.308 Win for whitetails
- Thread starter Matt N.
- Start date
50vmaxshooter
Member
Hornady super performance 150 sst.
2muchgun
New member
After re-reading this thread, one thing became apparent.
It is good to see you all don't bother loading up the 180s for deer. It is soooooo not necessary. Even with a soft point. The guys I hunt with all use 180s in their 308s and 30-06s. Unlike me, most of them hunt out of "shacks". At least the guys I hunt up north with do.
Even if you wanted to hunt something larger than deer, like blackies or elk, given todays bullet technology, a 180 still is not needed IMO. My bud tipped an elk over with one shot with the 165gr TSXs I loaded for him. (Maybe they were 168s?)
I sighted in a Ruger compact for a guy a couple years back. He bought it because it was very maneuverable in his hunting shack. Of course, he had all 180gr offerings. Man did that little puppy bark. I'm not recoil shy at all, but that little compact with 180s was as bad or worse IMO as the 8.5 lb. 300 Ultra Mag I dialed in. Short tube, no weight. 150s would do him just fine. Or a 110 or 130 TSX. Then he could get the best of both worlds. Even though the noise bothers me more than the recoil.
It may be highly maneuverable in his blind, but it may well make him go deaf when he touches one off in there. Short tubes with heavy bullets/hunting shacks aren't a good combo in my eyes. I'd much rather my shoulder absorb recoil than my ear drums..........
It is good to see you all don't bother loading up the 180s for deer. It is soooooo not necessary. Even with a soft point. The guys I hunt with all use 180s in their 308s and 30-06s. Unlike me, most of them hunt out of "shacks". At least the guys I hunt up north with do.
Even if you wanted to hunt something larger than deer, like blackies or elk, given todays bullet technology, a 180 still is not needed IMO. My bud tipped an elk over with one shot with the 165gr TSXs I loaded for him. (Maybe they were 168s?)
I sighted in a Ruger compact for a guy a couple years back. He bought it because it was very maneuverable in his hunting shack. Of course, he had all 180gr offerings. Man did that little puppy bark. I'm not recoil shy at all, but that little compact with 180s was as bad or worse IMO as the 8.5 lb. 300 Ultra Mag I dialed in. Short tube, no weight. 150s would do him just fine. Or a 110 or 130 TSX. Then he could get the best of both worlds. Even though the noise bothers me more than the recoil.
It may be highly maneuverable in his blind, but it may well make him go deaf when he touches one off in there. Short tubes with heavy bullets/hunting shacks aren't a good combo in my eyes. I'd much rather my shoulder absorb recoil than my ear drums..........
Ken, O am a huge fan of the 165 gr Sierra GK HPBT. Those 'skived' HPs seem to make for a great expansion and they're accurate, typical of Sierra IME.
I shot some 180s in my Rem 760 before...that was quite a snap. No weight to soak any recoil...so I've stuck with the 165s.
I shot some 180s in my Rem 760 before...that was quite a snap. No weight to soak any recoil...so I've stuck with the 165s.
DGW
New member
FWIW, a fellow range member who has a decent reputation for shooting on our 600 yd range took one of his 308 rifles deer hunting last weekend. He tried one of his 308 loads with Berger 168gr VLD bullets on two whitetail bucks.
Said, he'd shot a lot deer over the years and never had two deer drop so quick/fast. Basically, they both just dropped in their tracks when struck by the VLD I asked him where did the bullet hit, he replied, "both in the heart", "fairly large entry hole on side of deer and no exit hole, the bullet just exploded." Sorry, don't recall him mentioning the distances of his shots.
Said, he'd shot a lot deer over the years and never had two deer drop so quick/fast. Basically, they both just dropped in their tracks when struck by the VLD I asked him where did the bullet hit, he replied, "both in the heart", "fairly large entry hole on side of deer and no exit hole, the bullet just exploded." Sorry, don't recall him mentioning the distances of his shots.