hi I just recently bought a 308 win..It will be my deer rifle. Id like to reload for it.I had thought of gamekings but have heard some failures with shoulder shots and close range.Where I hunt is in the woods most shots would be from 25 feet to 75 yds.Ive read the hot cores are a little tougher about not separating.Has anyone used them or have thoughts

I would go with a Bonded bullet. Speer makes a Mag. Tip that is a tougher bullet. Good luck.

maybe the accubond

Although the GKs I've used have "failed" in the sense that they didn't hold onto their jackets on impact (all of them BTSPs), they did not "fail" in the sense that the animals I've hit with them all expired as a result.

I don't believe a "tougher bullet" is going to help. I would suggest that what you'll wind up with at the ranges you expect will be performance more consistent with what you'd expect from a FMJ. What you need is a bullet that will open up and impart some of its energy rather than simply passing through and making a couple of holes. Blood trails are for bowhunters.

Although I reload extensively, I'd be hard pressed here not to stick to the standard, 150 gr Remington or Winchester factory loads for deer at these ranges. Or, I'd load a Hornady or Speer 150 gr to moderate velocity (I believe that many reloaders, in their quest for extreme velocity, are driving some bullets so fast that they don't perform properly).

I agree im still thinking gameking but agree all some are interested in is velocity

I have heard about Game King failures. I take them with a grain of salt.

I reload Game Kings for 30-06 and 270 for deer hunting. I have taken many deer with them. My loads are not hot. The rifles like them. I have never known them to "fail". If they hit the deer right, the deer dies, Shoulder shots have not been a problem. I have had a few rounds pass through both shoulders (very unusual because the deer and I have to be lined up just right). A typical heart lung shot with a Game Kings leave a nice exit wound. The deer may run a little bit but dies fairly quickly.

I have tried different bullets from out of the box commercial to premium bullets. I have yet to see any real difference on deer. Shoot what the rifle likes and practice with what you are going to shoot and you will do fine

You may want to take a look at the new Speer Deep Curl, it's a bonded bullet with a price that won't break the bank and is getting lots of positive reviews from the field. I haven't shot any game with it yet but i have been working on some loads with the 120gr in my 25.06 and accuracy is very good thus far. Can't wait to shoot a deer with one and see how it performs.

I have to agree with RR you dont need a premium bullet shooting a 308 for deer. I use a 30-06 and load 165gr GK boattail hp. I have used this load for over 20 years and I cant recall ever losing a deer with this load. They are extremely accurate and blow one heck of a hole. Most of the time I get a complete pass thru, I can only remember a couple of times there wasnt a pass thru.

I like all of those "bullet failure" stories. I have to ask at what point in the death of the animal did the bullet fail?

Sierra game kings are not designed to hold together at ultra high velocities, which is where many of these "bullet failure" stories come from. They are a simple cup and core jacket type of bullet that, if driven at ultra high velocities, will break apart into several small pieces of "shrapnel" when it impacts the animal.

The sierra game king is perfectly suited to the .308 winchester and the velocities it produces.

I have to agree Bigbulls. I have heard time after time how the Speer BTSP bullets come apart. After 30 years of shooting game with them I've yet to witness it happen. That's when I can recover a bullet. a bullet that is exiting sure isn't coming apart in the degree of complete separation. Anyway my era is coming to an end Speer is going to stop that line of bullets. Which is dumb they have one of the best BC's of standard hunting bullets out there even better than the Accubond of the same weights. Yes I'm a advocate of that bullet lol.

People worrying about bullets coming apart should worry about those plastic tips that drive down into the bullet blowing the top 1/4 of the bullet off on impact. 95% bullet retention they claim is pure BS. You can put a thicker jacket on it but it still has the same effect. That front part of the bullet is gone. Saying that Ridge Runner is right speed is the factor. And the 308 is not pushing extreme velocity's that require a more slower expanding bullet.