Which .308?

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Eastman

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Just a quickie.....what is a good bullet (Type/weight) for .308 targetshooting at 100 yards? (Winchester featherweight) And a good hunting bullet.
Thanks,
Eastman
 
You can'[t go wrong with the 165 HPBT Seirra Game King for both messin' with targets and hunting.
I liked it so muchh I used it in my silhouette rifles!
Drops moose and deer right now, and is VERY accurate.
I also shoot The Alberta Wildcat 150's , and my buddy's two model 88's just love them to the point that he had Richard do up a bunch of bonded core 150FB's for him.

I use the 150 Albertas Wildcats now in my competion rifles out to 500 meters, but they really shine inside of that.
They drop a bit more than a 155 Seria Palma, but accuracy is superbb.
Cat
 
Accurate bullets, for both.
Let me explain.
All the bullets out there, even the bulk factory stuff, are quite capable of good accuracy in a given rifle with any given powder, in any given case, with any given primer(LR of course)

The trick is finding the right combination that will work in your rifle under the given conditions.

Try these powders to start, 4895(Hor IMR), IMR 4064, Varget, RL 15.
Typical bullet weights of choice in the 308 are from 150 to 180gr.
Choose a primer which is easily found year round.
And choose the same headstamp of casings, preferably all from the same lot.
Now load up some rounds following the recommendations in a loading manual, and test fire said loads in your rifle.

There are no do this do that answers as far as rifles and reloads go every rifle is unique un too it's self, so ya gotta dig in and find out what works in your rig.
 
I use the good ole Hornady 150 or 165 Interlock SP's - they consistently shoot well for me, and can be had relatively inexpensively, and are easy to obtain. These factors will encourage your target shooting forays.
 
catnthehatt said:
You can't go wrong with the 165 HPBT Seirra Game King for both messin' with targets and hunting.
Click to expand...


I'm with cat on that one. My Ruger really likes the 165HPBT and every deer shot with them didn't go far (no moose yet). I also use IMR4064, but as mentioned, you need to find the right combination for your rifle.

Good luck and have fun.

James:D
 
As a rule, I think you should target shoot with the bullets you intend to hunt with. You did not say what game you intend to hunt, but the .308 is a capable whitetail/black bear round.

The Nosler Ballistic Tips are often said to often be as accurate as match bullets, and my experience with them tends to support this. These bullets in 165 gr weight would do very well on medium sized game, and will produce small groups if you do your part.

If moose are on the menu, I think you need to use the best bullet you can find for your .308. While I like the TSX, even the lighter ones tend to be quite long. Due to this length, the TSX's might have to be seated deeply, taking up valuable powder capacity, in order to function in your magazine. If this turns out to be the case, a 180 gr round nose might be a better choice for moose. A lead core, round nosed 180 gr bullet does not need a bonded core to produce reliable terminal performance when loaded to .308 velocities. The round nose flat base bullet is the shortest design in any given weight, and the simplest to design for reliable performance at moderate velocities. You will need to shoot these enough to learn the trajectory, but seldom are moose a long range problem, and a 150 yard zero will work well. Remington Corelokt or Hornady Interlocks are both good choices in round nose bullets.
 
cosmic said:
I use the good ole Hornady 150 or 165 Interlock SP's - they consistently shoot well for me, and can be had relatively inexpensively, and are easy to obtain. These factors will encourage your target shooting forays.
Click to expand...

I always liked the 150 grainers also. Shot well enough for 200yd plinking and were cheap enough to shoot a lot of.
 
catnthehatt said:
You can'[t go wrong with the 165 HPBT Seirra Game King .
Click to expand...

Sierra Bullets are what I use exclusively in my rifles. If the shot needs to count.. Sierra is the bullet.
I use 165gr BTHP in my .300WSM... and they are well within 1/2" at 100.
 
I see people here loading the Sierra 165 grain BTHP. What about the 168 grain match bullet from Sierra? It has about the best reputation for accuracy out there. Will it perform on game?
 
Lefty #### said:
Try these powders to start, 4895(Hor IMR), IMR 4064, Varget, RL 15.
Click to expand...

remember that H4895 and IMR 4895 are no where near the same powder;) loading a charge of H4895 in a IMR4895 called for load will and can cause you problems

H4895 builds up pressure way faster then IMR;)


Jamie
 
oh and if you have a short barrel IMR 4895 will get you the speed you want I am getting 2600FPS with a 175gr SMK out of a 20" barrel

for longer barrels Varget and Re15 are very hard to beat

Jamie
 
saskcop said:
I see people here loading the Sierra 165 grain BTHP. What about the 168 grain match bullet from Sierra? It has about the best reputation for accuracy out there. Will it perform on game?
Click to expand...

yes. HP's will expand considerably.
We use 85gr HP in the 6mm, 140gr HP in the .270WSM, 165/168/180 gr in the .300WSM.
GameKing and Match King are very accurate bullets. very effective.
 
As a rule, I think you should target shoot with the bullets you intend to hunt with.
Click to expand...
Excellent advice from Boomer.

Sierra's Matchkings are at the top of the list for over the counter target bullets. The 168 gr. HPBT Matchking seems to be an optimal choice for most
.308 target applications less than 600 yds.
 
For anyone interested, match bullets are miserable on game. The jackets are extremely thin, and the terminal effect is similar to what might be expected from a varmint bullet. Neither are they safe for varminting in areas where ricochets would prove dangerous. I've shot seals with match bullets, but body shots won't anchor them, and they slip down their holes to drown. Shoot game with a bullet suitable for the job.
 
308 bullets

Sierra 168 gr match #2200 and H4895 light load 39 to 40 if you have a 1/12 twist its great, and 150 or 165 gr nosler partitions for any game.
 
saskcop said:
I see people here loading the Sierra 165 grain BTHP. What about the 168 grain match bullet from Sierra? It has about the best reputation for accuracy out there. Will it perform on game?
Click to expand...

The 165 BTHP Seirra I am talking about is the hollow point Game King.
I don't advocate or load match bullets for hunting, unless they are customs with heavy jackets.
I also load the spire point for quite a few fellas who shoot them in the .308.
Thise bullet/cartridge combination with a boatload of varget has dropped many moose in my neck of the woods, and elk as well as deer.

No second shots unless the first was a clean miss.
The rifles they are used in range from the 99 Savages to Parker Hales and Tikkas. Three Savage 110's also.
Cat
 
It depends a lot on what you are going to hunt and the range you will be hunting at.The Amax 155 gr is good for accuracy and is recommended by hornady as a hunting bullet.I know in the 7mm mag it is effective out to a witnessed 700 yds,on deer not heavy game.
 
.308 target load

Thanks for all the replies...very informative!
I have a new box of .308 Sierra HPBT Match 150 gr #2190. Is this a good bullet for the .308 1:12 twist at 100 yards? If so, anyone have any good loading data for it? I am presently using Varget. I realize that I will have to work out the best loads for my particular rifle, but would appreciate any known accurate loads used for this set up by anyone. This is just about Target shooting. I have Norma brass, and CCI large rifle primers.( Heard that you can use magnum primers also?)
Thanks again,
Eastman.
 
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