As the thread name implies, what is the preference for hunting Alabama whitetails with a .308? I'm not thrilled with the ammo I've been using.

150 GR FEDERAL NOSLER

Hornady custom 165 btsp,no longer made though.

Many will say 165, but my twist rate needs a 150
Fusion and Core Lokts have performed well.

Blue box federal powershock150

Federal Fusion 150 or 165gr works best in my A-Bolt. Took my hard headed self a while to figure out it isn't what I like to shoot, it's what my gun likes to shoot. Always been a Hornady Superformance fan for my .270, so tried to tell myself that it would work in my .308, too....nope. Wouldn't shoot a good group no matter what I tried. Swapped to Hornady Whitetail line and it was better, but not as tight as I'd prefer. Tried Fusions and got the groupings I was looking for.

Been shooting federal nosler partition in 150 for years. It’s a killer.

Federal Premium with 150 Grain Barnes TSX bullets.

Any quality bullet in the 150-168 gr range will do the job if put in the "kill zone." I really like Barnes TTSX 130 gr , but my Finnlight doesn't shoot them well . I'm going back to Hornady or Nosler , both shoot one ragged hole.

Federal Premium Sierra Gameking 165 BTSP

Yup cheap and deadly

I’m interested in reading about people’s experience with the new Nosler Whitetail Country solid base ammo. Y’all bunch of killers start using it and report back.

I’m a big fan of the fusions but I started shooting the 130gr Barnes TTSXs. I’ve been very impressed with the way they shoot and perform.

https://youtu.be/bkFsEyf2UM0?si=k7syA9q5GUNfw8Nr

my gun likes the 150gr Core-Lokt’s - this guy’s done a lot of reviews of 308 ammo so def check this channel out

Whatever hunting ammo that's most accurate in your gun will kill whitetails.

#1- 150 gr Core- Lokts
#2 150 gr Hornady American Whitetail

Neither have disappointed.

I’ve killed a bunch with 150 grain Winchester Ballistic Silvertips, great penetration and internal damage.

1st would be Hand loaded Berger 155gr. VLD hunting
If I couldn’t hand load I would probably go with factory Barnes TTSX or the Federal Premium with Sierra game king.

My gun likes 150 Core Lokts. I’ve gotten good results with Hornady ELDX and SST’s. Yes, SST’s. The Core Lokts are easier to find, cheaper and kill deer/hogs.

180 grain Core Lokts

Midway is running a sale on this now. $25 a box for several common cartridges. New nosler brass is the same price per piece. I'm tempted to buy some... if nothing else, for the brass.

To answer the original Q... I'm a handloader and like 165 Sierra SBTs gamekings.

They don't make one, get a 3006

My Tikka likes the Sierra Gameking 165’s

150 gr core-lokts.

Both old stock Remington 150 grain core lokt and Federal 150 grain . Both have worked equally well for me for years.

Still trying to fund the best on 308. Just switched to 130 coreloc on
My 270. Had some extremely accurate 130 loads i was using but left almost no hole. Never seen that with 270

for pattern & killing performance bergers have always been great to me in any caliber

I tried shooting 150gr core-lokts in my savage .308 and it wouldn't group or even hit the target after having my scope boresighted twice and shooting a box of ammo.....I switched to the hornady whitetail 165 gr and it's been spot on every since....I bought every box with that batch number that I could find.....it was crazy, but that gun just wouldn't shoot those bullets.....first time that happened to me....

178g ELDX

I’ve been shooting them for 36 years in several different guns. My BAR loves them.

150gr SST’s

168 gold metal match, 165 Barnes tsx, 175 Berger vld… you name it. Of course, none of them will perform like those 6.5 Needmores though.

Back not long ago when some ammo was selling for near $80 a box if you could find it I held out and came across Federal Blue box 180's for around $18 a box. Never shot anything more than 150g, but really didn't want to do $80 a box either. Savage suggest a 165g for my gun, but I decided to try them. Probably most accurate load I ever shot. Some years ago I like the Winchester Silivertips powerpoints or Corelokts in another caliber. Silvertips was my go to until I couldn't find them anymore. Use to get some good deals at retailers until the biggest lead plant in U.S. got shut down. I remember the last time one big retailer had one caliber at $8.97a box. Never seen it near that price again! Winchester does have a 168g Silvertip for $45 a box. May have to try those.

The Ol' 150 Federal Premium 150 Nosler BTs was bad medicine. I've only got one box left for my 7mm08 (less than 2 in 270wsm) think Federal & Nosler got into a pissin match over some calibers or bullets or something...

These have great performance on deer too.

My gun, 150 ssts

Home-rolled ammo with 168gr Nosler Accubond pills. Bad medicine, sub-moa and works every time for me!

Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Tip 165g

Federal Fusion in 150 or 165….whichever your gun likes the best.

130 grain Barnes ttsx

Must be at least two duzen different responses above.

Go buy all of them and see which one kills deer deader...

I'm not going to go buy all of them, but I've already bought some and plan to go to the range tomorrow. I've been shooting the Hornady 168 grain ELD-X. They group well and have expanded well on Kansas deer. However, I've shot two deer this fall here and both have gone a long way. It's like there is less expansion on the smaller bodied deer. It's not the gun, I've been to the range since and it still groups well. So, it is either the shooter or the bullet. I have not discounted it being the former.

