Need advice on .308 varmint round

[haus]

Looking for a .308 bullet that will expand/explode at subsonic speeds.  This will likely be 150 yard max shot.  Will be shot from a 24inch target barrel.

Thanks for any advice,

haus

[Kurt L]

I have shot 30-30,30-06 not a 308.
I have had ok luck with nosler 125 balistic tips.

I hear the Vmax by Hornady work well i think they are 110 grain.

As far as Vmax the only ones to date I have used are the 58 grain
in my 243 at 3800fps and they explode .
I plan on working up some for 270win ,30-30-,30-06 but have not done it.

[KRP]

No experience with .308s but have had good results with the V-maxes and Sierra HP varmint bullets in other calibers.

[LaOtto222]

I believe the 110 Grain Hornady V-Max were made for this very situation. They should explode even at lower velocities. How they shoot in your gun is another matter.

[Badnews Bob]

We've shot some of the V maxes out of my friends rem they were very accurate at normal speed and blew up like crazy don't know about subsoinc thou.

[haus]

Thanks for the recommendations.

[Chappy]

I use Speer 125 gr. TNT HP bullets in my 308s and they are very "explosive" and accurate at normal speeds.  They are very lightly constructed and may be what you are looking for in your subsonic loads as well.

Regards, Chappy

[cwlongshot]

I agree with the 110 Vmax and the maybe even the 125TNT HP's.

I like the 125 Ballistic tip, but dont think you will get the explosive expansion at subsonic velocitys.

 Thought about the 110gr HP for the carbine, but dont think it would be explosive at that velocity either. I know it is at top vel's.!!   

CW

[billy_56081]

Do they still make the .308 short jacket bullets?

[cwlongshot]

Do they still make the .308 short jacket bullets?

 Yup!!

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=618190

CW

[45-70.gov]

expand/explode.........sub sonic


might try  32  pistol  rounds.....rainer  maybe....i  have  some  but  not  tried them

[stimpylu32]

I loaded some of the Hornady 90g HPs that are made for the 30 Carb in a 30/30 and shot P-dogs with them , those suckers realy did a nice job .

I had them running just under 2000 fps , worked well out to about 150 yards , real SPLAT on impact . 

The only down side was the amount of bullet drop past 150 , even those little bullets would nose dive at those speeds and hold over became an issue  .

stimpy

[Badnews Bob]

The V Maxes are designed to hold up to the rotational forces imposed by the rifling at close to 3000FPS or more, I don't think they will come apart 1000 FPS or so required to be sub sonic. If they would I think they would just go POOF when they cleared the barrell at full speed.  I know some of the .22 hornet bullets will do that if shot in a .223 or .22-250  at full song.

[LaOtto222]

A V Max bullet is designed to have the tip push into the jacket opening it up. I do not know if it is enough at 1000 fps to get explosive blow up however. I had forgotten about the Speer semi jacketed bullets - they should flatten out even at 1000 fps.