To choose only one, 150 or 180gr 308

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oracleammo

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Currently only going to be hunting in Wisconsin with rifle this year. Intend on stocking up for the long haul while I still have a paycheck coming in and can afford it.

Some opinions would be appreciated as to preference of 150 or 180 gr 308 load if you mainly intend on hunting deer for the foreseeable near future, yet

after I retire I'd like to move to a state where I can find deer, moose, elk, etc so I was originally considering a 180 round to stock up on.

Also any opinions about 180 gr 308 on deer at ranges below 100 and as low as 25 yards.

For opinion's sake, figure I'll be using either Core-Lokt, Fed Soft Point or Winchester Super-X in 180 gr.
 
got all of them on the way, I'll be lookin' for the smallest ;)

More concerned with opinion on 180 vs 150 on deer for the short term, assuming Wisconsin distances of maybe 30 to no more than 100 tops.

Assuming they all shot the same, does 180 have poorer performance at close distance in regard to expansion vs the 150?

If I were to usually shoot around 100 or more I'd just go with the 180, but I'd rather not stock up on both grains for the long haul.

I guess maybe some input on 180gr performance at closer distances would be great. Overpenetration experiences if any, failures to expand in average whitetail at close range, etc.
 
I can't imagine that the deer would be able to tell the difference. We routinely use 170 grain .30-30 ammo to kill deer here in Louisiana. Personally, I use 165 grain ammo in my .308 and my .30-06 and feel that's adequate for just about anything I might stumble across.
 
Well where I'll be hunting in WI it's super hilly and I'm getting older :o

If I can lessen the odds of poking a small hole through and through rather than expand and transfer all the energy to help me bring 'em down I'd much rather choose wisely on the bullet that gives those odds.

I'm hoping I don't have to go climbing a couple hundred yards up those hills when I'm in my 70's.

If the 150 can do well out to maybe 200 max I'll be satisfied. Haven't hunted moose or elk yet so I've yet to experience average distance on that quarry in the Midwest. On that side of the coin I'd hate to stock up on 150 and find that Moose or Elk are rarely taken at ranges closer than 100 and that the 150 won't be very effective at ranges up to 200 yards.
 
Well my Remington 700 ADL Varmint in 308 shoots the 150gr Core Lokts better than the 180's. So guess what I would use? Go with what shoots best.
 
Personally, I think the ideal .308 bullet is a 165 grn. You get closer to the speed of a 150 with the hitting power that rivals the 180.
 
The 165 or 168 would be a compromise to be sure.... but then I'm back to trying to keep the cost down to 20 a box or less.... like the core-lokts, federal SP and winchester SX.

I'm trying to cheat physics I guess, but experience can help make a decision.
 
Assuming they all shot the same, does 180 have poorer performance at close distance in regard to expansion vs the 150?
Click to expand...

I would expect the expansion of the same type of ammo not to vary much by weight, I would expect 180 gr core lokts to expand essentially the same as the 150 grs. Because the bullet construction is the same.

"What I expect" means I have no real proof to back that up.

Buy reloading equipment while you have a paycheck coming in, then you don't have to stockpile enough ammo to last you the rest of your days.....
 
I try to find a bullet that comes close to the same point of impact as cheap practice ball ammo. Shoot the cheap stuff for practice then make sure your sighted in and hunt with the good stuff.
 
For deer 150 or 165 gr. bullets of any make. For elk 180 is a better bet. I say this because of penetration. A big deer might be close to 300 lbs. A small elk will be close to 600 lbs on the hoof. Your bullet has to travel through twice as much hide, bone, and muscle to get to the vitals. And a big elk can be 800 lbs or more. I would suggest that you get a small supply of the 180 gr. that shoot the best in your gun and a larger supply of 150 for deer. If you sight your gun in to each, and your scope can return to zero when you adjust it, you can write down the adjustment between the two. Just shoot it a few times to check the new zero when you change ammo/zero.
 
150's are not a bad bullet weight, but the 308 accuracy champs seem to be the 165 and 168s. The 180s are on the slow side and the 150s aren't much faster but may have a bit less recoil. I would only choose 150 if I go all copper and then the bullet length is closer to that of the 165. rc
 
An option:Lee makes a little press for about $30 and I think you can get basic Lee dies for less than $30,a scale is about $60.Add $20 or so for a manual.With that,you can't load real fast,but you can load excellent ammo.
One can load the very accurate,efficient,easy expanding moderately priced 165 Ballistic tip for deer and practice.For heavier game,substitute the 165 gr Accubond.
 
Ive never noticed that much difference in knock down power between 150 grain & 180 grain bullets in my .308. I found Remington 150 grain core lokt shot the best groups & have used 150 grain for deer, goats, pigs with success.
 
I've not been able to get 180's to shoot tight from any of my 308s. Performance with factory ammo was so horrible that I didn't bother trying to load my own.

On the other hand, it has been pretty easy for me to get sub moa with 165's and 168's from the same rifle.

I would just use 150s for deer now if they shoot tight out of your rifle. Later on when you do move to a different state you can start looking for a heavier load. Of course if the 180s shoot tight by all means stock up and don't look back.

Jimro
 
I understand your dilema, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I think you may be planning too far out. I have a lot of things that I bought for when I retire, or when I go out west hunting or whatever, and I don't really see any of that happening any time soon. I am the same as my dad was. When he died, we found all kinds of "why did he have this, he never did XXXXXX?" I am a long term planner just like he was and sometimes it can get you into things that don't really make sense at that point of your life and then you have wasted money on things that may never be used. I have about 25 boxes of 270 ammo that I bought for that exact same purpose 20 years ago that are collecting dust because they are too big for whitetails.

I hunt in Dickinson County in Michigan and the 308 shooting 150's will be more than adequate for the whitetails you will encounter in that area, assuming you will be in northern Wisconsin which is right across the border. If and or when you move out west worry about the elk/moose bullets then. Assuming you had enough money to move or book a hunt, you should be able to afford a few boxes of ammo.

Just a thought, and again, please don't take any offfense because none was meant.
 
I get a chuckle every time someone asks if a 150grn bullet is adequate for deer. Hell, I'll kill them all day long with a 90grn out of a .243Win.

Why not just go with the compromise and shoot 165grn bullets?
 
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