Best 308 155gr for hunting and all around if there is one

[WT1]

Wondering what if any of the 155 projectiles in 30 caliber would be the best for all around application, legal to use for hunting, target shooting, that type of thing in a 20" and 26" barrel that you can purchase in bulk.

Thanks.

 

[LeadZeke]

Depending on what you are hunting, 155gr Hornady ELDM.

 

[rweaver00geo]

Berger makes a 155 hunting bullet ive never used it tho, personally I would try the 155eld or if you can find it, the 155 amax or step down to the 150 nosler ballistic tip, im assuming your hunting med game

 

[WT1]

Berger makes a 155 hunting bullet ive never used it tho, personally I would try the 155eld or if you can find it, the 155 amax or step down to the 150 nosler ballistic tip, im assuming your hunting med game

Yes, medium game, deer, maybe elk. I know of guys who've taken elk with a .243 so .30 cal should do the trick. Shot placement. Thanks.

 

[spife7980]

The 150 gameking is my preferred 30 cal hunting bullet. It’s not the highest bc bullet but it’s also not the lowest and is pretty respectable for a soft point.

Wait. Is the “155” a Palma consideration so you’re specific to that weight or just more general in that vicinity?

 

[Graywolf.260]

What’s wrong with the 155 Scenar?

 

[david walter]

Nuthin

The 155 Scenar is superb in a 308. If a rifle won’t shoot well with this bullet over 45.2 grains of Varget in just about any case, it’s a problem with the rifle or the shooter.

What’s wrong with the 155 Scenar?

 

[G-Dog]

AMAX and ELDM bullets are not optimized for game. Why 155 gr and not another weight? At 150 grains the possibilities open up like crazy. Game king, ballistic tips, fusion, interlock, etc. A slightly lighter bullet optimized for expansion will vastly out perform a 5 gr heavier projectile on game. My 2 cents. Not what you asked, but my favorite pet load for the 308 is the 178 eld-x, and at 2700 FPS gives me 1/2 MOA.

 

[acudaowner]

which ever your gun likes the most and you can afford gets two .

 

[WT1]

The 150 gameking is my preferred 30 cal hunting bullet. It’s not the highest bc bullet but it’s also not the lowest and is pretty respectable for a soft point.

Wait. Is the “155” a Palma consideration so you’re specific to that weight or just more general in that vicinity?

No, just thinking I'd like less recoil and 155's will offer less recoil than 168's or 175's so thinking 155's. Most shots under 600 anyway, so the need for heavier bullets isn't as much of a consideration.

 

[WT1]

I do have some 150 grain Sciroccos that I got as part of a trade here but not sure they make for a good all around projectile and their price point is higher than most. I am just surveying for experiences and trying to narrow it down to a good all around bullet, hunting, match, plinking, that type of thing, if there is such a projectile?

Amax are also very accurate for me out of anything I run them through. I was thinking of Barnes TTSX in 150 or 165's. Their weight retention is close to 100%. but I understand they copper up a barrel pretty good. The 150 Game Kings might be a good choice. Too bad the 155 Tipped Match Kings wouldn't make a good hunting round, I've been told.

 

[FishDr]

Similar to Spife, I’ve had good hunting results with both the Hornady 150 interlock and the Sierra 150 Gameking. The GK gave some outstanding groups out to 400 for a hunting bullet (~2”). The interlock is not quite that but not far behind (maybe due to the cannelure)? Both good enough for target shooting to moderate ranges.

 

[pabrousseau]

150 gameking. easy to tune tangent ogive, very accurate and performs well on deer.

 

[FishDr]

https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...r-308-diameter-150-grain-spire-point.6979722/

Looks like Hornady to me. Here ya go !

 

[WT1]

150 gameking. easy to tune tangent ogive, very accurate and performs well on deer.

Yes, the 65 grain Sierra Game Kings I have for .223 are very accurate and tolerant of powder and seating depth. Perhaps the 150's for 308 would be a good choice. I was watching a video on utoob this morning by Brian Litz and his take on the best hunting choice would have the highest BC for a hunting bullet because it would be arriving at the target with the highest velocity and as we all know mass times velocity is crucial. The Berger 155 looks good, too.

Which then leads to the next question, which hunting bullet in 30 caliber from 150 to 155 has the highest bc?

Sierra Game King 150 .380 @ 2600 fps and above
Berger 155 Hunting .464 (that's pretty high if you ask me for a 155 for hunting, wonder if they are finicky?)
Hornady various 150's for hunting from .349 on up to .415
Barnes TTSX 150 .42
Swift Scirrocco 150 .430
Nosler Accubong 150 .435
Nosler Ballistic Tip 150 .435
Nosler Partition 150 .387

I think if you take Litz's suggestion and just pick the highest BC, you would have to go with the Berger 155 hunting bullet.

I'm surprised nobody is sticking up for the Barnes TTSX but I've seen reviews on utoob that suggest though it retains its weight very well, it doesn't open up enough. But the penetration is good.

 

[spife7980]

The gameking can be had for cheap though.

I’m a big nosler fan too.

I’ve had good loads in a 270 with the Berger classic hunter but they worked best beyond internal magazine length. It’s a good shooting bullet, the best I tested in that 270, but it didn’t work as well when forced within my constraints. The gameking did though, they seem to not mind at all a mile long jump in the 5 hunting rifles Ive tried a gameking in.

And bc doesn’t really matter in the 400 yards I’d take a deer, I like cheap and accurate, beyond that it’s just coyotes so who really cares.

