Gotta be head hunters to be shooting double shoulders on something as small as a deer!
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308 Bullet Selection
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liltank
Well-Known Member
There are lots of fancy bullets out there. The old fashioned soft tip hunting bullets always work. The Speer Hot-Cor, Sierra Game Kings. Heck the Speer, Sierra, and Hornady Rnd nose will get the job done and pass through. I will say, we have had good luck with the 168 Nosler Ballistic tip and the Federal Accent.
My four sons and I have hunted in the East and out West with a 243, 7mm-08 , 270, 308 and 30-06. I used a 30-06 in the PA woods and Mississippi bottom land with Hawk 165 grain Round Tips with .030 jacket and those bullets will anchor Whitetail deer, complete penetration, and large wound channels. After my sons started to hunt, we went hunting out West. One of my sons used the same 165 Grain Hawk load on his first deer, a Mulie doe at 200 yds in Montana. That deer dropped at the shot and didn't even kick. The shot was broadside, and the bullet took off top of the heart, complete penetration and left a very large wound channel. Muzzle velocity was only 2600-2650 fps.
After my sons had matured, we switched over to Hornady 165 grain SST's as the ranges were increasing. We loaded those 165 gr SST's to 2850-2875 fps with max charges of IMR 4350. Those SST's worked fine on Mule Deer at all ranges from 200 yds to 350 yds.
Later we tried Berger 175 gr VLD hunting bullets in the 30-06 and are still using those. The accuracy and high BC's have worked very well on Mule Deer and antelope, good wound channels and complete penetration. The 30-06's we were using were a Rem 700 and a Sako Finnbear, 22- and 24-inch barrels respectively. Both guns have since been re-barreled.
One of my sons later to switched to Barnes 168 TSX, now Tipped TSX bullets and has good luck shooting those in 30-06 Ackley Improved at approx. 2900 fps. Always complete penetration and some good wound channels especially if heavy muscle and bones are tagged.
A friend of mine in MS used a 7 mm Rem Mag for years with Remington 140 grain factory ammo on Whitetails and was very satisfied with its killing power. One year he decided to use his Ruger 77 Ultra Lite, 20-inch barrel in a 30-06. Most of hunting in that area was from tree stands and the short barrel was handy. He was trying to decide what bullet weight ammo to buy for the 30-06.
I had acquired some Federal 125 grain 30-06 ammo and gave him a box. In Southwest MS, ranges were 100-250 yds often near food plots. When hunting in Ag areas and you do not want the deer to run as its a pain to track them in the thickets early in the hunting season. He was so impressed with that Federal 30-06, 125 grain ammo, he used exclusively and never had a deer travel more than 10 -20 yds after being hit. He would get complete penetration on most broadside shots. I only saw one instance when he didn't get complete penetration on a broadside shot, and it was a very large 8 pt that weighed 225 lbs. dressed at the butcher. That big buck dropped at the shot and did not move. He shot a whitetail doe once at 190- 200 yds as it faced him striking it high the chest. He found the bullet in the left rear ham and the jacket had just separated from core and it weighed 60 grains. That shot penetrated almost the entire length of the deer, and it dropped so fast he thought he missed it. I believe that Federal loaded the Speer or Sierra Pro Hunter 125gr soft point bullets in those factory loads, which are both cup and core bullets that are not bonded.
I used that Federal 30-06 125 grain load once in MS on a small whitetail spike in a food plot at approx. 105 yds. I hit it on the point of the shoulder as it was quartering toward me. It flattened the animal, it got up on 3 legs, hopped twice and fell over dead. The bullets did not exit. The lungs and heart were shredded by bone fragments. I used a 308 with a 165 grain Amax on antelope last year and it worked fine, but I wouldn't use that load on deer as the jacket is very thin.
