Benelli Lupo .308's favourite ammunition

[szpraat]

Hi!

I just about to start my hunting journey and wondering what people's experiences are with the different ammunitions for Lupo. It has a 20" barell with 1:11 twist rate and I am using a Freyer-Devik silencer on it.
I am looking for lead free ammunition, but I can barely find any sources about this topic.
I am curious which ammunition performed best for you, who is using a Lupo in .308 caliber. Buying several boxes of different ammos is not the cheapest way, so I thought I'd ask people here.
My top 4 candidates are (not in order):

• Norma .308 Win Ecostrike
• Barnes VOR-TX Rifle TTSX BT
• Sako Powerhead Blade
• Hornady Superformance CX

My plan is mostly shooting for around max 180m and the targets mostly would be roe deer, subadult wild boar, red deer hind/yearling hind and fallow deer yearling doe/doe.
Big boars and stags probably later, when I will have more experience but not now for start.

These are the reasons I am thinking about 150 vs 165 grain ammunition.

 

[triggertrix]

I’ve used the powerhead blade in .308 and it will do everything you want it to.

 

[szpraat]

I’ve used the powerhead blade in .308 and it will do everything you want it to.

in 150gr or the 160gr?
What are its limits in your experience?

 

[triggertrix]

in 150gr or the 160gr?
What are its limits in your experience?

160

Limits - I’d keep them well under 200yds personally, 50-150. Very close shots are not their forte either (20-50yds) due to either over or under expansion, usually impossible to figure out which way it will go. But that’s just non-lead for you really.

They’re very accurate and reliable in the usual ‘lead free’ performance distance band

 

[Chris Richardson]

Hi!

I just about to start my hunting journey and wondering what people's experiences are with the different ammunitions for Lupo. It has a 20" barell with 1:11 twist rate and I am using a Freyer-Devik silencer on it.
I am looking for lead free ammunition, but I can barely find any sources about this topic.
I am curious which ammunition performed best for you, who is using a Lupo in .308 caliber. Buying several boxes of different ammos is not the cheapest way, so I thought I'd ask people here.
My top 4 candidates are (not in order):

• Norma .308 Win Ecostrike
• Barnes VOR-TX Rifle TTSX BT
• Sako Powerhead Blade
• Hornady Superformance CX

My plan is mostly shooting for around max 180m and the targets mostly would be roe deer, subadult wild boar, red deer hind/yearling hind and fallow deer yearling doe/doe.
Big boars and stags probably later, when I will have more experience but not now for start.

These are the reasons I am thinking about 150 vs 165 grain ammunition.

Out of interest why lead free ?

 

[szpraat]

Out of interest why lead free ?

Since it’s increasingly likely that the EU will ban lead-based ammunition in the near future, I’d prefer to start with something I can stick with long-term, rather than having to change later.
Plus I want to completely avoid lead-contaminated meat for my newborn and family

 

[Chris Richardson]

Since it’s increasingly likely that the EU will ban lead-based ammunition in the near future, I’d prefer to start with something I can stick with long-term, rather than having to change later.
Plus I want to completely avoid lead-contaminated meat for my newborn and family

have a look into the toxicity of copper .........

 

[triggertrix]

have a look into the toxicity of copper .........

Copper fragments are not left in the meat and dispersed into widespread tissue . Lead fragments are.

 

[szpraat]

have a look into the toxicity of copper .........

Monolithic bullets should not contaminate the meat like lead does.
Regarding the toxicity of copper, it’s significantly lower than that of lead, especially in the trace amounts that might remain in the meat.
While copper isn’t completely harmless, it’s far less dangerous than lead, doesn’t accumulate in the body, and is actually an essential trace element for human health.

 

[jcampbellsmith]

RWS .308 Win. Evolution Green 8,8g | RWS Ammunition is my current favourite.

Regards

JCS

 

[farrieral]

162 grain Sako powerhead blades worked very well for me, accurate and good terminal performance out to reasonable stalking ranges.

I have since been home loading the 130 Barnes TTSX for the last 12 months and have been having great success on muntjac to reds

 

[szpraat]

162 grain Sako powerhead blades worked very well for me, accurate and good terminal performance out to reasonable stalking ranges.

I have since been home loading the 130 Barnes TTSX for the last 12 months and have been having great success on muntjac to reds

What would you call a reasonable stalking range? And I heard in several places that with monolithic cooper bullets, its better to aim high shoulder instead of directly the lungs & heart. What is your experience?

