Which bullets for 308?

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stovepipe699

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I have a M700 Rem(308) that I haven't handloaded for yet, and I was planning to develop a load with varget and hornady 165 BTSP's. With what I've been reading about Hornady's new "Interlock" bullets being lame ducks, it's time for plan B. I liked the old hornadys b/c they were accurate, worked fine on game and I could shoot them as much as I liked. Looks like Hdy Interbonds, Sierra gamekings, Noslers or Barnes bullets will be on the menu. Help me out here, which bullets to try?

Rob
 
stovepipe699 said:
I have a M700 Rem(308) that I haven't handloaded for yet, and I was planning to develop a load with varget and hornady 165 BTSP's. With what I've been reading about Hornady's new "Interlock" bullets being lame ducks, it's time for plan B. I liked the old hornadys b/c they were accurate, worked fine on game and I could shoot them as much as I liked. Looks like Hdy Interbonds, Sierra gamekings, Noslers or Barnes bullets will be on the menu. Help me out here, which bullets to try?

Rob
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168 gr Nosler/Winchester CT Ballistic Silver Tips
 
I also use both the game kings and the Pro-Hunters. Both have counted for game and both have proven very satisfactory for my uses. I have observed NO DIFFERENCE in using them against Nosler Partitions. I have not used any Barnes bullets because I don't believe that I require premium bullets for my applications. If a cast lead bullet will do the job effectively, then a jacketed bullet will do it as well. Do I need any more than that? I simply stay away from the premium bullets now. My mainstay are Pro Hunters since my ranges are less that 300yds.
 
My 2c? If you desire good performance for moose out of 308Win with conventional (cheap) bullets please stay away from Sierras and new Hornadys and especially from boattails of any weight. 180gr Speer Mag tip would be my first choice, 180gr Remington"s CL and 180gr Winchester PP would be my second one. Much lighter premium bullets can be used on moose but lighter "cup & core" ones are mostly for dear hunting in my opinion. If you have acces to June 98' Handloader there is extensive 308 bullets performance review to draw your own opinion, mine own, after 30 years of hunting experience are very, very similar.
 
I only hunt whitetail deer regularly, but if I decide to hunt bear or moose it would be nice not to have to resight for different bullets. I think I might try a few different bullets and see what results I get.
 
I am a heavy bullet fanatic. If you put 200 or 220 grain bullets in the 308 you will get phenomenal penetration, and the lower quality bullets work better at lower velocities. If you are hunting moose inside 250 yards the trajectory will not be so brutal that you cannot hit a moose. I looked and saw a 2340 fps load for a 220 grain bullet. That load would make you very accustomed to watching moose fall.
 
"...Will a 165 do the job on moose and black bear..." A 165 will kill any game you care to hunt.
"...220 grain bullets in the 308..." Too long.
 
I've been using hornady interlocks 180gr for the past few years in my 308 loaded with 45gr varget they work great .
Last year my buddy took a nice moose with it and I took a whitetai buck in both cases the bullet went right through both animals the moose dropped where he was standing and the deer went about 20 feet no complaints here with hornady.
 
Well, I just got back from deer hunting for a few days, and after the performance I got from my Winchester superX 150 cheapo factory loads I'm going to opt for premium bullets. I had a broadside shot enter the boiler room, and exit the spine, as well as 2 head on shots that entered the front of the rib cage and tried to exit the side, stopping against the front shoulder. The broadside shot was on a 5x5 buck at 75 yards, and I had to shoot him again. Needless to say, I'm unimpressed.
 
kombayotch said:
There are no issues launching a 220 grain bullet out of a 308 Win. The naysayers have never tried it...

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2043155
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I agree. I've been playing with 220 gr. Sierra RN and Hornady RN in a little 18.5" barreled Model 7.

With 45 gr. of H4350, I'm only getting 2200 fps, but accuracy is remarkable and I've had no signs of keyholing, so apparently they're stabilizing just fine.

44 gr. of WW760 also gives me great accuracy, but is about 50 fps slower. I haven't tried any of the match bullets, and I only started messing with the 220's because I happen to have an almost ridiculous supply of them.

A 220 gr. bullet with an SD of well over .300, even at 2200 fps is nothing to sneeze at. I suspect that at those velocities even a soft bullet like a Sierra would work real nice. So would a 220 Hornady or a 220 Nosler Partition.
 
You will find the description of the 168 VLD hunting bullets on the Berger site. They are built to shed part of their weight in shrapnel form and cause maximum wound cavity damage. They go for approx 55-60/hundred.
 
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