Author Topic: 308 Win (Read 968 times)

mrfishnhunt · « **on:** June 20, 2006, 12:05:34 PM »

Anyone ever load a 125-130 sp in a 308 cartridge? I am thinking of tring it for the small deer here (80-130 lbs.). The 150 kill great but I would like a little less meat loss.My rifle has liked H-Varget for every other bullet, sio maybe these also. My main consern is that my barrel has a 1 in 10" twist, I don't know if they will shoot very well. Thankd for the info.

TNrifleman · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2006, 01:19:39 PM »

Using the lighter bullets that you mention would likely increase the meat loss that you see with the 150s. Consider using heavier bullets in the 165 to 180 grain range in your 308. These bullets will be less fragile, a bit slower from the 308 case, and should upset (mushroom) less that the lighter bullets. Another thing to consider is shot placement. A shot behind the shoulder through the lungs will kill quickly and cause minimal damage to eatible meat. This ideal shot placement is not always possible in the real world.

Dippingvat · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2006, 03:11:59 PM »

TR is correct on the meat loss. You need a larger bullet to get less meat damage. A smaller bullet will break apart usually or richocet around and cause lots of meat damage. Shoot at least a 165 Accubond or Partition and will get a quick kill with hardly much damage and you won't recover your bullet. :grin: :grin: :grin:

Chuck White · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2006, 03:12:21 AM »

The comments made so far are correct!
The 130's will cause more damage than the 150's or 165's!

Last year I loaded up some 130's for my wife (I figured they'd have less recoil) to use in her Rem M-7 in 308 and she shot a doe at around 100 yards! The hit was just behind the shoulder, in the middle of the ribs! The deer dropped immediately and when we got to her and rolled her over, she had a double-fist sized exit hole on the other side! One can just imagine what damage would have been done on a bad hit!

She'll probably shoot these up on targets or whatever this summer and will be using some 150's this fall!

The 130's do shoot very well in her rifle, but when these are gone, that will be it!

james · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2006, 03:19:38 AM »

I tried 125 gr. in my Rem 788 -.308 and the groups doubled in size over the 150 gr bullets. I use 150s or 165s for everything ... including varmints. One of my most accurate reloads is the Sierra 165 Gameking, which has worked very well in windy conditions on antelope. I've shot a lot of deer with the 150 gr Rem coreloks and I doubt if bullets costing twice as much would have killed them any deader. I shot my last mule deer and antelope with factory 150 Winchester Supreme Silvertips. The deer dropped in his tracks with a shoulder shot and the antelope took about two steps after being hit in the lungs. Good huntin to you.
james

sgtt · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2006, 08:39:39 PM »

They WILL work.

longwinters · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2006, 03:53:44 PM »

If I was going to try a 125-130 gn bullet I would go with the TSX. I think they are way too expensive (priced them at 37.88 earlier this week) but if I really wanted to shoot that light of a bullet for deer out of a 308 it would be my choice. But I always shoot 150-165 gn bullets so it has not been a problem to me. :lol:

Long

jd45 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 25, 2006, 02:58:53 AM »

For a 1 in 10 barrel you wanna go heavier, not lighter. I'd try Hornady's 180gr round nose soft point, with minimum charges of Varget. I'm gonna try them in my 1 in 12 barrel.....they should be the high end limit for this twist, though the 150's, & 165's shoot great. JD45

Brithunter · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2006, 07:33:37 AM »

Hmm whilst I agree in theory that heavier is less frangible the fact is not alway the case :roll: my first Roe Doe I shot with my Brno Mod 601 .308 and as the Roe is a light animal and I didn't want to lose a lot of meat I brought and developed a load ( a mid range load as Roe are not tough nor armour plated :wink: ) using Rel 15 powder WLR primers and Sierra 180 Grn Pro Hunter bullets. The shot came at about 90 yards and the Doe rolled over and expired. Great that is until we got up to he where we found a great chunk of her insides hanging out of a great hole in her side. That so stable 180 grain Sierra had blown up on her ribs taking out 3 of them on exit right around the diaphram.

