150 vs. 165 (edited)

[Wolfshead]

I’ve used 150 grain Accubonds in my 30-06 and 308.
Lately when I head out hunting (primarily whitetails) I’m grabbing my 308.
I do a lot of thick woods hunting with it, and it being a 38” rifle with a 20” barrel, it is nice and agile in those situations.
Now all the deer that I’ve shot with the 150s are dead, and dead is dead.
My question is, for those that do, why do/would you use 165s instead? What is the benefit, advantage over the 150s?
I’ve been thinking a lot on how maybe moving up in weight would possibly benefit how it hunt?

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Like you I have used the 150gr in 308 with the exception of one-time 125gr which I plan to try again sometime. In my 30-06 I've used both 150 and 165. Both work. The advantage of the 165 is a little more weight and energy if an angling shot is needed. Mostly it comes down to what groups best in your rifle and how satisfied you are with the bullet performance. If it isn't broke don't fix it.
Dan.

 

[salmonchaser]

I think 165s are a great compromise between 150 and 180, I used them quite a bit for deer but used 180’s for elk. At some point in the late 70s it had become apparent I was pretty good at judging distance in the high desert area we hunted. The 150s flattened my trajectory enough to make them a viable option. A 150 grain Partition and then later a 150 gr ballistic tip worked perfectly on quite a few mule deer at 3 to 400 on my favorite hunt.
The reality is with today’s great bullets and a range finder the 30 grain difference between 150s and 180s is largely moot. I think the velocity, energy and down range performance of a 165 grain AccuBond could easily give a guy a one rifle one bullet combination for just about anything from moose on down.

 

[JD338]

I've used both 150 gr BT and 165/168 gr BT and 168 gr ABLR in the 308 Win on WT deer. Here are my findings...
150 gr BT -
Shot 4-5 crop damage deer from 100-300 yards. All bullets exited and they were DRT.
165 gr BT-
Shot 2 bucks at 50 and 100 yards. Both ran ~50 yards from heart shots. Easy blood trails to follow.
168 gr BT-
Shot 2-3 crop damage deer from 100-200 yards, bullets exited and DRT.
168 gr ABLR -
Shot 3-4 crop damage deer from 100-300 yards, bullets exited and DRT.
Conclusion...
The 150/165/168 gr class of bullets are excellent for deer sized game. For me, the 168 gr weight shoots the best and I tend to favor heavier weight bullets to ensure I get an exit wound for better blood trailing if needed, especially when in heavy cover.

JD338

 

[Firebird24]

Burglar breaks into your house. Do you shoot him with the big bullet or the smaller version-
Both will be accurate for the task at hand and the end result will be the same. So bigger or smaller. . .

 

[truck driver]

My Dad used to shoot factory150gr WW Sliver Tips in his pre war M70 30-06 and when hunting heavy thicket areas he would switch up and use Rem 150-180gr core locs. For years I did the same in my 30-06s until I discovered the 165gr Hornaday SP flat base bullet. My 725 Rem had been rebarreled to 257 Roberts and I had bought a Ruger M77 tang safety 30-06. The Ruger just loved the 165gr bullet , particularly the Hornaday since at the time they were what I could justify buying and the Noslers were more than I wanted to spend though I did experiment with them the Hornaday's won out do to cost. Back then I used the 30-06 for everything including varmints/ground hogs and made spare change to feed my shooting habit doing crop damage work.
The wound channel was what really got my attention and there was less blood shot meat which in my eyes was a good thing since there was more to eat and less waste.
I found threw experience that the 165gr was less likely to break up when hitting a twig and still carry on to the target. Killed a few deer this way since I recovered bullets that had key holed before striking it's target.
Thought I had missed the first deer when this happened when I found a broken twig I didn't see in the scope and decided to track it in the skiff of snow that had fell overnight and found a blood trail which I followed for about 100yds and found the deer curled up dead under a multiple rose bush. The bullet entered the left front shoulder, struck a rib on the offside and bounced back and forth off the ribs coming to rest in the left hind just under the skin, a tough bullet that stayed intact considering it was loaded up to 3000fps.
All the deer I have killed with a 165 has mostly been clean kills with drop right there performance. They seem to expend most of their energy inside of the game before they exit and are very accurate no matter who the manufacturer is.
Everyone could have a different experience then I have since we all load our ammo with different components.
Like the man said if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[Guy Miner]

I’ve used 150 grain Accubonds in my 30-06 and 308.
Lately when I head out hunting (primarily whitetails) I’m grabbing my 308.
I do a lot of thick woods hunting with it, and it being a 38” rifle with a 30” barrel, it is nice and agile in those situations.
Now all the deer that I’ve shot with the 150s are dead, and dead is dead.
My question is, for those that do, why do/would you use 165s instead? What is the benefit, advantage over the 150s?
I’ve been thinking a lot on how maybe moving up in weight would possibly benefit how it hunt?

