Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Factory Load Recommendations for Tikka T3 in 308

I ended up with one from Whitaker's and want to try some factory loads.

Anybody have some useful information.

Thanks. donsm70

Factory loads for what purpose?

Good deer load at a moderate price? Hornady American Whitetail 150 grain Interlock

How precise is the rifle? Federal 168 match, standard velocity Hornady 168 match, Norma 168 match

Thanks. I am looking more for deer loads.

Is there any practical reason for 150 gr bullets to shoot better than 165s?

donsm70

Match shooters like the heavier bullets because they resist wind drift better at extreme ranges.

The 308 is fine for deer with pretty much any 150-grain bullet.


Okie John

Hornady American Whitetail has shot good groups in every rifle I've tried it in, as has Winchester/Olin Power-Max Bonded.

For the deer ammo I specified the 150 grain Hornady load because I've put several friends onto it for their 308's and all liked it. I can't imagine why the 165 grain version wouldn't be great as well.

Remington express 150 gr psp corelokts have been accurate in any .308 I've tried them.

My current hunting choice is the Federal Fusion 165 gr load. Not quite as accurate as the 150 Rem, but close enough and I like the heavier bullets. I've taken deer with both, but the 150s didn't always exit on larger whitetails. So far the 165s have always left holes in both sides which I prefer. Never lost a deer due to the 150s, but just like better penetration.

Thanks guys;

That's the kind of stuff I was looking for.

I shot some 165 gr Federal Premium with Sierra Gamekings this afternoon. Very positive results, but I did not want to go this heavy on the bullets.

I was bound and determined NOT to reload the .308 but, just for fun, has anyone tried Barnes 150 gr TTSX for reloading?

donsm70

I would recommend Federal Vital-Shok 165gr Trophy Copper for your .308 Win. I shot a mule deer in 2015 at 341 yards using that ammunition and punched a hole through the heart. Here's how it shoots from the rifle I used for that hunt. Federal offers a 150gr version too but I haven't tried that load. As for Barnes, I work up loads for all my hunting rifles using Barnes TTSX bullets. I like the 165gr bullets in my Kimber 84M Montana (.308 Win) with 5-shot groups typically in the .75" range or better. I show a target here.

Here's a 3-shot group using the Federal Vital-Shok 165gr Trophy Copper load ...



... and a 5-shot group with the same load.




Here are some expanded 165gr TC bullets from the sand berm behind my target.

Nice! Thank you. I will give them a try.

donsm70

Federal Fusion 150 grain shoot well.

Barnes has a 130 TTSX load. Then the 50 round boxes of 155 Lapua Scenars. Not to mention 168 ELDX and 178 ELDM.


And folks say 308's are boring.

Thanks to all that have replied.

donsm70

Freedom Munitions in Idaho has new ammo with 168 Amax using FC brass. $17 a box and shoots well in two 308's.

Hornady 168 AMAX match is a one-holer with my Tikka in 308.

Federal Blue box 150 grain