What .308 gr bullet for reloading?

[DJ_Mack]

Hey guys,

I am reloading for my ar-10 which will be my hunting rifle this year.  Just wondering what grain bullet you use for deer, elk, and bear?  Thanks guys.  I am thinking hornady sst 165 gr. but I would like a grain that I could buy in bulk for general shooting also.  That way I don't have to constantly change my optics for different grain bullets.

[jrebel]

My ar 10 in 308 did not like 165 or 168 grain bullets.  I finally loaded 150 grain bullets and it shoots lights out.  I loaded 150 grain accu bonds for hunting and ballistic tips for cheap plinking round.  Point of impact is the exact same.  I load mine with h414 which is not a conventional 308 powder but it loves it. 

[jay.sharkbait]

What twist is the barrel?

[brokenvet]

I would use Hornady A-Max either 155  or 168 grns, with IMR4064 42 grns and 41 grains maximum respectively.

However you need to find out what works best for your rifle.

[MP123]

You should try a few different ones and see what your gun "likes" best.  I use Nosler Partition 150s over Varget.  Kind of old school but they shoot great for me.

[DJ_Mack]

Thanks guys!  My gun is a 1:10 twist

I think that I am going to drop down to a 150 sst.  That way if I need to buy some ammo I can pick up some 150gr fmj. 

[jrebel]

Thanks guys!  My gun is a 1:10 twist

I think that I am going to drop down to a 150 sst.  That way if I need to buy some ammo I can pick up some 150gr fmj.

Buy the Nosler factory seconds in 150 grain to save a ton of money.    

[Stein]

Shoot the heaviest bullet that:

a.  Is accurate in your gun
b.  Has terminal ballistics (velocity) sufficient to open and take the game you want at an acceptable maximum yardage
c.  Has proven ability to quickly kill under a variety of shot placements

Unfortunately, this means you will likely need to buy several boxes of bullets unless you get real lucky and get sub moa on the first try.  I would play with the ballistic calculators and figure out the minimum velocity your favorite bullet needs to open and see what your max yardage is.  Start with the heaviest one that fits the bill and then go down until you find one that shoots well.  Then, dial in your exact powder loads for maximum accuracy.  Plan on shooting a bunch of times to get this figured out.

I would use either a nosler partition or barnes tsx, but that's just me.

[WoodlandShooter]

175 SMK!!!

[swashington2128]

Stay away from the SMKs. Not made for hunting, they lack the expansion that is needed for a good clean kill. If you are set on using Sierra use the Game Kings. Soft lead tip, good penetration, great expansion and at least 80% mass retention.

I dropped a nice 4x4 whitetail with a 150 grain bullet. Was a quartering towards shot and went straight through the shoulder. Believe me it did plenty of damage a dropped that buck within 20 yards. The heart lost about 40% of its mass. A friend of mine killed a nice black bear a few years back with a 150 gr 270. Did the trick on that old boar so my opinion is a 150 gr bullet in any 30 cal is more than sufficient to kill anything we have here is WA.

[Curly]

165 gr Speer Hot Cor .........not sexy, but inexpensive and should work fine for your use

[fly-by]

165 gr Speer Hot Cor .........not sexy, but inexpensive and should work fine for your use

I haven't tried the 165s but will vouch for the 150s.  Slamming into feed ramps is tough on plastic tipped bullets while the lead tips do fine.  150-165gr will leave you enough room for powder while staying at mag length.

[Fl0und3rz]

You should try a few different ones and see what your gun "likes" best.  I use Nosler Partition 150s over Varget.  Kind of old school but they shoot great for me.

I use the same.  Tried and true.