Never used the 125, but have used a lot of the 150's. I suspect that you'll find the 125's perfectly adequate for typical whitetails, that is, 170 lbs and under. The solid base on the ballistic tip makes it a much better penetrator than people give it credit for. In fact, I'll lay you odds that, weight for weight, it will out-penetrate most "non-premium" bullets like Speers and Sierras.
For .308 Winchester or larger, I'd still favor the 150, but in .30-30 handgun or 7.62x39 rifle, the 125 would make a good deer bullet.
Posts: 13265 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
I have shot some deer with 125s out of my 06 they killed just about as fast as anything really mess up the lungs and heart area. Never shot one in the shoulder area I would think that they would expand to fast for that. I thought they worked just fine but I went to 165s just in case you had to shoot threw the shoulders or had a hard angle shot on the biggest buck you saw and didn't want to pass it up.
Posts: 19733 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001
Like the others, I've never used the 125's, I feel more comfortable with 150's and up. Deer can be killed easily with proper placement, but for those times when all you can see is a shoulder or a haunch, a bit bigger bullet will be better (say that one fast 5 times!).
If it were a 7.62 X 39 round I might think differently but not in 308.
Posts: 7776 | Location: Between 2 rivers, Middle USA | Registered: 19 August 2000
I know 2 people who use 125gr ballistic tips in .308.
One uses them in conjunction with a swarovski LRS scope for long range fallow (up to 350yards and that is considered LONG here) and swears by how flat and how lethal they are - he shoots 30-50 a year.
The other uses them on Highland Red stags and hinds and finds them very flat and very lethal. He shoots target rifle for his country so he knows a thing or 2.
Neither have mentioned any problems, I should however mention that they would only ever shoot broadside, near broadside or facing 100% on.
[This message has been edited by 1894 (edited 07-23-2001).]
Posts: 2258 | Location: Bristol, England | Registered: 24 April 2001
The 165 gr. does OK from my 308Win at 2650 fps. I've seen a 180 gr. at 3100 fps rom a 300 WinMag fail to penetrate the front shoulder of a mule deer at 20 yards. It "grenaded" and blew out a saucer-shaped wound about six inches across. Killed the mulie in his tracks, from shock I guess.
I would prefer a Nosler Partition or Swift Scirroco (sp?) on deer, especially if velocities might exceed 2700 fps (you did not say caliber).
I use the 125's in my .30 Herrett Contender.They work great at 2300fps. There seems to be 2 schools of thought on bullet performance. Some people like to blow the crap out of their deer,etc., some like to just kill it without wasteing a lot of the meat (me). Where I live, the terrain is for the most part open country. If your deer,etc. runs 20 yds. after the shot, so what. I hunt for the experience and for the meat. Nosler Ball. Tips are target bullets for me in rifle calibers. To each his/her own. Dan
I have used the BT's with great results in my .280 Rem and loaded some 150's for my cousins .30-06 for an antelope hunt. His kid shot a doe at under 200 yds on the point of the shoulder and the bullet blew up on the outside. NOTHING penetrated inside. He unfortunately hit a hard spot but I was still most amazed. I would not use 125's for deer. I think the light, fast theory works fine 95% of the time, then fails the other 5%. FN
Posts: 950 | Location: Cascade, Montana USA | Registered: 11 June 2000
I use 125g & 130g exclusivly in my .308. I am a semi pro. hunter and shoot upwards of 1000 deer,goats,pigs Chamois and Tahr per year no problem. I have also shot Elk with this load and dropped them on the spot. You can only kill something so dead
I agree with Frank N. that 5% is not worth the risk to me, and yes I have killed a couple of truck loads of deer sized game with the 22's (thats 18 wheelers)....
The 22's are just not as reliable as a bigger guns, now it shouldn't take a seventh son of a seventh son to figure that out..at least you think it wouldn't.
This subject boils down to "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" in that a little success of a dozen deer draws one to a wrongfull conclusion....IMHO
and to clairify the above post I just answered the previous post on 22 calibers on this one, so there!!!
But perhaps the same applys here but to a lesser degree...The 125 gr. 308 has more to do with bullet construction than caliber..
That said I see no advantage to the 125's over the 150's because there is none unless recoil is a factor..The 125's shed velocity faster and are more prone to wind deflection, I call it the "feather factor"...
I have shot 4 deer with the 125 grain BT. The first one was by accident. I grabbed the wrong box of handloads when I left to go hunting. I didn't realize what I had done till I got to the tree stand. Thought Oh Well Im here lets try it. As luck would have it about 8:00 AM a fat little six point came a long at about 25 yards and hit him through the lungs. The bullet exited and did massive damage to the lungs. That load was 51.7 grain of 748 @3160 fps in a 24" barreled 308 Winchester. Not to bad for a light bullet at close range. Surprised me. Longest shot was 167 paces across a corn field. No deer went more than 10 yards and all bullets exited. Once I got done experimenting, I went back to 150 grain BT. Just feel better with more weight. But if that is all I had trust me I would not quit hunting. They WILL WORK.
