Looking for feedback - 308 win, 125 gr deer load

[Copper11]

I have built a number of 308s with a short throat reamer to shoot 125s and they have killed truck loads of deer n work great with h4895 and win 748 shooting them at a little over 3100 fps you don't need to throw a pound of lead at whitetail to kill them we give the kids in my neck of the woods a 22 250 with 55 gr bullets to start out with n they do more damage to a deer than a 300 mag so u don't need a cannon to kill a whitetail good luck with your 125s load hot kill alot

 

[choprzrul]

Back in March I did load development for my wife's Ruger M77 lightweight 308 with a 20" barrel. Tried AR-Comp, H322, and StaBall MATCH powders. The H322 gave the best velocities and grouping. Here is the load data I generated. Velocities gathered using the Garmin Xero C1.

308 Winchester
Lapua brass
137gr Hammer Hunter bullets
2.810" COAL
Federal 210M primers
Medium Lee factory type crimp
Hodgdon H322 powder

43.2 gr 2876 fps
43.7gr 2914
44.2gr 2924
44.7gr 2975
45.2gr 3000
45.7gr 3022
46.2gr 3053 average. 5.20 SD. 0.33" 3 shot group
46.7gr 3081 .0005" head growth

As always, start low and work your way up slowly watching for signs of pressure.

If I were the OP, I'd very thoroughly clean all of the copper out of the bore, bed the action, free float the barrel, get the trigger down under 3lbs, and do load development as above with the 137gr HH.

I go up in roughly 1% increments until I find signs of pressure, back off 1 or 2% and shoot a group. In the rare case that doesn't yield sub MOA groups, run a primer test at the 2% reduced load. I've only had to do that once, and I was able to find a primer (Federal 215) out of 6 variations that gave me a 5 shot .9" group with 3.65 SD

 

[ebb]

Look at the 30 caliber Speer 130 grain bullet that Wilson Combat sells for the 300HAM'R. It's the same as the Speer bullet I've been using in my lever action, but it's pointed instead for flat nose for the tube magazine. Wilson sells them for $27 per 100, a steal for such a well made bullet. He has killed several hundred hogs testing the HAM'R and others who live close and help testing have killed a bunch of hogs also. Before I knew of this bullet, I loaded 125 Nosler BTs for my 30-06 truck gun.

 

[Mopowa]

Barnes 130gr.ttsx is a great bullet. I much prefer copper to lead when going light for caliber because they hold up much better than lead core if you are presented with a close in shoulder shot. Just make sure you're within the velocity range of the projectile both up close and at max distance. I can't remember off the top of my head what that velocity range is for the 130 Barnes. I can get to my reloading notes in a few days or a quick call to Barnes will tell ya

 

[Fire Dog]

Seems kinda light weight to me. jd

125’s = varmint load… 168’s = deer load…
Just from where I stand… I hate following a blood trail….
Adrenaline ruins that taste of the meat…. You want BANG…DEAD..!

 

[Tommie]

I always thought a 125 gr. bullet was more of a varmint bullet.

Indeed

 

[Edd]

165 gr Speer Grand Slams can be purchased for $17.50 per box of 50.

 

[CJ6]

Indeed

The 125 NBT is classified as a hunting bullet.
That being said I wouldn't shoot any deer with them under 75 yds.

 

[jds holler]

It's kinda funny how neither us or the deer used to know if we were killing them with a "hunting bullet" or whatever kind of bullet. Remington had their "Core-loc" bullet that presumably was a hunting bullet, but most of us knew they weren't as accurate as whatever Speer, Sierra, Hornady we were reloading. Then Nosler started with their Partitions and such, and the "plain ol bullets" we'd been dumping deer with for years just weren't up to snuff.
The first dozen or so deer I killed were dumb enough to die from my little 90 gr. Speer, .243's that couldn't kill a rabbit these days.

 

[HandgunHTR]

The 125 NBT is classified as a hunting bullet.
That being said I wouldn't shoot any deer with them under 75 yds.

