Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What Bullet For a .308 for Deer and Black Bear?

The.308 will only be used to hunt deer and black bear and that is it. Shots will be 50 to 400 yards. Nosler Partition 150gr, 180gr, TSX 150gr, 165gr?


Thanks

my vote is whatever 165/168 your gun likes best with IMR4064, Varget, or RL15. I like Nosler myself.

+1

I have ben using 165 gr ballistic tips and accubonds...Almost interchangbly. 46 or so grains gives me about 2725 with Lapua brass & 210 primers.

Lefty

180 or 200 NP.

165 NPT w/book max loads of I-4064, killed lotsa both w/that load.-Muddy

Yep Whatever 150 or 165 your rifle likes. Good old Hornady Interlocks would be my first choice.

That's about all it will work on, providing they aren't very big critters.

The 165 gr Hornady flatbase Interlock.

165 Hornady Spire point boat tail. Or 165gr Nosler Partition SPS seconds.

I use Accubonds in my 308. Only because I wanted to try them.

I then discovered they group crazy good, so stuck with them.

Can't go wrong with a NP or TSX.....

155 Scenar or 168 BT.

You'd have a harder time finding a bullet that DIDN'T work. Partitions are the old reliable, Hornadys are damn near as good, Ballistic Tips are deadly and accurate, not much is going to walk away from a Sierra-Haven't shot anything with a Barnes in 20 years so can't speak to them-

Agreed. Most any decent bullet will do.

My old 788 likes the supply of 165 SGKs I have. Shoots 'em into a half inch with boring consistency. No problems with any deer or blackie.

Yeah, a 308 with a good 150 or 165 gr. Partition or Interlock won't kill an Elk............(grin)

Can't speak to Bear, but deer are easy. Anything you put in a .308 will be more than enough. Most shoot well too. I'd personally like to shoot some Berger VLDs at deer.

155gr Scenar

Hornady, Sierra, Speer. 100ct boxes are your friend, and the bullets will work great, shoot well, and kill stuff as close to dead as a 308 can get 'em.

Figure out which bullet weight first the rifle likes. I have found the 165/168 weight class works in numerous 308 and 30.06 rifles so I tend to stay with those weights. My first choice is the 165 Hornady BTSP. It's a great bullet.

I'd grab a can of varget and a bunch of 165 grainers and then figure out which one your rifle likes best.

For what it's worth I just shot a running doe in the guts and liver. Found the thing to boot! One small hole in and a really 1 inch hole going out. Bullet was a 165 grain hornady interbond. Would probably shoot .3 inch groups if I could hold the rifle well enough.

165 if shots are longer but for shorter shots the 180 RN is tough to beat