i, have been hunting moose here in ontario, for 33 yrs. and shot my share of moose, all 200 yds. and under. My question to any one who is up to speed on the .308, what is the best performing factory load i can purchase in 180 gr. The area i am hunting this year is going to be in logged out clearcut's, which are huge up here. My personal limit would be 300yds.And yes i know, i should buy a new 300 ultra, but that will have to wait till next year.(unless the .308 doe's it job) thank's guy's :Rick.

I'm kinda in the same situation. I'm very tempted to take the M7 .308 out for elk.

The bullet I was looking at was the 165 gr. Failsafe. But I have no experience with them, I've heard they are a deeply penetrating bullet without the hassles of the Barnes X.

I'll put 180 grain rem core-lokt ammo in my 308 win for moose this year. They seem to hold together well in the 308.
I shot my last moose with this 308 and 165 grain barnes X boatails. Plenty of penetration.

well, just did some homework on the ballistic's on the .308 and federal seem's to have quite a factory load , the federal load is no. p 308 g, shooting a nosler patition. quite impressive. compared to a 7mm. rem. mag. of same weight, it blow's it out of the water. I have used cor. loc's on moose, they are about the best iv'e used. used silver tip's, not impressed.(seperation)so maybe use these federal's , unless someone know's one better. best of luck up in alaska ,moose hunt'n. Rick.

well, just did some homework on the ballistic's on the .308 and federal seem's to have quite a factory load , the federal load is no. p 308 g, shooting a nosler patition. quite impressive. compared to a 7mm. rem. mag. of same weight, it blow's it out of the water. I have used cor. loc's on moose, they are about the best iv'e used. used silver tip's, not impressed.(seperation)so maybe use these federal's , unless someone know's one better. best of luck up in alaska ,moose hunt'n. Rick.

[ 08-09-2002, 07:05: Message edited by: Richard Wayne ]

Hornady Light Mag lists a 165 grain bullet at 2880 fps...that's pretty good! And my experience with light mag shows they chrono out right where they should! Decent interlock bullets too!

Richard Wayne Try the Federal 180 Nosler Partition High Energy, Or the 165 Federal Trophy Bonded Bearclaw High Energy. Use the load that you like the best or the one that shoots the best.

Gentlemen, in my 19" bbl'd 308 Win carbine I got 2,700 fps with the Federal HE/180 Partition load. With a 22" bbl. it shuold go 2,750 fps... I really can't think you'd need more for Moose, or for that matter, elk. It shot moa in my rifle.

Best Regard,

Brad

Richard Wayne, where are you hunting? did you get your tags?
I'm going up to Kapuskasing # 24 year 3 no tags yet!!

as to your question the 308 is plenty gun for moose. I suggest you go with a 180 partition zero it in at 150yds and you will be ok shooting to 300 with little adjustment.

last year I used a 30-06 fail safe 180, got the moose around 120yds out. However I will NEVER use a fail safe again. this might just be my experience but I feel it failed miserably! examination of the entry would and it's path showed no cavitation leading me to believe that the bulled did not expend furthermore the fail safe did fail, my first shot was a dud. the primer was hit but no boom, lukfully that was the first on in the chamber the second round did go.

This year I'm bringing up my 308 and I will be using a partition topped load.

hy kromer, got one bull tag for 4 of us at sioux-lookout, usually hunt in algonquin park for moose and deer, just deer hunt'n there this year.Every one getting tag's should have got them last week.I know what you me about the fail safe, have target shot them and when you dig them out of sand you could almost reload them again.(no expansion)not impressed.the only luck i have had with fail safe was in .44 mag., can't buy them anymore.hope you get a tag, and good luck moose hunt'n. Rick.

I killed an Alaskan moose at laser ranged 265 yrds
with a rem 700 308 cal using 180 grain core-lokts.
Moose staggered @ 20 yards and died.Shot hit just
tight behind shoulder about half way up.
Plenty of gun for moose at reasonable distances.
300 yards being (for me) outer limits.However in
Alaska good moose habitat is good griz habitat and
next moose trip I'll be carting a 338 win mag.
Jeff

All good bullets, the 180 Corelokt, failsafe, Noslers, TB's.....Woodleighs, Swifts all work...

Notice how many bullets work in the 308, thats because it isn't sizzling out there at a million FPS

Its lack of velocity protects the integrity of the bullets and that is why it kills so well.

I have shot a flock of animals with my .308 Win, and I usually use 180 grain factory loads. I have also used the 165 grain Trophy Bonded Federal loads (the HE load was not as accurate as the regular velocity in my rifle).

In the 180 grain loads I have used FailSafe, Speer Grand Slam, and this year I will be trying Norma Oryx bonded core loads.

I gave a box of Winchester FailSafe 180 grain loads to a guide in Saskatchewan, and he likes them. He hunts moose in a large burn area, and does get some long ranges there.

jim dodd

I got 185 grain laupa megas for my 308 this season.

I have shot it at 200 meters just to see how it works. I think it will do fine out to 200 meters if I'm 5cm high at 100 meters. Going hunting tomorrow.

Johan

I've had great success with 165 grain Trophy Bondeds on game up to Wildebeest, Eland, Zebra, and Gemsbok. I took the Gemsbok at laser-ranged 346 yards. The bullet didn't exit but he dropped in his tracks. I am leaving in the morning with my trusty .308 and .375 to hunt in South Africa and Tanzania. I will probably shoot everything but the Buffalo with my .308 just because I love the gun. If you have to use a 180, take a hard look at the Woodleigh (or handload the Trophy Bonded). I don't know if they still do, but Federal used to load it in their Premium line.

I've been hand loading the Barnes XLCs in my .308 and they seem to shoot well in my rifle (still working on how well). I have not hunted before so my opine is measured accordingly. I saw that Black Hill Ammunition is selling the XLCs in their premium grade. Can't miss them with that blue coating. Never recovered a practice bullet to see it's performance so I can't help there. I believe there is a post you could search on XLC though.

I've tried an awful lot of bullets in my 308's, and for most of the hunting I use it for, the Rem Core-lokts work fine. If a slightly flatter shooting load is called for, try the Hornady Light Magnum loads (the interlock bullet works as well as the core-lokt), or the Federal High Energy loads. For moose, I usually go with the heavier bullets available, although I have used the 150 gr Barnes X in a couple of rifles and it worked as advertised. FWIW - Dan