We found parts of the jacket and core inside her :shock: and this Doe weighted all of 35lbs. I switched to Speer and hornady bullets right after that and only ever use Sierra if ............................... if I can get nothing else

I settled on using the Speer 165 grain Flat based bullet for most of my .308 use.

However in the 30-30 which is a bolt action I use either 125 or 130 grain spitzers loaded to around 2800fps and find they work very well indeed. :grin:

jd45 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2006, 10:14:11 AM »

Brithunter, can you verify the weight of that doe you shot.........if I read your post correctly, you said 35 lbs, that right? If so, that would be a fawn here in the states, which, if I'm not mistaken, are not legally shootable. Do you have midget deer where you are? Please clarify, JD45

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2006, 11:20:33 AM »

The Roe Deer is a relatively small deer, with a body length of 95-135 cm, a shoulder height of 65-75 cm, and a weight of 15-30 kg.

jd45 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2006, 02:24:30 PM »

38" to 54" long; 26" to 30" high; & 33 to 66 lbs, that IS a small deer, Butler!, JD45

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2006, 02:13:50 AM »

Sorry, that was a "Copy-Paste" from an on line web encylopedia, I was short on time but wanted you to have the information. Thanks for converting to real measurements for me.

jd45 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 26, 2006, 02:06:05 PM »

My pleasure, Sir!..............as small as they are, they must be mighty tender & tasty! JD45

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2006, 05:58:34 PM »

rob162 -

I'm ging to agree with others here and suggest a heavier bullet at slower speeds will do less meat damage.

Find one that is accurate, them place it behind the font legs, problem solved.

Selmer · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2006, 02:58:51 AM »

Or you can use the 125 gr. Nosler Ballistic tip at low velocities, think .30-30ish. Low recoil, low meat damage, it's what my father started us on for a lighter recoiling rifle that still packed a wallop when we wanted to load it up.
selmer
PS If you want the load, let me know.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #16 on:** June 27, 2006, 09:12:19 AM »

I've used the 308 a great deal and favor the 165gr bullets, either Hornady or Speer.

Quote

This ideal shot placement is not always possible in the real world.

Ideal shot placement IS always possible in the real world. What's not always possible is convincing someone NOT to shoot! Where the 130gr bullet may be a problem might be on a shot going thru a shoulder. Someone mentioned a 180gr Sierra blowing up on a deer rib. For a 30 cal rifle cartridge for deer, I would think it wouldn't even be concidered. Why shoot a 30 130gr bullet when you could shoot a better 130gr 27 cal bullet?

Then too, if someone is determined to use lightly constructed bullets, they will work. Then shot placement becomes critical!

Travis Shuck · « **Reply #17 on:** June 27, 2006, 01:11:45 PM »

Quote from: jd45

Brithunter, can you verify the weight of that doe you shot.........if I read your post correctly, you said 35 lbs, that right? If so, that would be a fawn here in the states, which, if I'm not mistaken, are not legally shootable. Do you have midget deer where you are? Please clarify, JD45

Not to start any arguements, but where I am from in Wyoming the regulations will usually state either antlered deer only , or any deer. And when it says any deer it means any deer. :grin: [/u]

The Sodbuster · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2006, 04:10:12 PM »

jd45 commented:

Quote

if I read your post correctly, you said 35 lbs, that right? If so, that would be a fawn here in the states, which, if I'm not mistaken, are not legally shootable.

I'm with Travis Shuck on this one. Don't know about the reg's where your're from, but I've used my Missouri any-deer tag on fawns more than once. Very tender.

Selmer · « **Reply #19 on:** July 18, 2006, 06:48:12 AM »

Settle down guys, he said a ROE deer, which is a small deer in EUROPE and ASIA. This is not a whitetail nor a fawn.
selmer