What loads in different cartridges do you use for medium game like deer or hogs? While I’ve always preferred bolt actions for hunting, I’m definitely no Jim Zumbo so I try’n find suitable loads in all my rifles for deer or hogs, even my 223 AR’s. Im getting anxious to see what these can do.
Im an old timer and use a .308 with a 165 grain game king. I dont mess around with it anymore once i found this one. Theres probably better out there but im familiar with this projectile and just feel comfortable with it.
It’s hard for me to not like game kings, cut my teeth on my dad’s hand loaded 30-06’s using 180gr game kings and never seen one fail. I’ve got some 140gr in .284” to handload for my 7mmRM once I shoot up the factory Winchester 150gr power point stuff I’ve stocked back to get the brass from. I still haven’t gotten any factory 308 hunting loads for my Aero M5, I’ve got a lot of M118LR with 175gr match kings I’ll try on hogs and see if they perform as good as I’ve been told. Once I can start acquiring more components I am try those 165gr sgk’s for mine.
.308..... 165gn Nosler Ballistic Tips over a case full of AR2208 (you in the foreign lands call this Varget or some other silly name). Knocks over deer like a sledgehammer to the head. Now if I was JUST hog hunting I would go back to the Speer 130gn Hollow Points over 748 that I used for years. It works a treat and is a duplicate of a Winchester factory loading that was developed for Police and CT types here back in the 80s. Winchester now sell it commercially. .300Win 180gn Nosler Ballistic Tip or Accubond (they are interchangeable with my load/rifle) over a pile of AR2213SC
My primary hunting loads are also .308 with the hollow point Sierra Game king. Very effective projectile. Once I run out of those I’m going to transition to 150 gn BarneS TTSX. Mainly to move toward lead free. For a .243 I’m still using 100 gn Sierra Game King SPBTs. Good round as well. No plans to transition that one yet. .308 is my primary hunting round. Been using it since the 80s so why switch now right?
lever actions all the way in 30-30 or .44mag. Just bought my new Henry Big Boy Steel Carbine in .44, with the 16.5" barrel. Absolutely love it. Like all of my other levers, we use the Hornady LeverRevolution ammo
I don’t have a lever action yet, but I use the leverevolution 45/70 loads in my H&R handirifle. They group really well and are devastating on deer. Been so impressed with it that I think a Marlin 1895SBL in 45/70 will be my next long gun.
I picked up more of these yesterday since my local Academy had them in stock. I’ve had great performance from them on hogs. Found out recently that Sierra is making the V-crown bullets for Sig. They also reportedly hit the listed velocity out of a stock G20 and are in the full power range for 10mm.
Forgot about this thread but figured I’d add what happened last weekend just for examples of when your loads do the strangest things. So hunting goats son was shooting the 308 and I had the 243. Using the loads above. Got a shot at one about 40 yards or so. Son shot and it runs 20 yards and stops and stands there. We think he missed so I shoot. It runs back the way it came and goes down. when we check no exit hole…weird. Then we find my 243 both the cup and core expanded and lodged in the near side of front leg sticking out of the skin stopped by the bone. Along with a 308 sized entry hole on the near side heart/lung. We didn’t have time to really look but what we were thinking was the shots were so close the bullet velocity expanded them so much the 308 didn’t pass through and the 243 didn’t break the bone. My only other theories involve Krypton or worm holes/parallel universes originating in the goat. But those are probably a low percentage chance haha.