Thanks for all the suggestions and replies. I do reload and will also order some bullets to try making my own.

155 grain Berger VLD

I don't use a 308 but a good friend of mine does and loves his. He is shooting the norma 150 grain soft points and has been really happy with accuracy and performance on deer.

Long range / heavy critters, I like the Nosler Accubond 165 grain.

Whitetails, I like Nosler Ballistic Tip, but I hunt a couple of places with really long shots. Anything in the 150-180 grain will be fine, but I really prefer the 165 grain for 308.

My .308 is a XBolt Hells Canyon Speed, and it LOVES the superformacne 165s, only gun I own the likes any version of that round.

I also shoot 168 ELDX and have experienced the same with smaller deer running. Does especially. They don't go far, just far enough to make it inconvenient to drag them out. I believe the ELDX was made for stability in long range shots. I wonder if the lack of expansion has something to do with that in the under 200 yard range. I will be experiencing with other loads that keep deer from running. Im not so much concerned about grouping as anything from sub MOA to 2" will satisfy my need for under 200yards.

Both of the deer I'm talking about were average size does at 25 yards. It could have been me, but I think the deer body versus bullet style is what got me. There was no blood sign for 60-70 yards. I'm trying to work on the doe numbers, so I'm probably going back to Partitions.

What is your sight in range, just curious about how close your shooting

I sighted them in at home where I shoot at about 85 yards. The gun is an inch high at that distance.

Probably not the bullet. ELDX are nasty on Alabama deer.

This is what im using except in 168gr

I have not been happy with the 178 gr eld-x on game performance. It shoots good, knocks deer down, but then they get up and run off. Less than stellar blood trails too. My AR10 likes 165 gr Fusuons. Only killed a doe with it so far, went 30 yds, great blood trail.

That said, I've had good luck with the hornady 150 and 165 grain bullets.

I think my 308s need to all be replaced by 7-08s.

I wouldn’t replace the 308 but you can do like I did. Get the 7-08 to alternate with the 308.

All my buddies that were shooting the ELDX bullets have switched. Same story with all of them. They shot extremly well and killed deer just fine but no blood trails and very few pass throughs. They would have a hard time finding the deer if they were in real thick areas which is 90% of what we hunt. It’s a great bullet if your hunting open areas where you can see them run off after the shot. Really tears them up on the inside.

ELDX is not designed for light skinned southern deer at close ranges.

I for the life of me can’t figure out why ppl can’t settle on time tested and proven simple copper jacket around a lead core ammo in a green or blue box. Usually, the cheapest ammo is the best at killing stuff, if it groups. And you don’t need sub MOA to kill deer.

It’s a proven fact that the common cup and core bullets work and have worked for ever. This is still the style bullet I shoot in most of my rifles. Either the blue box federal or the fusions. But since I started loading my own, I did load some TTSXs to try because of all the good things I’ve heard about them. Right now to say I’m pleased with their performance would be an understatement. I would have never tried them if I had to shoot the factory loads as I refuse to pay the high price for that ammo. I’m a cheap bastage most times.

Anyone shooting the Norma 150 gr 308? I got a 10 box deal for $150 back a while, but haven’t had a chance to try them out of my BLR 308. Robinhedd

^^
Shot great at target - killed a mounter with it last year - didnt run 70 yards probably - was not blood at shot site r great blood trail on a 85 yard shot - Prob should give it another chance. Still tinkering/looking. Others really like it - try it..

This is what I'm seeing. Both deer were average size does. Neither left any blood.

Matt, I was trying to find a factory load that uses a Nosler Partition when you posted. I found the Federals in stock at Natchez and ordered a couple of boxes. I haven't reloaded in 20 years but have .308 brass and found 2 boxes of 150 gr., .30 cal. Partitions, so I guess I'll start setting up to make my own again.

Just sighted in some with my little finnlight 7mm08. Wasn't really sure how would shoot being a 150, but she still punched out a hair under an inch group at a 100, and the POI is exactly the same as my Federal Premium 140s (that are no longer made) think i'm gonna trime out on something

I’ve got about 10 boxes of them in 30-06 and 308. They shoot real good. Haven’t shot them at deer yet, but I will as soon as I wrap up these partitions.

ELDX I used knocked holes in my deer ! No complaints here from me . Looked like a murder scene .

I have a bunch of federal power shock blue box and Norma whitetail I bought cheap. It shoots great and I’ve killed a pile of deer with them. I’m saving all the brass and going to reload them with 150 accubonds

I was shooting the Norma 308 150gr with the elk on the box before I switched to the 130gr Barnes. Outstanding results with those rounds. From my research, the boxes with the elk on them have the rounds loaded with the Norma Oryx bullets. They have more of a blunt tip to them. From big hogs, big Axis bucks and does, Whitetail bucks and does, Ive never recovered a bullet. Only thing I noticed when I switched from the 150gr blue box federal was the Norma had less recoil hit about 2- 21/2” lower at 200yds then the zero I had with the blue box federals. It was an easy adjustment and they shot great. I’ve never heard anything bad about the Norma whitetail rounds. Couple my buddies shoot the Norma bondstrike and has great results with those.

I typically always lean 165s in my 308s.

Federal Fusions unless they won’t group. The new tipped cor lokt.

I too had some blood trail issues with 178gr ELD-Xs

I recently switched to some federal premium loaded with 150 Barnes TSX. I’ve always had great blood with Barnes.