Calibre choice for deer ARRRRRR!

[Sender]

Just got my new 338 win mag for Sambar - should be enough

And then some

[Outdoorsguy]

I'm a very new rifleman. I own a 308 purchased for 'deer shooting'. I recently shot my first 2 fallow with this rifle using 150grn sellier & bellot spce soft points. The exiting projectile has been devastating on my venison. I wish I owned a sharp shooting .243, I imagine an 80-90 grain well placed projectile would've been plenty of pill.

Not wanting to buy another rifle for an already rifle... i called my gunstore today asking for a solution, I was advised a solid Barnes like projectile might be just as lethal but less destructive on my meat, when my marksmanship improves further I'll try to take nec shots. Curiously the gunstore also suggested I might actually try heavier 180 grain ammo. Ballistically, they travel more slowly and may also a happy be a better choice on fallow?!

When I eventually come across some Sambar I know a well placed 308 projectile will do the job.

Hope this helps you try learn as I am that there can be different ways of finding hunting solutions.

[WayneO]

A 150g bullet from a .308 will probably be doing somewhere around 2600 to 2700 fps so yes its going to damage a lot of meat. A 180g bullet will be traveling at around 2250 to 2300 fps so the meat damage will be significantly less.
Think of it like this.
Open a heavy strongroom door, then clench your fist and slowly make contact with the door while pushing it closed.
Then
Open the door, clench your fist wind back and strike the door as hard and as fast as you can.
going slowly leaves your hand in perfect condition, going fast..................
Its the same as bullet performance on tissue and bone.
One of my favorite bush-veld rifle is a .458 Win Mag with synthetic stock, 20" barrel and a 4-12 x 40 Lynx scope. The reason I like this caliber is because it launches a 500g bullet at a nice slow 1950fps, and on small animals like Bushbuck and Impala, (Fallow and Chital deer) you can take a shoulder shot and end up throwing away next to no meat. You can also take big animals like Eland and Sambar and the bullet will give you more than 1.5m penetration on a frontal chest shot. However its a short range rifle with max distance of around 150m.

To sum it up, light for caliber bullets are great for long range hunting but make mince at close range, heavy for caliber bullets are great for close range work, but drop off considerably at longer ranges.

[chacka]

Curiously the gunstore also suggested I might actually try heavier 180 grain ammo. Ballistically, they travel more slowly and may also a happy be a better choice on fallow?!

I don't have figures on hand for this but short response to that is speed isn't everything.

A heavier bullet moves slower, but typically retains more energy as well so it's six one, half dozen the other.

Lighter projectile and lower velocity are the way to really reduce damage from any given cartridge.

If you start reloading you should look at something like a 130gr projectile and starting powder load. Factory ammo is typically towards the top end for velocity. 20gr less bullet and a 300-400 less fps velocity in a hand load will reduce damage a lot.

Otherwise look at some reduced recoil factory ammo, that might offer something in the way of an improvement from factory options.

[WayneO]

the problem with going that route chacka is that a lot of the lighter bullets battle to stabilize at the lower velocities. They were not designed to work like that, they were designed for speed. You also find that most of them break apart on impact, and that's not something you want to happen.

Also, the retained energy of a heavy for caliber bullet at low velocity is not going to cause the damage.
Speed is what damages meat and tissue.

[Oldbloke]

I'm a very new rifleman. I own a 308 purchased for 'deer shooting'. I recently shot my first 2 fallow with this rifle using 150grn sellier & bellot spce soft points. The exiting projectile has been devastating on my venison. I wish I owned a sharp shooting .243, I imagine an 80-90 grain well placed projectile would've been plenty of pill.

Not wanting to buy another rifle for an already rifle... i called my gunstore today asking for a solution, I was advised a solid Barnes like projectile might be just as lethal but less destructive on my meat, when my marksmanship improves further I'll try to take nec shots. Curiously the gunstore also suggested I might actually try heavier 180 grain ammo. Ballistically, they travel more slowly and may also a happy be a better choice on fallow?!

When I eventually come across some Sambar I know a well placed 308 projectile will do the job.

Hope this helps you try learn as I am that there can be different ways of finding hunting solutions.

Outdoorsguy,
If you reload just buy some quality 150gn projectiles. Its a good all round size for the 308. Then work up loads that are slow for fallow, say about 2300fps and faster for everything else, say about 2600fps. That should cover all your needs provided the groups are reasonable. Only catch is the change of zero.

[bigfellascott]

The 204's good enough for my needs.

[Vati]

Then work up loads that are slow for fallow, say about 2300fps and faster for everything else, say about 2600fps. That should cover all your needs provided the groups are reasonable. Only catch is the change of zero.

Easy enough to work around with a few clicks up/down once you figure it out though.

[Sleepy_Hunter]

I just recently purchased a Sauer 101 in 9.3x62 so hopefully i can get out soon and test it on sambar, I have heard many good things about the calibre.

[bladeracer]

The 204's good enough for my needs.

Which states allow deer shooting with .204?

Possibly with a monolithic bullet it'd be fairly reliable but why wouldn't you buy a more effective caliber to do the job?

[stockliman]

I just recently purchased a Sauer 101 in 9.3x62 so hopefully i can get out soon and test it on sambar, I have heard many good things about the calibre.

I'd be interested in how you fine it. I'm looking at a sauer 202 or 404 in .270 . I onlu have smaller deer here. I'll probably only ever own 4 guns (famous last words ) and three are already accounted for. The first two are family heirlooms,the 3rd a beretta o/u and I want to make the 4th count. As it is the last I don't mind a 6-7k price tag. It can be the kids inheritance. I'm spending the rest.

[Gun-nut]

There are a lot of options out there in terms of loads etc. For the .308 so that would be my choice.

[Goshawk]

I went 308w. Seems to work...

[franc]

The 204's good enough for my needs.

Which states allow deer shooting with .204?

Possibly with a monolithic bullet it'd be fairly reliable but why wouldn't you buy a more effective caliber to do the job?

Pretty sure none, but I think you'll find BFS is just out for varmints.

(If so not sure why the comment ended up here but anyway)

[southeast varmiter]

A 150g bullet from a .308 will probably be doing somewhere around 2600 to 2700 fps so yes its going to damage a lot of meat. A 180g bullet will be traveling at around 2250 to 2300 fps so the meat damage will be significantly less.
Think of it like this.
Open a heavy strongroom door, then clench your fist and slowly make contact with the door while pushing it closed.
Then
Open the door, clench your fist wind back and strike the door as hard and as fast as you can.
going slowly leaves your hand in perfect condition, going fast..................
Its the same as bullet performance on tissue and bone.
One of my favorite bush-veld rifle is a .458 Win Mag with synthetic stock, 20" barrel and a 4-12 x 40 Lynx scope. The reason I like this caliber is because it launches a 500g bullet at a nice slow 1950fps, and on small animals like Bushbuck and Impala, (Fallow and Chital deer) you can take a shoulder shot and end up throwing away next to no meat. You can also take big animals like Eland and Sambar and the bullet will give you more than 1.5m penetration on a frontal chest shot. However its a short range rifle with max distance of around 150m.

To sum it up, light for caliber bullets are great for long range hunting but make mince at close range, heavy for caliber bullets are great for close range work, but drop off considerably at longer ranges.

You need to learn about sectional density

[franc]

Don't go out of your way to explain it to him or anything

[Medic]

Barret 99 in .416