.308 Win/125 Ballistic Tips

[Guy Miner]

Just loaded up some ammo for my friend and his wife! He bought her a terrific looking SAKO in .308 Win and they've not yet even fired it. She's a tiny little thing, and although she really liked shooting my .308 Rem 700, it's a pretty heavy rifle. Her SAKO is a standard sporter weight rifle, so I thought I'd load up some lighter bullets for it. I've used this load from my rifle before, with no problems.

48 gr RL-15
new Federal cases - I trimmed 'em, sized 'em, etc... they look real good
CCI 200 primers
125 gr Ballistic Tips

Am expecting somewhere around 2850 fps from them. Never chronographed them from my rifle. They shot well though. Will report back when she gives them a try. These people have been real good to me and my family and I've taken them shooting a few times, making some "custom" ammo for her new deer rifle put a smile on my face. I hope they'll be happy too.

Never used the 125 Ballistic Tip on deer, but have heard it works well. Sure hope so! I think she'll shoot these 50 up with breaking in the rifle, and getting it sighted in. Then we'll figure out if she's going to shoot these loads or something else for deer. She's never hunted before.

Regards, Guy

 

[corbin9191]

It should be a shooter due to it being a sako. My friend has shot a few deer with the 125 grain NBT in his 308 win, he never had to use a second shot yet. If you can please post some picture when you get a chance.

 

[Guest]

I just picked up a box of these for a dual purpose role, Guy. I'm thinking they'll be great at lower velocities as coyote medicine from a lightweight 30-06 I have, and in the same configuration, I'm going to let my son try shooting them at the range and possibly for deer later on.

I'm trying to give him some options at the range so he feels comfortable with stock fit and such, so this -06 was a naturally good fit. It's a Colt Light Rifle, and weighs about 7.5lbs with scope and ammo, so it's fairly light. It also has a bit of a "stubby" feeling stock so I figure he'll be more comfortable on the shorter pull. Between this, my old Win94 30-30 (with 2000fps 150gr loads) and a Browning Micro Hunter in 270WSM with 110gr Accubonds (on order right now), I figure on or the other of them will "fit" him right, and he can learn to shoot centerfire with that one, and then eventually be able to shoot them all.

I'd be happy to hear some stories of how your friend handles the recoil, as well as how the bullets perform on paper at reduced velocities. I'm actually going to use the Hodgdon Youth Load with H4895 for these three guns, for my son, so recoil should be around 8-12lbs for any of them, and likely much closer to the 8-9lb range than the 12lb range.

Glad to hear, Corbin, that your friend had good results with these bullets.

 

[Guy Miner]

Ach! I forgot about those Hodgdon "youth" loads...

Maybe I'll cook up some of them too...

 

[Guest]

H4895 is your friend!

Incidentally, I've got the Hodgdon Annual Manual from 2009, and it lists a bunch of reduced recoil loads, with various powders, in an article within the magazine style manual. But when I asked Hodgdon about it on a phone call the other day, they disavowed any knowledge of the article or loads therein. Specifically told me they did not reduce some of the powders in the article because they couldn't guarantee the reliability of ignition. I don't suspect it would be a huge issue, as these loads in the article are not dramatically reduced. I can pdf it to you if you'd like a copy, Guy.

 

[rjm158]

A friend of mine suggested trying the 125's with both the '06 and 308. I loaded up some 308's first and a different friend shot a button buck at about 90 yards with it. He said the exit wound was impressive and had tissue (lung?) pulled through the hole. The buck went a few yards and fell over.

I loaded up some '06's for this past deer season and killed a 7 point (105 yds) and a button buck (81 yds) with it from my Tikka. The 7 point took one through the boiler room, ran about 50 yds with blood pouring from the exit hole, and fell over. The button buck was hit while facing me, in the crease where his right shoulder met his neck. He dropped where he stood and never moved again. Internal damage was tremendous in both animals and the bullet didn't exit the button buck but I could't find it while field dressing him.

My friend also loaded up some 125's and shot them from my Tikka 300 Win Mag, killing a small button buck. He said the damage caused by the bullet was tremendous.

Ron

 

[1Shot]

I have been using the 125 ballistic tip in a number of calibers to kill deer with for a few years now. I have killed in excess of 30 deer with the 125 BT and I have only had two even take a step after taking one.

Here are my experience findings. If you keep your impact velocity below 3100 fps they work best.

In the 308 win caliber this load has shot very well in a number of rifles.
46 grs IMR 4895, CCI BR-2 primer, WW case. From my 21 1/2" barrel it does 3000 fps with much less felt recoil than a 150 gr bullet.

I use this load in my 308 win all the time. I have only hand one deer take a step after taking a bullet with this load. This deer exhibited a typical heart shot reaction of sprinting about 50 yards. I mainly shoot for center of front shoulder and they drop in their tracks. This deer was walking and I just missed the shoulder blade because I had to shoot quickly off hand at 111 yards.

From my 30X47 HBR rifle (300 Savage case with shoulder pushed back 10 thousands and left same OAL made popular in hunter class bench rest) I use 42 grs IMR 4895, CCI BR-2 primer, WW case or Federal match made from 308 Win. 2850 fps. With shoulder shots deer just drop in their tracks.

This past season I did quite a bit of pistol hunting with a T/C Contender with a MGM 14" SS barrel in 30-30AI. With 33 grs IMR 4198, Wolf LR primer, WW fire formed case, 125 BT I get 2670 fps. I took 4 deer from 45 to 85 yards. Three dropped in their tracks the other was a BIG body 7 point buck that came out of a cut over at 45 yards and was walking across the logging road I was on and did not stop. I had to shoot quickly. He had his head and neck in the woods on the other side of the road when the pistol went off. I hit him just a little bit lower on the front should than I wanted to. He jumped 6' in the air and mule kicked and took 3 jumps and fell dead. The bullet entered where the leg bone meets the shoulder plate blew his heart to pieces and exited through the off side leg bone breaking it. All bullets from the pistol were through and through.

In my book you can't find a better .308 bullet for use on the average size white tail deer.

 

[JD338]

Guy

The 125 gr BT will work great on deer sized game at the velocities you are talking.
Let us know how they work for your friends bride.

JD338

 

[rquack]

Slightly off topic, but... I have used the 120grain 7mm Ballistic Tip for my 7mm-08 and my son-in-law's 7mm-08. All one shot kills. No deer traveled over 20yards after impact. 80% just dropped in their tracks. An EXCELLENT bullet! Since I began using them in the late 80's, I've never purchased another bullet for the 7mm-08's. And both the Tikka and my Rem Model 7 group under 3/4" using IMR 4064 powder.