308- 150 vs 180 grains

[montveil]

I will be hunting whitetails at 100 to 300 yards maximum

What bullet weight should I  consider ? 150 vs 180 I would like to stick with one weight



Thanks

[Dixie Dude]

Where will you be hunting?  Smaller deer - 150, larger - 180.  At closer range 180 might punch through without expanding.  At longer range 150 might not penetrate enough and expand too quickly.  Maybe 165's might be better.  Also depends on brand, type bullet, etc. 

[Cheesehead]

All I use for my 308 is 150 grain for whitetail. A heavier bullet is not needed for deer. The 150 has less recoil, flatter trajectory less expense when buying in bulk, less weight to carry and many bullet type options. I have recently purchased a 1000 pack of Bronze points, Corelokt and fmj's, all 150 grain and they all work well for me.

Cheese

[Coyote Hunter]

I  split the difference and went with 165's for the .308.  Also use them in the .30-06.

[Brithunter]

Hmmm I second the 165 Grn bullets.

[RaySendero]

I use 165s in both my 308 and 7.5x55 Swiss.  All deer killed with both rifle have been one shot kills.  All those 165s made two holes, So I have never recovered a bullet!

[dw06]

Like most have said,I like the 165gr bullet best and they have done great in my 308 & 30-06 Now I have used the 150gr nosler partition in both with no complaints,in fact they are my 308s favorite bullet,although not needed in it they sure shoot fine and do well on deer.

[burntmuch]

The 165s would be a good place to start. I would try all 3 & use what your gun likes
                                                                                                                    Jay

[nomosendero]

The nice thing is that alot of bullet weights work with the 308 if, as stated before it is the right type of bullet. I prefer different weight bullets in 30 cal, depending on case capacity & twist. In 300WM, I like 180-200gr, may load up some 168gr for my Son & an upcoming Antelope hunt, but that is an exception to the rule. 30-06, I usually use 165-180 gr & in my Contender 30-30AI, 150's.

I recently traded for a M700VS in 308 & I am looking at using 168-175MK & 168/178A-Max for Targets & 165 BT/Acc. & 168BST for hunting. Like most here, I believe these are the best weights for a balance of vel./energy/accuracy/wind bucking with the modest,
but potent 308 case.

[james]

I use Sierra 165s for deer & antelope.  Super accurate in my old 788 Rem.  Federal premium, off the shelf or my reloads with Varget get small groups.

[Handwerk]

I use 165 grain accubonds in my .308, best of both worlds

[Mac11700]

Which ever one shoots best out of the rifle your using..

Mac

[the jigger]

if you are hunting eastern whitetails and are limiting distance to 300yds 150's will do just fine if your rifle likes them. my suggestion is to try 150's, 165's & 180's and shoot what your rifle likes best.

[303Guy]

The 165gr BTSPS gives the best ballistic performance for both 30-06 and 308 with flattest trajectory and long range velocity retention.  Only useful if the rifle shoots them straight.  (Personally, I like a heavier bullet at lower velocities).

[saltydog]

Well in the first place a 308 is a large caliber to be hunting whitetails with unless you are hunting in Canada or Montana but if you are going to use it then forget the 165 and 180 grain bullet bs. A 150 grain bullet is plenty for whitetails or mule deer - an inexpensive ($13 ish) box of 150 grain Federal, Remington or Winchester softpoints will do just fine. If you reload you can use a 125 grain Remington PSP-CL and do a good job. You want a bullet to expand not punch through the deer - heck most deer shot with a rifle are killed with 30 -30 level ammo at under 150 yards so a 308 is plenty.   

[WyoStillhunter]

I agree with saltydog.  A regular 150 gr. bullet, factory ammo or reloads, is THE bullet for deer in non-magnum 30 cal. guns.

[old06]

In our 308 I use mostly 165 bc the shoot better but the nod would go to the 150 over 180 in the case you stated I would have to practice with either one to get that 300 yd shot down pat that 180 will be plowing dirt out at 300 yds

[benchracer]

The 30-06/180 is pretty much the North American standard for ELK.  Can't see why one would want to go that heavy for a 308 on eastern whitetail.  For the close-in woods ranges and out to 300 yards, any old 150 should do just fine.  Unless you handload and just like to tinker, finding a good factory 150 gr 308 load that your rifle likes is just too easy to justify bothering with anything else.  For western states where one could encounter pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail deer, and elk in the same general area, I would say go with a streamlined 165 and be done with it.

[nomosendero]

All 3 of the main weights mentioned will work & NO bullet is THE bullet. I have already gave my choice & why, but their are other factors not being discussed.
The Rem. 308 that I just bought has a 1-12 twist. Usually a 165-168 does very well with that twist. Trajectory is not an issue because you said you will limit your range to 300 yards. Under these conditions the accuracy of the bullet & the terminal performancew is more important that the weight.

[NYHunter]

The 150 grn. is plenty for deer. I would try all 3 ( 150, 165, & 180 ) and pick the one that shoots the tightest groups. If you can afford it try different brands of ammo as well.

[SuperstitionCoues]

Question:   How badly do you want to be thumped at the opposite end of the rifle?

Go with the 150's.   180s and 165's will work, but IMHO 180's may do more meat damage than you want, and 165's might be overkill.  Whitetails and mulies aren't armor plated.  I would also go with a traditional bullet like a Hornady Interlock or a Sierra Gameking.

I say....   150's and shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.  Oh, did I mention how important shot placement is? 

Good luck, and let us know your success. 

[Cheesehead]

Super

You are so right about this!

Cheese

[Davemuzz]

I load 'n shoot the 150's and the 165's. Which ever the gun likes the most (which ever is the most accurate) is the one that I go with. If the groups are similar, then I will choose the 150 grain bullets for Whitetail hunting. 150 grain are plenty of bullet to get the job done on Whitetail. Just put 'em in the proper spot, let the air out, and they will fall over.

Dave.
 

[Lawful Larry]

The main point is not what you like, but what the gun likes.  Let it tell you what  it wants.  Try all three with different loads and go from there.  Tat is the fun part. 

That is if you reload.  Good shooting pard.       

[T.R.]

I prefer to hunt with 180 grain round nosed ammo by Remington when shots are less than 225 yards or so.  This older design hits hard because mushroom forms on impact yet has the weight to break bones and keep going.

Beyond 225 yards or so, the best choice is a pointed soft tip.  Sierra 165 grain Pro Hunter or Hornady's Interlock are good bullets to consider.
TR