DaTurk

I've been target shooting since as long as I can remember but I've finally decided to get into hunting.

I own a Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle in .308 Win, and that will be the rifle I'll be using, and I'm sure you guys already figured out that I'm planning on hunting deer.

My problem is I've only ever bought ammo for shooting targets, so it was all about cheap, and ... well .... cheap; typically FMJ. But if I'm going to hunt a deer I want to bring down the animal with one well placed shot with the least amount of pain and I know the type of bullet I use will have a lot to do with that. So later this month I'm going to start sighting in my rifle with whatever load I'm going to use for hunting, and the load I bought to start out with is S&B 150gr .308 Win SPCE. From what I can gather SPCE stands for Soft Point with Cut through Edge. I've had good experience with S&B in general and thought it sounded like it would do the job, and it was on sale for 15.99 a box; and I had a 20 dollar coupon from Cabelas, so at the very least I can save the brass and finally add .308 to the list of calibers I already reload for.

So I'm interested in hearing about this bullet, is it good for taking down deer? What are the benefits of having a "Cut through Edge"?

Thanks for your time.

UncleNorby

Never used that bullet. It looks like the jacket will allow the front portion of the bullet to mushroom while preserving some of the shank for gauranteed penetration. S&B says they are appropriate for cloven footed animals, but does not really go into size of the animal. S&B has a normal soft point load that you could also use.

I can say that the "ordinary" 150 and 165 gr loads from Remington, Federal and Winchester will work just fine on deer though. You don't need a "premium" bullet for deer.

DaTurk

What do you mean by "ordinary"? I was just looking for the cheapest soft points I could get, these fit the bill at 15.99 a box. These soft points just have the whole addition of the "cut through edge" or the CE after the SP. I just want to make sure the CE isn't going to impact the performance of the round on deer size game.

DaTurk

I've found this

http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/most-re...-shortcuts.php

Half way down they have the bullet I'm talking about the SPCE.

Maybe this will help.

Topgun 3006

If that bullet groups well in your rifle, it will be fine for deer. What he meant is that you don't need an expensive bonded bullet that is designed for deep penetration/expansion like you would need for elk. Just the cheaper spire point for longer shots or a more round nose for short shots in heavier cover is all you will need as long as they group good in your particular rifle.

DaTurk

Do you understand what the link is talking about, "it will deform less in lighter game, and more in heavier game"?

Where would a deer fall on that scale?

UncleNorby

Deer would be toward the lighter side.

Mojotex

"Bullets" for the 308 Win. cartridge that are deer slayers abound. Just stay away from the rapidly expanding "varmint" bullets and keep the weight of the bullet in the 150 to 165 gr. range and you'll be good to go. I am old school and I don't fix what ain't broke. For me the 165 Sierra Game King, Hornady SST, and Nosler Partiton bullets are the right medicine for white tail deer. Most rifles in the 308 Win. cartridge excel with the 165 gr. bullet weights pushed at around 2750 fps. I have used these bullets on mule deer and feral hogs as well. These are not the cheapest bullets out there. My experience with super "cheap" bullets has been poor, so I stay away from them like the plague. As already mentioned, it is not necessary to use the penetration designed bullets, such as Trophy Bonded, that are built specifically for tougher game such as elk.

SecondChance

+1 on what most have said here. DO NOT use any of the military grade ammo with the hollow point thinking that is will suffice for this game. THEY DO NOT OPEN UP!!!!!! They are like full metal jacket. Stay with the SST's, Soft points, Ballistic Tips and you will be fine.
Just find something that groups well in your rifle and stay with it till you get more money and can upgrade if you feel you need more.

Valentine

Because of a lack of life experience, newbies are unaware that hunters actually harvested deer with one shot, fifty years ago.
And many of the now modern bullets weren't even available then.

Of course, newbies are keenly aware of the protective armor that deer have started wearing in the last ten years, protecting them from bullets. The older hunters seem to relay on their ancient memory of shooting a deer twenty years ago, and tend to rely on older, less expensive bullets.