150gr vs 165gr .308 bullets for whitetail
- Thread starter Aabradsh
- Start date
Yep this , realistically, the 308 is perfect for cup an core projectiles....
moderate speeds and a nice sized hole at the end of the day.
from what i gather some parts of the world the whitetails are bigger than some of the other parts, mostly talkin body mass, if you happen to be in stout whitetail part of the world, a 150gr interlock or the like an have no qualms hitting them in the shoulders and anchoring them..
i've only ever used a 308 with 150gr projies, firstly corelokt factory, then Accubonds and finally some 150gr woodleighs, which were perfect for Fallow/ Rusa , the ABs and PPSN were on par for the big Sambar/Elk
enjoy the 308, they're a good game getter imo
- Location
- Saskatchewan
There is a sound, practical reason why the two original loadings for the .308 were 150 and 180 grain. 150's for deer and relatively "small" game like antelope, and 180's for bigger game like bears and moose and such. Still a pretty good guideline today.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I’ve shot whitetails with 150gr, 165gr and 180gr bullets and I didn’t notice any real difference between them. All three have fully passed through with nice blood trails to follow, deer never made it more than 40y max before dropping. Meat damage was the same with each, shoot whichever weight groups the best from your rifle.
Weatherby was right.
I shoot the old reliable dull red box Hornady 150gr SP's in my .308 Norma Magnum on deer.It's 1-12" twist will also shoot 180gr but I never tried heavier. The new Hornady 150gr SPs aren't to be trusted at magnum velocities.IMO re: shedding cores.
premium Bullets are a waist of money ? Not really see the difference between a premium Bullet and those cheap quality soft points , is a premium Bullet will perform well past 500 yards while your cheap Bullets will suck a those distances
- Location
- Saskatchewan
There’s very little difference in performance between the two as far as the numbers go, with a good high BC 150 monolithic or bonded bullet in my 308 I wouldn’t hesitate at taking anything in North America shy of grizzlies and polar bears. Bullet construction and quality are far more important than weight as far as lethality goes.
I’d pick a few different brands of bullets in the same weight and type I want to use for hunting and play with powders more for optimal accuracy
I’d pick a few different brands of bullets in the same weight and type I want to use for hunting and play with powders more for optimal accuracy
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
The vast majority of game is shot well within 100 yards, especially in Eastern Canada.
I hunt moose with premium bullets. I've never been able to test their performance because the rest of the guys I hunt with use soft points and kill the moose before I get a chance at it. See the conundrum here?
With deer it's not even a second thought. Whatever cup and core bullet shoots best is what I use. I've never had a problem with soft points killing deer
If you have the potential to stretch the legs out a bit on that .308, then I would personally choose a 165 grain bullet. Also, if anything other than deer may someday be on the menu, then being sighted in with a good bonded 165 will anchor just about anything.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
If you had said "in a 308" I would have agreed with you. But you can't run crappy bullets at 300 WM/Wby velocities and expect good results, and they're not the fastest 30s around. Anything much faster than the 30-06 really demands better bullets or shot placement that gives edible meat a wide berth. And if you're shooting heavier game than deer the use of a premium bullet is cheap insurance.
Yeah, but you're in BC. BC Mulies and Ontario Whities are two very different beasties.
But I'm with you...I just stick with a 30-06 and 180s.
This!^^^^
I have used everything between 110's and 180's in a .308, and put meat in the freezer with all.
My observations have been that extreme speed can make more of a mess than moderate speed does. Still just as dead. Esp. on a poorly placed shot. Choose wisely, and you can get away with a lot, as far as that goes.
The two biggest messes I have seen have been a slow moving 180, that I spined a buck with, that cost me a lot of prime cuts, and a fast moving 130 that a friend shot a small doe with at ~25 yards, square on the shoulder, with a hot loaded .300 Win Mag. That one cost him almost the entire front quarter. So. Placement!
Cup and core bullets are inexpensive and effective, and if you are not driving them at Gopher Gun velocities, they simply work.
To me it's not so much about cheaping out, as it is about spending enough to meet my needs, and not a bunch more. If I can buy twice as many bullets for the same money, and they work for me, I get to shoot twice as much, or for half the cost of Premium stuff that does not shoot better for me.
Try a couple different commercial loads and pick the one that shoots best, if you are not reloading, otherwise try what seems to draw your attention, and if it shoots well and gives you confidence, stick with that.
