308 win BT ?

[jr1968]

Hi Guy's

What grain BT should I use in my 308 22in barrel for WT's, range would be right out front to 150yrds?

Thanks,
jr1968

 

[DrMike]

You'll do well at those ranges with either the 150 grain or the 165 grain BT.

 

[Guy Miner]

jr1968 - mostly I hunt mule deer, but just last November I shot a small whitetail buck at about 70 yards, with my .308 Win, using a 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip loaded to about 2750 fps. Entrance was in the shoulder, the bullet went through the lungs and out the other side, leaving about a 2" x 4" exit wound through the ribs. That deer simply dropped on the spot and never even twitched.

Just a few weeks ago I tested the 165 Nosler Ballistic Tip, shooting it into a row of water-filled one-gallon plastic milk jugs.

The bullet held up well, mushroomed nicely and was recovered from the 5th jug, which is pretty good penetration. My son used the similar, but older, lead-tipped version the "Solid Base" to take his somewhat bigger whitetail buck. Similar performance, with a fair sized exit wound.

I like the 165's in either the .308 or the .30-06. The 165 Nosler Ballistic Tips have also proven to be very accurate from my .308 Win. Not that I think you'd be badly served by the 150's, not at all.

Regards, Guy

 

[JD338]

I agree with Guy, the 165 gr BT would be an excellent choice in your 308 Win.
Less meat destruction than the higher velocity of the 150 gr BT and it will give you plenty of penetration, even on a hard angle.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

165 with varget! :mrgreen:

 

[1Shot]

I have used all sorts of bullet weights and makes in a 308 to kill deer. The most devastating, kill them in their tracks bullet I have ever used is the 125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip pushed by 46 grs IMR 4895 out of my 21 1/2" Heart barrel Rem 700. I have turned a bunch of people on to this load and they love it. Super accurate and just hammers deer.

 

[PJGunner]

My go to bullet for Mule Deer has been the 165 gr. Speer Hot Core. It's not so much that I think it's the best bullet going but it has to do with a rifle that is a one trick pony. The rifle is a Ruger M77 RSI and I shoot that bullet over a charge of W760 for 2550 FPS. That same load will do 2610 FPS from a 22" barreled Winchester M70. from the 18.5" barrel. Accuracy from the RSI is only 1.25 to 1.50" which I'm sure thrills no one but me. :roll: However, bear in mind, that's the ONLY load that rifle will shoot. :shock: I got it cheap because the previous owner couldn't make it shoot anything. I did take me a bit over two years before I found that load.
However, as puny as it may sound,I've taken 10 deer with that load at distances ranging from 35 fet to 250 yards, laser measured. I've only recovered one bullet and that one from the 250 yard deer, perfectly mushroomed and weighing 135 grains. 8) The deer was facing me and I hit it just where the neck joins the body and the bullet was recovered in back leg, having broken the bone.
All I can say is it may not be the fastest load on the block, but deer die when hit with it in the proper place.
Paul B.

 

[Guest]

If I was loading a 308Win or white-tails at your ranges, I'd follow the same path I followed when I worked up my 30-06. Get some ofthe 168gr BTs and work them up to something like 2650-2750 and you'll be all set. The advantage of the 168 over the 165 is the better ballistic coefficient for the 168. It will e just about the same muzzle velocity, but with a flatter trajectory. You won't need it at 150, but on the off chance you got a 250yd shot, you'd be better served.

 

[SJB358]

I am with the others, a 165/168 BT would be pretty awesome for the 308. I am actually going to mess with my 308 shortly with the 165 AB's.. Figure if I can duplicate Guys load, it'll make for a nice all around package for hunting...

 

[bbearhntr]

ANY of the 30 cal BT will drop a whitetail out to 150 yds and beyond. Is there one that is easier for you to obtain than the others? Are you loading for any other 30 cals that prefer a certain weight? Pick the one that shoots the best out of your gun.

 

[Guest]

I got a PM from a respected member here (Guy Miner), and his thoughts and calculations made me go back and look again at my suggestion on the 168gr BT over the 165gr BT. Guy is right in pointing out the difference is only about .1" at 250yds, and I further evaluated, and it's only .4" at 400yds. That's negligible, for sure, in hunting situations. I'd shoot whichever of the two you can find, and whichever one shoots the best from your rifle, if there's any difference.

Thanks for the reality check, Guy! Sometimes I get caught up in my own thought pattern and miss the point a little bit.