Best all around 308 cartridge for hunting

J

Justin Norris

Active Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2023
Messages
59
Location
Morganton
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any suggestions for 308 bullet selection to hunt within 350 yards? I’m looking for the best balance between flatness, grain weight, and energy delivered on target out to 350 yards or so. I’m open to any suggestions. The Nosler ABLR 165gr seems promising, or the Hornady Superformance CX 150gr, but not sure what is best on whitetail
 
For out to 350, and further, any standard cup and core will work great as long as it's accurate in your rifle. Ballistics aren't going to be very different at that range. Don't get so caught up in the ballistic charts. Even if bullet A drops an inch less than bullet B, can you hold an inch difference on a deer at 350 yards under field conditions? Just find an accurate load and go shoot it out to 350 and everything in between, then go hunt and have fun.
 
Your going to have to experiment some. Just because it's expensive like the nosler ablr doesn't mean it's going to be accurate. And just because it shoots well for 1 rifle doesn't mean it will shoot well in yours. Grab a box or 2 at a time and start there. Hornady whitetail, norma whitetail, winchester power point, federal fusion have all shot accurate for me from factory loads over the years in my 308, and all reasonably priced. I hand load but keep a few boxes of factory stuff around.

I guess what I'm saying is, start with the cheap basic stuff and go from there a box at a time untill you find ammo your gun likes.
 
Last edited:
Willie said:
Your going to have to experiment some. Just because it's expensive like the nosler ablr doesn't mean it's going to be accurate. And just because it shoots well for 1 rifle doesn't mean it will shoot well in yours. Grab a box or 2 at a time and start there. Hornady whitetail, norma whitetail, winchester power point, federal fusion have all shot accurate for me from factory loads over the years in my 308, and all reasonably priced. I hand load but keep a few boxes of factory stuff around.

I guess what I'm saying is, start with the cheap basic stuff and go from there a box at a time untill you find ammo your gun likes.
Click to expand...
I appreciate your suggestions. I just want something that will give me the best performance for the couple times a year I will use it which is why price doesn’t scare me. I love the monometals but with loss of velocity at 300+, I fear it won’t expand effectively. I’d like a balance of accuracy with effective penetration and expansion. I haven’t seen much on the other ones you’ve mentioned. I’ve heard that the Hornady Bullets usually shoot through any gun accurately, but I don’t want to limit myself either
 
Best is kind of subjective and rifle-specific tbh. If cost is an issue I'd just get a box each of basic Winchester silver box, Federal blue box, or Remington green and yellow box soft points (150 or 165 grain, probably) and see which one groups best in your rifle. Not saying those other more premium ammos aren't better, just that each of those are plenty sufficient for deer in North Carolina with good shot placement, and have been dropping deer DRT for a long, long time.
 
Last edited:
Gnash.Hyena said:
Best is kind of subjective and rifle-specific tbh. If cost is an issue I'd just get a box each of basic Winchester silver box, Federal blue box, or Remington green and yellow box soft points (150 or 165 grain, probably) and see which one groups best in your rifle. Not saying those other more premium ammos aren't better, just that each of those are plenty sufficient for deer in North Carolina with good shot placement, and have been dropping deer DRT for a long, long time.
Click to expand...
So do you think any shot within 300 yards won’t be effected by wind or much bullet drop enough to make any bullet for hunting and issue? My main issue has been finding what expansion type at that peak distance will actually open up with that drop in velocity. The copper ones seem to be highly accurate, but run out of proper velocity to full open out at 300 yards in a 20 inch barrel. The softer lead cores seem to handle things nicely, but tend to not be as accurate. If accuracy doesn’t seem to be an issue, I’m open to all of the above
 
