What do you men think about this?

[Too Tall]

My Son in Law just got a .308 Winchester.
He lives down in East Texas, in the brush/timber. They sit in big box tree stands to hunt from.
He wants to hunt hogs with the .308.
He does not have the chance, or funds, to do a lot of shooting, buying factory ammo.

He is coming up here this year for Thanksgiving, and a little shooting.

I want to do a little loading for him.
All I got in 30 caliber, is 165 grain Balistic Tips, or 168 grain Custon Compition. I know either of these are not good hog bullets, but if he could get 400-500 rounds through the rifle, he would be better off.

I am limited to what I have, till I go back to work. Then I will need time to watch for seconds, to pick up some more bullets and brass.

What say you?

 

[DrMike]

The 165 grain BTs may be far better than you imagine. I would be comfortable using them in a .308 for hogs. These are not massive animals, though they are tough. The 165 grain BT will penetrate the shoulder plate quite well.

 

[dubyam]

Just about the only thing I would add is to consider pushing those 165s at less than max velocity for best results. Ish them around 2700fps and I suspect results on hogs out a couple or three hundred yards will be excellent, providing he hits the vitals. I suggest as well he learn hog anatomy well, as their boiler room is lower and farther forward than it appears as compared to deer.

 

[tim629]

SPS has some 180BT's if you wanted something a bit heftier to sling at the hogs, or some 170 partitons

have him buy a couple boxes to ship to you, 100 bullets cheaper than the price of 2 boxes of factory would be worth his investment in the long run

 

[Guy Miner]

Too Tall, from a .308 Win, I'd use those 165 BT's on hogs anytime.

Dad used to do real well on hog with a .308 Win and plain ol' 165 gr Speer soft points. Even at close range they killed quickly and well. Plenty of penetration. The Ballistic Tip is a surprisingly tough bullet anymore. From what I've seen of them on deer, I'd have no hesitation about using them on hogs, or black bear, or likely even elk. Except that I've got a mess of 165 Partitions for that sort of thing.

Regards, Guy

 

[Too Tall]

10 years ago I bought him a Browning Safari Grade BAR in .243, with a Leupod VXIII 3.5-10x40, NIB. Bought him 5 boxes of Winchester 100 grain ammo, and told him to shoot it up. Well he still has 2 boxes of that ammo. I ask him if he does not like the rifle, and he said "Oh yes, but I don't want to scratch it."
So I sent him a Model 70 Super Shadow in 7 WSM. Figured he couldn't hurt that. But at the time I could not afford any ammo. So he has never shot that rifle. I want him to bring all 3 with him, this fall, if he can.

I traded for a set of dies for his WSM. Hoping to come up with the other componets before he gets here. I want him to take dies back with him, after we work on a load, that are set for that bullet. He has a friend that reloads. I'll see how his interest is in loading. If not I'll keep them and send him ammo.

I hope his rifle likes the 165's. I got about 400 of seconds on hand, and a couple hundred Hornady Interlocks, that I forgot I had.
Where he hunts a long shot is 125 yards.

 

[sask boy]

Too Tall those 165 will do just fine :wink: I shot them for WT and the animal was DRT. That was so long I think that I loaded using IMR3031.
Hope you get back to work soon and will then be able to get back at it with the shoot!!!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[rick smith]

The 165 BTs will kill any hog he sees. I have used the 125gr BTs in a couple different 30 cals any they sure killed all the hogs they met.
As far as setting the dies in your press and having him use them in another press might not generate the same results, probably won't. Teach him how to measure headspace and then he can readjust the dies if necessary.Rick.

 

[Guy Miner]

TT - I was thinking a little more on this, and I realized that from the same rifle, out to 300 yards, I have NO change in the point of impact between the 168 gr match bullet and the 165 gr Ballistic Tip.

I use the same powder charge for both too.

FWIW, Guy

 

[SJB358]

The 165 grain BTs may be far better than you imagine. I would be comfortable using them in a .308 for hogs. These are not massive animals, though they are tough. The 165 grain BT will penetrate the shoulder plate quite well.

After seeing how well they hold up for Guy, I wouldn't be a single bit scared running them in the 308 after hogs. Heck, at 2750 or so, I bet you couldn't do much better with a PT or AB anyhow. I ran a 150 SST from an SST through a decent black bear once, I was a little worried, but even the SST being a little softer worked just fine. I think you'd be doing him a great service loading the 165 BT.

 

[SJB358]

10 years ago I bought him a Browning Safari Grade BAR in .243, with a Leupod VXIII 3.5-10x40, NIB. Bought him 5 boxes of Winchester 100 grain ammo, and told him to shoot it up. Well he still has 2 boxes of that ammo. I ask him if he does not like the rifle, and he said "Oh yes, but I don't want to scratch it."
So I sent him a Model 70 Super Shadow in 7 WSM. Figured he couldn't hurt that. But at the time I could not afford any ammo. So he has never shot that rifle. I want him to bring all 3 with him, this fall, if he can.

I traded for a set of dies for his WSM. Hoping to come up with the other components before he gets here. I want him to take dies back with him, after we work on a load, that are set for that bullet. He has a friend that reloads. I'll see how his interest is in loading. If not I'll keep them and send him ammo.

