RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

what do is start with factory ammo of varrious manufacturers and weights to see what weight my rifel likes then start reloading ammo from there. If it' s 165 ( as in my case in .30-06) then I buy varrious 165 gr bullets and work up loads from there I' ve found that even bullets that look the same fly different . 165 bbtsp sierra seem to work better than 165 btsp from speer for me you might find the opposite is true.

RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

A bullet is much more severly stressed (and damaged) when it hits the dirt behind your target than it is when hitting ANY animal, even an elephant!!

RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

Thanks everyone, I' m getting ready to start reloading my own rounds and just thinking about all the possibilities there are out there. Just adds to the fun doesn' t it. I' ll probably start out with the lowest recommendation for powder amounts, especially with a round like the Ballistic Tip since I will probably be shooting deer at 200 or less yards, more likely 100 yds. I' ll work up from there till I find a good accurate load. I like the 165' s alot too, and will probably go back to them if I can' t find the accuracy I want from the 180' s. Anyone else like 180' s handloaded or factory in their .308?

RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

I would use a 165 gr bullet with 41-43.5 gr IMR 4064.
I' m not sure what you intend to gain by using a 180 gr. ballistic tip, in essence you are shooting a more massive bullet at slower speeds with a high rate of expansion. You would be better off using a non premium bullet such as a Hornady interlock at 150 or 165 gr at a higher velocity.

RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

Howdy Briman, what you just described is exactly what I was trying to achieve. Alot of trauma as it goes through the animal AND an exit wound, just in case the deer happens to have enough gumption after all that shock to wander off alittle ways. I' ve heard alot of folks saying that the lighter bullets have a tendency to blow up on deer especially at closer ranges, and what I' ve personally experienced with lighter rounds in loose sandy soil is the same. So that is why I pondered using a heavier round in the ballistic tips especially since it will more than likely be close range shooting and I like how accurate they shoot in my rifle. Hope that answers your question. So what do you think, would that work? Thanks for your input.:)

RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

I think you have a good idea then. I myself don' t care for ballistic tip bullets- some people love them but I don' t think they have consistant terminal performance. A lighter Nosler partition or hornady interlock will more likely give a great deal of trauma and an exit wound every time. If you are only going to shoot at short range, you might even consider a round/flat nosed bullet for added trauma at short range.;) I' ve found round nosed bullets to very accurate out to at least 200 yards in several of my rifles.

RE: 180 gr. in .308 for hunting whitetail?
 

Actually I have found that the ballistic tip provides the quickest kills and my bullets usually exit.