Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 125gr. BT out of .308 Win?

Load advice, and advice on using this combo for whitetail deer? out of a short barrel (18.5") .308 win.

Thanks
HeavyBarrel

I think the 130 grain Barnes TTSX would be a better choice. Mine likes 4895 and CCI Benchrest primers.

Id stay away from a varmint bullet for deer, they tend to explode on contact, lightest id go would be 150BT, my 308s like the 155AMAX, a Match bullet but will do a number on deer, 47grs RE15.

Most 125 Gr. .308 bullets are of Varmint construction , plus they have very poor SD as they are flat based and very short . There is a plethora of .308 bullets suitable for deer . The Barnes would work , but then so would a 150 Gr. Cup And Core bullet from any of the manufacturers . At about 1/4 the price of the Barnes , the deer won't be able to tell the difference !

I used to use that bullet out of my .308 for chucks. very explosive around 3000 f.p.s. Of course, these were older B-tips, not sure if construction is the same now. Wouldn't think of using them on deer, as I am sure penetration would be minimal. If downloaded, they might work better, I've seen them used effectively out of .30-30 contenders at about 2400 f.p.s.

Reloader 15 or Varget. Easy to get 3100 fps with good accuracy, but the barrel on my rifle is longer than yours.

The 125 Nosler Ballistic Tip is a deer-capable bullet.

While still on the soft side at the velocity a 308 can generate, the 125 Bal Tip is not of varmint construction. And it's sleeker than you think, it's BC is higher than both the flat base and boat tail 150 grain Interlock.

I'd look into powders like RL7, N133 and even 4198. Not because of the oft repeated myth that short barrels need faster powders for maximum velocity, but because substantial velocity can be obtained with noticeably lower charge weights than typical 308 powders. The muzzle blast will be lessened a good bit.

I'm just courious, why do you want such a ligh bullet in a 308?

So is the 22lr. Ill bring my Anschotz, lets go huntin deer.

Who said I do?

C'mon man, that's not a good comparison and you know it.

The mathman is right again, its listed under Hunting bullets, BC of .366, Id still use the 155AMAX instead.

The 125 Ballistic Tip is a great deer bullet - but is best at less than warp speed. That's why Hodgdon uses it in their "Youth Loads." I've used it to good effect on deer from a 30 Herrett, with a launch speed of 2300 fps or so.

I'd load a .308 to 2400-2600 fps and no more. You'll get mild recoil and blast, a trajectory that isn't far from full-throttle 150-gr loads, and little danger of over-expansion. It'll still be a 275-300-yard load.

I wasn't overly impressed with the expansion I got when I used them on a few caribou years ago (at -40� F). They punched right through which surprised me. I seemed to have equal or better luck with the 123 grain Winchester SP. I was using the Mini-30 (7.62x39) on that occasion.

I know some guys that use them in Specialty Pistols at lower velocities achieved in those. Seem to work ok from what I hear.
I'm a bit more old school, and tend to go heavier for caliber rather than lighter,,,,even if consruction is up to par. I can see it having benefits in recoil reduction to a point for youth or light framed hunters however. But I'm not sure I trust a light weight like that with anything but the perfect broadside.
While those are my most desirable shot placement's as well, I also tend to plan for the worst,,,,,,just in case. Even in my pistols, I still go medium to heavy weights and then with Partitions. But each to thier own. After some years of experimenting, I know exactly what to expect from them, and so I always return to them.

I've been working with a few short-barreled .308win rifles lately and here are two loads we liked for speed and low recoil:

130gr Barnes TTSX, W-W case, CCI200, 49gr Ramshot TAC. This gives about 2,930 out of a 20" Model 700.

150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip, R-P case, 48gr of Varget or W748, CCI200. This gives 2,730 out of an 18.5" Model 600 Mohawk with the W748 load. The Varget load was about 20fps slower.

Both have proven to be fairly flat-shooting for .308 carbines without much recoil. Both are upper end loads in those rifles, so work up charges in your guns. Those loads kill whitetails well and a 225yd zero makes hits easy and quick to 300yds or so.

We've killed a couple dozen deer with the 125 gr. BT out of the .308. Dad started my brother and I with this bullet loaded down to around 2700 fps. As I got older and dumber I figured I'd wind it up to the max potential and shot several deer with it running about 3100 fps. It always got the job done and I can't recall one not exiting, but when you get them 3000 fps+ expect considerable meat damage, but that's standard with BTs. They are absolutely a deer bullet and will work well for you. There may be better choices, but if I were loading for a young shooter I would pick this bullet and slow it down for low recoil, low muzzle blast, and kills stuff. My brother still hunts with the "reduced" load and this bullet and does as well or better than I do with whatever rifle I'm carrying .243 Win/.260 Rem/.30-06/.308 Win with a different bullet/load. It gets the job done, no doubt about it.