I need a quick opinion.

[4ked Horn]

I am scrambling to get ready for deer season on sunday. I have drops confirmed on one single load for my .308 at this time.

This question is aimed at the SMK crowd. I'm not interested in a long drawn out discussion.

Thanks for your input guys.

Question: Nosler 168 gr J4 from my .308 for pump house shots on white tails in open hillside country? Yes or no and if yes how far? I've got confidence in the accuracy of my drops in mild wind out to 500.

Again thanks guys for the quick response.

 

[sewwhat89]

I am going to be shooting the same bullet in my SAUM late in the season to test myself. I would not hesitate to shoot a deer with it out to 500 yards with a 308. The problem I have and most close to me have with hunting with smk style bullets, is when you use small for caliber match bullets. I someone was using 130smk in a 7RM, I have a problem with that, but 168 NCC in a 308 . . . no problem.

The only deer I have seen my Uncle kill was with a 155smk out of a 308 at about 150 yards. One hole in; one hole out.

 

[Ian M]

Horn,
The only problem with shooting deer with J4's is cleaning your hands after you finish gutting. Take along some water and rags. J4's don't explode on contact, bounce-off, arrow-through like an arrow, or cause warts or whatever the guys who have never shot them claim. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[jb1000br]

git 'r done!

and of course take pics and report back /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[4ked Horn]

Thank you soooooo much for the replies. You have no idea how much time and worry this saves me. I know the J4 has a somewhat thin jacket but I figured this would still do the trick on whitetails. If I had my way I would be flinging wildcats at deer this season but the summer has slipped by with almost zero trigger time so it's the NCCs for now.

You guys are great.

Stand by for pictures (crossing fingers between keystrokes.)

 

[Bob S.]

You got no trigger time cause you were lounging at the lake! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Now go kill something and take some pics of the damage.

 

[Fiftydriver]

4ked Horn,

My only advice is if you get a close range shot, keep the impact off the onside shoulder knuckle with the match type bullets.

In your case you are basically driving 170 gr of bullet at moderate velocities and more then likely you would not have a problem even if you did impact the onside shoulder but at close range why bother, with the accuracy of your rifle slipping the shot just behind the shoulder will be easy.

The farther the range the better the J-4 performs on game as far as expansion and weight retention to a point at least.


FOr deer size game with this caliber, bullet weight and chambering, it is a very quality choice in my opinion.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[gonehuntingagain]

That's good to know Kirby because I am now in the same boat as 4ked. I have the stoney point target turrets on my el-cheapo simmons scope and it has worked well for me over the last several years. I got to the hill this morning, and checked my turrets on my 300WM. The windage turret looked like it was off 1 click and when I turned it back the whole turret moved - it's not supposed to do that. After looking at it for a couple minutes, I knew I was screwed. I came home and checked it out - something broke and the only way the turret on the scope (not the stoney point turret) could be tightened was to screw the windage all the way in. So now I have to use my Rem700 VSLH 308/Leupold Vari-X III with the Nosler 168 J4's - they are what the rifle is sighted in for and I have the drops on them. The shots should be between 300 and 500 yards. If it is going to be a 50 yard shot, I'll shoot the deer with the 44 mag.

 

[4ked Horn]

[ QUOTE ]
You got no trigger time cause you were lounging at the lake!

[/ QUOTE ]

It was either time at the lake having fun on the waverunners or laying in the dust and watching for buzz worms. Hmmm? Seemed like a easy choice at the time but it did put me behind for hunting season. Maybe next year I will try to hit a better balance between the two.

 

[4ked Horn]

Read you loud and clear Kirby. Thanks.

P.S. tell richard I haven't forgotten about him and the bullets he sent me to test. I really have been busy at work and with other family stuff. I haven't had time to even resize and prime any brass for the testing. But when I do I will be in contact with him.

Let him know I hope his harvest went well and I hope all is well with him.

 

[Guest]

4ked,

I killed a very nice 6 point Whitetail 2 years ago with the Nosler J4 the range was 78 yards and the velocity of my 308 is 2750. The bullet hit where in tended and exited with a 2.5" Exit wound the deer took 6 steps and piled up.

No worries, rest easy, you'll be fine.

 

[4ked Horn]

Thanks as well Ric. This is one of things where I thought I was doing all this load development for a bullet that was an equivalent of the SMK only to find out later what a J4 jacket was exactly. I first thought it was a cool name for the bullet line but then found out it was the name for a .010" thick target bullet jacket. Learning that it was not exactly a SMK gave me just enough doubt that I thought I should ask the more experienced hunters in the SMK field.

I sat in two spots yesterday with shooting lanes reaching out to around 490 yards with good backstops and open areas all around. The other hunters in the group circled around and downhill with the intentions of shooting deer that they encountered or pushing the deer up into my shooting lanes. Unfortunately none were seen by anyone. This may be due to the fact that there were more hunters in this area then I had ever seen in any area in my life. HEAVY pressure and bright moonlit nights seem to be causing the deer to move out of the area well after sunset. No hunter we talked to had seen a thing moving and we only saw two hunters all day with meat in the truck.

I think I will try a different spot but with the info you guys kicked back to me I will use the J4s with confidence untill I get the wildcats dialed in.