Why? What experience do you have shooting deer with the 125 NBT out of a 308?

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Why? What experience do you have shooting deer with the 125 NBT out of a 308?

I shot a nice big buck at over 300 yards one time with a 125 pro hunter in a 30-06, instant death.

 

[CJ6]

Why? What experience do you have shooting deer with the 125 NBT out of a 308?

SD deer hunting. Hunting the breaks so I was elevated watching the draws. Nice white tail buck comes strolling down and stops about 75yds out. Took the spine shot and it looked like Jaws took a big bite out of him.
Another muley facing but quartering 55 yds out hit the shoulder blade ruined the whole shoulder. Now those were close up shots with over 3100 fps mv. Deer taken farther out 150-325 yds. the 125 NBTs performed like they should meaning no explosive expansion and decent weight retention.
I've also used them in TC ENCORE pistols with great success.

 

[varmit_hunter]

I loaded some never shot them sold the gun. But that Nosler 125gr bt out of my 300 wby. Is deadly on deer coyotes and hogs.

 

[Oso]

125gr Sierra Pro Hunter
135gr Hornady FTX

 

[Stormbringer]

SD deer hunting. Hunting the breaks so I was elevated watching the draws. Nice white tail buck comes strolling down and stops about 75yds out. Took the spine shot and it looked like Jaws took a big bite out of him.
Another muley facing but quartering 55 yds out hit the shoulder blade ruined the whole shoulder. Now those were close up shots with over 3100 fps mv. Deer taken farther out 150-325 yds. the 125 NBTs performed like they should meaning no explosive expansion and decent weight retention.
I've also used them in TC ENCORE pistols with great success.

Sounds like the bullet did the job both times. Why shoot anything in the shoulder? Never understood that. I always punch the lungs.

 

[CJ6]

Sounds like the bullet did the job both times. Why shoot anything in the shoulder? Never understood that. I always punch the lungs.

Just the angle that was presented.

 

[Fire Dog]

I loaded some never shot them sold the gun. But that Nosler 125gr bt out of my 300 wby. Is deadly on deer coyotes and hogs.

What sort of velocities are you seeing with a 125 out of a 300 Wby?
I would think they would be verging on “blow up” velocity before reaching tartget.
Are they Nosler “Partition”?
I would think a coyote would look like a red paint filled water balloon when smacked by that 125gr Nosler..!!

 

[snert]

I shot 30 deer with a 22-250 or a 220 swift with 55 grain Vmax. Pop into the chest, three hops and flop.

Double that with a 125 grain 308 and tell me again a 125 308 isn't enough gun for culling deer. Pffft.

When culling, chose the shot. Hold on the chest and wait for that bass drum thwop sound when the bullet goes in and turns the inside to outside.

You don't need a bonded heavy when culling. All you need is patience and good shooting.

 

[284winner]

Other than recoil, I can't quite understand the need for a 125 grain bullets for whitetails unless your shots are 50-100 yards. That said and being a Michigan hunter that also hunts bean fields and AG land, I have to recommend a bullet like the Accubond 125 or Barnes 120 TAC bullet. Both offer a decent BC for a 30 caliber bullet and will kill effectively out to 400 yards or so. Field hunting like that IMO should be done with a medium weight bullet for caliber on deer. Unless your shots are closer than mine, I'd go with a 150+ weight bullet. A ballistics table will show that the two bullets I mentioned look very good out to 400 yards. Next question is, how accurate will they be. The 14 twist barrel would limit you to maybe a 150-168 max so the 125 should be the perfect weight and accuracy should be great.

 

[FNSafari]

I used to load a 125 grain Nosler BT in a Remington 722 .308 for my wife. Loaded to around 2500 fps. Very effective and easier on her shoulder, but she hunted in an area where a 150 yard shot was a long one, mostly 80-100 yds. The nosler 125 BT isn't a particularly stout bullet.