I hope his rifle likes the 165's. I got about 400 of seconds on hand, and a couple hundred Hornady Interlocks, that I forgot I had.
Where he hunts a long shot is 125 yards.

That 7 WSM will be easy to get a load for. I haven't found much my Model 70 doesn't like and man, it seems to like just about every powder I have ever tried in it.

 

[Darkhorse]

Down here in Georgia hogs are a nuisance! Vermin! I've trapped them, caught them alive and shot a ton of them.
In the .308 Winchester I've only shot them with the 150 grain Hornady Interbond. Awesome performance even up real close. I would think the 165 Ballistic Tip would get the job done but don't expect pass throughs on a large Boar with shield.
By far, the majority of my hogs, including several around the 400 lb. mark have been taken with the Remington 7mm mag. using 154 grain Hornady interlocks loaded to the max. This combo really gets the job done. It's a tough bullet but even so I shot one real large boar at about 25 yards, the bullet penetrated the shield but didn't even make a mark on the inside of the ribcage opposite side. Didn't make much difference as the hog only made it about 50 yards.
Personally, I would try him out with that 7 WSM as I'm at heart a big 7 fan. You mentioned a couple hundred Hornady Interlocks?
What it boils down to in my book is which one he shoots the best and is most comfortable with. Some people find the sharp recoil of the .308 uncomfortable. Some people can't shoot a magnum.
Things can get interesting if you are hunting them on the ground instead of in a tree stand. Never underrate the amount of damage they can do to you in short time. When I'm trapping them or stalking through the thick bottoms I carry a old Ruger .44 Auto Carbine with Aimpoint. On my hip is a much used .44 Mag Super Blackhawk. Both stoked with 240 gr. softpoints with a max load of 2400. No hollow points here as I want max penetration.
That old pistol has taken several at pucker factor range over the years.

 

[Oldtrader3]

My grandson has a Browning A-Bolt, .280 Rem which he took to Texas last fall and killed (4) hogs with, weighing up to 350 pounds each. He was using 140 gr Ballistic Silver Tip handloads at 2950 fps (same as BT). He dropped one hog at about 300 yards and all four hogs were DRT with one bullet!

 

[HTDUCK]

The 165 BT will do just fine on hogs.
It's my "go to " bullet in the 308 for hunting.
Don't think I'd shoot an elk with one of them but for deer and hogs here at home?
I wouldn't hesitate.

H380 and Varget are your friends.

Howard

 

[russ808]

All we use here in 308 is 44 grains varget and 168 C.C.'s.
Russ

 

[JD338]

TT


The 165 gr BT would do just fine on a hog. You can always switch to a 165 gr AB or PT but the BT will work just fine at 308 Win speeds.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

All we use here in 308 is 44 grains varget and 168 C.C.'s.
Russ

I remembered you mentioned that before Russ. I can't remember using a CC on game, but you've told us that they do well. I'll believe that!

Guy

 

[Too Tall]

Gut, years ago a fellow we know, Ric, told use "Before Berger that's all I shot was CC from Nosler.".

 

[elkeater2]

The 165 BT will do just fine on hogs.
It's my "go to " bullet in the 308 for hunting.
Don't think I'd shoot an elk with one of them but for deer and hogs here at home?
I wouldn't hesitate.

H380 and Varget are your friends.

Howard

Dang! Those Texas elk must be super tough :lol: I'm still looking for the "super elk" that won't go belly up to something like a 165 BT out of a .308. Now, I know what with the prices for access and guided hunts and all, the temptation is there to justify a shot over 350 yds. on an elk moving or presenting less than an ideal angle. I know that some elk are shot close to hell-holes, where if they bail off an easy pack is turned into a nightmare. In more average conditions and at less than 350, that bullet is DESIGNED to work good at .308 velocities and will flatten an elk just fine. I hope that anyone who hunts the extremes and knows that non-ideal shots will be taken thinks first, practices a lot, and learns how to get out of the truck.

 

[FOTIS]

The 165 grain BTs may be far better than you imagine.

hell yes!

Look here! I would use them on elk in a heartbeat!!!!!!


viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18211

Got out with a favorite rifle today, and tested a favorite load & bullet, the same combination I used to take a young whitetail buck a few months ago.

Used the 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip from my .308 Win, loaded in a Federal case, with 45 grains of Varget and a CCI 200 BR primer. Muzzle velocity was 2750 fps in 48 degree temps today. Accuracy of the load is terrific from the 24" Krieger on my Rem 700 Green Machine. The water jugs were 20 yards distant:

Expanded diameter is .67" and retained weight is 112 grains. The bullet was recovered from the 5th jug and looks like a real nice mushroom to me. No wonder this bullet does so well on deer sized game. It's hardly the "fragile" bullet some label the Ballistic Tip. The B-Tip exited the young whitetail buck last November with a 2" high, 4" long exit wound through the ribcage after penetrating the on-side shoulder and dropping him instantly. He had been standing, quartering towards me, at about 70 yards.

A favorite bullet of mine for both accuracy and effect on target.

Guy