re: .308 ammo for deer...what would you use?

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The good thing about the .308 is the velocities are moderate and you don't really need a premium bullet to get good consistent results on deer. Just about every regular ol 150gr cup and core bullet out there will expand well and hold together.

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Point well taken. The 308 is very popular and has benefitted from 60 years of bullet evolution. Today's 308 loads generally perform well for their intended purpose.

Bullet performance is largely dependent on two things: 1. Bullet construction and 2. Impact velocity. Generally, 180 gr 30 caliber bullets are intended for game bigger than deer so will be more stoutly constructed than will a lighter bullet. The 180 gr Partition in 30-06 Win is a good choice for you because of the way you're using it. The same bullet that enters between the ribs won't expand like a 150 gr bullet would and may not leave much of an exit wound.

OTOH, a lightly constructed bullet (including some varmint bullets) may perform well on deer when shot at lower velocities. Two years ago I killed a whitetail doe w/ an XP-100 chambered in 7 IHMSA (basically 300 Savage brass necked down to 7mm) using a Hornady 120 gr V-Max (varmint) bullet. At 3000 fps, it's a varmint bullet, but at 2500 fps it performed like a deer bullet.

Nice deer! Tell us the rest of the story!

Congrats. Nice buck

very nice! 700 AAC-SD I'm assuming?

I used that same rifle for a custom build last year

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Personally, I avoid using loads using match type bullets (Federal 168 gr Sierra Match King and Hornady 165 gr A-Max) for big game. Yeah, they should be accurate and if you slip the bullet between the ribs you should get adequate penetration, but if the bullet hits the rib (or some other bone on entrance) or you have a shot at a bad angle, you may NOT get adequate penetration. There's a reason they're labelled "match." You'll read of success stories w/ match bullets, but why risk it? For shots at 100 yards everything else should be ok, although some may be better than others. When used on deer in a 308, 180 grain bullets may not expand very well. The GMX also may not expand well on deer in a 308. If I were buying a box of ammo, I'd use 150 grain bullets and look for Nosler Accubonds, Hornady SST/Interlock or Winchester Power Point. What kind of terrain will you be hunting?

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This is almost exactly what I was going to post. 150 grain bullets are best in my experience for deer. You won't know that those match bullets suck until you shoot something and have no blood trail.

Barnes total copper bullet and will not come apart. .300 blackout 110 blacktip 125 yards on a n 8 point only lost 2 gr
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You are correct 700 aac-sd. Love it so far but the bolt is sticky. The last bit when I close it and open it. I have been racking it back and forth a bunch but it's still sticky. I'm looking for some bolt grease and then I'll brake it down and make sure it's parts are greased properly. I have used clp and rem oil while working the action.

The more reading I do it seems the 150-165 grain works best in the 308. I'll shoot these and see what I get. I may grab some smaller grains too.

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Can punch 1/2 inch grouping at 200 meters.

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Bullshite. Post pics.