.308 rounds

xchrisshana

hi lads looking for some info please what is the best value for money hunting .308 round and where can you buy them i got a box of 20 remington express core lokt for 22.50 in mallow i just got a new .308 and some info would be greatly appreciated thanks lads

Cass

What rifle/twist is it? This will help narrow down the round that would suit best.

As for commonly used brands. I used alot of them, and found the following (i've used far more rounds than this, but others were target rounds, and not suitable for hunting so i've omitted them);

• Hornady Superperformance - A great round, seriously fast, very little adjustment from 100 yard zero out to 300. Balistic tipped. Drawbacks that i found were the bullet is so fast due to charge that after 3-4 shots (repeatedly) they had a tendency to climb a little. IOW if left sitting in the breach the round "cooks", and you get a variance in POI. Although from a hunting POV firing one or two shots at a time they are fine. On the higher end of the price scale at €40 - €44 per box depending on where you buy.
• Hornady TAP - The slower brother of superperformance. Balisitic tipped. Average speed of 2700 or so, with more drop over the distances. However the consistency and repeated performance (through two of my .308s) were better over more rounds fired. Price is inline with superperformance at about €40 - €44 per box.
• Hornady 150 - 165 - Soft nosed. Very much in line with the performance of TAP. Differences are the tip, bullet shape (i think) and casing (brass). Performance is good out to 300 and there is no difference between them and TAP at 100 and very little at 200.
• Remington Core-Lock - A good round, but a little too inconsistent for my liking. They run very well through the Remmy 700, but not so much with the Savage. Now one is a 1:11.25 twist, and the other 1:10 so it may have something to do with it. Price is way cheaper than Hornady, but this may also be reflected in repeated performance. Speeds are also a little down on Hornady rounds.
• Federal - I've only used the 180gr, but they were average in the Savage, and poor in the Remmy. Best grouping of 5 shots was about an inch at 100 yards. Very slow with a lot of adjustment needed for anything past 100 yards. Price is in and around the €27 mark.
• HPS Nosler - 150gr Nosler tipped. Excellent round, and great performance. Come from the same manufacturer as HPS target rounds so consistent performance, repeatbility, and accuracy are a given. Price is cheaper than Hornady, but not as cheap as other brands ,like Remington, Federal, etc. €90-€95 per 50 IIRC.
• Lapua Natraulis - Not impressed with these at all. Expensive round, and decent performance when calm. However when i fired mine in any sort of a strong wind they they were easily blown off target even at 100 yards. They have a "dolphin" nose with a Nosler tip. Effectiveness is terrific with them, but i'd be wary of firing them for fear of inconsistent performance.

Of course these are only my thoughts/opinions using the two rifles available to me to test. Others may have better experiences with them in their rifles so i'd wait for further replies before making up your mind.

xchrisshana

That is a well of knowledge thanks v much my rifle is a remington sps tactical ,twist is 1;12

richiedel123

i used use federal fusion found them very accurate but found if ya were forced to take a chest shot on a deer, it passed through them doing loads of damage but a lot of deer that i hit ran not far to be honest but still if they get into a plantation it makes them hard find. at the minute im using sako super hammerheads and i find them great. they are about 32 quid a box and everything i hit with them went down straight away. i even dug 2 or 3 bullets outta the carcass which shows they use all their energy. every one likes different brands/loads and will have different opinions so my advice is just start trying different brands and see how ya go yourself

Hunterjohnb

Try a few different brands until you find the one that shoots most consistently in your rifle.Weight wise 150 or 165gr bullets work well on deer.Personally I prefer soft points for this job.