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I just bought my first rifle in .308 Win. I prefer Barnes ammo. What do you experienced .308 shooters like in this caliber? I am thinking 150gr or 165 gr. Thoughts are appreciated. | ||
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I only shoot handloads in all of my guns. I currently have two .308 rifles. They both like 150 and 155 grain bullets. Many years ago I loaded 150 gr bullets for deer and 165 gr bullets for elk. Shot in the right place, either will easily kill a deer or elk. Use the one that your rifle likes the best. NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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I like the 150 gr. Nosler for deer and it will do on elk, but the 180 gr. nosler can reach 2650 plus fps and that fully equals the 30-06 at 2700 FPS, and not running up pressures..I would contest anyone who thinks the elk know the difference between an 06 and a 308.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I shoot the 165 grain Barnes. I like the 165 because it is the most efficient weight for .308. I load the 165 Barnes XLC ( discontinued but I bought a bunch on closeout 15 years or so ago.) and 45.5 Grains of Varget. I get 2820 out of my 26 inch barreled Remington Sendaro fluted bull barrel and it shoots .75 inches at 100 yards. | |||
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I have 3 or 4 308's. The various critters I shot with them all died shortly. I shoot 165gr Rem cor-locks 2600 depending on the rifle. | |||
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for deer size game.. 150 sierra spbt with RL-15 | |||
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Barnes 130 grain TSX/TTSX. You will likely never stop one in a deer and the tend to like 308s. If you load, max out Varget with the Barnes 130s and life will be good. | |||
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You would have to kill a lot of deer to answer such a qustion!  Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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The Lapua box of 50 loaded with the Scenar bullet is a very good choice, haven’t tried it on game but on the range it’s very accurate and very affordable. | |||
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This https://www.barnesbullets.com/..._bullet-type=ttsx-bt I handload the bullet that is in this ammo. It has accounted for two moose, a few cow elk, a few deer and many wild pigs from 308s. It is my go to hunting bullet in two different 308s as well as my 30-06, and my 300 WSM. Mike  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Can't go wrong with either. Except for internet deer and elk none will notice the difference--as long as bullet in right spot---fun is over. ut just me I prefer the 150's. | |||
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I like the Barnes TSX 165 grain, never failed me. For practice I load Sierra Matchking 168 gr. They print very close to the Barnes | |||
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I like the 150 grainers in my son's .308 and my .300 WSM. Fast, flat-shooting, and very effective on game (coyotes, pronghorn, deer, elk, and oryx). _____________________ A successful man is one who earns more money than his wife can spend. | |||
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I've been loading 150 TTSX with IMR 4064 and getting good accuracy and velocities in the 2720 range (out of a 20" barrel), BL-C(2) for around 2790 and CFE-223 (2770). All three powders deliver very good accuracy with the 150 TTSX. Barnes doesn't list either 4064 or CFE-223 for their 150 TTSX, so use caution working up loads. The BL-C(2) and CFE-223 are pretty close as are 4064 and Varget. That's where I started in my load development. Lately I've been playing with the 130 TTSX using BL-C(2) and getting equally impressive accuracy and velocities up to 3100 fps. The load is half a grain under Barnes max listed. Primers are somewhat flattened, but no swipe mark on the brass. I backed off the load another half grain and I'm still getting over 3050 average velocity, which should be plenty for the usual 50 yard shot here in Maine! Anyway, I wish you good luck. I really like the TTSX line of bullets. Super accurate and the 150 has been very effective on game animals so far for me. | |||
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For those itty bitty Tejas deer all you need is a Daisy Red Ryder. For whitetail and anything short of a monster mulie I like the 165 gr Nosler BT. Anything larger in 305 I use either the 165 Trophy Bonded or the 165 TSX. DRSS Kreighoff 470 NE Valmet 412 30/06 & 9.3x74R | |||
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Hard to go wrong with a 308 and 150-165 grain pills. Lots of excellent powders for that caliber. | |||
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Hasher, YOu are right about most of our deer. A BB gun is overkill, but just in case, I have a .308 should things turn nasty. Thanks for the ideas. | |||
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Those "internet" deer can be tough.... wearing Kevlar and all... | |||
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My 308 is a savage 99F and my saddle gun for elk hunting as its flat and handy, has a 3X scope and comfortqable under my leg for those long rides..BTW it kills elk just fine with a number of premium bullets> I like the 150 BarnesX or Nosler partition as well as any bullets..both work on deer as well, had good luck with Accubonds 150 or elk and deer..Its just a 30-06 with a lever and scope.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Interesting how the 165 gets the gold medal with a lot of folks, I see it as neither fish nor fowl, a 150 at 2900, for deer and elk, but if you feel the need for a heavier bullet Id chose the 180 gr. at 2600 plus I've shot one deer now with the 308 M99 using the 130 PTSX and was definitely impressed but to be continued.