Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Grain for Savage 99 308 for white tail deer

Getting my Savage 99 308 ready for dear season. 35 years ago we shot 180/200s at Elk in Washington State. I am not clear on what is appropriate for white tails in Texas. I have heard 100 - 150 grain.

Q1. what is the recommended grain
Q2. what are your personal favorite rounds/makes
Q3. why not use army surplus 7.64mm?

thanks!
terry

also asked in the deer forum...

If you hit the deer right, it will fall<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

Always a fan of Nosler Partitions myself, never anything resembling a failure yet. I'd say a 150gr since they don't have a 125gr Partition, afaik.

#1 150 Nos. BT or Parts., Hornaday, or corelocks all work
#2 3031, varget, 4064, RE 15,
#3 FMJ ???? for deer hunting???? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Grain for white-tail deer? They seem to like Alfalfa alot! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The thing to do is get a box of each bullet weight and try them all and see which one your rifle likes the best to get the best accuracy.

Don't know Texas... but I don't think FMJ is legal for deer hunting in Nebraska. Might want to check into state laws for that before considering it.

As an engineer, I love jargon. But after 35 years, I am clearly out of date. Could someone walk me through what the above is?

1. Nos Bt
2. Hornaday,
3. corelocks
4. 3031,
5. varget,
6. 4064,
7. RE 15

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

ha ha! sorry, but my brother-in-law already used that joke.

I think it will depend on the type of hunting you plan on doing. The distance of a typical shot? I hunt whitetails in Maine and have allways used 180 grain. They don't go far. 165 BT are very popular up here. But I am hunting for the most part in woods and shots are within 75 yds.

#1, are you a handloader?? If yes, there are lots of options. For Texas I've been tempted to load some 130 grain Hornadys.

If no, buy some 150 grain Rem Corelokts and go hunting.

150 grain for Whitetails

Once again Mr. Lightfoot has the right answer. 150s out of the green and yellow box are great for deer. Pigs too.

99, #1/#2/#3 are bullets. Nos. BT is Nosler Ballistic Tip, Hornaday makes bullets, corelocks are Remington bullets.
#4-#7 are types of powder.

Not a reloader, eh? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The best factory load I've found out of my 1956 99F in 308 is Federal Premium 165 gr. PSPBT. More accurate than any 150 gr. that I tried, and it's deadly on deer.

Go buy some 150 or 165 grain ammo in your favorite brand
and shoot the first deer that you want to...
Everything will be just fine and You will feel better!!
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Everyone has there own favorites. I prefer Federal Premium
Vital Shok in 150 grain. The .308 is a great
round for whitetail's and you can't hardly
go wrong (except with FMJ). Try out a few and see
which one is the most accurate in YOUR rifle.

Jerry

My .308 shoots the Federal Premium Vital-Shok 165 grain Sierra Gameking BTSP round to almost the same point of impact as the 147 grain military surplus I bought for practice. Both are capable of group sizes less than 1.5 inches at 100 yards.

For deer sized game either the 150 or the 165 grain bullet in an expanding configuration is considered to be appropriate (no full metal jacket for hunting). You may find a cartridge that shoots good enough with your rifle on the first try, or just grab a bunch of different ammo to evaluate at the target range (the more you shoot - the better you will shoot).

When you decide on a particular brand, style and grain of ammo, buy several boxes from the same lot number. I have observed that different lot numbers will shoot to a different point of impact, requiring the scope to be re-zeroed.