Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Best 308 deer load

What's your favorite factory 308 deer load?

FACTORY loadings

And the 180grainers

150gn Nosler Accubond & 51.5gns Alliant PowerPro 2000-MR.

165 gr Federal Fusion.

I like a little heavier bullet to ensure exit wounds (but don't feel need to go to 180 gr). I've had 150 gr cup and core bullets fail to exit on deer.

Haven't tried all the 165 gr loads available these days. Don't want to pay premium ammo prices. Don't need boat tails.

Did try the Federal Premium Vital-Shok 165 Grain Sierra GameKing Soft Point Boat Tail ammo a number of years ago. Killed deer ok. Looked like a grenade went off in chest, blood everywhere - may be a little too soft, and $10 more a box than the Fusions.

Fusions are easy to find, reasonably priced, and work well. Haven't felt any need to experiment with others, although there seem to be a lot more factory 165 gr options than there were 8 or 10 yrs ago.

I've used a variety of C&C bullets on deer over the years. The majority in my 308 have been 180gr Hornady SPs.

I have been using Federal Power Shok (AKA Blue Box) or Fusion 150s and have been happy with both.

165 BT / 45.6gr Varget

150 Gameking with H4895

The 150's don't give complete penetration all the time in an '06 or a .308. Back a bunch of years ago when I hunted with a group, I switched the entire camp over to the 180 grain Remington round nose Core-Lokt and we never lost another deer. It was the bullet of choice for the Benoit tracking guys for a lot of years before they switched to Hornady SST's. That Remington round nose bullet opens fast and being 180 grain, penetrates through and through. Personally I think that the 165 grain bullet is ideal in a .308 for deer size game. My biggest buck fell to a 165 grain Hornady Interlock out of my .308 and I had a great blood trail starting only a couple of yards from where he'd been hit. That Hornady was more accurate out of my rifle than the Remington, but both of those would be on my short list for a .308 deer bullet.

Federal Fusion 150 or 165 gr. Whichever shoots better in your rifle.

My favorite factory load is the Hornady 150 gr Whitetail. Other-wise Varget and 150 Horn. or Nos BT.

130 grain Barnes TSX over Varget at 3150 FPS!. Very accurate. Makes two holes every time. Does a nice job wrecking what t hits. Goes straight on the way through every time, never seen one deflect. Well and truly head and shoulders above anything I have ever seen in a 308 for deer.

Opinions on the 180 grain factory loads?

They're packing about fifteen grains more than I prefer.

Never figured out a reason to use 180's for deer, unless of course someone gave me 10 cases of 180's.

Guess if I had to try a 180 for deer in the 308, I'd pick up a box of Winchester 180gr Power Points

It was only the 10 boxes of '60s era Silvertips, but that's pretty well how 180s got used for a few seasons in my 308. They worked ok.

I shot my first whitetail in 1974 with a 180gr. Hornady RN handload in .308, the buck only went 20yds. or so. Since then I have gone to 165gr. Nosler Balliistic Tip which is what I'll be shooting this fall in my .30-06.

Agreed. I use 150 Power Shoks or Core Lokts in my 308. 180's have 30 grains more bullet than I want.

I used 180s cuz they shoot well in a 308 Carbine I own. That load could have doubled as a moose load as well.

I _never_ felt that the 150 Corelokt was inadequate for deer. Always had pass throughs. Then again, I did not aim for the shoulder.

165 BT. Open up well and will shoot through any deer from any angle. Most always bang flops.


Lefty C