Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Round nose 180 grain in .308 Winchester

I shot two does Sunday and have my meat in the freezer. This was not exceptional hunting but I will no longer treat round nose bullets with disdain.

I have been using 165 grain Ballistic Tips for a long time. All my current .308 Winchester barrels have a 1 in 10 inch twist and I wanted to go to a heavier bullet. The round nose 180 grains fit in the magazine while allowing the maximum powder charge. I loaded up several brands, settling on the Sierra 180 grain round nose with its crimping groove for my Krieger barrel with the shorter throat. After changing scope mounts I got acceptable accuracy. So off I went to fill my freezer.

One doe was 150 yards away walking up a hill. The first hit her a bit high. She wasn't going anywhere but was still standing. At the second shot through the lungs she collapsed on her forelegs then rolled down the hill.

The second doe was in the woods about 50 yards away. She collapsed in her tracks at the shot. The round nose bullet broke both shoulders and took out part of the lungs. It left a large exit hole.

These were both large does. My guide was very impressed. "Hammered" was the term he used. He said most of the deer he sees shot go about 50 yards after being shot.

These seem to provide penetration, exit holes, expansion and shock just like the books say. I can't tell if they allow a blood trail because there is no trail.

I know that the military went from round nose to spitzer bullets for long range machinegun and massed rifle fire. The military bullet is designed to wound and all the bullet debate is about designing pointed bullets that perform well for hunting.

As near as I can tell I am just as well off staying with the original round nose bullets at the ranges I will be hunting.

GrimJim

I have been using RN bullets for a lot of years and the 180 gr, 30 cal in a .308 killed quite a few elk before I went to the .06 and 220 gr RN.
Most guys who bad mouth the RN have never tried them.

Truth be known they are usually just as accurate as the pointy bullets out to 300+ yards

Lots of good projectiles out there. I think one reason the .30-30 and others like it seem to have on target performance above their paper ballistics is the RN or FN projectiles they use. I have no evidence to support this, it is just a hunch. Same goes for handgun rounds.

I like them in a .308 for the very performance you listed. The 06 gets same results.

For the shorter ranges you can not beat a round nose. Good penatration and good expansion. Whats not to like.

That is why I use the 154's in my 7mm-08. In my neck of the woods, 150 yds is a long shot and these perform very well.

I ran the 154 grain RN through my old 7/08 a few years back. I recall they worked very well on whitetails.

Okay, I'm going to be the A-hole here and ask a few questions. I own and shoot a .308, among other guns, and if shooting nothing but whitetails, I can't see where bullet wt. is a huge deal on whitetail deer, with anything other than really marginal bullet placement. At anything from 50 yards to 200 yards, +/-, if your .308 is shooting where you are pointing it, it's a dead deer. I have 125 BT's up to 190 Hornadys loaded and have shot deer with each, and everything in between. A .308 is a fine deer gun, but a heck of a lot more than is needed. Secondly, why would one intentionally shoot a deer through both shoulders, ruining a heck of a lot of good meat, unless it was to drop said deer on the spot so it didn't die on someone else's property? Well shot through the lungs/heart, you have a dead deer within 75 yards for the most part. Not looking to pick a fight or start an arguement, but....?

If your animal killing is at 300 yards or less, you're certainly not giving away anything as far as trajectory goes and you're gaining a lot in trauma.

Answers for the killjoys on the forum:

The heavier bullets fit the faster twist.

I have plenty of meat now. The real meat loss was in the exit hole through the ribs on the lung shot on the first doe, which did not run 75 yards.

Cheers,

GrimJim

I've been using 175 Hornady in my 7x57 @2450fps for several years now. I use it on deer and hogs when I know my shots will be under 150yds or so. Which BTW, is about 90% of my hunting. It opens Well and at that speed doesn't destroy much meat. Heck, I've even loaded some in my 280, at the same speed, just to use it! capt david

use what you like to get the job done no big deal