Light and faster of heavy and slower ?

ford8nr · Sep 13, 2019

Working up a hunting load for my nephew using my Howa 7.63x39.
Load development showed decent 100yd MOA accuracy with 125gr soft points at 2500fps and outstanding accuracy 1/2 MOA with 150gr soft points at 2100fps. All shots will be within 125yds.
Accuracy not being the issue, heavy/slow or lighter/faster.
Interesting I liked the 150 gr recoil pulse better.
I'm leaning toward the 150's

Varminterror · