One Bullet for everything??

Kev

5 year old buck +
I'm sure there are a variety of opinions on the subject and the last thing I want is an argument. With that, I now live in a state that allows rifles for deer hunting & I've selected a .308 caliber rifle. For those of you who hunt big game with rifles, my question is, is there one bullet that will suffice for all big game animals? I know that every gun is different and each one likes a certain bullet. I also know that shot placement is the most important factor in taking an animals quickly & humanely. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'd like to find a bullet that wouldn't destroy meat on something small like an antelope but I also would like to be able to drop an elk one day. I've been playing with different bullets & right now the Winchester 150 grain power point & the Hornady Match 155 grain A-Max pattern well. I tried and all copper bullet & it didn't do so good. Anyway, I open to suggestions and conversation. Thanks
 
It sounds to me you already have yourself on the right track. Most modern bullets will do everything you need under the circumstances you’ve outlined. Find what your rifle shoots best and what you’re comfortable with and you’ll be fine. With that said, nosler partitions, and hornady interlocks have all worked well for me in an affordable package. Most cup and core and virtually all premium bullets will work for you. I‘d maybe consider a 165 grain if you’re looking at bigger game and in my experience it’s kind of a classic all around weight for the .308.
 
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You are definitely on the right track. I am running 150 gr. nosler partitions through both of my 308's and they love them. I have also run some heavier NP's in case I decided to go for something larger and they performed similarly, but the 150 gr. seems to be the sweet spot for me.
 
As mentioned, most modern hunting bullets will do the trick. That said, I'm not sure A-max is a hunting bullet, so I would be careful on larger game. I've used a lot of bullets, and they all work well. I've never lost an animal due to bullet performance. The ones I use a lot now in my 308 are

ELD-X, which is amazingly accurate in my rifle and kills very well

Fusion, shoots well and kills very well (I've seen others take deer in different calibers with this bullet as well)

Accubond, possibly the perfect hunting bullet(but my experience is limited so far, I will know more after Sept. 1)

I've also used Partitions to take a lot of deer, and I can't say anything negative about it. Used to shoot Federal Power Shok, which was also extremely accurate and killed well. Another outstanding bullet is Trophy Bonded.
 
I can say a little more about Fusion since we are a couple days into our season.

150 grain Fusion is great for whitetails, but anything bigger would probably require 180 grain bullets. We got a couple stags with the 150gr, and on the bigger stag, the bullet was found under the offside hide. Bullet performed great, and the stag only ran about 30 yards before dropping dead. The smaller stag had a clean pass through and made it about 15 feet.

This is my first time using 150 grain bullets on red deer, and I think it's a bit light. But they're perfect for whitetail.

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Don’t overthink it. In general, lighter constructed cup and core bullets (amax/eld, Berger, etc) l’d use heavier weights (165+) so impact velocity is lower and bullets hold together/penetrate better. With mono bullets, bonded (accubond/scirocco) or partition/a-frame I’d go lighter (150-160) to get higher impact velocities, they will penetrate plenty.
 
..........And i thought this was a thread about congress

bill
 
I don't know about your .308. But my .270 likes 150Gr Partitions. I've used them for deer and elk with success. I don't mess with the 130gr traditional pills anymore.
 
I like the Hornady GMX all copper bullets run a light for caliber bullet and push them fast they need the speed for proper expansion.
 
I'm sure there are a variety of opinions on the subject and the last thing I want is an argument. With that, I now live in a state that allows rifles for deer hunting & I've selected a .308 caliber rifle. For those of you who hunt big game with rifles, my question is, is there one bullet that will suffice for all big game animals? I know that every gun is different and each one likes a certain bullet. I also know that shot placement is the most important factor in taking an animals quickly & humanely. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'd like to find a bullet that wouldn't destroy meat on something small like an antelope but I also would like to be able to drop an elk one day. I've been playing with different bullets & right now the Winchester 150 grain power point & the Hornady Match 155 grain A-Max pattern well. I tried and all copper bullet & it didn't do so good. Anyway, I open to suggestions and conversation. Thanks

I primarily hunt small bodied deer here in VA. A few years back, they dropped the shotgun only regulation from my county and allowed rifles. I had an old Rem 760 gamemaster in .30-06 that I bought in PA when I was in college. It was more than I needed for the size of the deer and the length of shot opportunity we get. However, I'm getting close to retirement. I don't have any specific plans, but I wanted to be prepared to hunt larger game when I have more time. I ended up buying a .300 Win Mag barrel for an Encore and had a howitzer break put on it. I did have to invest in hearing protection for hunting, but I'm old enough that they act as hearing aids for me when hunting and clip the high impulse to protect what hearing I have left. It has the kick of a .223 with that break. It is accurate. I can throw a 180 grain bullet long distances with better ballistics than my .30-06 with a 150 grain bullet. Fortunately, I bought plenty of ammo when I got the gun, cause it is hard to find these days. It is much more gun than I need for small deer, but it doesn't tear them up much more than the .30-06. I've had it a couple years now and love it.

I've been pretty happy with off the shelf Hornady SST.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Cavity back bullets hands down . Anyone who hasn't tried them are only guessing .

