Good .308 load for deer under 150 yards out?

SkippyThe · 07-20-2002, 21:36

I'm going to use my .308 Enfield for deer this year and am looking for a good load to use in it. I don't hand load so I need a factory load. I don't expect to shoot over 100 yards. Thanks ST

tjpet · 07-21-2002, 01:12

A box of standard Remington 150 grn. Core-Lokts should do the job for you.

RJ Schuknecht · 07-21-2002, 07:59

I use 180grn STBT in my 308. In the sometimes heavy brush of northern Michigan I find this to be a very good round.

07-21-2002, 08:07

I prefer the Winchester Supreme 150gr. Ballistic Silvertip.

ButchC · 07-22-2002, 09:42

MarineTech beat me to it. I like the Ballistic Silvertip, too. The Failsafes are good rounds also.

mpol777 · 07-22-2002, 18:12

just about any SP 150gr+ will smack the crap out of a deer. you'll be getting about 2000 - 2300ft lbs of energy at 100 yards, so the deer won't really care about specifics. even at 200 yards you'' have between 1600-2000ft lbs, which is more than enough.

i use failsafes in my .30-06 only as a black bear round since the steel insert would help penetrate better. find which bullet design shoots the best out of your gun and go with that.

BWR55 · 07-22-2002, 18:48

Pretty much any SP in 150 grain is what I use. I found in my experiance on whitetails that the 180 grain bullets are a bit to hard and don't expand fully but blow right through the deer, without doing as much damage as using the lighter, softer 150 grain. If I'm not using my own reloads I tend to lean towards a remington bullet. On the other hand, if the deer you will be hunting is mule deer (heavier body)then by all means jump up to the heavier 180 gr. Have a great hunt and good luck.

pumpgunn · 07-23-2002, 14:25

Do you handload. Use to load 135 gr spitzers with a light load of 4064 in a .308 for my mother to use on deer. Very accuate and she use to smack deer out to 200 yards with the load. It only took one round from her M99 Savage.

sooner pete · 07-24-2002, 06:02

If I had to choose a factory load it would be the Hornady Light Magnum 165 gr.btsp interlock bullet.

Hucklebarry · 07-26-2002, 11:12

I shoot the Hornady Custom 150 gr. BTSP. Very accurate in my gun, and has performed well on deer. Well, at least it did on the one deer I've shot with it.;e