.308 Win Deer Loads

[shooter115]

7mm Mag with 168gr Berger VLD's in front of 72gr of Rotumbo travelling at 3010 fps seems to do the trick nicely on anything from antelope to elk at out to 600+ yards.

And contrary to some folks beliefs does not turn a deer into red mist.

Not a .308 load, just sayin.

[PowderBurn14]

Deer opener is here again, now to test my .308 load on real targets. Good luck everyone and be safe out there.

[Spartan]

I took a doe last year at 225 across a swamp with a .308 180gr. That's all I use. I get the fancy ones in the orange and yellow holographic box whatever those are... Fusion or something

i like the fusion too .... also use them in .300 win mag

[PowderBurn14]

Well, I got my first deer on Tuesday just after 4:00 pm, a 3 point buck. I shot it with my .308 load pushing the 180 gr Hornady SST. It was a broadside shot at about 25 yards and it hit behind the front leg about midway up the body. He jumped at the shot, ran sideways through the brush and piled up dead 20 yards away. After recovery and field dressing I found the lungs hit and the right shoulder broken. There was no exit wound and I think the bullet is in the shoulder bone or just under the hide. I hope to find it when I skin him out. Anyway, it appears that my load/gun combo works well and so does the 180 gr Hdy SST.

[BigDog58]

FWIW I hunted deer with my 30/06 and 180 gr Remingtons and lost four deer, that I knew were good shots. So, I decided to have a friend load me 168gr Ballistic Tips ( I did not reload at that time in my life) and since that change, I have lost zero deer. I have never had one go more than approx 40 yds before piling up. I also found it damaged less meat over all, but the area shot was devestated and I found the most of the bullets still inside the deer and appeared to be nearly 100% intact ( again, I didn't load at the time so I had no way to weigh the bullet to check for actual weight comparison) and all were fully expanded. It made me think that the 180 gr in a 30/06 was just too much energy for something the size of a whitetail.
I also convinced my hunting buddy to switch to ballistic tips in his .308 but I don't remember the weight. He switched because he had lost three consecutive deer after shooting them with I believe, Winchester Silver Tips. As soon as he changed to the ballistic tip, he stopped losing shot deer.

I know this isn't scientific, but I believe in results. And, until something drastic changes, the Ballistic tip will be the only bullet I use to hunt with.