I say "pistol," because my .308 handi has a 16.5" barrel. Hodgdon's velocity figures are for 15-inch "pistols," or 24-inch rifles. Thus, it makes much more sense for me to look at pistol velocities than rifle velocities (plus it gives me truly conservative numbers for estimations).
My girlfriend recently got an invite for us to go hog hunting sometime (yeah, she's that cool
). That, couple with my waning interest in longer-range precision shooting, has led me to set up my .308 for closer-range affairs. I removed the bipod, went to a red-dot scope I had lying around (ideally I'd probably like a 2x scope, but that can come later) and switched to a "tactical" two-point sling setup that stays around me the whole time, whether just carrying or actual shooting, largely for quick access and retention in case a hog decides to get mean.
So, I am looking at maybe 200yds max anymore, and such a hit would really only need to be on like a 12" target. Would it be worth it going up to like 180gr bullets at around 2100fps for general use (would still use 147s for practice as the zero wouldn't change much inside these ranges), or would a more standard 150-168gr bullet still be better (at around 2500 and 2300fps, respectively)? I suppose I am largely thinking of hogs. But, are these velocities enough to open up the heavier bullets?
And then on smaller animals like deer, would the heavier bullets give more "thump" at these velocities, or would too much energy be wasted beyond the deer while a wider-expanding ~150gr bullet would do better?
*edit*
I guess to sum it up, do I need to go up in bullet weight for these uses, or would a decent ~150gr bullet be plenty?
