We Take a look at the Finest .308 Ammo for Looking in 2022

Though we nonetheless haven’t climbed out of the ammo scarcity, there’s excellent news in the event you hunt with a .308—many retailers have quite a lot of .308 looking ammo out there. The earlier ammo shortages hit the .223 and .308 ammo shares laborious, whereas having much less impact on stalwart looking cartridges just like the .30/06 and .30/30. This time, evidently producers have been capable of keep on high of .308 looking ammo manufacturing and hunters a minimum of have one thing to purchase.

Nonetheless, it’s a wierd time, and there are each surprises and disappointments within the ammo market at present (not unique to .308). Some ammunition has excelled, and a few manufacturing unit choices that sometimes delivered glorious accuracy don’t appear to shoot in addition to they used to. Some varieties of ammo appear to be in every single place, and different hundreds are scarce.

This yr, I’ve examined and reviewed 11 completely different rifles chambered in .308 Win. I shot many varieties of ammo by these weapons, testing it in reasonably priced funds rifles, but additionally in mid-priced rifles. I’ve shot quite a lot of .308 Win. in specialised rifles just like the Christensen Ridgeline Titanium FFT and the Howa M1500 HS Carbon. By all this capturing, I used to be capable of see what shot properly, what didn’t, and hopefully enable you to decide one of the best .308 ammo for deer or no matter your sport is that this yr.

Issues to Think about Earlier than Shopping for .308 Ammo for Looking

Sport and Bullet Development

As with every looking ammo, you wish to select a load and bullet that may go well with the sport you propose on looking. The .308 Win. is an especially succesful (and oft underrated) cartridge, and is appropriate for giant sport like elk, moose, and even brown bears. In case you’re looking heavy sport, decide a bonded or monolithic bullet and preserve your shot distances beneath 300 yards. Nevertheless, most individuals are looking medium-sized sport with the .308 and nearly any medium-weight increasing bullet will do. Fortunately there’s loads of good, reasonably priced .308 ammo for deer that may nonetheless be discovered on retailer cabinets.

Accuracy

Every .308 ammo providing listed right here may have each five-shot common group accuracy and commonplace deviation. It’s all the time nice to maximise accuracy, however needless to say every rifle will like a unique load. In case you can’t attempt a number of hundreds, decide one with a small commonplace deviation. That implies that throughout all of the rifles examined, the accuracy of the load didn’t very a lot, and there’s a very good likelihood it’s going to shoot equally in your .308.

Value

Ammo is dear, and premium ammo is much more costly. In case you want top-end bullet building or are capturing at distances that require best-in-class accuracy, it’s price the additional value. Nevertheless, in the event you’re looking deer-sized sport at distances beneath 200 yards or so, less-expensive ammo is normally adequate.

Deciphering the Knowledge

To check every of a majority of these .308 looking ammo, I fired and measured five-shot teams by quite a lot of rifles. I recorded a minimal of 5 teams for every sort of ammo (primarily based on my stock), however I used to be capable of document between 15 and 30 teams for many choices.

Remember the fact that common group measurement is with five-shot teams throughout all rifles examined. Some rifles shoot higher, some worse. The usual deviation is the common variation in group measurement throughout all rifles examined. This knowledge solely displays the rifles examined. Accuracy, clearly, varies from rifle to rifle. I skilled a few hundreds that may shoot four-inch teams in a single rifle, and one-inch teams in one other.

Award: Finest Total

Common Group Measurement: 1.54 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .46 inches

Why It Made the Lower

Remington’s 150-grain Core-Lokt Tipped encompasses a mechanically mounted jacket and was essentially the most correct and constant .308 ammo examined throughout all rifles. It’s severely great things.

Key Options

• 150-grain polymer-tipped bullet
• Jacket and core are mechanically mounted
• G1 B.C.: .415
• Velocity: 2840 fps

Execs

• Finest-in-class accuracy
• Reliable enlargement and weight retention
• Shoots persistently in many alternative rifles
• Glorious all-around looking bullet

Cons

• Dearer than authentic Core-Lokt

Product Description

I first reviewed Remington’s (new for 2021) Core-Lokt Tipped ammo late final fall and wasn’t certain what to anticipate. This was, in any case, one in every of Huge Inexperienced’s first post-bankruptcy launches. I discovered that the green-tipped bullets shot properly in my .30/06 and carried out properly on a caribou. How would the load do in .308 Win. although?

