Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 155 Lapua Scenar in 308 Terminal Performance

Greetings Gents,

I hate to ask another 155 Lapua Scenar question, but I’m concerned with speed and terminal performance.

If I missed the thread just drop a link.

There’s not one photo on the web showing this Bullet expanding.

How is is such an effective killer?
What is the usable FPS range to get the performance?
Do they frag like Berger’s?
Is the tumbling doing the killing?
Is anyone trimming or drilling the HP to help it with terminal performance?
Suggestion on a short barrel load and what is a realistic expectation from a 16.5 inch barrel. I have TAC, 4064, Varget, 748 and VV N540 and Lapua, RP, FC and Starline for 308 brass.

JB

I would like to know these answers as well, Scenarshooter, you listening?

I see BlueJay and I are both in NC. I won't pretend to know his intent but I live on the coast and would like to know the same things he asked but in reference to the 243. Deer here are pretty small and I think the a scenar load would be just the ticket.

OGB. I don’t want a lot of fragments. My strategy for the past few seasons has been to neck shoot inside 100 and neck shoulder junction from 100-300. All hits rely on hitting or nicking the spine. I like how much meat I save that way.

Got it. I tend to view match bullets with suspicion for hunting but there seems to be a lot of people using them with success. I eat deer from nose to tail and don't want an acre of bloodshot meat either. I have seen a few deer dropped neatly with 77gr match bullets out of ARs. I'm a lung shot guy and my issue with little/match bullets is the lack of blood trail.

I just started loading these and have not taken any game with them yet, but here is my theory based on the hundreds of success stories posted. I may completely full of sh!+, but here it goes.

Obviously, this is a match bullet and it appears that Lapua tried to give it the highest BC of the 155g bullets by putting in the footprint of a 168g bullet. They did this by making it less dense by using a high antimony core and a putting a large hollow cavity in the front. I think that combo also happened to make it a pretty good game bullet by accident.

Almost all accounts of this bullet on game are pass throughs, likely because of the very hard core - similar to a mono. So, not at all like a Berger, which tends to explode and likely has a very soft core. The sectioned bullets (scenars and bergers) actually look similar with similar jacket thickness, so the difference must be in the core hardness.

I think the main difference with the scenar on game is the large hollow front area, which becomes a wadcutter as it tears through flush, causing much more trauma than if the nose were solid. I haven't seen any pics of the scenar that show a classic "mushroom", but suspect the larger 30 cal plus the flat wadcutter front create make an adequate wound channel, if not a true "mushroom".

I suspect the size of the hollow cavity varies with the class of bullet, and assume the ones with the larger cavity and thus, flatter nose, perform better on game. I have heard of Sierra Matchkings "penciling" through game without expansion. I suspect these are also very hard bullets like a scenar, with the main difference being no hollow nose on the Matchking.

I also noticed that when I shoot into a rubber mat with cardboard behind, other bullets like Nosler AB and BTs leave little shrapnel around the bullet hole on cardboard behind. The scenars do not, again probably because of the hard core.

There are few pictures of expanded Scenars in the Scenar thread, but there are a LOT of descriptions of internal damage, which is probably more important.


Okie John

Not using them in .308, but the 123gr 6.5 from a Swede has wrecked a pronghorn in Wyoming and two deer here in the past two years, at ranges from 100-275 yards. No bullets recovered, but short, easy to follow blood trails.

I run 155 Scenar’s @ 2900 in my 308, 22”. Each kill has been 1 shot DRT’s. No tracking.

I have been very impressed with their performance. Look up ScenarShooter’s posts. That will tell you all you need to know. His last bullet purchase was a 6000 ct box of them.

LOL

My first thousand just arrived. I asked the question so I could place a limit on myself with this bullet.

What is acceptable minimum impact velocity?

I’m starting with a 16.5 inch barrel. 2675-2700 is prob the most I can get out of this barrel. I’m really wanting to use 4064 but if I have to use Varget... so be it. Any suggestions.

Which one did you get the old Scenar or the Scenar-L? I have some of the older Scenars but was curious if the newer version shot any different.