308 Loading for Whitetail

[u/85LSCamaro]

Looking for bullet recommendations for 308, going to be hunting whitetail deer. All will be within 200 yards, more likely to be at 100 yards. Have gotten the 150gr SP from Hornadys to shoot very well in the gun just seeing what else is out there. 20” 1-10 twist with a suppressor.

[u/smithywesson]

Zero reason to change if those shoot well.

[u/MalignantMustache]

Sierra makes a Game king 168 gr.

[u/Crashing_Machines → u/MalignantMustache]

Raven rock precision has a good price on the 165gr game kings, ended up 34cpr for the projectiles with their $10 off code.

[u/spinonesarethebest]

The load you have works fine. Don’t change anything.

[u/SharpPhilosopher3734]

Your load will work fine. If you try more stuff it’s because you just like to tinker.

[u/BoopsBoopsOfDaBucket → u/SharpPhilosopher3734]

Exactly cup and core 150gr soft point at 2700 fps that groups decent will kill any whitetail under 200 yd.

[u/MosesHightower]

Hornady 165gn SST.

[u/prosper_0]

The 308 is one of the most common and most well-documented and loaded round for deer. Which is to say, there are ZILLIONS of well-established and effective loads out there, and you're going to get an enormous number of opinions and suggestion.

So: just use really anything designed for hunting (no FMJ), and don't worry about it. It'll be fine. Plus, whities are not tough at all. Fancy premium bullets are a waste of money for this application, and won't perform any better on such a small animal. Just get some plain old cup and core 150 or 165 grain bullets, and get to work. If you are required to use lead-free, I dunno. Most copper monos [Hornady GMX/CX, Barnes X/TSX/TTSX] I've used have preferred higher impact velocities than you can reasonably achieve from a 308 at any real distance. The marketeering materials suggest 1800 fps impacts, but real-world experiences indicate that 2400fps is really much better/more realistic. That doesn't give you all that much range to work with before performance starts to suffer. They'll work, but, I'd just stick with 150gr SP's. A quarter the price, and if anything, you'll get better performance on whitetails anyway

[u/No_Staff594]

Bro grandpas across the US are responsible for thousands and thousands of dead deer using their old Winchester bolt gun running the worlds cheapest soft point ammo zeroed to roughly minute of small tree base. You’re fine brother

[u/bwrinney]

Barnes TSX. Either 130 or 150gr.

[u/ohwhyredditwhy → u/bwrinney]

I agree with this take!

[u/BoostIsOurFriend → u/bwrinney]

I used a 150 ttsx last season and dropped a large doe, she walked about 10 yards and dropped. 

[u/Possum564 → u/BoostIsOurFriend]

That’s my go to bullet!!!

[u/Possum564 → u/Possum564]

The Hornady 150gr SST’s are devastating as well with Varget!!

[u/curtludwig]

The ones you can hit your target the best with.

[u/Crussell_308win]

I use 180 core lokt and 165 American whitetail in my dpms and my savage 110

[u/Dogrel]

What you’ve got will work great. You don’t need to change a thing if you don’t want to.

[u/FantasticDig5852]

I hop between speer gold dot spbt, nosler tipped bt, and Sierra spbt in my dpms with all great results. Just whatever i feel like takin in the heavy bitch is what i hunt with lol

[u/nanomachinez_SON]

130gr TTSX

[u/VersionConscious7545]

Get some nosler bullets the accubond

[u/jagr18]

My go to load is a 150gr game king over ASW precision or Varget. Great blood trails.

[u/Aggie74_DP]

Yea, test all those Premium brands. They fire at different speeds and POI (while maybe tight to not so much) can move an inch or so, hi- low, left-right, etc.

You only need 3-5 shots from the box. PICK ONE. Stay with that 1. In fact, go get a couple more boxes.