308 - Big Game Effective Range

As far as your bullets will expand. I had a very accurate load in a tc Icon, 24 inch barrel, 165 sierra gameking( sierra says this is a little tougher sp than others they make) and a stiff load of varget. The muzzle volocity escapes me but it was a pretty stiff load.

We were shooting steel at 400 getting ready for deer season. The 308 was shooting well. Had some milk jugs and was gonna blow them up for fun. Shoot and shoot again. Nothing happens. Back to the steel, dead center. Drove out there and every bullet had hit that jug, 30 cal hole in 30 cal hole out. So I put 4 jugs one behind the other. That 165 sierra went through all 4 with 0 expansion. Opened my eyes thats for sure. Shooter said they were down to, again I forget but 2000 fps or slightly less. Those same bullets made huge diameter mushrooms into water jugs at 100 yards. To this day still the biggest I've seen from 30 cal and under bullets.

Tactical ballistics research says the 150 sst loaded spicy is good to 700 yards while most 150 sp are lackluster after 300 yards.
 
have to edit my original response a bit, it was a pretty standard 400 yard easy, apply the modern heavy for cal slippery bullets to it and lots to like out there from 168 gr on, looking like a solid 500 but with heavier modern bullets even a 600 yard cartridge to me if 1800 fps and sd over .25 is also your threshold criteria, it is mine, barrel length and factory vs reloading will help take it a little further but looks like even a 20" with factory ammo will still land 1700 out to about 600

it's good to at least 530 yards with a 22" barrel and 1820 fps impact with 178 eld-x (.268 sd) as seen below on this red stag, like that audible impact of that pork chop bullet at that range ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf-W10OaHcg

gonna call it a 550 yard cartridge now
 
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Marg’s Ruger RSI 308 Win has put an awful lot of moose and big mountain caribou bulls in the freezer, some up close and some not so.

It’s amazing what a 180gr Partition can do out of that “little “case.

Ted
 
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300 yards for either, no problem. In my neck of the woods (Northern Onario), 90+ percent of big game shots are within 75 yards anyway - out west I'm sure it's different. Maybe bullet-up to 180s for moose, but even that's not necessary - 165gr is a do-all weight and the 308 is a do-all cartridge.
 
Dogleg said:
Hunting VLDs, ABLRs and others of that ilk. Bullet fragmentation is a far better low speed impact wounding mechanism than a bullet that just expanded. Just because a bullet expanded doesn’t mean the show hasn’t been over for a long time.
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I would agree. Those bullets just don't make the best short range bullets. I have a bunch of 150 gr speer hornady and sierra sp to use up, then I'll give the sst a shot. I view my 308 more as a modern day 30-30 when I compare it to faster cartridges flat shooting wise.
 
prairie lover said:
I would agree. Those bullets just don't make the best short range bullets. I have a bunch of 150 gr speer hornady and sierra sp to use up, then I'll give the sst a shot. I view my 308 more as a modern day 30-30 when I compare it to faster cartridges flat shooting wise.
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What I do with frangible bullets if I have some doubts is shoot a pile of snared bears at petting distance. If there’s problem, it won’t be one the ends with a lost animal. I should get a lab coat����
 
Dogleg said:
What I do with frangible bullets if I have some doubts is shoot a pile of snared bears at petting distance. If there’s problem, it won’t be one the ends with a lost animal. I should get a lab coat����
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what .............
 
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Dogleg said:
What I do with frangible bullets if I have some doubts is shoot a pile of snared bears at petting distance. If there’s problem, it won’t be one the ends with a lost animal. I should get a lab coat����
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the what from me was "what" size
Hunting is a privilege , no need to demoralize
 
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prairie lover said:
So what bullets would you prefer to double that distance to 600 yards?
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Berger hunting vld. I used to think barnes was the way to go but i question the ability to expand properly at that distance. Bergers go in a few inches and gernade, turning everything into mush. No personal experience on the matter but the dozens of videos ive watched on the barnes/bergers all say the same thing.
 
Spruster said:
the what from me was "what" size
Hunting is a privilege , no need to demoralize
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Trapping is a thing too. Trapping bears as a fur bearer is usually restricted to those with registered traplines and even then not everywhere, but ADC situations are rather common. It sets up a nearly unique situation where bullets can be tested on live animals under very controlled circumstances. One step away from being in a lab; not that I can think of a single lab doing it.
 
Not a bit surprised. Black bears are no harder to kill than deer as you know.

That was a really big bear, too. Of course, your wife is a very cool and good shot.

Imagine that Power Shock bullet performed well at that distance. It would still be around 2400 fps, kind of a 30-30 magnum muzzle velocity. 😊

Ted
 
Why not? said:
Not a bit surprised. Black bears are no harder to kill than deer as you know.

That was a really big bear, too. Of course, your wife is a very cool and good shot.

Imagine that Power Shock bullet performed well at that distance. It would still be around 2400 fps, kind of a 30-30 magnum muzzle velocity. ��

Ted
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ah ah so true Ted.
 
matching sd, construction, and impact velocities for game intended is a bit of voodoo magic it seems but 308 150's in rapid construction is about as good as you can get for all but the biggest game here, and in the typical 0-400, that blue box 150 psp is the lightning formula at those velocities, most of its work will be done over ~18" and nothing wasted, we didn't move up to the 165/180's by accident for larger game, the sd gain and velocity loss doubles down on increasing penetration as you retain more sd as you slow things down so you'll get those elk/moose penetration depths 20"+ as you move up, but likely won't notice near the lightning drt's as you do with the soft 150's on black bears/deer, still the 308 has velocity ranges that favour rapid construction bullets when going 165/180 but keep with lighter bullet construction formula to increase internal work, putting tough bullets in 308 will certainly up the penetrations but don't generally leave as much work through the good stuff, better tougher stuff moving faster like 30-06 and up
 
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