Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 308 Win - Best whitetail bullet for short to medium range

While all the above bullets will get the job done. I use the 125gr Ballistic tip in WW brass with 51.5gr of W748. Results on Muledeer are very much like 130gr 270.

This!!^^^^

Thanks, Tom

Nosler 125 grain Accubond. Accuracy typical of a Ballistic Tip. Performance/penetration comparable to the Partition. Near and far capability.

There are certainly folks here that have loaded far longer than me, I started in 1992, but if my shots topped out at 200 yards I would buy the cheapest ammo on the shelf and go hunt.

Keep leaning towards the Partitions.

Up until the last few years, western New York State required the use of shotguns and slugs for deer, so most of us grew up shooting our deer at well under 100 yards.
Now, most the region is rifle country. It is interesting to see the impact this has had. Most hunters have shifted to rifles to take their whitetail. While gangs driving the woods was once the norm, it is now rare to see. On the other hand, raised stands have become hugely popular, along with lots of tactical rifles and calibers capable of shooting across canyons we don't have.
I'm guessing tons of premium bullets are used every year to take whitetails at 40 or 50 yards in place of the reliable old 1 ounce foster slug.
I took a nice 7 point with a 150 gr Partion last fall on a standing broadside shot at 30-35 yards. Wouldn't have been a challenge for my old slug gun. Results would have been no different using virtually any 150-180 gr bullet out of my old 1899 Savage.
Good accuracy was the only important factor.

My Whitetail bullet of choice is the Sierra 150 grain ProHunter over a case full of 4064. Its worked on deer from Mexico to Canada.

Hard to go too wrong here. My current .308 likes 165gr NAB blems maybe a touch better than BTs. Still struggling with 150s for some reason in that one.

My 165s go over 41-42gr of RL15 in either LC or WW brass, CCI BR2s or F210s of either type.

By all means lurk on SPS if you fancy Noslers. I've scored big there, not just on blems, but overruns too. $20 is a good deal for 150gr NPs.

Best bullet ever made for whitetails......Cutting Edge Bullets 308 100gr. Flat Base Raptor....most deer are DRT....I know of 2 300 lbs. black bears shot with this bullet in 300 BO at 2520 fps....

https://cuttingedgebullets.com/308-100gr-flat-base-raptor

18.5" barrel... Reloader 7 40.5 gr..... 3120 fps

Lots of good advice here. I'd stick with 150-165g and go kill deer. Me personal preference would be Nosler or Hornady.

if 30/30 ranges, use 30/30 bullets...

I'd load a Speer 150 grain FN....

but I think different than most folks it seems...

You could try the trophy Bonded tipped Bear Claw

I put a 18" AR10 together in 308 just in time for deer season this year. Tested 125 grain Sierra Tipped Matchkings and 178 Hornady ELDX. Both shot awesome with XBR8208, got drops and group test out to 500 yards with the 125s and out to 900 yards with the 178s. Then went on to test them on whitetail deer this year.
Both bullets were impressive on MS whitetails.
125s didnt disappoint one bit. 75 yards to 465 yards. None exited and no tracking required on any of them
178s did about like expected which was good. 125-450 was the shots taken with them. Only had to track one but it was my fault.

Cutting Edge Bullets.

A bit different, but effective. Sorta expensive, but how many do you actually shoot at deer...

DRT on hogs and WT's, very accurate.

I've posted this one before. Just another consideration.

DF

My BIL in East Tx has used a Mod 742 .308 with Sierra 150 sbt for over 40 yrs. My hunting buddy here in Utah has used a Browning BLR .308 since 1970 with the Remington 150 Corlokt. he handloads but not that hot. He has killed gobs of mule deer, elk and one big cow bison! I used the 150 Corlokt ina .308 Ruger UL in the mid 80's on East Tx deer and the Nosler 165 BT in a .308 FWT on a big axis buck in the mid 90s. I handloaded the Hornady 150 Spire point for a 30-06 friend on those same East tx deer too.