting rifles with 20-22 inch bbls.

They worked very well on Moose, Bears, Deer, and Elk.

Most people are concerned about velocities, and in some cases with good reason.

I'm not sure why you want to shoot those heavy bullets from your 308Win? Maybe because that's what you have and can't afford today's components prices or you're getting to your last days of hunting and just don't want to purchase more stuff?

Doesn't matter really.

Yes, those 200 grain cup and core bullets will do the job very well.

Cup and core bullets are old tech, but are still very efficient. As such, you need to load accordingly.

The 308Win obviously doesn't have the case capacity to load those bullets to velocity levels that some feel are critical.

IMHO, a heavy bullet at relatively sedate velocities can do a lot of damage and penetrate through both sides of animals under 200 yards, when the bullet is placed in the boiler room.

41 grains of Varget, if you have any, will give you 2500fps with those bullets. Be careful though that load may be a bit hot. It's safe in my Remington 700.

A 200 grain bullet starting at 2500fps will easily do the job, if you do your part and get that bullet into the vitals.

You don't mention the shape of your bullets. Round nose or Spire Point, etc.

You also don't mention the twist rate of the rifling in your barrel or length.

All of those are deciding factors.

Most hunting rifles chambered for 308Win have 1-12 twist rates and you may not be able to get enough velocity out of a 20-22in barrel to stabilize those bullets, if they aren't flat based or flat base/round nose.
 
A thought that I had some years ago - cartridges are like a "picket fence" - some are hard to differentiate one from the other - based on performance. So, was my approach to get a bigger cartridge when I wanted more smack, versus trying to do something that it was not the "best" at. I started with 303 British in Lee Enfield No. 4 - using whatever bullet weights that Dad bought - 150's and 180's mostly. Then to a Winchester Model 70 308 Win using 165 Speer HotCor - many deers and my first elk with that - our son has it now - same loads, same story - many deers and he also got his first elk with that one. Then, in addition to the 308 Win, I got a Winchester Model 70 in 338 Win Magnum - tried that one with 210 grain, 225 grain and 250 grain - currently I use 225 grain in it - took Elk #2 and #3 with that one - but either could have easily been taken with the 308 Win. Then to a 7x57 for deer. Then to a 9.3x62, since that was the "rage", and the 338 Win Mag does not come out very often, any more. And then things got all "goofy" after that. Now is 26 different sets of reloading dies and supplies for each - in some cases, there is multiple rifles for the same chambering - 6.5x55, 30-06, etc.
 
A thought that I had some years ago - cartridges are like a "picket fence" - some are hard to differentiate one from the other - based on performance. So, was my approach to get a bigger cartridge when I wanted more smack, versus trying to do something that it was not the "best" at. I started with 303 British in Lee Enfield No. 4 - using whatever bullet weights that Dad bought - 150's and 180's mostly. Then to a Winchester Model 70 308 Win using 165 Speer HotCor - many deers and my first elk with that - our son has it now - same loads, same story - many deers and he also got his first elk with that one. Then, in addition to the 308 Win, I got a Winchester Model 70 in 338 Win Magnum - tried that one with 210 grain, 225 grain and 250 grain - currently I use 225 grain in it - took Elk #2 and #3 with that one - but either could have easily been taken with the 308 Win. Then to a 7x57 for deer. Then to a 9.3x62, since that was the "rage", and the 338 Win Mag does not come out very often, any more. And then things got all "goofy" after that. Now is 26 different sets of reloading dies and supplies for each - in some cases, there is multiple rifles for the same chambering - 6.5x55, 30-06, etc.

Only 26? Come on, those are rookie numbers! Lol. Yeah, they do tend to proliferate. I still have a bunch for rifles I haven't had in years, a few others (some brand new) that were simply a good deal and "I might need those some day". Some duplicates as you say. Anyway, back on topic, I generally prefer heavy for caliber bullets. A lifetime of watching bullets perform taught me that was the most likely way to success when hunting. Some of the new mo o technologies are changing that however. And I have had quite good results with Barmpnes X series of bullets in various guises. - dan
 
I would stick with 180 cup and core or 150-165 monometal. I think the 168 TTSX is a nice slippery design you can drive to decent velocity in a .308 and should expand reliably out to a decent range. That'll punch deep.
 
I use a 200gr Accubond in a 300 H&H mag. I would not use it in a 308 Win. A 150 or 165 Mono would be a better choice for elk/moose in 308. If you must go with a cup and core, go with a 180. You will not have enough velocity with a 200 for medium to long shots in a 308 Win.
 
I would stick with 180 cup and core or 150-165 monometal. I think the 168 TTSX is a nice slippery design you can drive to decent velocity in a .308 and should expand reliably out to a decent range. That'll punch deep.

The 168 is made for 308 and 30-06 velocities, according to Barnes, so a good fit!

I'd go even lighter as long as shots past 350 yards weren't a strong possibility. The 130s are great
 
I no longer think "a" bullet is all the same - I notice on the various Woodleigh boxes here they give designed impact speeds - for example - 2000-2600 fps, 2000-2200 fps, 1800-2400 fps, 2000-3000 fps. So, I suspect in Woodleigh's mind, that the specific cartridge and muzzle velocity are not so important to them - they seem to focus on the impact velocity - so that goes to your cartridge used, the range of your shot, etc. I notice similar speed ranges / recommendations given on some Nosler Accubond bullet boxes, not on Nosler Partitions, though - but I do not think I have seen "velocity limits" or recommendations on Speer, Sierra or Hornady bullet boxes.

For example, I see a box labelled as "303 British" - .312" 174 gr, Weldcore PP SN, Rec. Impact Velocity 1800-2400 fps; versus "303 British" - .312" 215 gr, Weldcore RN SN, Rec. Impact Velocity 2000-2200 fps. On two Nosler Accubond boxes - one box is 9.3 mm 250 grain and other is 338" 225 grain - says "Minimum: 1800 fps; Maximum: Unlimited" - I presume they are referring to impact velocity for those Minimum and Maximum?
 
Last edited:
I definitely prefer a mono bullet in a light for caliber bullet.


I shot a deer in the shoulder with a 150g SST from a 30-06 years ago.
That was a meat wrecking combo.

When the ballistic tips first came out they had thinner jackets in the big game calibers. Loaded some up for a friend for his 30-06. Very accurate, quite fast. Same results. - dan
 
I definitely prefer a mono bullet in a light for caliber bullet.


I shot a deer in the shoulder with a 150g SST from a 30-06 years ago.
That was a meat wrecking combo.

Believe it!! They did much better at moderate speeds for me. pretty garish when faster eh

Had a batch loaded lightly for my Garand and they handled moose well. Nice mushrooms.
 
Last edited:
I now have some 165gr Boatail Hornady Interloks and some 165gr partitions as well as some 180gr Speer.Hotcore Spitzers. I will likely use the ones that shoot best in my rifle.
 
Back
Top Bottom