The bullet is a boat-tailed projectile with a core that’s held collectively by a rib on the jacket. It’s tipped with a green-polymer nostril and has a skinny jacket up entrance that promotes enlargement—very similar to the unique Core-Lokt. The 150-grain bullet doesn’t have a exceptional B.C., however it’s higher than its lead-tipped counterparts.

Accuracy of this .308 ammo was glorious in a number of rifles, however what was most spectacular was that it shot properly in nearly each rifle examined. Throughout a variety of rifle/cartridge mixtures, the Core-Lokt tipped was the lone standout as ammo that may shoot properly in any rifle I attempted.

Award: Finest .308 Ammo for Deer

Common Group Measurement: 2.08 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .66 inches

Why It Made the Lower

Most deer hunters merely need reliable .308 ammo that’s reasonably priced and shoots properly out to a few hundred yards. Dependable and reasonably priced ammo has killed extra bucks than something, and that’s what you get with this .308 ammo for deer.

Key Options

• 150-grain soft-point bullet
• Concentric jacket for even enlargement
• G1 B.C.: .313
• Velocity: 2820 fps

Execs

• Dependable enlargement
• High quality brass and primers
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Not essentially the most correct ammo

Product Description

Premium-line ammo has its place, however easy and reasonably priced has been placing meat within the pot for generations. Like the essential do-all .308, Federal’s Non-Typical Whitetail line is an “all people’s .308 deer ammo.” It’s a middle-of-the-road 150-grain comfortable level that may put bucks on the bottom with out killing your pocketbook.

This .308 ammo’s soft-point bullet will increase reliably, and it’s loaded into good high quality brass. It’s not going to wow anybody with a excessive B.C. or nickel-plated circumstances, and accuracy isn’t something to write down house about. A mean five-shot group measurement of two.08 inches might sound outrageous to the precision rifle crowd, however for deer hunters who probably received’t be capturing over 150 or 200 yards, there’s not a lot purpose to go together with one thing that’s costlier.

Throughout the sphere of .308 ammo that I examined, these things hits the candy spot for efficiency versus value, and the deer actually received’t know the distinction.

Award: Finest Copper .308 Ammo

Common Group Measurement: 1.95 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .52 inches

Why It Made the Lower

Barnes bullets set the usual for copper looking projectiles, and their manufacturing unit Vor-Tx .308 ammo was essentially the most correct we might discover.

Key Options

• 168-grain TTSX boattail
• Double-diameter enlargement
• G1 B.C.: .470
• Velocity: 2700 fps

Execs

• Constant enlargement
• Glorious weight retention and penetration
• Correct
• Lead-free

Cons

• Costly
• Availability varies

Product Description

Barnes has lengthy been an business chief in monolithic copper bullets, and their TTSX is among the greatest available on the market. Loaded of their manufacturing unit Vor-Tx .308 ammo, the 168-grain TTSX is a wonderful selection for almost any sport. In-fact, a good friend of mine who lives on Kodiak makes use of it for every part (together with brown bears).

The TTSX bullet is copper with a blue polymer ballistic tip that helps provoke enlargement. Sometimes, these bullets increase into an X-shape with nearly 100% weight retention and deep penetration. The TTSX actually has some challengers, however it’s the usual that each one different copper bullets are measured towards.

Some rifles might be finicky with copper bullets, however this .308 ammo is usually correct total in quite a lot of rifles. Some prefer it, some simply shoot it OK, however none appear to shoot it poorly. It’s a terrific possibility for .308 deer ammo however may also deal with greater sport.

Common Group Measurement: 1.79 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .71 inches

Why It Made the Lower

This .308 ammo has premium elements, is correct, and has a high-B.C. bullet that may increase at a variety of velocities.

Key Options

• 175-grain bonded, Excessive-B.C. bullet
• Hole ballistic tip initiates low-velocity enlargement
• G1 B.C.: .520
• Velocity: 2600 fps

Execs

• Enlargement at low velocity
• Bonded core for good weight retention
• Correct with .520 G1 B.C.
• Nickel-plated brass

Cons

• Costly
• Accuracy isn’t constant throughout all rifles

Product Description

Federal Premium’s Terminal ascent bullet and cargo are designed to ship accuracy and terminal efficiency at lengthy or brief distances. This 175-grain bullet encompasses a bonded core and hole “slipstream” ballistic tip that helps provoke enlargement at decrease velocities. The bullet additionally has reduction grooves like these on monolithic copper bullets, and an extended boat tail. The nickel-plated circumstances feed and extract reliably, and the standard of elements is nice.