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I'm a fan of bullets on the fragile side that really expand well, because I limit myself to heart and lung shots - except for coyotes, and then I will take any shot. I want most of my energy to be spent in the animal, but I do like an exit hole on the other side. Hence, my favorite two deer bullet for the 308 are the 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip and the 150 Hornady SST. Both of them do a super job of expanding and give nice exit holes, but I prefer the Nosler overall.

I don't elk hunt, but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot an elk with either of those bullets. Maybe an Accubond would be better for that job, but I would still stay with a 150 grain in 308. I have the drop and drift memorized out to 700 yards with a 150 in 308, and changing to something else with more drop would just mess me up.

PS - if anyone wants to sell any 150 Ballistic Tips, I would likely buy them from you. I'm down to less than 100 and can't find any.
 
Cavity back bullets hands down . Anyone who hasn't tried them are only guessing .

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First i've heard of them and I've geeked out about this stuff a fair bit recently. What is your experience with them?
 
First i've heard of them and I've geeked out about this stuff a fair bit recently. What is your experience with them?
First off I never had good results from mono bullets before ( E tip - Barnes ) so I was skeptical before I tried them. Their 70 grain . 224 has replaced nosler 60 grain in my loads and the 105 6.8 spc free is my go to load in that caliber . We have taken game with every 6.8 bullet there is and none preform better . They have 2 different types . 308 bullets . One is for . 300 bo/ 30/30 velocity and the other is for faster calibers . For people who shoot . 300 / .308 sub they make a 195 grain that opens up to over an inch at over a quarter of mile . I have no connection with the company nor anyone who sales or promotes their ammo , I'm just a person who has searched for years for a magic bullet partition / accubond types are great but cavity back is my go to bullets . Other than 6.8 it's load your own for now .

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In 22-250 I'm kind of satisfied with the 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. I probably won't be changing to any other bullet anytime soon.

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I'm sure there are a variety of opinions on the subject and the last thing I want is an argument. With that, I now live in a state that allows rifles for deer hunting & I've selected a .308 caliber rifle. For those of you who hunt big game with rifles, my question is, is there one bullet that will suffice for all big game animals? I know that every gun is different and each one likes a certain bullet. I also know that shot placement is the most important factor in taking an animals quickly & humanely. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'd like to find a bullet that wouldn't destroy meat on something small like an antelope but I also would like to be able to drop an elk one day. I've been playing with different bullets & right now the Winchester 150 grain power point & the Hornady Match 155 grain A-Max pattern well. I tried and all copper bullet & it didn't do so good. Anyway, I open to suggestions and conversation. Thanks

.308 is a good choice. I have shot `40 deer with that caliber. We have big bodies deer here with the largest I have taken is a 239 lbs field dressed that was probably close 300 lbs on the hoof. Every deer I have shot with it went less than 60 yards.

I use 150 - 165 g. nossler, with ballistic tip. Play around with both and really no difference. With today's ammo shortage gotta be flexible. The .308 is a short guide type gun so it is easy to carry. Also less recoil than my 30-06 or 300 WINMAG.

Try to get 150-200 rounds before your hunting season. A couple years ago on my new 300 WIN i found every 3rd to 5th shot drifting. Take about 40 rounds to locate a scope mount hex nut that needed about a 1/4 turn to tighten.

End of the day caliber & gun doesn't matter if you don't have have confidence in the gun and your shooting ability. Lots of rounds through solves that issue.
 
Big fan of Nosler ballistic tips here too. I shoot 140 grain out of my .270 win. I’ve killed probably 40 Whitetail’s, a half dozen Mulies and a dozen or so antelope with them. Great combo out to 450 yards IMO. I wouldn’t hesitate to take it on an elk hunt but haven’t yet. I have killed a couple mulies that were north of 300 lbs on the hoof and the bullet was devastating. I like a .270 better than a .308 or 30-06, flatter shooting.
 
"suffice for all big game animals?"

Because of this statement, I'd lean towards tougher bullets designed for controlled expansion and deep penetration. I see alot of guys recommending some pretty soft bullets, which are great for deer, but I'd be worried about them on bigger stuff.
My son and I just got back from hunting moose in Newfoundland. One guy in camp shot a mid sized caribou with a .308 using 178 grn eldx's. It killed the caribou, but barely penetrated to the vitals. Another guy shot a moose 4 times with a .30-06 using Hornady ammo. None of the bullets exited. It took a long time for that moose to die.
My son shot 2 moose with my .338-06 using 185 grn barnes ttsx's. 1 shot a piece. The first was a nice sized cow with complete penetration. She went 20 yards and dropped. The second was a young bull at a hard quartering away angle. Bullets entered just in front of the left ham and stopped in the neck on the off side. He went about 10 yards.
 
So far, a 150 grain soft point , (Norma ammo). patterns pretty good for me. I have no doubt that it's more than adequate for antelope, deer, and black bear. From what I've gathered, a bonded bullet would be best for an elk. I have had some experience with "ballistic tip" type ammo. The amount of tissue damage can be staggering if you don't hit the animal perfectly through the lungs. I don't like picking bone out of my roast! :>) Thanks to all for the information.
 
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