For your 308 in the Southwest, the 165 grain SST will work fine as they expand quickly and the Interlock Ring will maintain some weight for good penetration. As was previously stated, the Sierra Gamekings and Berger Hunting VLD's will also work very well. I have also had good luck with plain Speer Hotcor 130 gr bullets in the 270. In the 308, I would also try the Nosler 125 grain Accubond ammo as it will shoot flat with higher velocity, and would probably work as well or better than the 30-06 with Federal 125 grain factory ammo.
801 Words
After my sons had matured, we switched over to Hornady 165 grain SST's as the ranges were increasing. We loaded those 165 gr SST's to 2850-2875 fps with max charges of IMR 4350. Those SST's worked fine on Mule Deer at all ranges from 200 yds to 350 yds.
Later we tried Berger 175 gr VLD hunting bullets in the 30-06 and are still using those. The accuracy and high BC's have worked very well on Mule Deer and antelope, good wound channels and complete penetration. The 30-06's we were using were a Rem 700 and a Sako Finnbear, 22- and 24-inch barrels respectively. Both guns have since been re-barreled.
One of my sons later to switched to Barnes 168 TSX, now Tipped TSX bullets and has good luck shooting those in 30-06 Ackley Improved at approx. 2900 fps. Always complete penetration and some good wound channels especially if heavy muscle and bones are tagged.
A friend of mine in MS used a 7 mm Rem Mag for years with Remington 140 grain factory ammo on Whitetails and was very satisfied with its killing power. One year he decided to use his Ruger 77 Ultra Lite, 20-inch barrel in a 30-06. Most of hunting in that area was from tree stands and the short barrel was handy. He was trying to decide what bullet weight ammo to buy for the 30-06.
I had acquired some Federal 125 grain 30-06 ammo and gave him a box. In Southwest MS, ranges were 100-250 yds often near food plots. When hunting in Ag areas and you do not want the deer to run as its a pain to track them in the thickets early in the hunting season. He was so impressed with that Federal 30-06, 125 grain ammo, he used exclusively and never had a deer travel more than 10 -20 yds after being hit. He would get complete penetration on most broadside shots. I only saw one instance when he didn't get complete penetration on a broadside shot, and it was a very large 8 pt that weighed 225 lbs. dressed at the butcher. That big buck dropped at the shot and did not move. He shot a whitetail doe once at 190- 200 yds as it faced him striking it high the chest. He found the bullet in the left rear ham and the jacket had just separated from core and it weighed 60 grains. That shot penetrated almost the entire length of the deer, and it dropped so fast he thought he missed it. I believe that Federal loaded the Speer or Sierra Pro Hunter 125gr soft point bullets in those factory loads, which are both cup and core bullets that are not bonded.
I used that Federal 30-06 125 grain load once in MS on a small whitetail spike in a food plot at approx. 105 yds. I hit it on the point of the shoulder as it was quartering toward me. It flattened the animal, it got up on 3 legs, hopped twice and fell over dead. The bullets did not exit. The lungs and heart were shredded by bone fragments. I used a 308 with a 165 grain Amax on antelope last year and it worked fine, but I wouldn't use that load on deer as the jacket is very thin.
For your 308 in the Southwest, the 165 grain SST will work fine as they expand quickly and the Interlock Ring will maintain some weight for good penetration. As was previously stated, the Sierra Gamekings and Berger Hunting VLD's will also work very well. I have also had good luck with plain Speer Hotcor 130 gr bullets in the 270. In the 308, I would also try the Nosler 125 grain Accubond ammo as it will shoot flat with higher velocity, and would probably work as well or better than the 30-06 with Federal 125 grain factory ammo.
801 Words
Laguna Freak
Well-Known Member
Timeless…
Wow!! I posted this just a few days ago. Been up in the mountains for several days and how cool to come back and see all the input. Thanks to everyone for sharing experiences, certainly lots to choose from for sure. This forum never ceases to amaze for knowledge, willingness to share, encouragement, etc. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to contribute, I will report back.
Thanks!
Chris
Thanks!
Chris