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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This is a scandalous lie, I say -- all you need is a slingshot #dumptrump opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Higher sd and bc, slightly lower mv - what's not to love #dumptrump opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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jeffe, deer and elk can't read or reason BC and SD as far as have been able to determine, and both the 150 and 165 Barnes bullets exit and BC and SD gets wasted on the real estate! Killing 101!  Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Just FYI, I would go with the 168 in Barnes. The 150 Barnes actually have a higher minimum expansion velocity as I recall 2000 fps because of their popularity with 300 Win Mag shooters (this is per Barnes). The 168s have a minimum expansion velocity of 1600 fps which is more suitable for the 308 win. Mike What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Paper ballistics never seem to back up shots on game in the field.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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| Moderator |
I forgot to mention -- it's the rare 308 that won't shoot greenbox corelokt into itty bitty groups #dumptrump opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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I do like corelokts and WW power points they work on deer and elk 150s for deer, 180s for elk... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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BTW Ive killed some monster mule deer in Texas around Alpine, Marathon, and Marfa, and 250 lb whitetail in the golden triangle around Laredo. The tiny deer are in the Texas Hill Country around Kerrville..and the coues and so called Del Carmen whitetail of Mexico and Marathon to the Rio grande..all mentioned are a generalization due to the size of Texas.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I'd choose the 168 Barnes TSX as a one bullet to do everything in the .308. It's a giant killer on elk and moose, and does just fine on whitetails and black bear. Better at low impact velocity than the Barnes 165 TSX, and expands quick enough on deer. I've seen several elk, deer and a bunch of african plains game killed with the 168 gr. TSX from a .308 and .30-06 and the penetration along with expansion and internal damage was very convincing. The 150 gr. Barnes may be a bit "hard' from what I understand. I haven't formed an opinion about the 130 TTSX yet but they seem promising based on my brother's success on elk, moose, and deer. | |||
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I'll take this thread back to Earth and reality for me; Owned many 308s. And one or two other rifles. I mean one or two hundred. Starting in 1960. Back in the dark ages we had bullets make from such exotic things as copper and lead. Made by the big ammo makers, and places like Hornady and Sierra, and Speer. I have never fired a solid brass or copper bullet; NO reason for me to; never had one of those old types bounce off yet, nor fail to kill. and I have killed a lot of furry animals. Not talking about Africa and brain shots here. What I have heard of, many times, is that Barnes, and other solids, do not open up very fast or very much, and will always punch through. This is a solution to a nonexistent problem.. Maybe if you want to punch through an elk or moose from ass to nose; then it might be ok. I don't get it. .... Or do I? Young shooters are brain washed by new stuff. Just read that Ray has shot some core locks and power points too; he knows what I mean. We killed deer with them, if you hit them right, and no bullet will compensate for that. So be careful jumping on the shiny hard bullet band wagon. Not all they are advertised to be. | |||
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| Administrator |
I have shot literally hundreds of African plains game, with various calibers from 270 to 338. Using Barnes X original bullets. They all worked. Most expanded, some did not. But this happens with all mono metals. Even our own Walterhogs. Not sure what causes this. May be the angle at which the bullet connects? Some seem to have the front start to cave in, becoming like a pointed solid. But thet never failed to kill. Having shot many factory ammo recently, in various calibers and cartridges, they are very good, in both accuracy and performance on animals. | |||
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Keep in mind a military solid and a commercial solid are different in several ways in that the military solid is designed to tumble and the commercial solid is designed for strait pentation. during ww2 ammo was impossible to come by but we had a ranch that bordered Ft Bliss, tx and dad had a contract to bury excess material but that's another story, Didn't bury tea coffee ammo for the 30-06, we hunted with it. it would react in two ways, it would come apart and instant kills were pretty common, otherwise it would go off in some direction and drill them like a pencil and you got to practice your tracking skills in high desert rimrock..thank God for Tarzan my dog.. bullet construction is the most important function of a hunting bullet. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I have shot all mentioned above and I have come back to the 165 gr Nosler Partition as the best all around bullet for the .308 Win. Reliable expansion at whatever velocity and good penetration from the bottom half…what’s not to like? And now with CFE-223…you can eek out even a bit more velocity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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Plus 1, except for 165 on the larger stuff such as elk, wherein I prefer the 180 or 200 Noslers, but just an opine, with no real basis as Im sure all three work... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Just bought a case of the Norma ammo loaded in 180 gr Swift A-Frame from Ravenwoods ad here. Will let you know how it works. | |||
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Ive used them in my 7x57 a good deal on deer and a couple of elk, the kill instantly or the animal will run 50 to a 100 yards, can one imagine that! just like a lot of other bullets do! Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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