Author Topic: what is the smallest .308 round (Read 7291 times)

Redneckguy77 · « **on:** February 18, 2010, 02:12:28 PM »

hey you guys i was wondering what is the smallest .308 bullet. i just got a remington 700 sps varmint in .308 and wanted to blast some yotes but i dont want to mess up the fur to bad. i know that it will still make a mess but i really dont have a smaller caliber exept for my .22 but i want them to drop. i can get my friend to load me some rounds on his press but i would rather not. help me please.

yooper77 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:32:21 PM »

You can find 100 to 110 grain 308 caliber bullets, plus possibly lighter bullets used in 30 carbine for reduced loads.

Hornady V-Max Bullets 30 Caliber (308 Diameter) 110 Grain Flat Base Box of 100
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=601277
Speer Bullets 30 Caliber (308 Diameter) 100 Grain Plinker Round Nose Soft Point Box of 100
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=618190

Remington used to sell accelerator ammo, but they can still be found for reloading. I have heard these are not very accurate. 22 caliber bullets loaded into 30 caliber cartridges.

http://www.ammo-one.com/RemingtonAccelators.html
http://www.eabco.com/reload02.html

yooper77

Nobade · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:33:55 PM »

You can get 30 caliber expanding bullets in the 80 grain range for the 30 luger and 7.62 tokarev. If they happened to be reasonably accurate they'd certainly make a mess of a 'yote.

securitysix · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:36:40 PM »

If it's legal in your area, FMJ will do the least amount of damage to the pelt of any of the .30 caliber bullets out there.

If you can handload, you might check out some reduced loads using a lead bullet or one of the lighter (100 - 110 grain) jacketed bullets out there. Reduced loads may limit your range a little bit, and will probably require a sight adjustment from your normal setting. Shot placement would be the most important thing in taking down a coyote anyway.

There are lighter (85-90 grain) .30 Caliber bullets out there, but they're designed with things like the 7.62x25mm Tokarev and other pistol-like cartridges in mind. Again, reduced loads may be your friend with these.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2010, 02:40:11 PM »

go heavier not lighter if you don't want the damage

look into cast

mi carbine slugs

maybe a 32 HP pistol bullet might blow up and never exit

chutesnreloads · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2010, 03:28:09 PM »

Sounds like you're asking for a factory load?Lightest I can think of is maybe a 125 grain and not even sure those are loaded in a factory round.The FMJ approach may do it for you but don't expect them to drop right there.

emsemt911 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2010, 03:40:34 PM »

wathc your twist raye on your rifle. I have a tatical rem 700 .308 win. If I shoot anything kighter than 165 grains, my groupins are 4-5 inchezs at 50 yds. With 180 grinas, i shoot sub moa 5 shot groups with Federal 180 grain Noslar Partitions. that round actually went through a coyote with very little damage, but he dropped right where he was standing.

Redneckguy77 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 19, 2010, 04:14:33 PM »

1:12 twist rate and does any one know if its legal in oregon for full metal jacket

Freezer · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2010, 01:40:40 AM »

I was doing some research for a friend on the 30-30 AI and saw an 87gr bullet. I blew it off but was amazed to see such a lite bulet.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2010, 07:50:52 AM »

Quote from: 45-70.gov on February 18, 2010, 02:40:11 PM

go heavier not lighter if you don't want the damage

The above is the right answer... Lighter bullets expand faster, and give you more damage...

DM

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2010, 08:00:06 AM »

Remington made a sabot load with a 55 gr. 22 cal bullet pushing 4000 fps up until a few years ago . You may still find them . Also go on line and look at sabot rifle loading componets , there was a company that sold sabots for loading .

trotterlg · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2010, 11:36:31 AM »

If you had ever tried the sabot loads in a 30 cal rifle you would know why they don't make them any more. They spray bulets in all directions, hitting a pie plate at 100 yards would be difficult. Try the Hornady short jackets, probably just what you need. Larry

http://www.hornady.com/store/30-Cal-.308-100-gr-Short-Jacket/

tangob5 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2010, 01:18:59 PM »

As far as I know Remington still makes the 55 Grain Accelerator in 30.06. MV is 4050 FPS. Usually they make a production run once a year. Back in the 30.06 is the only thing I needed days (25 + years and many calibers and $'s later ) I used them on coyotes. I still have some somewhere. Most shots where right where I wanted them out to 300 yards but occasionally you would get the where did that one go shot. Has to do with the plastic sabot and it's seperation as it leaves the muzzle. One thing about them just point and shoot at ranges 0 to 200 yards for coyotes.

jdt48653 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2010, 03:15:59 PM »

here is a accelerator with parent cartridge and 11.15x58rmm (43 spanish)

click on photo to enlarge best viewed at 100 %

mechanic · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2010, 04:45:13 PM »

Several years ago we experimented with ultra lite .308 bullets in an '06. Couldn't get much accuracy until we were back up to about 159gr. Did even better with 180. If we had loaded them down a bit? Don't know.

trotterlg · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2010, 07:38:03 PM »

I will tell you from experience that you will never stop a bullet weighing more than about 30gr inside a Coyote. Any bullet out of a 30 Cal CF will just have too much mass to be stopped in 7 inches of Coyote. Please have at it, tell us how it works out, I know what will happen, but you will need to learn from experience. There is a good reason that 17 Remingtons and .204 Rugers were built. Larry

jro45 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2010, 01:22:12 AM »

The smallest Bullet in 30 Caliber is like what was just said. It is a 55gr bullet with a sabit.
If you do not like the Sabit, The 87gr bullet Is the Smallest bullet without a sabit That I know about. I think there is a 75gr bullet. But that is As small as it gets.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2010, 01:28:52 AM »

I did shoot the sabots in a 3006 and if the rifle was clean and in good shape they shoot fine .

