If your gun was a 308 Win, what bullet would you load for a sheep hunt and why?

JAB... I dont own a 308 winchester, but do a 30-06 I would find which prem. shot best at 165 grains.

Sheep are rarely shot at anything other than the shorter ranges and aren't tough to kill. Any good deer load will do. E

JAB,
Eremicus is right, sheep donot take a lot of killing to get dead. One thing you may want to ask your guide about, is what other wildlife will be in the area. If grizzly bear are in the area, will the guide carry a rifle for protection. If he will, a good 150 grain bullet would be my suggestion. If you want something heavier, I wouldn't go heavier than 165 grains. If the guide will not carry a rifle, or you're not using a guide, and are in bear country, I'd step up to a 180 grain bullet. Good luck on your hunt.

[ 03-16-2003, 10:00: Message edited by: BigBob ]

If it was a sheep only, no chance at a moose, I would use the 168 gr. CT Ballistic SilverTip. High BC (.490), and enough velocity to give you good trajectory and downrange velocity for a longer shot. Should expand nice to the 1800 fps range, which is WAY out there! And probably won't overexpand at 308 speeds.

2nd choice would be a 165 gr. Swift Scirroco

If we're talking B.C. in 165gr then the Banes XLC BT would be a suggestion also. .505 with a listed muzzle velocities over 2900fps.

I don't mind the 150gr. XLC BT that lists up to 3100fps niether.

These bullets will cover anything close to farthest and might be good backup if you run into a toothy critter. If you can afford to get them to shoot then why not.

I like the 165-168 gr. bullet in my .308 Win and would probably use it on sheep. (It's the load I use for elk.)

However for my dall sheep hunt I plan on using 150 gr. ammo in my 300 WSM.

150 gr Barnes XLC if your rifle will shoot it. - Dan

My 1st choice would be a 165 grn Ballistic Tip or SST. Why? Its enough bullet for sheep, the optimum weight in most 308s, and generally very accurate.

I like the Hornady 150 SST, and my Ruger RSI likes it too. It's done the job on whitetail, Axis and blackbuck with no problem.

JAB,
you will like the 165 gr. Nosler partition in the .308 on sheep....

JAB: As mentioned above, sheep aren't hard to kill. I'm prejudiced towards the Nosler Partition and would use the most accurate bullet I found. Not having a .308, I'd guess about 165 grs. I'm not saying there aren't other good bullets out there, just that I've always used Partitions. Since you're going to be sheep hunting, I assume you'll have a partner and any problems with bears should be incidental. In a pinch, the 165 gr. should be ok there too. Just my 2 cents. Bear in Fairbanks

Any 165 gr bullet would be just the ticket, including ballistic tips. Sheep are about the easiest animal there is to kill, and offer little resistance to any bullet (thin skin, light bones). I am only half kidding when I say that if you look at them sideways they will fall over and die.

Canuck

This is easy. I would use a 165 grain Sierra BTSP. They shoot great. Probably the most accurate hunting bullet in your rifle. Not as explosive as a non-bonded plastic tip bullet. Opens easier than the premiums. Cheap enough to get a lot of practice with your hunting load.
If you just have to use a premium type it's really really hard to beat a nosler partition.

I should have mentioned the above is true unless you are hunting Aoudad. If hunting Aoudad take the strongest bullet you have. These things seem almost bulletproof, especially if you happen to hit the shoulder. It takes a good bullet to penetrate and put them down. My '06 with the 180gr. TBBC can get the job done but I would really worry about my normal whitetail load getting through. With my 308 I haven't had the opportunity but would think a Partition, TBBC or Barnes X (or similar) would work pretty well in 150-165 gr.

I took some 165 speer boat tails last year because they shoot good in my 308. Didn't get a sheep though. It doesn't take much to knock down a sheep.

[ 03-20-2003, 06:06: Message edited by: RMiller ]

150 Partition in front of 45.5 grains of RE15. It works for all thin skinned game in my light 308.

168 grain Barnes "match" x-bullet . . . just cuz I like the concept!

JohnTheGreek