Justin Norris said:
So do you think any shot within 300 yards won’t be effected by wind or much bullet drop enough to make any bullet for hunting and issue? My main issue has been finding what expansion type at that peak distance will actually open up with that drop in velocity. The copper ones seem to be highly accurate, but run out of proper velocity to full open out at 300 yards in a 20 inch barrel. The softer lead cores seem to handle things nicely, but tend to not be as accurate. If accuracy doesn’t seem to be an issue, I’m open to all of the above
Click to expand...
TBH not really. 308win is really flat shooting out to 300yds. Just make sure you know your elevation dials for 1/2/300 yards and dial your elevation for the range you're shooting at, and you should make a good clean hit. I would just verify beforehand. Find which of three ammo's I just mentioned groups best at 100yds, chronograph the group so you can use the average velocity of those, then use a ballistic app to calculate your drop at 200 and 300yds using that average velocity, and fire a group at a paper target at each range to verify how much you need to dial for each of those ranges. North Carolina deer aren't exactly big, so that should be fine.
 
Last edited:
Kinda going to depend on what you rifle will shoot accurately. Some 308 bbls only shoot 150 grain bullets accurately regardless of what the twist supposedly is. Other bbls shoot 175 really well. Ive taken a lot of deer with 150 grn RN bullets. Regardless of what the box says, Federal Gold Medal Match in 168 or 175gr are supper accurate and will kill the hell out of a deer from 100 yds to 800yds no problem.
 
I have heard match bullets can be effective, especially on elk. I’ve heard good things with sierra gamechanger in other calibers
 
I shoot 150 grain powershock (federal blue box) and they work well for me. iusually get a clover leaf at 100 yards, and ive never had a deer or hog go more than 40ish yards when hit in the boiler room. I usually headshot hogs and theye,of course are drt. my shots are usually 2ooyards or less though.
 
I don’t generally see a lot of hype around them for whatever reason but I’ve had great results over the years from the Hornady Super Shock Tip 150g on deer.
 
ACP said:
I don’t generally see a lot of hype around them for whatever reason but I’ve had great results over the years from the Hornady Super Shock Tip 150g on deer.
Click to expand...
What’s the accuracy like when stretched out over 250-300 yards? Does it open up and dump energy well when slowing down at that range?
 
Accuracy has been fine enough for hunting for me, not trying to shoot benchrest or anything though. As far as dumping energy I’ve not lost a deer or had one make it more than a few yards, and not lost a ton of meat either.
 
I hunt with a 308. I use 150gr Winchester Super X Power Point. When I acquired this particular rifle I tried 5 different boxes of ammo and this is what shot the best. Very good accuracy (I’ve only tested out to 200 yards) and an absolute hammer on deer
Another bonus is I can find this on the shelf at nearly any place that sells ammo
 
Awesome feedback. Probably not the cost of match grade either. The thing I’ve heard about match grade is it’s a laser beam in 308, but it’s hit or miss depending on the range whether you get the grenade effect or not
 
While you can kill a deer and many other animals with match grade ammo. Remember match grade ammo is for punching holes in paper or hitting steel (both of which ate really tough to chew 🤣). But the distances you are talking about In my experience, match ammo is hit or miss with pass through.

There are a few hybrid match/hunting bullets, but in my opinion why mess with what works great. Go with the ammo that has been putting meat on the table for decades.

Remington Core-Lokt is my go to. My .270 and 30-06 both shoots it extremely well. Easy to find on the shelf (usually) and cost effective. Other ammo mentioned upstream like the Hornaday American Whitetail, Winchester Super-X, and Federal Premium are all solid performers.

Just depends on what your rifle likes best. I’ve seen several people have mentioned that finding the most accurate ammo is a trial and error process. But you were not very receptive to the process. Honestly, that is the only way to find what your rifle shoots best. But you can most likely find what you consider good enough for you, with one or two boxes.

I would start with Remington Core-Lokt and Hornaday American Whitetail. Keep in mind that .308 comes in multiple bullet weights. So even between the same brand, chances are your rifle will shoot one weight better than the others.

If you were hunting at distances say 400 yards and beyond, I might look at some of those boutique rounds that expand at greater distances and lower velocities.

Besides accuracy, pass through is my next check box. Two holes means more blood coming out and more blood to see while tracking if you get a less than perfect shot. Just my 2 cents.
 
