preacherman Posted August 22, 2009 Report Share Posted August 22, 2009 Picked up a new .308 barrel for my encore today and was wondering what would be a good cartridge to shoot out of this barrel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coles Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 what will you be hunting/shooting with it? Need that info to tell you bullet weight and brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman Posted August 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Whitetail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jokostel Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Whitetail I was thinking those inflatable waving arm things. But yeah, Whitetails or Mulies would be a GREAT second choice..lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coles Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 http://www.federalpremium.com/products/rifle.aspx remington also makes a 165gr accutip boattail that would be great for whitetail. im partial to federal premium ammo. Try this website of federal's. Just go through the steps and it recommends a load for you. http://www.federalpremium.com/recommendation/default.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Plain old 150 or 180 gr. Winchester Power Points or Remington Core Lokts will serve you very well on whitetails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jokostel Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 308 wins are at their best with a 150 grain projectile... Especially if you plan on shooting anything past 250 yards or so... with anything heavier in the 308--- the trajectory is horrible at best. Everyday Federal blue box federal ammo will do you justice,and not cost you an arm and a leg to run the weapon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hungry hunter Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 I disagree with the statement about nothing after 250 yards. I have and been and still shoot the 168 grain boattail hollow point (match) for years now. This is my choice load for my 308. and the departments 308. You just have to practice and find what load your rifle likes, yes it does get expensive. If ya got the money try Black Hill Gold ammo. I have shot 1 inch groups at 500 yards with this stuff. Not trying to start no problems just my 2Cents . For the record I have recorded 800 yard kill shots with the same load. Savage 110 308. with Black Hills Gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jokostel Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 I disagree with the statement about nothing after 250 yards. I have and been and still shoot the 168 grain boattail hollow point (match) for years now. This is my choice load for my 308. and the departments 308. You just have to practice and find what load your rifle likes, yes it does get expensive. If ya got the money try Black Hill Gold ammo. I have shot 1 inch groups at 500 yards with this stuff. Not trying to start no problems just my 2Cents . For the record I have recorded 800 yard kill shots with the same load. Savage 110 308. with Black Hills Gold. I ain't worried about starting anything... you have your opinion, and I have mine... However, if youv'e made 500+ yard kills with it you KNOW your rifles trajectory with that load.... and it's obviously not a problem for you. For the average shooter, it IS a problem, because they don't know the tables, nor how much to "dope" the rifle. ** The longest kill shot I have was with a 270wsm, and a 130 ballistic tip.... doing around 3350. The range was approx 560 yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 308 wins are at their best with a 150 grain projectile... Especially if you plan on shooting anything past 250 yards or so... with anything heavier in the 308--- the trajectory is horrible at best. Ummmmmm.................. O.K. There's a grand total of 3" difference in drop at 500 yards between a 150 gr. .308 load and a 180 gr. .308 load. I would respectfully disagree with you as well. I've seen somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 -75 whitetails die at the hands of a 180 gr. .308 Win load. It is, in my estimation, one of the most effective whitetail combinations ever devised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted August 25, 2009 Report Share Posted August 25, 2009 Yeah I have a .308 as well and there isnt a whole lot of difference in the trajectory no matter what weight you shoot. I prefer Federal ammo as well but Winchester works well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jokostel Posted August 25, 2009 Report Share Posted August 25, 2009 Ummmmmm.................. O.K. There's a grand total of 3" difference in drop at 500 yards between a 150 gr. .308 load and a 180 gr. .308 load. I would respectfully disagree with you as well. I've seen somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 -75 whitetails die at the hands of a 180 gr. .308 Win load. It is, in my estimation, one of the most effective whitetail combinations ever devised. That's all fine and dandy... but you all seem to be beating around the bush. Im simply saying that there is a difference AND that it's a good round.... a bit lathargic... but a good one none the less. If it was an end all be all, nothing else would have been made afterwards... but you and I know better. Faster,harder,stronger,new.... etc marketing... you name it. I have no room to complain. I own all commercial 06 variants (short of the 6.5/06) in multiple manufacturers.... as well as a few magnums. Truth be told... my greatest rifle in the field? My 300 win. A 150 at 3300 or a 180 at 3150. My 280 is a close second.... but Im pushing the coals on that one, a 140 ct doing around 3050fps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jokostel Posted August 25, 2009 Report Share Posted August 25, 2009 Yeah I have a .308 as well and there isnt a whole lot of difference in the trajectory no matter what weight you shoot. I prefer Federal ammo as well but Winchester works well too. Fed or Win ammo... either or is fine if you don't handload... I don't like to knock brands as each have issues at some point, but I have bought a few boxes of Remington ammo to break in rifles of different cals.... and each one is rocks and dynamite loading, with shotgun patterns, not groups.... especially with the 7 Rem Mag.. a 150 doing over 3300 in the thing.Even with going with the old way of testing pressure (copper crush) that it was even remotely safe working pressures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 If you reload, Remington's .30 cal 125 grain PSP is absolutely deadly. More than enough bullet for a whitetail. Lung shots and my favorite base of the neck shot and they drop like a rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stcif Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Well no matter what we think about ammo, the .308 is just a fun gun to shoot. Will kill just about any north american big game animal easily. Close ballistics to a 30.06 with less recoil. I used to shoot the Remington 180 grain soft point core lokt. I switched to a 150 grain pointed soft point. Think I am going back to the 180's though. I would prefer that round in case a big black bear came by and I decided to shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grady269 Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 .308 I went through about 10 different boxes of ammo trying to get my Browning Short-trac .308 to hold a group i could brag about. Also about $300 in barrel re-crown, trigger, and action work. With that said the best "shooting" of all of them was the Hornandy Light magnum 165 Boat Tail Soft Point 165Gr. 1.5" 5 shot group @ 100 yds. Second Best was the Black Hills Gold 165gr TSX. The Hornandy are a little hotter and I was having problems with the bolt closing solid sometimes; this has not happened with the Hornandy load. The 165 Gr seems to be the trick for me, Most of the competition loads are also 165-168. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawgitall Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 I also have the 308 barrell for my Encore. I like the Federal 165 grain boat tail. I have had great luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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