Your rifle has a 30" barrel? Goodness! I had a match rifle that used 30" barrels...

I started using the 165's and 168's in the 308 many years ago because I was issued 168 gr ammo for duty. It was very accurate and I wanted practice and hunting ammo that had the same velocity, bullet weight and a similar BC so I'd get the same trajectory with them. That strategy worked and I have mostly used 165 & 168 grain ammo from my 308 ever since, deviating now and then for a special load.

With the 30-06, I wanted a do-it-all load for mule deer, whitetail, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear... Going with the 165 gr bullet seemed prudent since I was including elk and more. A 180 grain bullet would have been fine for that role as well.

For whitetail - I don't know if the 165 offers any tangible advantage over the 150 grain bullet. It will slow muzzle velocity a bit, which could be good at "thick woods" ranges.

Regards, Guy

 

[RL338]

For years I use the (#3031) Hornady 150gr SP out of my 308 Win for deer and very successful. Today’s marketing is all about high BC bullets. We’ve taken deer with bullets from 130gr to 210gr out of a 308 Win and all were just as dead.

 

[Wolfshead]

Your rifle has a 30" barrel? Goodness! I had a match rifle that used 30" barrels...

I started using the 165's and 168's in the 308 many years ago because I was issued 168 gr ammo for duty. It was very accurate and I wanted practice and hunting ammo that had the same velocity, bullet weight and a similar BC so I'd get the same trajectory with them. That strategy worked and I have mostly used 165 & 168 grain ammo from my 308 ever since, deviating now and then for a special load.

With the 30-06, I wanted a do-it-all load for mule deer, whitetail, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear... Going with the 165 gr bullet seemed prudent since I was including elk and more. A 180 grain bullet would have been fine for that role as well.

For whitetail - I don't know if the 165 offers any tangible advantage over the 150 grain bullet. It will slow muzzle velocity a bit, which could be good at "thick woods" ranges.

Regards, Guy

I fixed the thirty to a 20” - thirty inch barrel on a 38” rifle would be a sight!

 

[ReloadKy]

I have shot 2 deer with a 308, both were bucks with shot distances at around 80 yards. I used Barnes 130 TTSX. One buck ran 15 yards with complete pass thru and excellent blood trail. The other buck DRT with the bullet traveling through both shoulders and sticking out of the hide on the opposite shoulder.
I plan to try 150 ballistic tip in the 308 this year.
Personally and this is complete opinion but I think that the 150's provide the perfect combination of weight and velocity for the 308 and I think the 165's do the same for the 30-06. Which means I use my 165 components for the 30-06 and 150 for the 308. This makes me think I am making the best use of my components lol!!!!!

 

[Wolfshead]

I have shot 2 deer with a 308, both were bucks with shot distances at around 80 yards. I used Barnes 130 TTSX. One buck ran 15 yards with complete pass thru and excellent blood trail. The other buck DRT with the bullet traveling through both shoulders and sticking out of the hide on the opposite shoulder.
I plan to try 150 ballistic tip in the 308 this year.
Personally and this is complete opinion but I think that the 150's provide the perfect combination of weight and velocity for the 308 and I think the 165's do the same for the 30-06. Which means I use my 165 components for the 30-06 and 150 for the 308. This makes me think I am making the best use of my components lol!!!!!

I’ve been playing with the Barnes 130 grain ttsx’s lately and trying to come up with a good load.
NY keeps trying to push through non-lead ammo on public/state lands so I’m trying to be prepared for that.
I currently have a good load for 150 grain Accubonds, but was wondering if 165s might be a bit better.
You post makes sense

 

[art308]

I’ve shot a lot of mulies and white tails with my “meat n taters” load of 46 grains of Varget under a Sierra 165 grain BTHP GK. I use 165s in case I trip over an elk while deer hunting. I use the same bullet in my 30/06 with 57.5 grains of IMR 4350.

Is very never shot a deer with 308 and 150s but if there was no chance of elk around I would drop down to 150s. I have shot deer and antelope with 30/06 and 150s, it really hits lighter animals hard.

 

[Guy Miner]

I’ve been playing with the Barnes 130 grain ttsx’s lately and trying to come up with a good load.
NY keeps trying to push through non-lead ammo on public/state lands so I’m trying to be prepared for that.
I currently have a good load for 150 grain Accubonds, but was wondering if 165s might be a bit better.
You post makes sense

The 130 TTSX can shoot for sure. This was at nearly 3,300 fps from a Savage 30-06 with a factory barrel at 100 yards:


I've seen similar accuracy from 308's... So, keep trying with your rifle, be it 308 or 30-06, as that bullet has excellent accuracy potential.