Deer are not hard to kill if you can hit them. I have killed lots of deer with a 150 grain Hornady bullets going about 2,500 f/s. I have never had any trouble hitting them out as far as I want to shoot as long as I have practiced with that particular rifle and scope and know where to hold for various ranges.

There are many bullets available. Cup and core, partition, copper, and all the others should be quite capable of killing a deer if you can hit it. Some may shoot better in your rifle than others. I suggest that your primary goal is to find a bullet designed for deer hunting that shoots well in your rifle and then practice with it until you become confident you can make first-round hits from up close all the way out to your maximum range.
 
Charlie said:
Deer are not hard to kill if you can hit them. I have killed lots of deer with a 150 grain Hornady bullets going about 2,500 f/s. I have never had any trouble hitting them out as far as I want to shoot as long as I have practiced with that particular rifle and scope and know where to hold for various ranges.

There are many bullets available. Cup and core, partition, copper, and all the others should be quite capable of killing a deer if you can hit it. Some may shoot better in your rifle than others. I suggest that your primary goal is to find a bullet designed for deer hunting that shoots well in your rifle and then practice with it until you become confident you can make first-round hits from up close all the way out to your maximum range.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input
 
I have shot deer, along with other guys I shoot with, at extended range (1000+ yards) with Berger hybrids. I will take precision all day, along with many many rounds fired down range in practice, over a bullet “designed for deer”. We’ve never had a deer run more than 20-30 yards. I’m shooting a 6.5 variety by the way, but the juggernaut is a great Berger bullet for a 308.
 
Wow, 1000 yards with 308 is impressive brother. I’ve heard match bullet arguments for the 308, but I hear after 200 yards it drops below the 2000fps mark that many match bullets need for that grenade effect and it just punches a needle hole and leaves little blood trail. I’ve been looking at the Hornady ELDX as a balance. I want the copper bullet called the CX, but it’s the same argument as match. Berger is said to have a match hunting bullet designed to hunt, but still again, more for the 30-06 and 300 win mag velocities rather than 308. My goal is within 350 yards. Am I accurate that the ELDX would be a balance of match performance and hunting expansion at that 1500-1600fps speeds it is moving at at 300-350 yards?
 
Justin Norris said:
Wow, 1000 yards with 308 is impressive brother. I’ve heard match bullet arguments for the 308, but I hear after 200 yards it drops below the 2000fps mark that many match bullets need for that grenade effect and it just punches a needle hole and leaves little blood trail. I’ve been looking at the Hornady ELDX as a balance. I want the copper bullet called the CX, but it’s the same argument as match. Berger is said to have a match hunting bullet designed to hunt, but still again, more for the 30-06 and 300 win mag velocities rather than 308. My goal is within 350 yards. Am I accurate that the ELDX would be a balance of match performance and hunting expansion at that 1500-1600fps speeds it is moving at at 300-350 yards?
Click to expand...
We don’t shoot 308s, but I’d have zero issue if I had to shoot a 308 at 350 yards. The last 308 load I did development on was 2175fps at 350 yds with a 168 hybrid. I don’t shoot anything but the yellow box for a reason, pure precision. I personally shoot a 260ai and am confident at 350 yds that bullet is going exactly where I aim. When you can hit golf balls at that distance you have the right load.
 
I know people praise 280 AI and 28 Nosler to the moon and back. I’m an off the shelf guy as I don’t reload. Would you feel the Hornady ELDX would be able to compete with the match bullets like federal gold medal or the ELD Match? I’m really new to a lot of this, but I am a fan of hitting what I aim at any range. I want to be sure that deer drops close to where I hit him, and is hit where I aimed. I hear people say you don’t need sub moa for a 300 yard shot, but I hunt with people who have killed deer for 20-40 years and miss shots at those distances because their gun is not precise enough and sub moa. I’ve got a ruger amaerican gen2 that is advertised sub moa by many people, and I plan on using an Arken scope with a one piece scope mount to give me best accuracy out of a rifle setup I can take in a tree stand or a blind. But now I need the bullet to go with the combo
 