I discovered the Terminal Ascent to yield considerably blended accuracy outcomes, relying on the rifle. Some rifles shot it properly, others didn’t. Within the Christensen Ridgeline Titanium that I reviewed, this .308 ammo shot properly, and I used to be capable of reliably make first-round hits out to 600 yards.

In case you’re looking bigger sport like elk, or could be capturing past 300 yards, this load is a wonderful possibility (assuming your rifle likes it). A bullet with a very good B.C. like this will provide you with a greater trajectory and buck the wind higher than different bullets. As a result of it’s going to nonetheless increase at decrease velocities, it has an edge over some copper and different bonded bullets—particularly within the comparatively gradual .308 Win.

Common Group Measurement: 1.88 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .49 inches

Why It Made the Lower

This ammo has an correct, mechanically bonded bullet with good velocity. It could be best for deer-sized sport.

Key Options

• 150-grain mechanically bonded ballistic tip
• Proprietary propellant delivers best-in-class velocity
• G1 B.C.: .447
• Velocity: 3000 fps

Execs

• Excessive velocity
• Good enlargement and weight retention
• Low accuracy deviation

Cons

• Not exceptionally correct in any single rifle

Product Description

Hornady’s Superformance line continues to be on the cabinets in .308 ammo, and its greatest promoting level is pace. The powder used delivers a pair hundred further ft per second of velocity with out dramatic stress will increase in comparison with different industrial hundreds. Topped with a 150-grain SST at 3,000 ft per second, it’s a terrific possibility for medium-sized sport and hunters preferring to sight in utilizing the most point-blank methodology slightly than turrets or holdover reticles.

The 150-grain SST bullet is an easy however efficient boat-tail-based, cup and core bullet, however the jacket is mechanically mounted to the core for weight retention. The polymer tip helps make it extra aerodynamic and initiates enlargement. It won’t be as deep-penetrating as heavier bonded or monolithic bullets, however it might be best for deer, black bears, and caribou. It could work simply fantastic on heavier animals equivalent to elk and moose.

Though accuracy in my testing wasn’t unhealthy, it wasn’t nice. There weren’t any rifles with which the load actually stood out. Nevertheless, the usual deviation of the group measurement was fairly small, so you may fairly count on this ammo to shoot properly in most rifles.

Common Group Measurement: 2.43 inches

Standard Deviation of Group Measurement: .57 inches

Why It Made the Lower

This deer-specific ammo is reasonably priced and gives nice terminal efficiency and enlargement on medium-sized sport.

Key Options

• Giant-diameter polymer tip to provoke enlargement
• Tapered jacket to assist with weight retention
• G1 B.C.: .392
• Velocity: 2820 fps

Execs

• Good enlargement
• Nice for medium-sized sport
• reasonably priced

Cons

• Accuracy is under common
• Not bonded

Product Description

For the deer hunter who doesn’t want bonded, ultra-accurate ammo, Winchester’s Deer Season XP is a good possibility in .308. It’s a bit of over $30 a field and is good for deer-sized sport. Its most noticeable function is a large-diameter polymer ballistic tip. That is designed to provoke dramatic enlargement, whereas the tapered jacket helps the bullet maintain collectively.

The bullet itself isn’t bonded or mounted, it’s a flat-based cup-and-core slug that received’t win any long-range contests—however that’s not what it’s made for. The jacket is tapered to be thinner up entrance and thicker within the rear which helps it maintain collectively and penetrate. The quick 150-grain bullet will ship heavy blows to deer at regular ranges.

I didn’t discover this ammo to be very correct in any of the .308 rifles I attempted, however for the common deer woods looking scenario, it’ll work simply fantastic. I consider it might additionally make glorious black bear ammo. Deer Season XP is priced properly and is actually price contemplating.

Common Group Measurement: 1.93 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .50 inches

Why It Made the Lower

This heavy .308 load is made for managed enlargement and bone-crushing penetration. It’s a wonderful selection for giant sport.

Key Options

• Bonded core and jacket
• Skived jacket for dependable enlargement
• G1 B.C.: .500
• Velocity: 2620 fps

Execs

• Dependable enlargement
• Excessive B.C.
• Heavy-duty bonding for weight retention
• Nickel-plating for easy loading and biking

Cons

• Mediocre accuracy in take a look at rifles

Product Description

The Trophy Bonded Tip bullet is a troublesome however streamlined projectile that’s meant for heavy use. The 180-grain .308 Win. load is a potent one, and acceptable for almost any sport in North America. It’s solely 80 ft per second slower than the .30/06 load with the identical bullet, and most animals would by no means know the distinction.