I use the 150 in my 3006 and I’ve been equally pleased with it from my 300 blackout. It’s a killer.

/stepping off my soap box

 

[WT1]

The gameking can be had for cheap though.

I’m a big nosler fan too.

I’ve had good loads in a 270 with the Berger classic hunter but they worked best beyond internal magazine length. It’s a good shooting bullet, the best I tested in that 270, but it didn’t work as well when forced within my constraints. The gameking did though, they seem to not mind at all a mile long jump in the 5 hunting rifles Ive tried a gameking in.

And bc doesn’t really matter in the 400 yards I’d take a deer, I like cheap and accurate, beyond that it’s just coyotes so who really cares.

I use the 150 in my 3006 and I’ve been equally pleased with it from my 300 blackout. It’s a killer.

/stepping off my soap box

The Nosler Ballistic Tip 165's are very accurate. I was shooting some Magtech 150 FMG's I picked up in a box of 50 at least six years ago, maybe longer at Cabelas, when at the range this weekend just to get rid of them and they really started to open up, maybe six inch groups at 100 yards. Probably machine gun ammo. Then I put some Nosler 165's handloads in and the group went right back to 1/2"" out of a 20" 1 in 12 twist. The Nosler's are a good bet and they can also be had for a fairly good price.

 

[WT1]

This is kind of interesting: https://www.speer-ammo.com/products/bullets/rifle-bullets/boat-tail-rifle-bullet/2022

The price sure is right on these things. $20.56 at Red River Reloading

 

[pabrousseau]

I recently bought 400 of those speer. in the past ive killed several deer with them and there was no difference in them and the sierras performance on game or accuracy .if I need a 165 flat base spitzer I buy speer.

 

[WT1]

I recently bought 400 of those speer. in the past ive killed several deer with them and there was no difference in them and the sierras performance on game or accuracy .if I need a 165 flat base spitzer I buy speer.

The price sure is good on the Speer components compared to other brands. Not as much hype I guess.

 

[308Gunner]

I shot the 155 Palma for years and it worked, I switched to the 175smk and never looked back. I did shoot a barrel out on the Palma’s before I switched ?

 

[FishDr]

My barrel that shoots the 150 sierra and the 150 Hornady interlock will put the 155 Sierrra Palma (2156) into 1/2". Its a great bullet, but I don't use them for hunting. My first tripto 1000 yards was with the palma bullet.

 

[XTREM HTR16]

155 Scenar for the win...

Deceased via Scenar bullet pix please..

Tons of white, long winter and the Scenars that Scenar turned me onto are perking well in my lil 300 WSM. So, please post up pics of your victums via flight Scenar and help me relax a bit during this long butt winter. Gracias Perro

www.24hourcampfire.com

“Scenarshooter” is @psinclair

 

[Graywolf.260]

Also, Brian Litz tested the 155 Scenar and found it had a higher BC than the Berger 155 although not quite as high as Lapua claimed.

 

[BCX]

I killed plenty of deer out to 600 yards w the 155 Scenar. The 165 BT was another favorite hunting bullet in 308 WIN.

 

[Rumlover]

Barnes 150 TTSX over H4895 loaded 0.050" off the lands. 1/4 MOA in my GAP 1/10" twist, Harbinger, 22" tube. Dropped many deer with it, ranging from 300lb mulies to Texas mini deer. Don't remember the charge weight off hand, probably 43-44 or so, check the barnes manual for starting loads.

 

[XLR308]

AMAX and ELDM bullets are not optimized for game. Why 155 gr and not another weight? At 150 grains the possibilities open up like crazy. Game king, ballistic tips, fusion, interlock, etc. A slightly lighter bullet optimized for expansion will vastly out perform a 5 gr heavier projectile on game. My 2 cents. Not what you asked, but my favorite pet load for the 308 is the 178 eld-x, and at 2700 FPS gives me 1/2 MOA.

I had intended to use the 155amax on deer and fortunately ended up shooting a coyote first that was chasing a doe and yearling.
Shot was from about 120 yards angling down and hit just above collor bone and exited behind rib cage on opposite site.
Basically disembowled it and made a hell of a mess, I would imagine it would have destroyed alot of meat on a whitetail if a shoulder shot was taken.
I switched back to the 178amax that day.

 

[WT1]

I had intended to use the 155amax on deer and fortunately ended up shooting a coyote first that was chasing a doe and yearling.
Shot was from about 120 yards angling down and hit just above collor bone and exited behind rib cage on opposite site.
Basically disembowled it and made a hell of a mess, I would imagine it would have destroyed alot of meat on a whitetail if a shoulder shot was taken.
I switched back to the 178amax that day.

Why do you think it had such an effect upon the coyote compared to the 178? Velocity?

 

[XLR308]

Why do you think it had such an effect upon the coyote compared to the 178? Velocity?

Mostly yes, a combination of velocity, sectional density and the light construction of the bullet.
It appeared that it fragmented pretty violently when it hit the collar bone.
I don't have my note book but I want to say that load was running right around 2900fps or a little over from the 26" 1-12 barrel I was using.

 

[david walter]

The 155 Scenar and the 155 AMAX are not the same at all, outside if weight. I know tons of people successfully using the 155 Scenar for elk.

 

[XLR308]

The 155 Scenar and the 155 AMAX are not the same at all, outside if weight. I know tons of people successfully using the 155 Scenar for elk.

I totally agree with that and have used both.
The Scenars seam to have a much sturdier construction and are a longer bullet with a much better BC.
The 155 AMAX in my opinion based on the terminal performance I have seen behave alot more like the VMAX or SST does in some calibers.