Redneckguy77 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2010, 04:46:14 PM »

who are the 87 grain bullets made by

pslshooter · « **Reply #19 on:** March 08, 2010, 03:07:03 AM »

I know it's not a true .308 round but, I have some 46 grn bullets that I pulled from some Czech 7.62 x 54r. I've been pulling them and putting them in brass cases. Not the most accurate little bullet. Severe damage at close range on a cotote. The bullet is a hollow core and damned near turns inside out when it hits.

Sourdough · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2010, 08:44:41 AM »

Forget the accelerators, you will get a 12" group at 100 yards if lucky. Most inaccurate factory rounds I have ever shot.

With 30-06 if shooting foxes or coyotes and wanting to keep the fur, I use Barnes Solids. Animals do not stop right away, but they are easy to follow in the snow. Small hole in small hole out.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2010, 08:57:38 AM »

Quote from: Redneckguy77 on February 18, 2010, 02:12:28 PM

hey you guys i was wondering what is the smallest .308 bullet. i just got a remington 700 sps varmint in .308 and wanted to blast some yotes but i dont want to mess up the fur to bad. i know that it will still make a mess but i really dont have a smaller caliber exept for my .22 but i want them to drop. i can get my friend to load me some rounds on his press but i would rather not. help me please.

Assuming you want loaded ammo. hornady has a 110 gr tap(the lightest) if you can find some.

If was me I'd use the lightest FMJ I could find. Dont need expansion on a pasture poodle. and it wouldn't tear up as much hide.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2010, 12:09:55 PM »

The accelerators i fired out of my 30-06's, shot 2 to 3" groups... I think they shoot fair out of some guns, and poor out of others...

DM

Spanky · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2010, 08:00:16 PM »

Find out which bullet shoots best in your rifle and shoot 'em through the ribs. It probably ain't gonna expand so don't worry about big holes in the pelt.

Spanky

Mikey · « **Reply #24 on:** March 24, 2010, 02:45:41 AM »

The smallest 308 slugs available are the 85-86 gn round nose soft points from Hornady or Sierra for the 7.62x25mm pistol round but your accuracy will suffer with those lightweight slugs. If you are harvesting furbearers and their pelts I would use a 180 gn fmj boat tail spire point for minimal damage; anything lighter in weight or more frangible and you run the risk of losing a bunch of hide. HTH.

Larry Gibson · « **Reply #25 on:** March 24, 2010, 10:24:00 AM »

Quote from: Redneckguy77 on February 19, 2010, 04:14:33 PM

1:12 twist rate and does any one know if its legal in oregon for full metal jacket

Coyote is a varmint in Oregon and FMJs are legal. However, having killed many a coyote in Oregon I never found any FMJ that was effective all the time. Sometimes, with the same hit in the heart/lung area, they dropped (or didn't go far) and other times they went quite a distance before dying. I also lost a few with FMJs. This was with .30 Carbine FMJs from 1900 to 2800 fps, M80 out of 7.62 NATO (2750-2800 fps) and M2 bullets out of '06s (2700 fps). A smattering or M72/M118 bullets fared no better. Using 125 to 190 gr SPs on coyotes from 25 to 400+ yards always resulted in about the same damage up close but at 100+ yards the 150 and 165 gr SPs generally gave less damage. Those longer 400 yard shots seemed to make little difference as to bullet when damage was considered. If I expect to recover the pelt I use a .223 or 22-250. If pelt damage is not a consideration and you really want the coyote "to drop" then the 125-130 gr varmint style bullets at 3,000 or so fps from your .308W will do the trick. I've used M1As when calling coyotes loaded with the Speer 130 gr HP at 2850 fps. It was decidedly deadly on coyotes out to 300 yards. It also is quite deadly to 500 yards out of my M70 Target (12" twist) at 3050 fps. The Nosler 125 BT is also excellent.

Larry Gibson

bubbinator · « **Reply #26 on:** May 13, 2010, 08:24:54 PM »

Google .308 Winchester loads. Hornady makes a 110 gr. TAP load that only went 9.25" in gel/O wieght retention. 3175 FPS/24" BBL. I load a Sierra 110 Hollowpoint in 30.06 for predator control (feral dogs) at about 3200 fps. Don't have any walk away. Broadside shots damage hides(not that I care on a feral dog) but a frontal or Texas Heart shot doesn't exit(don't want to feild dress that bad boy either!)

Dand · « **Reply #27 on:** May 16, 2010, 10:34:46 PM »

Redneck. To find out what is legal in Oregon, don't ask here. Go straight to the source, the Wildlife Dept or whatever Oregon calls it. Check their website, the regulation books and/ or go to an office and ask someone. Best way to be sure you are clear on the regulations.

243shooter · « **Reply #28 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:53:18 AM »

for anybody interested go to wisconsincartridge.com they have loaded "accelarator" type rounds for 308, 55 grn psp in plastic sabot. $20 a box. they also have them for 30-06 and 30-30. they have some harder to find stuff at pretty resonable prices.

Nobade · « **Reply #29 on:** May 17, 2010, 05:04:24 PM »

You fellers might not be into them, but Lyman 3118 115gr. 32-20 bullets paper patched and shot at full throttle work pretty well in my 30-30 and 308. Those will make a mess of a dog sized critter inside of a hundred yards, plus they're essentially free once you have the mold.