Along with the bonded jacket and core, the bullet has a polymer tip that aids with constant enlargement, as does the scored jacket. Aid grooves and a ship tail give the bullet a very good B.C., however its energy is in capturing robust sport at nearer distances. The nickel-plated circumstances and bullets assist them load, chamber, and eject easily, and it makes use of Federal Gold Medal primers.

Accuracy of this .308 ammo was mediocre in my take a look at rifles, however it was comparatively constant. It’s noticeable that the nickel-plated circumstances load and cycle extra easily, and it’s glorious ammo for looking bigger sport. Its energy isn’t long-range looking, however had been I taking a .308 after moose, elk, or grizzly bears, that is in all probability the load I’d use.

Common Group Measurement: 2.54 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .82 inches

Why It Made the Lower

This monolithic copper ammo is loaded into nickel-plated circumstances, has a streamlined profile, and expands reliably with good weight retention.

Key Options

• Copper alloy building with polymer tip
• Aid grooves in bullet
• Nickel-plated circumstances
• G1 B.C.: .440
• Velocity: 2610 fps

Execs

• Excessive weight-retention
• Nickel-plated circumstances for easy biking
• Sealed case mouth and primer for added climate safety

Cons

• Accuracy is poor in rifles examined

Product Description

Hornady’s Clothes shop line is designed for laborious use in inclement climate circumstances, and makes use of their newest mono-metal bullet, the CX. Like Hornady’s earlier iteration—the GMX—the CX is a managed enlargement, excessive weight-retention copper bullet with a ballistic tip, reduction grooves, and a ship tail. It’s best for each medium and large-sized sport out to about 300 yards. Past that, it drops under 2,000 ft per second, and enlargement will diminish.

This ammo comes loaded in nickel-plated circumstances with each the case mouth and primer sealed to stop any cussed moisture from contaminating the powder. Along with corrosion safety, the nickel plating is a more durable floor that gives smoother loading and biking.

I’m a believer within the effectiveness of mono-metal bullets just like the CX, and in a latest brush bullets take a look at, they proved to be a lot much less susceptible to deflection than lead-core bullets of comparable form. Their efficiency on sport can also be glorious. Accuracy can generally be a difficulty although, and not one of the rifles I examined actually cared for this Clothes shop load. Accuracy was ok for looking at shut ranges, however I’d prefer it to be higher.

Common Group Measurement: 1.99 inches

Customary Deviation of Group Measurement: .96 inches

Why It Made the Lower

The Swift Scirocco II is a excessive B.C., bonded bullet that’s constructed to increase reliably at low velocities, however maintain collectively up shut.

Key Options

• Polymer ballistic tip
• Bonded jacket and core
• Managed enlargement at low velocities
• G1 B.C. .470
• Velocity: 2700 fps

Execs

• Managed enlargement at excessive and low velocities
• Good B.C. for longer distance capturing
• Bonded jacked and core for deep penetration

Cons

Product Description

The Black-tipped Swift Scirocco II is a wonderful bullet for medium and enormous sport at quite a lot of distances. It’s a premium bonded bullet that’s designed to increase at low velocities however retain weight and penetrate at excessive velocity. It has a excessive B.C. for a .308 looking bullet, which interprets to a greater trajectory and resistance to wind.

The Scirocco II is a well-liked bullet with handloaders, and the 150-grain Scirocco loaded within the .30/06 is my uncle’s favourite moose mixture. It may be very correct, however on this loading, many rifles didn’t prefer it. One rifle printed four-inch teams with this load, whereas the Tikka T3X Lite and Kimber Hunter Professional Desolve Black reliably printed the primary three pictures of their teams beneath an inch with it. Whether or not you’re in search of .308 deer ammo or one thing to hunt every part with, this load is an effective one in case your rifle likes it.

FAQ’s

Closing Ideas on .308 Looking Ammo

Though lots of our favourite looking cartridges are nonetheless scarce on retailer cabinets, it’s a breath of contemporary air to see .308 looking ammo in relative abundance—and I do imply “relative.” There are alternatives on most retailer cabinets and at on-line retailers, and a few good ones at that. The .308 Win. is a wonderful all-around cartridge, and nearly all of the ammo performs properly sufficient to hunt at common distances.

In case you merely want .308 deer ammo, the Federal Non-Typical and Winchester Deer Season XP are nice choices, and if you would like one thing extra well-rounded, select a load with controlled-expansion bullets. The one standout within the take a look at was Remington’s Core-Lokt Tipped which was persistently correct and has a very good bullet. It’s a step in the suitable route for Huge Inexperienced.