308 blootering deer

pete evans

Well-Known Member
just started using 308 and so far all deer shot have significantly more damage than my 243. some well placed shots have burst rumens, something ive never had with my 243.
so far only shot a half dozen with 308 so a small sample i know i was going to use 308 for deer and load up a light frangable round for the 243 and keep it for fox but at this rate i will use the 243 for muntie and roe and keep the 308 for the bigger stuff.
im using 100g gameking spbt in the 243 and 150 prohunter sp in the 308
 
308 Calibre

Makes you wonder why the 308 is so popular as a stalking round does it not?

You make no mention of distances here or what animals you are shooting,

I have shot 1 or 2 over the last 5 years and some of course have not been perfect but the majority have been fine. I shoot normally in between 100-200m and have plugged red, roe and recently a sika.

Try a different bullet, the calibre is not he isssue IMHO.

Doewhatshot.jpg



SikaStagOct2009.jpg
 
Re: 308 Calibre

dieseldan said:
Makes you wonder why the 308 is so popular as a stalking round does it not?

You make no mention of distances here or what animals you are shooting,

I have shot 1 or 2 over the last 5 years and some of course have not been perfect but the majority have been fine. I shoot normally in between 100-200m and have plugged red, roe and recently a sika.

Try a different bullet, the calibre is not he isssue IMHO.

The reason I got it was due to its popularity for both stsalking and as a military calibre. Im using 150grain sierra prohunters which I suspect is a fairly average round. The rationale when i got it was to get the calibre that has stood the test of time and load it with a very standard load so just a little suprised so far thats all.
From what ive read in books and on various internet forums the general concensus is that .243 has a tendancy to create more carcass damage but I have found that with my rifles with bullets of similar construction that the opposite is the case.
 
This spike was shot free hand at about 90yds, hence a bit far back. The 165gr SST did no real meat damage and the animal dropped on the spot.
The spike was aware of danger as he was on the run after being spooked.
I find that sometimes the damage is huge and sometimes not. Generally the 165 grainers do a bit less damage compared to the factory 150's that are often loaded very hot.
edi
165sst.jpg
 
Seems strange to me a 308 is hardly a wizzy fast round, I would say a change of bullet is the way to go.

I use Sierra Gameking's in my 7mm Rem Mag and that is a softer bullet than the Prohunter out of a much faster calibre and I dont get any meat damage as such, hence it seems strange you should get that in a 308.

Try some Partitions or Barnes TTSX a little more expensive but more controlled expansion with both bullets.

Regards
 
Not a whizzy round? I can toss a 150 grain bullet at 2900 fps from my 24" barrel. How much more whiz do you want?? :eek:

Having used bullet as heavy as 190grains from my 308 in the past, I have since changed my direction and now think I'll stick with weights less than 165 grains for short (<200M) range and 150 grains as optimal.

I had to call JAYB at an ungodly time this morning to find out what "blootering" means but I think that a blootered deer is fine. If I can blast a 3" diameter circle out of it's lower rib cage every time I'll be happy.~Muir
 
Pete,

i use .243 and .308, when i had less experience i found the .243 would not be consistent in terms of getting them on the ground (hitting them in the wrong place had a lot to do with that!) and the damage was variable.

recently i've demoted (promoted?) the .243 for fox use with 55gn ballistic tips, and it is devastating, i get 3900 fps which is less than 1" high at 100 and 3" low at 300.

the .308 is used solely for deer now and its mostly roe, my observations on damage are

150 gn btsp @ 2500 fps just knock a big hole, with no bruising, even i i take them through both shoulders. that is with 44 gn N140 - the universal .308 load for 150 gn heads(drop at 300 is about 12") - its quite a bit slower than factory 150 gn loads which make about 2800 fps. they do a bit more damage.

my 125 ballistic tips make 3100 fps and will ruin the front end of a roe, even if lung shot, missing the shoulders, exit wound you can normally get 2 hands in. clip a shoulder and the bruising is down to their front lower legs, the whole front end is wasted.

i've just tried some 110 gn spire points from horonady which i was given, they are in a mouldy old box and i get 3120 fps with 49 gn h4895. i have shot 1 roe doe with these and the shot was well placed, back from the shoulders and the damage was minimal, and very acceptable. she walked 10 yards. all other deer i've shot with the .308 have never moved off the spot.

i still favour the .308, even for roe, and i am going to persist with the 110's on the does this season, until i get some more 125's.

but i am getting the urge for a 30-06......... :evil:
 
Muir nice to see you have an interest in the Queen's english :lol: , we are separated by vastly inferior distances than those in your neck of the woods, but sometimes we need a local translator to get by! :lol:
 
FB: After a couple of trips to the Highlands I can relate to that. :D We have the same trouble here.

