Thread: 30cal hunting projectiles

Criteria is:
Suitable for reds/waps
Good reliable expansion to 300 yards
Launched from 308
Can be sourced

Contenders are barnes 130 ttsx
swift scirocco 150
Sst 150

Suggestions or opinion welcome

I'd go the barnes 130 ttsx. Never used them personally, but have used 110 ttsx in a 7 08 and been impressed.

Thanks mate, personally I dont like the idea of a solid projectile, eg barnes. Doesnt make sense to me but people rave about them so thought worth a try.

As for slippery projectiles, the ones I mention aboce certainly dont fall under that criteria.

Ive always thought a 150 grain was abput the right weight for 308, any heavier and you dont get the expansion and energy transfered to animal as launch speed is low. Especially with the bonded projectiles.

Kerp advice coming

I like sierra gamekings in 150 gr, a simple cup n core that for me has always delivered. Have a bunch of the 165 boat tails as well bur never got round to using any yet. Both are readily available.

I would stay away from sst for close ranges.
130 ttsx will penetrate the full length of a wap, they do need to be loaded up to transfer shock tho, 3150-3200fps is achievable from 22inch. 2800-2900 would make for delayed kills at 300y .
I haven't tried sirocco as i thought 308 wouldn't push them fast enough to work at their best but as i say i haven't tried them.
good old interlock 150-165 is hard to go past too.

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So to upset the apple cart. I use 210 ballistic tips, 220 grain round nose in a 308 at with lower powder rates .You need to do a lot of home work before you even load a case. Some may say this is crazy .but I know the limits .I deal with Hornady and have contact with the engineering department in RCBS

Plus 1 for the Barnes

I run just TSX, great thing is they come out the other side and leave holes, feel very confident with reds and have had a few "knock them over right there" at ranges out to 150m, mostly a lot closer though.

On Waps I would be thinking a bit more about placement of the shot, I did however specifically choose them when I went into Fiordland, didn't get to try them out on a Wap, just a scrubby 10 point red.

I have been very happy with them,they are incredibly accurate in my rifle and that helps a lot.

My 2 cents

Cheers

Dino

I have used 150gr Sierra Pro hunters with very good results. Hits hard, shoots accurate (in a range of different .308's) and are cheap to buy. Most kills have been up close in the bush but a few have been out to as far as 250yds.
They don't have the best BC but as Mauser308 said under 300yds, high BC pills are not necessary.

SST's: I have had some experience with. No good in the bush (insert explode on impact), but after 100-150yds they work well.

Bonded bullets like Sirroco's & Accubonds work better at speed (3000fps + muzzle velocity), so maybe not ideal in a .308win.

Cannot pass comment on monolithic bullets.

Other options for sub 300yd hunting bullets:
Sierra Gameking
Hornady Interlock
Nosler Partition

I use Barnes. Either TTX or ttsx in 130 weight. Interlock and Interbond have been equally as effective and it matters not re BC at ranges mentioned.
I'd just possibly pick on a projectile that shoots accurate enough and use that.

Nothing you don't already know....
I know.

Used sst 150s for years in mine, everything up close to 400yds+ they worked every single time. They make a mess but its still a dead deer. Am now using 168 Nosler bts and Berger 190s out of them now. Even used 208 amaxs, they were cool, even at 40yds. Id say if your twist rate allows try something over 160, which ever way you go ye old 308 will perform cause they're just that fukin awesome haha.


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Originally Posted by Frosty

Used sst 150s for years in mine, everything up close to 400yds+ they worked every single time. They make a mess but its still a dead deer. Am now using 168 Nosler bts and Berger 190s out of them now. Even used 208 amaxs, they were cool, even at 40yds. Id say if your twist rate allows try something over 160, which ever way you go ye old 308 will perform cause they're just that fukin awesome haha.


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it is the best chambering ever invented :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

it is the best chambering ever invented :thumbup:

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Yes, yes it is.

168 Amax works irrespective of range, 178 Amax slightly better, if 150 is the criteria: 150 Sierra Prohunter is the best: 2900fps achievable with W748 or H335, flat base that holds together whatever the point of aim or range, front that sheds and spreads for a decent wound channel and secondary mechanical wounding. Sierra Gamekings tend to destruct quickly at close range and can lack penetration on the wrong angles.

The above cup and core bullets are cheap and always kill well without needing truckloads of speed. The best TTSX for 308 is the 110, in my 20" barrel it gets 3300fps and kills fast inside 250, the TTSX needs speed.

The modern NoslerBT won't let you down. In fact at your ranges none of the common garden bullets will let you down.

I don't get the bad wrap on the SST either? To comment, you must have been looking at a dead deer. So what if you get some separation at close range? The bits are still hurtling around inside causing all sorts of mahem.

My experience with the 150sst is shot around 30 reds with it, front on shots into the point of shoulder or brisket would drop them on the spot 200plus yards,never had one make it past the diaphragm, broadside + 200 drop on spot also but rarely find anything other than fragments I bloody loved them until I took them bush,two stags in as many weeks took multiple shots to the shoulder and completely failed to enter the engine room,yep they dropped but got straight back up and took another to the shoulder as I ran in and one to the neck to actually put it down.
Autopsy showed NO significant entry hole into the chest cavity NO holes in any vital organs but the lungs were "peppered" with very small fragments of copper on the outside of lungs with other than bruising no damage at all.
Carbon copy results with 168 amax,178 I am now using shows promise as an all practicl ranges projectile, at least I have found one that didn't exit but to early to say I haven't shot enough with it a varying ranges.

You cannot apply experience with a projectile in a smaller bore size to 30 cal, for the weights commonly used here they do not have the sectional density of 7 6.5 6mm and simply do not behave the same, typically they are much more frangible even at 308velocitys