BrutalGardener 205 Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 So, I am planning on taking my S308 deer hunting this year. When she gets back from the gunsmith's, my rifle is going to have a 19.8" barrel and a 9 degree target crown. In my hunting environment, shots beyond 200 yards are possible, but unlikely. What kind of ammo is better suited for the particular characteristics of Saiga 308? I am mostly talking about grain-wise... Should I go for 150, 165 or 180 grain bullets? I am also wondering whether I should use SPs or HPs. I've dropped deer using SP 7.62x39 mm and 7.62x54R rounds before, and in both cases, the bullets went through, not causing a lot of bleeding through either the entry or exit holes (though causing enough damage). Both were under 100 yard shots. I am wondering whether HP rounds would be a better match, as far as delivering the most kinetic energy on target, causing more bleeding and generally being safer (not that I would take a shot if I had any doubt as to what's behind the target). Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Simply Saiga 0 Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 Any Fed, Rem or Win boat tail soft point in 150gr should work very well. However, Hornady is my personal preference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
finlander 3 Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 Dunno, have used 180gr Norma Oryx for elk, though I have shot only one and it was a heart shot. .308Win is quite popular here for elk hunting and most factory ammo are 180gr. .308's considered to be a bit on the small side for elk nowadays but it works, most elk are shot at distances under 100m so I guess deer shouldn't be a problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Floyd9 30 Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 I reload the 165 grain Hornady SST's, they seem to work well. AMAX's should also work well, even though its not technically a hunting round, I have heard of explosive expantion with these, due to the thinner jacket. But yea, Hornady all the way, but anything should work fine. Maybe test a few different rounds for accuracy out of your gun and pick one that groups best. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodes1968 1,638 Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 Remington is all I use but hey when paying a buck or more a round getting good ammo is easy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobRez 1,895 Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 I use Federal 150gr soft points. $15 for 20 rounds. Accurate, inexpensive and my Saiga eats'em up! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrutalGardener 205 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 I ended up ordering a few boxes of these from MidwayUSA: Remington Express Ammunition 308 Winchester 150 Grain Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point Box of 20 The reviews for it are good. I decided to go with 150 gr, because my training ammo is 150 gr and hopefully, I will not have to adjust my scope too much for these SPs. Anyone have any idea WTF "Core-Lokt" is? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.