BAck to blootered deer though. I realize that some folks sell their venison, and others keep it for their own consumption. What is an acceptable amount of damage?? I know: "the bullet that kills them on the spot and ruins no meat!" :lol: But seriously, what parts of the deer are sacrificed to the gods of the quick anchoring shot? Which are not? I have made it a life-long practice to shoot for the center of an imaginary ball envisoned between the front legs of my quarry (I never take shots that route the bullet through gut, refered to as a "Texas Heart Shot" here) and am willing to pass on the shot, or sacrifice whatever meat is damaged to make sure that "ball" is hit. There are a few exception, though.

I have hunted enough to know that very few shots are guaranteed to drop a deer in its tracks and have altered my point of impact to make sure the deer didn't travel too far due to the terrain I was in. I usually put faith in the heart/lung shot though as even if the deer runs off and I never recover it, I will sleep that night certain that it is dead nonetheless. This past hunt, which I have recounted elsewhere on the site, our party killed three deer with this shot. Two with a 6.5 and the other with a 7x57 and no deer traveled more them 20 yards. The 7mm did the most meat damage on a 70 yard shot. The 6.5 at 200 yards did the least damage. Whatever damage done was generaly considered a fair price to pay for the kill. ~Muir
 
i agree that the most important thing is to deliver fatal energy levels that put the deer on the ground, faster the better. i have no complaints on that front as deer shot well have all gone straight down.
it was after a morning recently when i shot 4 munties all with heart lung shots with the 243 100g spbt at about 2900 fps. all wounds were perfect, exits being approx 1.5 " and majority of front end useable. all 4 didnt move a muscle and dropped where shot.
i dont sell many deer so i have no real comercial interest in minimising carcass damage its just that a round that puts them on the deck and allows me to use more of its meat is preferable.
im going to keep using the 308 with 150 grain prohunter at 2600 fps and see if ive just been unlucky with the couple of badly damaged deer shot so far ( not all were blootered some had quite minimal damage).
dont like the sound of those 125 ballistic tips gary, with that amount of damage i would expect to get a few with burst rumens that contamenate carcass has that been the case?
 
I use 150grain prohunters in my 308 i find them very good ,very accurate and not much meat damage.You will always get meat damage regardless of what bullet you use,shot placement is more important shoot a deer in the shoulder with any calibre and it`s knackered.Shoot them in the guts it`s messy :( .I also use pro hunters in .270 130gr .300wsm 180gr 6.5 120gr
they seem o.k
sean
 
It is all about the bullet lads, not the calibre.

Pick a suitable lead tipped bullet, roughly in the middle of the weight range for your calibre, load it close to max and you will get reliable results.
 
pete evans said:
dont like the sound of those 125 ballistic tips gary, with that amount of damage i would expect to get a few with burst rumens that contamenate carcass has that been the case?

a couple recently went through and dragged the rumen out, but i was lucky and the carcass wasnt contaminated. i shot a munty with a 125 bt, pure gutshot, small entry and exit, no expansion and contamination was able to be washed out - she still dropped on the spot.

on sunday evening i shot my second roe doe with a 110 spire point from the .308 - went to finish her off with the atlas joint knife trick but couldnt find it, i know it was there because i saw it in the scope, just before the shot. :confused:

i do know that lots of munties shot with larger calibres "pop", even if the shot is well placed.
 
Claret_Dabbler said:
It is all about the bullet lads, not the calibre.

Pick a suitable lead tipped bullet, roughly in the middle of the weight range for your calibre, load it close to max and you will get reliable results.

Lead tipped! That's the ticket. Never had a problem with them. Polymer tipped? That's another story....~Muir
 
Light ( for calibre ) bullets of weak construction at high velocity = frequently lots of meat damage and bruising .
Heavy ( for calibre ) bullets of strong construction at reasonable velocities = mostly very little meat dammage .
This in any calibre .

Put a 180 grain Brenneke TUG or 180 Nosler partition ( just to give 2 examples / many others suitable ) out of a 308 or 30-06 through the shoulder of a roe and you can even eat the hole .
 
Is it right that if you cut up the blood shot meat around the wound it can be eaten as long as you freeze it straight away and not hang the carcass? That's assuming you've used a bullet that doesn't deposit too many fragments as it passes through?
 
Bit like a Polo mint then
That wasn't the first thought that came to mind :oops:

I'm quite pleased with the Barnes TSX: meat damage is minimal and guaranteed lead free!
 
Howaboutthat said:
Most important first!

1st Bullet placement

2nd Bullet construction

Nope. That's the glass is half full VS half empty. There are places on a deer I'd plant a full-metal jacket with certainty of a kill and places I wouldn't. You just can't have one without the other in equal consideration. (Provided you're capable of hitting a mark in the first place, of course!)~Muir
 
Back
Top