Justin Norris said:
I know people praise 280 AI and 28 Nosler to the moon and back. I’m an off the shelf guy as I don’t reload. Would you feel the Hornady ELDX would be able to compete with the match bullets like federal gold medal or the ELD Match? I’m really new to a lot of this, but I am a fan of hitting what I aim at any range. I want to be sure that deer drops close to where I hit him, and is hit where I aimed. I hear people say you don’t need sub moa for a 300 yard shot, but I hunt with people who have killed deer for 20-40 years and miss shots at those distances because their gun is not precise enough and sub moa. I’ve got a ruger amaerican gen2 that is advertised sub moa by many people, and I plan on using an Arken scope with a one piece scope mount to give me best accuracy out of a rifle setup I can take in a tree stand or a blind. But now I need the bullet to go with the combo
Click to expand...
Whichever shoots the best in your gun is what I would shoot, be it eldx, gmm, or corelokt. As far as over 1moa, I’d never shoot a load that was over 1 moa at 300 yards because with a 10mph full value wind plus just 1 moa off your aim point, you could be looking at 9” off, you get the point. That’s the beauty of hand loading, selecting bullet, primer, powder, brass, and meticulous detail to customize that round for YOUR rifle. I wouldn’t personally shoot at game with a rifle/ammo combination not proven to be less than 1/3moa at the range I intended to hunt, but in a factory gun with factory ammo that is a very tall order so in your case I’d try my best to find whatever shot close to 1/2moa at 300 yards and buy a case of it to practice out to 400+ yards. When you are consistently shooting a 1/2-3/4 moa at that distance in varying wind conditions, I’d say 300 yards will be a cake walk. Nothing can be substituted for quality practice but practicing with 1.5-2 moa ammunition isn’t going to allow you to become a better shooter or wind caller.
 
Justin Norris said:
I know people praise 280 AI and 28 Nosler to the moon and back. I’m an off the shelf guy as I don’t reload. Would you feel the Hornady ELDX would be able to compete with the match bullets like federal gold medal or the ELD Match? I’m really new to a lot of this, but I am a fan of hitting what I aim at any range. I want to be sure that deer drops close to where I hit him, and is hit where I aimed. I hear people say you don’t need sub moa for a 300 yard shot, but I hunt with people who have killed deer for 20-40 years and miss shots at those distances because their gun is not precise enough and sub moa. I’ve got a ruger amaerican gen2 that is advertised sub moa by many people, and I plan on using an Arken scope with a one piece scope mount to give me best accuracy out of a rifle setup I can take in a tree stand or a blind. But now I need the bullet to go with the combo
Click to expand...
The factory .308 ELD-X is a 178gr bullet. It will perform fine on deer at the distances you anticipate. The question is will your rifle shoot that particular round sub to 1 MOA. Again, a big part of the equation, is not up to you and the loaded ammunition you want to shoot. It is up to the rifle. When reloading you have more control over bullet selection but in factory loads you are at the mercy of the rifle.

You are way overthinking this thing. I get not wanting to miss. And I can understand being nervous or concerned because people you know have been hunting for 20-30 years and they miss from time to time.

I’m willing to bet you, they don’t miss because of their rifle and ammo combinations. They miss because they suck at either A. Shooting, B. Range estimation and reading the wind, or C. They cannot control their emotions when they see a deer. Most commonly known as buck fever.

Starting with A. Know your equipment, know yourself, and practice, practice, practice. Shooting one or two bullets a year to confirm zero isn’t practicing. You must practice in different positions not just from a bench. And in case you didn’t pick up on it, you must practice!!!

B. One of the biggest things I see hunters making mistakes on is range estimation. I’ve had buddies swear to you they a shot a deer at 200 or 300 yards. Only for me to walk out to help them recover the deer to use my range finder to find the shot was really only 75-80 yards away. It is easy to miss when you don’t know the actual range and using Kentucky windage to hold over/under for an unknown distance. Get your self a nice and accurate range finder. Practice range estimation until you get really good at it. If your hunting area is open enough for you to make 350ish yard shots, get different color survey ribbon and mark out the field in 50 yard incitements. It will help you judge distance which will also help you judge the size of the deer.