Shoot Safe, Shoot Straight......RiverRat
[This message has been edited by RiverRat (edited 07-29-2001).]
Posts: 413 | Location: Owensville, Indiana USA | Registered: 04 July 2001
Any bullet will kill a deer..but when I hunt big game, whatever that may be, I use a bullet that is constructed to shoot thru the animal lenthwise, (Atkinson's Rule no.1)
I shoot more than a thousand bullets a year! Understand that a lot of my shooting is done from a chopper in search and destroy missions. It is not uncommon to shoot 50/60 animals a day and I can assure you they are not all one shot kills. Goats are shot in very large numbers in some areas. With all that ammo being expended recoil, as Ray suggests, does become a factor added to that I shoot almost every day year round. I'm not trying to suggest that I'm something I'm not nor am I boasting I am merely trying to make a contribution to the board which may help other shooters. Note I didn't say 1000 bullets in my post I said 1000 animals
Stevie - I suggest you tone it down a bit. 1000 animals a yr. (by search and destroy yet) in an island country that has recently chosen to disarm most of you good people sounds overwhelming. Just a suggestion.
[This message has been edited by Rockhammer (edited 07-30-2001).]
Rockhammer There are places down under where you do control hunts and shoot large amounts of animals. One guy shot upwards of 200 camels in a couple of weeks. Just because you don't have that kind of shooting dosn't mean it isn't happenig. Steve H has more shooting at game then most of us well ever see give him some credit.
Posts: 19733 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001
p dog shooter - my comments are straight from one who has no concept of the need of control on such an immense scale. I wasn't calling Steve's comments into question necessarily as to their veracity but as to the descriptive nature in which they were made. (Steve would make a hell of a Texan.) Believe it or not, there are people out there who read these postings that don't like us at all! And would like any excuse to eliminate hunting in any quarter for any reason. Hell - I feel I am preaching to the choir again.
In Australia, the real popular bullet in the 308 is 130 Speer Hollow point for roos, goats and pigs. But lots of 125 grainers in Sierra and Ballistic tips are used. In fact the company that makes our powder and which Hodgdon sells in America at one stage made a copy of the 130 Speer bullet for ammo they loaded.
By the way shooting a 1000 animals in a year is nothing super special in either Australia or New Zealand.
I have shot over 500 at times in about a week of shooting.
We are low on quality but high on quantity
Mike
[This message has been edited by Mike375 (edited 07-30-2001).]
Posts: 7206 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
Let me clarify if I can. All game animals in NZ are introduced species(that have bred unchecked for many years) which the Govt. in their wisdom(not) have declared as feral - to be destroyed!!! The Dept of Conservation have declared war on all feral animals and have them all earmarked for extermination. They are still using 1080 poison for the eradication of possums with indiscriminate aerial drops. The 1080 poison while used to target some species does not work - this shit kills native birds in droves and anything else it comes into contact with it including deer.(after poisoning the animals are inedible as the carcass retains the poison which kills the birds and other animals which feed on dead animals) So by shooting these animals we are targeting only the truly feral animals such as goats and possums without destroying native animals. The Greenies, antihunters etc. can make what they like of that. I disagree with the govt. policy regarding game animals, so by keeping them to acceptable levels by shooting perhaps just perhaps the govt. will stop the indiscrinate poisoning of our mountains and bushlands. Sorry to rave on but its something I feel very strongly about I certainly didn't mean to step on any toes but I do not lie or exaggerate when I say 1000 animals (and it's a lot more if you include possums in the tally) Steve H
Steve H - I stand corrected! Your explanation was well written, and many of us now, especially me, have a much better idea and appreciation on what is going on outside our backyard and country. Your solution to the problem is much preferable to poison, I agree. I also agree that what another country does or the policies they maintain is there own darn business and none of mine. In the future I will read more and write less. Good hunting friend.
To Steve H and Mike375 a friend of mine was down under in Feb. and March he had a great time shooting roos and pigs looking forward to someday coming myself. Saving my pennies
Posts: 19733 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001
appreciate all the great info about the 125 gr ballistic tips, all i wasnted was bullet that produces in there track kills similar to a .130 270 bt, here in nc the deer are not tanks just hate to see them run after a bbehind the shoulder shot, and by the way a guy mentioned the speer 130 gr hp i know of an experienced handloader who swears by the for whitetails thanks again for the help
It also often produces about the best accuracy from a 308. Just stick 52 grain of Win 748 in the case. That load usually does from about 2950 to 3000 in most rifles.
I don't know about white tail deer but it drops large red roos with chest shots like they were electrocuted.
Mike
Posts: 7206 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
P Dog If you come to NZ for some hunting please get in touch with me and I may be able to get you into some good hunting here in NZ. The gun laws here are quite different from Australia so bringing firearms into NZ is not that difficult. If you find it easier to come into NZ without your guns, then it will be my pleasure to lend you whatever you want to use from my gunrack. I don't use the larger magnums but I have pretty much anything else you would need or want to use.
