Please suggest me .308 and .243 expanding ammunition

Psyxologos

Well-Known Member
I suspect this has probably been discussed a lot around here, and different people will probably have different ideas. But I need to start somewhere, so please offer me some advise if you please. I currently own a Browning A Bolt in .308 and will hopefully be buying another A Bolt in .243. I need to know what people would recommend for a good reliable round. Especially people with A Bolt rifles. What is important to me (they are equaly important, so no particular order of magnitude here) is:

1. As little meat damage as possible

2. Stopping power

3. Accuracy


Please enlighten me. Thanks!
 
One ABolt rifle shooting a particular round well will not gaurantee that yours will. Make of rifle does not mean a great deal here. Calibre load suggestions are of course helpful to get started.

IF you are going to shoot factory ammo the only solution is to try them out. If you can get Prvi Partisan for instance and your rifle will shoot them to a reasonable group thats a money saver.

Most SP ammo will do the job on UK deer, meat damage well if it hits a bone that can happen.
Stopping power, again cannot think that standard ammo wont do that job.
Accuracy, then we are back to does your rifle like that particular cartridge.

If you are handloading the choices are infinite and plenty of information available from powder manufacturers, bullet suppliers and other web sites.

Good luck to your efforts
 
As Redneck said......Each rifle and ammo combo has the potential to be different.

I had good results with Federal Powershok 100gr and 150gr in my .243 and .308 Tikka's.

TJ
 
Morning.

+1 for TJ. Try different combos to see what works best for you.

After trial and error, I now use Hornady IBs for both .234 and .30-06, in 87grns for the .243, and 150grns for the .30cal.

I am not a ballistics expert, so to keep things simples, I use the same brand of brass, primer, powder for both calibres, though the powder is faster for the .243, and slower for the .30-06.

All the best.

Neil.
 
For factory the Federal Powershock seems to be quite tidy on paper but reloading is the way to go with either Nosler b-tips, Hornaday SST or Sierra game kings being the tope 3 IMO, the latter being an inexpensive bullet with great all round performance.
 
Many thanks. So would you recommend I get a box of each of the 2-3 different makes of bullets and try them out on some targets so I can get a better idea how they group and how they behave n my rifles?
 
Its your only real choice, you could be lucky and get a round that the rifle is good with first time. I have found with factory loads most will shoot reasonable.

I have one rifle my 223 Ruger which bugged the hell out of me, it just would not group better than 2". When i handloaded for this calibre i was lucky and got the accuracy this round is well known for. ( Why didnt i start handloading first )

IF you have shooting mates using the same calibre factory rounds try and cadge 3off each type it will give you some indication.

At the price of ammo you can rack up a fair bit of costs before getting something suitable. I know!!!
 
Its your only real choice, you could be lucky and get a round that the rifle is good with first time. I have found with factory loads most will shoot reasonable.

I have one rifle my 223 Ruger which bugged the hell out of me, it just would not group better than 2". When i handloaded for this calibre i was lucky and got the accuracy this round is well known for. ( Why didnt i start handloading first )

IF you have shooting mates using the same calibre factory rounds try and cadge 3off each type it will give you some indication.

At the price of ammo you can rack up a fair bit of costs before getting something suitable. I know!!!

Thanks a lot for that. I unfortunately do not know anyone who shoots, so it will have to be the expensive way to accuracy... :doh:
 
The federals powershok work well on paper with both 243 in 100gn and 308 in 150gn.

I have used both in anger and on paper and its good starting point as its a better than average cartridge.

My Ruger 223 hated the 55gn Feds and liked the Sako's so it is trail and error.
 
Many thanks. So would you recommend I get a box of each of the 2-3 different makes of bullets and try them out on some targets so I can get a better idea how they group and how they behave n my rifles?

Try a box of PPU first, cheepest out there, you might be lucky and your rifle likes them, saving you £'s.

TJ
 
The federals powershok work well on paper with both 243 in 100gn and 308 in 150gn.

I have used both in anger and on paper and its good starting point as its a better than average cartridge.

My Ruger 223 hated the 55gn Feds and liked the Sako's so it is trail and error.

+1 on this. I have a very limited choice of factory ammo in my area and I have tended to stick to Powershoks but am more than happy with their accuracy in my Remmy .308 and x-bolt .243. I also use the Federal Fusion 150g in the .308 which seem to have almost identical grouping to the Powershoks and excellent knock down power for Roe with not too much meat damage. I know of others that have had good results with the 165gn with even less meat damage being noted. It's just a case of testing which one suits your gun. Good luck
Timney
 
+1 on that, the RWS Geko 105 gr in .243 are great and £18 a box of 20.

Not only the .243! GECO 170gr .308 is also worth a go.

I think I tried about 9 different factory loads when I had a new barrel put on my .308.
I narrowed the field by keeping bullet weight at 150gr or less (I found the GECO by accident, as they were a stock-line at the range).
 
i have had horrible experience with federal ammo

Norma has been good in 270
Sako seemed good on the brief trial in 243
but as I now reload and cost is a factor
Hornady Interlock for the low end of the budget. does what it is meant to without the bling
I got some Nosler Partitions and everything you read is pretty positive but not used in anger.....roll on October!
 
I've never found Federal any good in any flavour in any of my rifles. Coincidence, I think.

Better, I found European stuff: RWS, GECO, Norma, Sako, Lapua.

The loads I like best and keep in are:
6.5x55 Norma 120gr or RWS 140gr DK
.308 GECO 170gr
.22-250 Norma 50gr BT or SAKO 50gr SP
.243 GECO 105gr or Norma 100gr
 
OK, after spending a day on the field, and having shot around a box of each with my Browning A Bolt in .308, I am pleased to say that my rifle likes the following:

American eagle 150 grain FMJ (very decent grouping consistently)
Sako 123 grain soft point (very decent grouping time after time)
Sako 150 grain game point (very decent grouping most of the time)
Federal 150 grain soft point (best grouping time after time)
Winchester 150 grain soft point (got them to group reliably at the end)

My rifle is not so sure about

Sako 180 grain hammer point (not consistent in grouping well )


Now, I know that the shooter has a lot to do with grouping etc, I am just reporting my findings as I and the person helping me zero the rifle saw them. The Sako 123 grain grouped reliably first time round and kept performing well. The Federal 150 grain were amazing from the word go. I was able to put bullet on bullet at 100 metres. Very impressed! The Winchester 150 grain soft point gave me a lot of trouble. They have a mighty kick in them and probably this is why I had to shoot a fair few before I got used to them. I was finally able to shoot them very reliably. The Sako 150 grain performed well after I got used to the fact that they seem to shoot low and then climb to the target. I never thought that possible. Maybe they do not and I am imagining things... The Sako 180 grain seem to be the hardest to produce a decent group, but maybe it is my fault. I do not know. I will have to try again sometime...
 
I can only comment on the .243.

The Sako 90gr SP factory rounds worked very well in my rifle - around £20 a box.

I am now using the brass for reloading and have had very good success with Hornady 87gr BTHP and Sierra 100gr GameKing.

Cheers + ATVB

Philip
 
I can't help with the .308 but see if you can get hold of a box of Fusions in .243
 
Hmmm it seems that there is a need for some enterprising person to put together sampler boxes for people in this situation. A box of 20 rounds but with say 4 different makes in it. Dealers surely must get asked this time after time when people buy new rifles:-

What's best to use through it?

I wonder why they don't offer such an idea? :confused:
 
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