Ammo for Hunting

[kyjoe 0]

I just finished the conversion of my .308 and am ready to sight it in. This is my first .308 and I plan on using it on my first deer hunt in a few weeks. I know next to nothing about ammo. What is the best ammo to use for a 16 inch Saiga .308? I will be hunting whitetail deer if that helps.

[gtnichols 51]

winchester soft point at wally world, it's a buck a round,..

[kyjoe 0]

what grain?

[JulianH 4]

150ish is what would seem optimal, based on the twist rate of the barrel. There has been a report or two of heavier 175gr bullets having really good accuracy, but it may depend on the rifle. I really wish these rifles had a tighter twist...

[RobRez 1,895]

I have also used Federal 150 gr. soft point, the basic blue box. Works fine and dandy for me.

[gtnichols 51]

Winchester super X 150 grain soft point,.....

[kyjoe 0]

Thanks, Guys

[Darth AkSarBen 20]

I've run across some Remington Core-LOCT 150 gr Soft Point at Dunham's Sporting Goods recently for only $14.99 / box. They are excellent performers and they sure shoot a tight group.

 

5 shots at an old Pizza Hut box with a black dot on it. 100 yards.

 

 

Good for both white tail and mule deer, along with good shot placements on Elk as well. Wouldn't be afraid to also take black bear with one. Tremendous penetration and knock down. They are nearly the same ballistically as the 30-06 round. Don't worry too much about that 16" barrel. The bullet mushrooms nicely and holds together well. I've shot and killed deer with 7.62 x 39 Soviet with a Mini-30 Ruger back in Nebraska, and this will do much better.

[DrGonZo 157]

I'm not sure where you live or the hunting laws there, but any soft point or expanding round between 147 and 180 grain should be fine. in Cali FMJs are not legal to hunt with.

[Darth AkSarBen 20]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Full Metal Jackets are illegal for taking any big game animal in any state. Some states have legal limits on the size (dia.) of the bullet, and there are others, like Nebraska, that have constraints about the Ft/lb energy at 100 yards (or other) on a particular round. In Nebraska, I could not shoot deer with a .222 Remington as the Ft/lb energy at 100 yards was under what was specified. However, a .223 Remington (7.62 x 45 NATO) was legal. In Washington State I believe there is a limit to .25 caliber or larger. Out in the plains area where I'm from, a .243 Winchester is an excellent choice for deer and pronghorn, as it is open country and you need a flat shooting rifle.

 

I've taken 2 deer in Nebraska with a Mini-30 in 7.62 x 39. I found the bullet in the one deer and was not that impressed with the mushroom or lack thereof. I have shot 2 deer with a .223 in Nebraska as well, and head/spine shot dropped them like they were hit with lightning.

 

And, my opinion for what it's worth, a 110 to 130 grain bullet will upend a deer like no one's business out of a .308. True it's a lighter bullet, but it's still .308 diameter and because of the weight it is traveling faster.

 

Shoot which ever bullets groups the best, and you will get your deer regardless of size of weight of bullet.

[buckandaquarterquarterstaff 5]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Full Metal Jackets are illegal for taking any big game animal in any state. Some states have legal limits on the size (dia.) of the bullet, and there are others, like Nebraska, that have constraints about the Ft/lb energy at 100 yards (or other) on a particular round. In Nebraska, I could not shoot deer with a .222 Remington as the Ft/lb energy at 100 yards was under what was specified. However, a .223 Remington (7.62 x 45 NATO) was legal. In Washington State I believe there is a limit to .25 caliber or larger. Out in the plains area where I'm from, a .243 Winchester is an excellent choice for deer and pronghorn, as it is open country and you need a flat shooting rifle.

 

I've taken 2 deer in Nebraska with a Mini-30 in 7.62 x 39. I found the bullet in the one deer and was not that impressed with the mushroom or lack thereof. I have shot 2 deer with a .223 in Nebraska as well, and head/spine shot dropped them like they were hit with lightning.

 

And, my opinion for what it's worth, a 110 to 130 grain bullet will upend a deer like no one's business out of a .308. True it's a lighter bullet, but it's still .308 diameter and because of the weight it is traveling faster.

 

Shoot which ever bullets groups the best, and you will get your deer regardless of size of weight of bullet.

 

I've had soft point 308's travel right on through deer without expanding, so nothing is a sure thing (besides death and taxes). SP's are typically good performers though, and lighter ones are probably best suited for deer (if your rifle groups them well enough). FMJ is not legal in most areas, and in a 308 it would probably never expand, fragment, or yaw significantly in the 12-20 inches of animal you're working with. In a 223 the bullets are lighter, sometimes intentionally made less stable, and more easily upset at lower depths (still not legal hunting bullets). Besides having FMJ's be the standard per international treaties, they offer penetration for light cover and armor which the hunter isn't concerned with.

 

In my home state the hunting regulations book is over 200 pages. When I asked my neighborhood DNR officer about it, he said even at 200 pages, it was the result of trying to keep the rules simple.

[dodgeramcowboy 0]

Hello folks,

New member here. I have a 308-1 and I've shot several different brands of 308 ammo out of it. Each rifle is picky about the ammo it likes. Mine , in particular, groups amazingly well with Hornady 150 GR SST ammo. It does not group well with any other ammo it seems. I've always been a bit partial to Hornady so I'm glad I have a rifle that eats it up well.