C. Many people no matter how many deer they have killed will still get buck fever. I hunt for food and not trophies so antlers mean very little to me. But when I see a nice buck I get excited even through I know I’m not going to shoot it. Some people have a difficult time controlling that excitement. A fast heart rate and some excited tremors makes it that much harder to make a great shot.

But honestly, you are putting to much thought into things that you have no control over.
 
Average Joe said:
The factory .308 ELD-X is a 178gr bullet. It will perform fine on deer at the distances you anticipate. The question is will your rifle shoot that particular round sub to 1 MOA. Again, a big part of the equation, is not up to you and the loaded ammunition you want to shoot. It is up to the rifle. When reloading you have more control over bullet selection but in factory loads you are at the mercy of the rifle.

You are way overthinking this thing. I get not wanting to miss. And I can understand being nervous or concerned because people you know have been hunting for 20-30 years and they miss from time to time.

I’m willing to bet you, they don’t miss because of their rifle and ammo combinations. They miss because they suck at either A. Shooting, B. Range estimation and reading the wind, or C. They cannot control their emotions when they see a deer. Most commonly known as buck fever.

Starting with A. Know your equipment, know yourself, and practice, practice, practice. Shooting one or two bullets a year to confirm zero isn’t practicing. You must practice in different positions not just from a bench. And in case you didn’t pick up on it, you must practice!!!

B. One of the biggest things I see hunters making mistakes on is range estimation. I’ve had buddies swear to you they a shot a deer at 200 or 300 yards. Only for me to walk out to help them recover the deer to use my range finder to find the shot was really only 75-80 yards away. It is easy to miss when you don’t know the actual range and using Kentucky windage to hold over/under for an unknown distance. Get your self a nice and accurate range finder. Practice range estimation until you get really good at it. If your hunting area is open enough for you to make 350ish yard shots, get different color survey ribbon and mark out the field in 50 yard incitements. It will help you judge distance which will also help you judge the size of the deer.

C. Many people no matter how many deer they have killed will still get buck fever. I hunt for food and not trophies so antlers mean very little to me. But when I see a nice buck I get excited even through I know I’m not going to shoot it. Some people have a difficult time controlling that excitement. A fast heart rate and some excited tremors makes it that much harder to make a great shot.

But honestly, you are putting to much thought into things that you have no control over.
Click to expand...
Absolutely spot on.

I take people out bragging about shooting a deer at 500 yards. I’ll put a target at 500 and 10/10 times their bullet is in the dirt well in front of the target.

@Average Joe forgot to mention you need a lot of practice! Bullet placement is far more important than cartridge or caliber. I shoot a little 140gn 6.5mm bullet and am building a 6mm and 25 cal, why, less recoil and it doesn’t take much to kill a whitetail when you put the bullet where it needs to go.
 
Last edited:
Jimbob78 said:
Absolutely spot on.

I take people out bragging about shooting a deer at 500 yards. I’ll put a target at 500 and 10/10 times their bullet is in the dirt well in front of the target.

@Average Joe forgot to mention you need a lot of practice! Bullet placement is far more important than cartridge or caliber. I shoot a little 140gn 6.5mm bullet and am building a 6mm and 25 cal, why, less recoil and it doesn’t take much to kill a whitetail when you put the bullet where it needs to go.
Click to expand...
Yep!
 
Yes sir! Bullet placement is paramount.
 
Average Joe said:
The factory .308 ELD-X is a 178gr bullet. It will perform fine on deer at the distances you anticipate. The question is will your rifle shoot that particular round sub to 1 MOA. Again, a big part of the equation, is not up to you and the loaded ammunition you want to shoot. It is up to the rifle. When reloading you have more control over bullet selection but in factory loads you are at the mercy of the rifle.

You are way overthinking this thing. I get not wanting to miss. And I can understand being nervous or concerned because people you know have been hunting for 20-30 years and they miss from time to time.

