308Win ammo for deer?

Pretty much anything from 125 grains up will get the job done.

I have personally used 130gr Hornady Softpoints, a no name 165gr softpoint, and Hornady 150's

All killed deer equally dead

150 grain has been my go to round for 308 win. I was using rem core lokts with good success but started hand loading hornady sp interlocks with good success. Both have killed deer.

I use the 150 SST in my .308's.

I killed a buck at 250 yards with 150 grain Remington core-lockt from my .30-06.

Looking at the published info, seems like the .30-06 has ~90 fps over the .308 with Remington Express.

My Remington 700 BDL shoots them at around 1" at 100 yards

Browningguy

I use the 150 SST in my .308's.

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+1. I roll my own with 'em. Although I have used "Monarch 150gr SP".

Federal Vital Shock 165 gr Sierra Gameking BTSP

Match style bullet weight, good accuracy, good downrange performance.

i like the corelokts. depending on your twist rate you might want to play around with 150, 165 and 180gr to see what your rifle likes best. in the end though, all are likely to provide plenty of accuracy for reasonable hunting ranges.

my ruger scout seemed to like the 180s, and my '06 really likes the 165s.

Gary O said:

Do I need all-copper bullets here in Kali?

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I think it depends on where you are in California

Look in your game laws

Originally Posted by Gary O
Do I need all-copper bullets here in Kali?

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If you intend to hunt in the "condor zones" I believe you do, but don't take the word of people on the internet. Do as HOOfan_1 suggested and check the California game laws.
I'd imagine they're posted online.

If you do go to a monolithic copper (Barnes) or gilding metal (Hornady) bullet, you might want to consider stepping down a bit in bullet weight since that type bullet seems to have superior penetration, especially when compared to the regular "cup and core" bullets already discussed in this thread. A lighter monocore bullet driven a bit faster may lead to having more energy expended in the deer instead of the terrain behind it.

Gary O said:

150 grain favorite? Fed Power Shok?, Win Power Point? Rem Core Lock?

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Yes, those will work well!

Gary O said:

150 grain favorite? Fed Power Shok?, Win Power Point? Rem Core Lock?
Any other Kind? Thanks...

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Really depends on the rifle. The BLR prefers it's ammo put up in Remington cases. The Savage 99 like Winchester, and the Savage Axis seems to prefer Federal.
So best advice is to try some of several different brands and see what shoots the best in your rifle.

Like Don states above, depends on the rifle. My Browning BAR likes Core-lokts and Federal Fusion in 150 grain loads...the Core-lokts shoot about 2" lower than the Fusion in my rifle.

I hunt with a .308 all the time (surprise), CoreLokts have always worked, Hornady SSTs, right now trying the Hornady American Whitetail 139 grain ammo....really like it...kill hogs every day...my cow pastures are infested with hogs and this ammo does a really good job on them....dead right there. my favorite .308s are a Ruger M77, an old Remington 788 I had for over 40 years, and a Springfield Armory M1A, the Whitetail ammo works really good in all of them. between Corelokts and this...I really like this ammo....even cheaper than Corelokts...but figure price will go up on them soon.

+1. I roll my own with 'em.

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+2 I roll my own with them as well.

Gary, my Kimber 84m likes run-of-the-mill Winchester (white box) 150 grain PP - I shot a doe last year at about 100 yards - good shot thru the lungs - dropped right there. I like the .308 (used in sniper school) - accurate and powerful - however, a lot of horsepower for a deer (IMHO). Whatever you shoot out of your .308 will certainly get the job done (and then some) - I would use the load that my rifle liked - good luck.

Gary O said:

Most of these factory loads with solid copper bullets seem to cost way more than lead core ammo. Is that what we have to look forward to here in Kali?
Thanks...

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There are groups petitioning the EPA to ban lead ammo all over the country.

There are groups trying to get it banned all over the world.

Gary O said:

Do I need all-copper bullets here in Kali?

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Currently you need lead free in the condor zones. Starting 7/1/19 it will be state wide. Read about it here:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/lead-free/

Hope this helps,
Curt

My .308s work just fine with 150 grain Remington CoreLokts.

I am so glad I don't live in CA.

For what it's worth, with a rifle I'll only use copper bullets when shooting something I'll eat, and with a shotgun it's steel shot or osmium (Hevi-Shot). I even use lead free pellets in my air rifle when I shoot a dove or squirrel. It has been proven that people who eat wild game have higher levels of lead in their blood:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...ytNMNDObFoo6eez2g&sig2=S67EZwU7-MK1pdsTv6ba6Q

It has also been shown that lead fragments can disperse up to eighteen inches in an animal -- cutting around the bullet hole doesn't get all of it. You should also process your own deer, if you don't your hamburger is going through the grinder with all the other deer shot with lead bullets.

This is especially important if you have a wife that is pregnant or could become pregnant, or young children. Lead exposure is much more serious if your blood-brain barrier isn't established.

150 grain Nosler BT over a healthy dose of W748 works for me. The .308 is one of the rifles I've never ever fired a factory load in, probably never will.

I load a 140 Barnes over a tad more 748, solid copper bullet, but I get half the bullets for the same price and I've found the Nosler works on anything I shoot, hogs and deer and a few 'yotes over the years.

For what it's worth, with a rifle I'll only use copper bullets when shooting something I'll eat, and with a shotgun it's steel shot or osmium (Hevi-Shot). I even use lead free pellets in my air rifle when I shoot a dove or squirrel. It has been proven that people who eat wild game have higher levels of lead in their blood:

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I've known folks that paranoid, but not very many.

Seriously, you're worried about eating deer shot with a lead bullet? Jeez, man, good thing you didn't live back in the patched RB days, you'd starve to death. I suppose casting your own is out, too? I shoot a lot of hand cast bullets. I've been doing it for a long time. So far as I know, I'm still alive and cognizant.