Regards, Guy

 

[ReloadKy]

I’ve been playing with the Barnes 130 grain ttsx’s lately and trying to come up with a good load.
NY keeps trying to push through non-lead ammo on public/state lands so I’m trying to be prepared for that.
I currently have a good load for 150 grain Accubonds, but was wondering if 165s might be a bit better.
You post makes sense

I can get 3100+ fps out of my 308 with TAC or BL-C2 and get excellent accuracy using the 130 TTSX.

 

[JD338]

I also got excellent results with the 130 gr TTSX and TAC. 3198 fps and sub MOA accuracy. It turns the 308 into a 270!

JD338

 

[clearwater]

I like the 168 BT's for Mulies. Shots here run 30 to 450 yards. IMR 4895.

Also have used 150 accubonds. At 30 yards made a mess of a front shoulder, tho I don't know if anything wouldn't have. W760. Slow, about 2400 fps from 18" barrel.

Good accuracy with 178 ELD X and 180 AccuBond, if I use for elk would chose a heavy bullet like these. No experience with those on an animal. Reloader 17 -2600 fps

 

[RL338]

130gr TTSX is the bullet of choice in our 308s and BL-C2.

 

[PJGunner]

For years I hunted deer almost exclusively with the 30-06 and 150 gr. bullets, usually the Sierra ProHunters. one day while talking with a hunting buddy I said something about how well the 150 gr. bullet killed deer bull mangled a lot of good eating meat. My buddy suggested going with the 180 gr. bullet. I did and t was an improvement. I wanted to switch to a lighter weight rifle and picked up a Remington 660 in .308 Win. I went back to the 150 gr. Sierra but it too messed up more meat and I thought the 180 would be too slow, especially from the 660s 20" barrel. They did work reasonably well so I stuck with them.

Fast forward a few years and a move from Nevada to Arizona and I came across a Ruger M77 RSI .308 at a very low price. The guy was honest in telling me the rifle what very inaccurate. He couldn't get a decent group to use on game. We talked and for $200 I came home with the rifle, scope, dies bullets, primers and powder plus a bunch of brass, some new and never loaded or fired. He was right. That rifle would not shoot. One day, I was at a gun show and met gun writer Sam Fadala of all people and we talked for a while. He had four boxed of Speer Nitrex ammo on his table and he literally gave them to me for something like $5.00 a box. A hell of a nice guy but I could see he was in poor health. The next time at the range I shot some of that Nitrex ammo in the RSI and damn me, a 5 shot group of 1.5". I shot up the whole ox and the worst was 1.75" and the best just slightly under 1.50. The bullet in that ammo was their Grand Slam. I picked up a couple of boxes of the Speer 165 gr. Hot Cores and worked up a load to the max on the "one load" book I had. Those bullet ran pretty much to 1.50" on average and I called it good. I did go out an slay deer with that rifle and load and never could find fault with either. I later relieved the metal nose cape on the stock with a Dremel tool and Cratex bit and now groups run from about 1.25" to .150" on a regular basis. Change one thing on that load, be it primer, powder or brand of brass and accuracy goes straight to hell. That's one fussy rifle. I have taken deer with that load from about 30 feet to 250 yards. The load chronographs at 2550 FPS from the 18.5" Barrel of the RSI to 2610 FPS from a 22" M70 Winchester. The Speer Nitrex load does 2610 FPS as well and the powder looks like W748 and the case held 49.0 gr., exactly the max in my load data.

Based on the above, I guess you could say my choice of bullet for the .308 would be a 165 gr. The Speer works so well that I see no need for a premium bullet and have no qualms using it from the .308 within reason on elk. I might even use it in the 30-06 as well.
Paul B.

 

[Wolfshead]

This is such a great site!
I would like to thank you all for your experience and advice!
I came into this late at 54, and I’ve learned so much from being a member here!
The wealth of knowledge and the willingness to share your knowledge is something that is greatly appreciated!
Thank you all!

 

[Darkhorse]

In my .308's and 30'06's I've always shot 150 grain with no problems. The last couple of years I've shot 150 SST's and I've noticed if they hit bone they tend to mess up a lot of meat. I think the regular soft points are superior for Whitetails.
I do have a box of 165 grain Ballistic Tips I have considered trying for deer.
But then I think of my .300 win mag. I loaded 165 grain bullets for deer and they killed bucks with thick bodies fine. But they seemed to blow right thru the does with little expansion. This resulted in extremely long blood trails only to find the deer had been hit perfect right in the heart/lung area.
So, I'm on the fence about the 165's in the .308