I’m willing to bet you, they don’t miss because of their rifle and ammo combinations. They miss because they suck at either A. Shooting, B. Range estimation and reading the wind, or C. They cannot control their emotions when they see a deer. Most commonly known as buck fever.

Starting with A. Know your equipment, know yourself, and practice, practice, practice. Shooting one or two bullets a year to confirm zero isn’t practicing. You must practice in different positions not just from a bench. And in case you didn’t pick up on it, you must practice!!!

B. One of the biggest things I see hunters making mistakes on is range estimation. I’ve had buddies swear to you they a shot a deer at 200 or 300 yards. Only for me to walk out to help them recover the deer to use my range finder to find the shot was really only 75-80 yards away. It is easy to miss when you don’t know the actual range and using Kentucky windage to hold over/under for an unknown distance. Get your self a nice and accurate range finder. Practice range estimation until you get really good at it. If your hunting area is open enough for you to make 350ish yard shots, get different color survey ribbon and mark out the field in 50 yard incitements. It will help you judge distance which will also help you judge the size of the deer.

C. Many people no matter how many deer they have killed will still get buck fever. I hunt for food and not trophies so antlers mean very little to me. But when I see a nice buck I get excited even through I know I’m not going to shoot it. Some people have a difficult time controlling that excitement. A fast heart rate and some excited tremors makes it that much harder to make a great shot.

But honestly, you are putting to much thought into things that you have no control over.
Click to expand...
I agree with everything you say 100 percent. There are just so many options with so little money to buy ammo with. I want a bullet that hits where I aim and expands and does the job within that 1500-2700 fps range that that bullet will be flying at from 50-350 yards. I know I am overthinking for sure, but you hear so many things for this bullet, this grain, this distance, this particular animal, this shot placement, it’s really a lot. I do feel I’ve narrowed it down pretty good though, so I’m not much worried like I was before many of you veteran shooters on here have gave me much needed advice. I think I’m gonna try a Cadillac round in the Hornady realm and then by a standard corelock hunting round that’s cheap and I’ll leave it there. I’ve got no problem spending as little as I can to get the job done lol. Thanks for the help
 
Justin Norris said:
I agree with everything you say 100 percent. There are just so many options with so little money to buy ammo with. I want a bullet that hits where I aim and expands and does the job within that 1500-2700 fps range that that bullet will be flying at from 50-350 yards. I know I am overthinking for sure, but you hear so many things for this bullet, this grain, this distance, this particular animal, this shot placement, it’s really a lot. I do feel I’ve narrowed it down pretty good though, so I’m not much worried like I was before many of you veteran shooters on here have gave me much needed advice. I think I’m gonna try a Cadillac round in the Hornady realm and then by a standard corelock hunting round that’s cheap and I’ll leave it there. I’ve got no problem spending as little as I can to get the job done lol. Thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Here is another kicker, no two shots on game are the same because no two animals are identical in musculature and build, nor will your bullet placement be the exact same, therefore performance can vary from animal to animal with the same bullet.
 
Justin Norris said:
I agree with everything you say 100 percent. There are just so many options with so little money to buy ammo with. I want a bullet that hits where I aim and expands and does the job within that 1500-2700 fps range that that bullet will be flying at from 50-350 yards. I know I am overthinking for sure, but you hear so many things for this bullet, this grain, this distance, this particular animal, this shot placement, it’s really a lot. I do feel I’ve narrowed it down pretty good though, so I’m not much worried like I was before many of you veteran shooters on here have gave me much needed advice. I think I’m gonna try a Cadillac round in the Hornady realm and then by a standard corelock hunting round that’s cheap and I’ll leave it there. I’ve got no problem spending as little as I can to get the job done lol. Thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Spending as little as you can is an issue because practice costs.
 
I don’t mean that, I mean getting the most cost effective round that allows me to afford to practice and also harvest a deer responsibly. I know it’s ideal to shoot a lot, but I’m on a tight budget. Not what I want, but it’s what I’m dealt unfortunately. I love shooting
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom