I am taking my 308Win as back up to my 376 Steyr. I will only be hunting plains game. Time is to short to start trying to reload. I am considering taking one of the following. Black Hills 168gr Barnes xlc's or there 180gr Accubonds;Remington 165gr Sciroccos or there 180gr CoreLokt Ultra; Federal also has a 180grAccubond and a Nosler Partition in reg and HE and some new Fusion{reported to be very accurate but I think they are for deer} in 165 and 180gr. Used 165 HE TBBC last trip and would like more peneration. Did not penetrate completely through a Zebra at 100 yards but to be fair on a quartering shoulder shot on a big Kudu one made it to the stomach after going through the lungs heart and liver. If all of the above shoot well in my gun which would you take? Any other suggestions? I plan to use my 376 on larger stuff; but I am a target of opportunity type of guy. Anyone wish to report on using any of the above bullets in some other 30 caliber round?

I have done a lot of hunting over the years with the 308. I would take the Federal load with the 180 gr Partitions. Either the standard load or the HE, which ever shot best in your 308.
Where did you hit the Zebra and how far did it go. Reason I ask is when my wife goes to Africa with me she will use a 308 for plains game.

My Dad just used the .308 Win Federal High Energy 180 partitions on a hunt in Namibia. He shot 2 gemsbok, 2 springbok, a kudu and a warthog. None of the animals made it more than 30 yds. I found 1 bullet in a gemsbok that was shot square through the shoulder at 200 yds, it was in the opposite shoulder and looked just like a partition should. For the .308 I think this is a great load.

aa,

Here's another vote for the 180 NP. Don't worry about full penetration on a zebra. I have shot zebra with a 375 and not had an exit.

Mark

Nosler Paritions will do the trick. Don't shoot the accubond. I just shot it on a dall sheep. I found what was left of the bullet.


Accubond is nothing more that a semi-improved ballistic tip.

Another vote for the 180-grain Nosler Partition. It's accurate in my Steyr Scout and runs 2600 fps out of its 19" barrel with MOA accuracy. It'll do for everything up to kudu.

Add another vote for Federal with NP (I'd take Bear Claw if they made them).

Dave

I am not sure where your hunting and what "big stuff" is in your opinnion...

If you are hunting an area where Lion, buff and elephant live, then leave the .308 at home so you won't have it in your paws if an elephant decides you have invaded his domain...

If, on the other hand, your hunting in RSA and "big stuff" is Eland, then the .308 is probably all you need with a good premium bullet, and leave the .375 at home..unless or course you just want to shoot an Eland or whatever with the .375, then that's fine..Its all fun and games....

Army,

I have taken my Steyr Scout in .308 Win on four African hunts, and shot a variety of ammunition. The Winchester 180 grain FailSafe is the champ on penetration. I have also shot (in factory ammunition) Norma 180 gr Oryx, Speer 180 gr Nitrex with the Grand Slam bullet, and the 180 gr Nosler Partition.

I also took my .376 Steyr on one hunt, and shot the 270 grain Hornady factory ammo: it runs on the soft side -- put any bullets behind the shouder.

good hunting...

jim

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I am not sure where your hunting and what "big stuff" is in your opinnion...

If you are hunting an area where Lion, buff and elephant live, then leave the .308 at home so you won't have it in your paws if an elephant decides you have invaded his domain...

If, on the other hand, your hunting in RSA and "big stuff" is Eland, then the .308 is probably all you need with a good premium bullet, and leave the .375 at home..unless or course you just want to shoot an Eland or whatever with the .375, then that's fine..Its all fun and games....

Thanks for the response. I will be hunting in the Limpopo area of South Africa so I do not think I will see any Lions. I want to use my Montana Arms 376 Steyr some as it is my latest toy. I hope to go back again for Cape Buffalo and this is the weapon I plan to use. Sort of a trial run. I went to this area two years ago and shot 10 animals in 7 days of hunting with the same 308 Win. Several animals required more than one shot { poor shooting and incorrect aiming point. Too high and too far back}. A blue wildebeast was not recovered. Most were shot with the 165gr TBBC HE from Federal and a few were shot with A Black Hills load of 168gr Barnes xlcs. I do not plan to shoot an Eland but rather some of the smaller animals like a Springbuck, warthog and Bushbuck and maybe a porcupine. I like to reload my hunting loads but this is a short notice trip that I received after 3 different winners could not make the trip and I don't think I have time to load my own for either rifle. C.B.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I have done a lot of hunting over the years with the 308. I would take the Federal load with the 180 gr Partitions. Either the standard load or the HE, which ever shot best in your 308.
Where did you hit the Zebra and how far did it go. Reason I ask is when my wife goes to Africa with me she will use a 308 for plains game.

I don't think you need to worry about the 308Win with quality bullets for plains game if your wife does her part. My first shot on my Zebra was about 8 to 12 inches to far back on a broad side shot{ It moved just as I pulled the trigger}. I had a jam to clear before I got off a second shot which hit the right rear leg from about 125 yards. Lesson learned. While I thought I had a clean weapon when I arrived for my Safari I had forgot about the detachable magazine and I had allow solvent to enter the magazine without cleaning it. Arrive on your Safari with a clean dry weapon.

I vote for the Fed. HE Nos. Part. Took 10 heads from baboon to kudu on my trip last year with that .308 load.

'course, after one afternoon traipsing around with the .308 when nobody else brought a rifle, I upped my backup gun to the .376. Elephant look larger in the wild than they do in the zoo, but they look even larger yet when nobody has a heavy rifle. Never again. . . .

quote:

Originally posted by formerflyer:
'course, after one afternoon traipsing around with the .308 when nobody else brought a rifle, I upped my backup gun to the .376. Elephant look larger in the wild than they do in the zoo, but they look even larger yet when nobody has a heavy rifle. Never again. . . .

My sentiments exactly. My "light" rifle in Africa has always been a medium bore: to date they've been .350RM/225-grain NP, .376 Steyr/300-grain Woodleigh, and 9.3x62/286-grain NP.