Best .308 cal hunting bullet
02-03-2007, 08:18 PM
#11
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Idaho's Elk Country
Posts: 275
RE: Best .308 cal hunting bullet
Hornady SST's are cheap and do a number on deer, or go w/ the Interbond if you want a tougher bullet. For deer though, just pick what shoots good and don't think you need a premium bullet like a Tripleshok or an A-frame.
02-04-2007, 07:04 AM
#12
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 221
RE: Best .308 cal hunting bullet
ORIGINAL: bigcountry
I hear alot of people say use partitions for deer. I mean I use them on Moose and things, but do you guys really use them on deer?
I hear alot of people say use partitions for deer. I mean I use them on Moose and things, but do you guys really use them on deer?
Partitions are the only way to go. They can be purchased for half price here.
http://www.shootersproshop.com/noslerfactory2nds.html
02-05-2007, 06:37 AM
#14
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wall SD USA & Jamestown ND
Posts: 11,474
RE: Best .308 cal hunting bullet
Not many people use it but I really like the 190 grain Hornady BTSP. I started shooting the 190 grain Hornady BTHP Match bullets for steel silhouettes many years ago and started using the BTSP version for hunting so I didn't have to readjust my scope. They were very effective. For deer, almost any good 150-180 grain bullets work well. You never go wrong with the Partition. Its a good insurance policy.
These days we are blessed with many very good bullets. I also like the Sierra 150 grain Pro-Hunter for deer.
These days we are blessed with many very good bullets. I also like the Sierra 150 grain Pro-Hunter for deer.
02-05-2007, 08:36 AM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Texas - BUT NOW in Madison County, NY
Posts: 6,270
RE: Best .308 cal hunting bullet
ORIGINAL: ahankster
Hey guys,
This is probably a pretty broad question, but I appreciate any help.
Let me start off by telling you that I am not a newbie to reloading. I have a Dillon 550 and a Lees single stage press. I reload allot of handgun for competition purposes, some years more than 8 or 9k roundsof.357 depending upon how many shoots I go to. I also reload 30-30, 38-55, a little 45-70, and an occaisional 12 gauge or so. I generally use Hodgden powders with the exception of the W231 I use for my handguns.
I grew up with a .308 and hunted for all my youth with it. Back then, I just used the standard off the rack Remington Corlokts in 150 or 160 grains or so, If I did my part, the bullets never let me down. Been so long I don't really remember the exact grain of the bullet. But, bullet construction has advanced by a huge margin in the past 30 years.
Now, there are silvertips, ballistic tips, bonded, a frame, solid copper, partitions etc and etc. My head spins looking at all the different bullets in the Midway catalog and every one of them are advertised to be the best penetrating and have perfect expansion. I know that most of them are probably great, but am hoping that some of your experiences will help me.
My barrel is a custom .308 barrel for my Encore and I am not necessarilylooking for bench rest accuracy, I need terminal performance as well. This bullet and load will be used for hunting whitetail. I am thinking a 150 to 160 grain bullet would be the ticket. I am used to shooting a fair distance, but my shots would probably be pretty much limited to the 50 to 300 yard range, mostly limited to within 200 yards.
Thanks in advance for all your suggestions and help.
Hank
Hey guys,
This is probably a pretty broad question, but I appreciate any help.
Let me start off by telling you that I am not a newbie to reloading. I have a Dillon 550 and a Lees single stage press. I reload allot of handgun for competition purposes, some years more than 8 or 9k roundsof.357 depending upon how many shoots I go to. I also reload 30-30, 38-55, a little 45-70, and an occaisional 12 gauge or so. I generally use Hodgden powders with the exception of the W231 I use for my handguns.
I grew up with a .308 and hunted for all my youth with it. Back then, I just used the standard off the rack Remington Corlokts in 150 or 160 grains or so, If I did my part, the bullets never let me down. Been so long I don't really remember the exact grain of the bullet. But, bullet construction has advanced by a huge margin in the past 30 years.
Now, there are silvertips, ballistic tips, bonded, a frame, solid copper, partitions etc and etc. My head spins looking at all the different bullets in the Midway catalog and every one of them are advertised to be the best penetrating and have perfect expansion. I know that most of them are probably great, but am hoping that some of your experiences will help me.
My barrel is a custom .308 barrel for my Encore and I am not necessarilylooking for bench rest accuracy, I need terminal performance as well. This bullet and load will be used for hunting whitetail. I am thinking a 150 to 160 grain bullet would be the ticket. I am used to shooting a fair distance, but my shots would probably be pretty much limited to the 50 to 300 yard range, mostly limited to within 200 yards.
Thanks in advance for all your suggestions and help.
Hank
For shooting whitetail deer, there is no earthly need for any weight besides the 150. Those old Corelokts you used to shoot are just as good as they ever were - no premium bullets are needed for the biggest whitetail that ever walked. 165-grainers are good, too!
If you take your .308 for elk or moose, switch to a Nosler Partition 165-grain......
(BTW, the SilverTip[Win.] and Corelokt [Rem.] bullets originated at about the same time-late 1940's. So did the Nosler Partition....)
02-05-2007, 08:47 AM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Texas - BUT NOW in Madison County, NY
Posts: 6,270
RE: Best .308 cal hunting bullet
ORIGINAL: Ridge Runner
sad part about partitions iswhen you drive them hard from a high intensity round, the partition has a tendancy to rupture, when that happens penetration stops cold, this is likely to happen at close range. I prefer accubonds, they hold up better at high velocity impacts.
RR
sad part about partitions iswhen you drive them hard from a high intensity round, the partition has a tendancy to rupture, when that happens penetration stops cold, this is likely to happen at close range. I prefer accubonds, they hold up better at high velocity impacts.
RR
What "high impact velocities" do you believe cause a NPJ to rupture the partition wall? What was the cartridge you witnessed that did this with a Nosler Partition? Did you tell Nosler about this failure? I think they'd be interested in such an occurance!
But I would NOT say the NPJ "has a tendency" for the partition to rupture. I have used them since about 1960, and have only found the remains of THREE of them in a game animal. All had penetrated very deeply, were stopped by several impactswith heavy bone, and all had their partitions intact.The petals were folded back alongside the bullet shank and the front core was gone, which is how they are DESIGNED to work! Every other Nosler Partition bullet I ever shot at a game animal went completely through, at distances of from 30 yards to over 300 yards...... so, based on my experience with them,I consider aruptured partition to bea rather rare occurance.
