The new 308.

James B · 10-27-2003, 09:10 PM

Having found the 308 tactical rifle the other day I will start working on some loads on paper that is. I had to put it on layaway for a while since I got the scope too. I think for long range (300-400 yards0 i will look at the 165 grain Ballistic tip. The Partition might be a possibbility as well. I have used the 308 a lot but only with two bullets. The 190 grain BTHP match and the 190 grain BTSP both from Hornady. Has anyone tried the 150 grain SST from Hornady? Any other suggestions. I don,t think any shots will be beyond 375 yards and I pretty well know the ranges where I hunt.

Vapodog · 10-27-2003, 09:43 PM

if it' s paper punching you' re into, Sierra makes a fine few bullets just for that purpose and they are a truly fine bullet. Also shoot a few Berger bullets in your favority weight.....more superb bullets.

MarkIIVT · 10-28-2003, 12:05 AM

Sierra 150 or 168 MK. Hornady A-Max, 168 or 155 for paper punching

James B · 10-28-2003, 02:20 PM

This rifle will be my long range Mule Deer puncher. I may do a little informal silhouette shooting. I have not used many Sierra bullets but I will give them a try. I have a ground blind built on my land in South Dakota where I hunt deer. I can see about 375 yards in the direction that the deer come up on my hayfield so thats about the limit. In the other direction its about 400 yards. There are quite a few landmarks like small cedar trees and fences where I know the exact range. I quess its not a great challenge but at my age I don,t need a challenge. My thing is being able to put that bullet within an inch of where I want it. Also I enjoy just watching the deer and turkeys and critters do there thing. The big bucks get a free pass I enjoy watching them much more than shooting them. I am a meat hunter. We like to can the meat with a little grave to put on biscuits. The first few years we were married and when the kids were little we lived on that stuff. I also found a new Ruger stainless synthetic stocked 260 at Scheels and thats in my lawaway bin as well. I normally don,t like stainless rifles but this one caught my eye and I am without a 260 right now. I had a Savage but the throat was so short I had to seat the bullets below the caneler ring. Also the trigger was terrible. A friend of mine who borrowed it and took a nice bull elk with it wanted to buy it so its his now. He put a timney trigger in it and had the chamber worked over a little and its a nice rifle now. My old shoulder likes the 260. The new 308 weighs 8.5 lbs without a scope so I don' t think the recoil will be bad at all.

Briman · 10-28-2003, 05:05 PM

168 SMK' s for paper punching, I use Hornady 165 gr btsp interlocks for hunting. One of the best powders for the .308 is IMR 4064 at near maximum loading. Varget is supposed to be even better ,but I haven' t tried it yet.

skeeter 7MM · 10-28-2003, 09:21 PM

James, this will be my second year using the 150gr SST for deer out of my 7 Rem Mag, I have been very pleased with both accuracy and game performance with this bullet. IMO the SST & NBT are very similar &excellent bullets for deer with long range shot opps. However I took my buck last year at 127 yards and it did the job very nicely. I have also been pleased with gamekings and BTSP bullets previously, but have found the BT/SST style provide the best accuracy and benifits I look for in a deer stopper.

Good Luck

KENTUCKY BOY · 10-29-2003, 02:41 AM

I AM A SNIPER IN THE ARMY. I SHOOT A REM MODEL 7 BOLT ACTION 308.CAL.. WE HAVE TARGETS OUT TO 1200 METERS OR MORE. THE 308 IN MY BOOK IS THE BEST LONG RANGE RIFLE OUT

KENTUCKY BOY · 10-31-2003, 11:51 PM

HERE IS ME IN IRAQ, I HAD A M118 .308CAL

KENTUCKY BOY · 11-01-2003, 12:45 AM

HERE IS ME AND MY SPOTTER IN KOREA. SAME MODLE OF .308CAL

Troy R · 11-02-2003, 01:56 PM

What exact model of new rifle did you get and the scope?

I use a .308 for rifle matches to 1000yds. It is a very nice caliber.
The powder of many people/' s choice now days is Varget. If you want the paper punching or shooting the Iron Maidens then load up the 175 Sierra Match King, 168SMK is going out of style because of the better BC of the 175. The 168 SMK likes to keyhole at 1000yds due to it being transonic past 700yds.

Hunting bullets, well I have waisted a bunch of money on hunting bullets, and the Nosler BT' s suck in my rifle. The SST by Hornady is fair. But this past weekend I loaded up some Sierra GameKings 165gr HPBT, and these babies were very impressive at 300yds. The first load that I loaded up for them grouped about the size of a half a dollar coin " slightly smaller" I was very impressed. I had bought these just for target practice alot cheaper than the MatchKings.

If your interested I can tell you my laod recipes.

Also this was shooting off a Harris Bi-Pod in the Prone position.

Troy