Bullet advice

[jodi]

Hello, I'm picking up my new rifle tomorrow, it's a sako 85 stainless synthetic in .308. I will be using it for roe and red hinds just now. I was thinking of using 150g bullets. Does anyone have any advice what works in their rifle so that I can narrow down the boxes of ammo I need to buy.

Thanks

Jodi

 

[Boarboy]

Hello, I'm picking up my new rifle tomorrow, it's a sako 85 stainless synthetic in .308. I will be using it for roe and red hinds just now. I was thinking of using 150g bullets. Does anyone have any advice what works in their rifle so that I can narrow down the boxes of ammo I need to buy.

Thanks

Jodi

id say what groups well in one rifle may not do so in another? You might just have to get a selection of factory and see what groups well in yours?

 

[jodi]

Thanks but I thought if people had the same rifle I could narrow the selection down a bit

 

[Irish Bob]

That's what I use in mine, but every rifle is different.

One thing to consider is that Sako factory test every rifle before it leaves them. They will only use Sako ammunition, so that narrows it down a bit.

 

[Jax]

It’s irrelevant to your rifle, but the velocities give some indication of quality. Rifle used was RX Helix. One rifle will shoot different to the exact same rifle.

The Hornady 178gr Precision Hunter shot well on the day. 1 clean bore shot (top right) followed by 3 through the same hole (left of bull) and 1 in bull after adjusting scope. The load doesn’t seem to like the cold weather of late though. The groups have opened up to 1”.

Didn’t shoot 1 as it was hopeless on bore sighting.

Cant remember exact specs for each box. Will dig out at some point.

I had a Sako 85 .243 that wouldn’t shoot Sako ammo, literally 8” groups, so try other brands as well.

 

[jodi]

Thanks for your reply. I have a sako 85 in .243 as well, it shoots federal 100g power shoks dead on. I was going to start with the same in 150g

 

[Druid]

Federal seem a good starting point in any calibre. Work well and not carrying gold plated prices.
I would like to know which manufacturers Bullets they use in their ammo.

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Hornady SST's! Unbelievably accurate and dont foul the barrel like other rounds (Federal cough cough). I have huge success with this round. Last Sika stag hit the deck where he stood, speaks volumes as Sika are mega tough!

£32 for 20.

Zero on cheapies, fine zero with SST's. Remember mod on when zeroing if you intend to use one.

 

[Odders]

I watched a mate put three shots touching at 100yds with Federal out of a newly acquired .308 Sako.

I was impressed, as I'm no fan of factory ammunition.

 

[jodi]

Thanks again. I'll have a try at the SST's. I'm also toying with the idea of reloading. By the time I find the right factory ammo I could probably be well on my way to buying a Lee kit. I don't do a lot of shooting but I could also reload for the .243 although I'm happy with the federal power shoks

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

I have shot Federal power shoks and have them in my cabinet. Disaster shooting them. They foul my gun, fragment like crazy when they hit deer and last time I shot a deer with one I had a 24 hour track, deer took me through every bramble hedge in the country!

 

[Blakey]

Hornady SST's! Unbelievably accurate and dont foul the barrel like other rounds (Federal cough cough). I have huge success with this round. Last Sika stag hit the deck where he stood, speaks volumes as Sika are mega tough!

£32 for 20.

Zero on cheapies, fine zero with SST's. Remember mod on when zeroing if you intend to use one.

I had the complete opposite experience with SSTs and accuracy. SSTs have amazing killing power but I couldn’t get them to group. I have a couple of friends who had similar experiences. The photo shows 3 Federal .270 rounds almost touching at 100metres. The other 4 rounds were Hornady SSTs!

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

I am sceptical. SST's are a far superior round with a pointed tip. Power shoks are blunt tipped. Only explqnation is your rifling supports Power shoks better. Why? Now that is the million dollar question. But please next time write on your range target with specifics for poof. As anything can be construed from a historical zero photo.

 

[Alantoo]

150grain SST factory super performance would not group well in my first .308, but the 165 grain SSTs would clover leaf.

FWIW 150 grain Federal Powershoks were similar to the 150 grain SSTs,the 180grain Powershok were better. But the 150grain GMX Factory Superperformance would also clover leaf.

Sako 123 and 150 factory were okay, around the 1" sometimes up sometimes down.

Alan

 

[Dalua]

I am sceptical. SST's are a far superior round with a pointed tip.

I'm not sceptical at all.
We all know that different rifles get on differently with different charges, bullets and seating-depths - sometimes markedly so. 'Why?' - any number of reasons, I guess - distance to lands, barrel harmonics and so on.
In my experience it is definitely not the case that 'premium' bullets and/or expensive factory loads invariably perform better than cheaper stuff.

Nor am I sure it's necessary to write stuff on targets to make them valid for illiustrating a point on a discussion forum. They'd need a witness to sign as well in any case, just to ensure all was above board: and that's perhaps more for postal small-bore leagues and such like.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

pointed tips don't always make for accurate bullets in every rifle

SSTs happen to shoot well in my personal 270 but I won't use them on anything I want to get top price for
Far to destructive on close targets or those hitting shoulders


OP find some friends with a 308
buy five or six round of a number of factory loads
I would be surprised if you find much between them but my personal experience of Sako ammo in sako rifles has been mixed

 

[stubear]

I've had good results with Federal ammo (power shok in 150gn) and I know a lot of folks who also use Federal ammo with good results.

It seems to perform well in a wide range of rifles, isnt silly money and seems to be available in most places.

Worth a try IMO.

 

[jodi]

I picked up the rifle this morning. On the advice of my rfd I have got some 150g federal power shok and Winchester super X power point. I'm off to the range tomorrow so I'll let you know how I get on

Thanks for your replies

John

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Well shooting Sika I need a superbly accurate round that has huge stopping power on big stags. As for Power Shoks, I just feel they fragment and Im picking metal shards out of good venison.

Hornady for me. Nothing else will do.

 

[Stover Rover]

Federal seem a good starting point in any calibre. Work well and not carrying gold plated prices.
I would like to know which manufacturers Bullets they use in their ammo.

I believe Speer bullets as all part of same parent company.