How light of a .308 bullet can you go before you start losing accuracy?

happykal

happykal

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I want a lighter bullet for my 308 for wolf hunting. My understanding is lighter grain, faster bullet smaller hole. But I've also read on the net that a barrels rifling twist plays a huge role in what grain of bullet with work "better" for that gun. For example my 20" barrel is a 1 in 12 twist. If I went with a 110 or a 125 grain bullet would I be sacrificing accuracy for velocity?

Better yet does any one have any range time firing light bullets with a .308? I'd like to read your findings.

Thanks
 
I've run 110gr vmax in .308 and .30-06 with moa accuracy, no problem. They run fast, 3500fps in the '06, and 3100 in the .308, but do extensive damage. Not sure if there are any light bullets for the .308 that aren't frangile...

The jump to the lands was over .200", but didn't seem to matter.
 
I have used the 110 V-Max, but they didn't have the accuracy I was looking for in any loading I tried... the 110 SP's were marginally better... eventually settled on the 125 SST... they are very accurate and don't do alot of damage at the speed they are going... "small hole in - small hole out."
 
Fast bullet = small hole in, HUGE hole out. Use a heavy bullet that will not expand too much and you'll have less damage. I have shot yotes and deer with the lighter bullets and its not conducive to nice pelts. Myself, i would use a 150-165 mono bullet (tsx,gmx, etip, berger) works better(way less pelt damage), plus flatter shooting at distance.
 
In the 308 I have used 125 nosler BT with great success on coyotes deer and black bear. I have loads for several rifles, one was for a light load out of a rem 600 that I had set up for my wife. My step son ended up with it and he used it to take a black bear which he made into a rug. I found the nosler to hold together better than the 110 vmax. Berger also makes light bullets for the 308. In a Remington ltr (20 inch 1-12) I easily would get a 1 inch or better group. Varget IMR 3031 and 8208 all worked well. I found Win 748 worked the best all my rifles shot it well. I found moderate loads shot the best, but I also used this load more as beginners load.
 
Not sure where you have the idea that you need to use a smaller bullet to hunt wolves with. If the rifle is accurate to 300 yards and beyond with a 150 grain bullet, then use it. I use bullets which give me optimum performance in those calibers - 150 gr for 308 and 165 gr for 30-06.

I use light calibers of bullets (70 grain - 6 mm) by choice when hunting coyotes for the following reasons:

1) 243 for coyotes and wolves. Extremely flat shooting and accurate. Pelt damage is also extreme as well, but I am not hunting for pest control, not pelts.
2) Less recoil
3) In comparison to my 30-06 and 308, can use a faster powder and generally a little less than the 308 and definitely less than the 30-06, so is a little cheaper too.

If I see a 'yote when I have my 30-06 and 308 with me, I'll tag it with those rifles too. Don't sweat it. Shoot with whatever bullet gives you the best performance.

I have a couple of boxes of the 125 and 110 grain Sierras which are gathering dust because I could not develop loads which satisfied my accuracy needs.
 
I was gonna try the 110's in a 308, but was told they just won't be very accurate, so I didn't bother. Thinking about trying the 125's. Will read up on them here and then decide if they are worth a try or not.
 
The fact is, you will never know how light bullets will shoot in YOUR 308 unless you try them.

Some 308's [and 30-06's] will shoot 110 grain pills just fine.
Others are mediocre with the very light bullets.

My personal experience is that 110's shoot better in 1-12" twist barrels than they do in 1-10 twists.
But there are exceptions.

I do prefer the 125 Ballistic Tip or the Speer 130 grain HP in my 30-06's. Buth shoot very well indeed in 3 different '06 rifles.
Only one of these will shoot the 110 well.

Regards, Eagleye.
 
Hmm. All good points. Sounds like I'm best to stick with my 165s. Besides I have another 2 boxes of 165grain coming. Yeah I kind of went over board when i placed my order. I'll never have to order brass again lol. Ill have enough powder to reload 800+ rnds.
 
Eagleye said:
The fact is, you will never know how light bullets will shoot in YOUR 308 unless you try them.

Some 308's [and 30-06's] will shoot 110 grain pills just fine.
Others are mediocre with the very light bullets.

My personal experience is that 110's shoot better in 1-12" twist barrels than they do in 1-10 twists.
But there are exceptions.

I do prefer the 125 Ballistic Tip or the Speer 130 grain HP in my 30-06's. Buth shoot very well indeed in 3 different '06 rifles.
Only one of these will shoot the 110 well.

Regards, Eagleye.
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"In the Olden Days" my .30-06 digested everything from 110 to 220 grain bullets.
Everything produced under 1" at 100 yards; that was when I was still shooting 5 shot groups.
As Dave said, you won't know until you try.
I preferred the 125 and 130 grain bullets for light bullets.
Barnes has a 110 and 130 grain bulets. The 130's would work great on wolves.
Even at 50%, 800 rounds would be a great subtraction from the wolf population . . .
 
horseman2 said:
Even at 50%, 800 rounds would be a great subtraction from the wolf population . . .
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My 250 bullet count of 165s (Sierra gamkings, nosler ballistic tipped, Barnes tipped tsx) are meant to be a kill all game round. But just think at 800 rounds if I don't kill'em ill scare the livin' sh!# out of them. Lol
 
I used a 180gr Ballistic Tip out of my .300 WM for a big wolf. Shot him behind the shoulder at ~80 yards or so. Nice small entrance/exit wounds.
 
Sierra 125gr flat bases MatchKing: that's what US NRA High Power shooters use as a short range, low recoil bullet!
Accuracy is better than 1/2 MOA in most 1-12" rifles. Anything lighter does not consistently deliver match accuracy (1/2 MOA or better) in standard 308 Win match rifle (1-12").

Interestingly, Nosler has a nice flat based 125gr Ballistic Tip bullet.

Alex
 
chrismc said:
Fast bullet = small hole in, HUGE hole out. Use a heavy bullet that will not expand too much and you'll have less damage. I have shot yotes and deer with the lighter bullets and its not conducive to nice pelts.
Click to expand...

That is generally true... particularly with a highly frangible "varmint" type bullet... but IME on coyotes the SST stayed together and did surprisingly little damage on the off-side... the V-Max and NBT Varmint bullets come apart on contact... note that I have not and will not use the 125 SST on deer sized game... it might get the job done just fine, but I personally don't see the point when there are better options in .308.
 
I have used Hornady 110 grain bullets quite a bit in my .308 for practicing, and occasionally hunting groundhogs. The accuracy has always been good - 5 shots in one inch at 100 yards. However, I suspect that you would get a large exit hole with these bullets.
 
my old savage 110 really shoots the 110gr vmax's well. Forget how much 748 I used but I would think somewhere around 49-50grs would hump a 110 along at around 3100. Work well on all the coyotes I got with that load. Entrance whole and a few small exits. Nothing that wouldn't easily be stictched up.
 
mine were both 1:11 twist

Here is what they do at 3500fps...Nasty little things they are...

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Just developed the only moa round I've ever found for my new savage, 110 gr ttsx, 70% reduced load for my now son's new rifle. Will work it up in time, see how he shoots it.
 
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