 

[farrieral]

What would you call a reasonable stalking range? And I heard in several places that with monolithic cooper bullets, its better to aim high shoulder instead of directly the lungs & heart. What is your experience?

I ready my self for the SD collective noose....

I shot beasts higher shoulder with lead before moving to copper. And I continue to shoot high shoulder now or low neck quite a few too.

I'd rather loose a few KGs of shoulder meat than have long tracks in difficult ground or a potential loss. High shoulder is 9/10 times both fatal and anchoring.

Mostly shooting for my own use and friends and family, but the reds go into the dealers as they are hard work with my current "home larder".

The ground we look after has some spots that if a animal runs you're going to have a tough time, and we use dogs for tracking too! Also lots of dead ground so getting in close can be a challenge, but that makes it more fun!

From memory longest with the 162 Sakos was 240 yards, big fallow doe. 2 Roe Bucks on the same trip, 80 yards and 120 yards, again high shoulder, didn't take a step and meat damage wasn't horrible.

Last couple of outings with the 130 TTSX I've had red yearlings at 234 and 175 yards both dropped to the shot, clean pass through and plenty of tissue disruption. Another couple of roe bucks too, within 150 yards, dead on the spot.

That said, I have taken a few H/L shots and quite a few quartering and the bullets have performed as expected. Full pass through with a good size exit, h/l destroyed.

Drive them fast or fast enough for the distances you intend to take game seems to be the advice with the monolithic copper bullets.

Hope that's of use

 

[szpraat]

I ready my self for the SD collective noose....

I shot beasts higher shoulder with lead before moving to copper. And I continue to shoot high shoulder now or low neck quite a few too.

I'd rather loose a few KGs of shoulder meat than have long tracks in difficult ground or a potential loss. High shoulder is 9/10 times both fatal and anchoring.

Mostly shooting for my own use and friends and family, but the reds go into the dealers as they are hard work with my current "home larder".

The ground we look after has some spots that if a animal runs you're going to have a tough time, and we use dogs for tracking too! Also lots of dead ground so getting in close can be a challenge, but that makes it more fun!

From memory longest with the 162 Sakos was 240 yards, big fallow doe. 2 Roe Bucks on the same trip, 80 yards and 120 yards, again high shoulder, didn't take a step and meat damage wasn't horrible.

Last couple of outings with the 130 TTSX I've had red yearlings at 234 and 175 yards both dropped to the shot, clean pass through and plenty of tissue disruption. Another couple of roe bucks too, within 150 yards, dead on the spot.

That said, I have taken a few H/L shots and quite a few quartering and the bullets have performed as expected. Full pass through with a good size exit, h/l destroyed.

Drive them fast or fast enough for the distances you intend to take game seems to be the advice with the monolithic copper bullets.

Hope that's of use

I really appreciate it, thanks!

 

[szpraat]

Hi!

I just about to start my hunting journey and wondering what people's experiences are with the different ammunitions for Lupo. It has a 20" barell with 1:11 twist rate and I am using a Freyer-Devik silencer on it.
I am looking for lead free ammunition, but I can barely find any sources about this topic.
I am curious which ammunition performed best for you, who is using a Lupo in .308 caliber. Buying several boxes of different ammos is not the cheapest way, so I thought I'd ask people here.
My top 4 candidates are (not in order):

• Norma .308 Win Ecostrike
• Barnes VOR-TX Rifle TTSX BT
• Sako Powerhead Blade
• Hornady Superformance CX

My plan is mostly shooting for around max 180m and the targets mostly would be roe deer, subadult wild boar, red deer hind/yearling hind and fallow deer yearling doe/doe.
Big boars and stags probably later, when I will have more experience but not now for start.

These are the reasons I am thinking about 150 vs 165 grain ammunition.

Well, finally I got to the shooting range to test these 2:

• Barnes VOR-TX Rifle TTSX BT 168gr
• Sako Powerhead Blade 162gr

Sadly I forgot to make pictures
For my surprise, the Barnes was way better than the Sako. The Barnes produced .033 MOA after 3 shooting. While the Sako wasnt even counted. The sakos image was like a line towards down right after 3 shoots as well. So looks like for now the Barnes is the winner for my rifle.
I will retry probably once more, to be sure it wasn't my bad shooting technic etc.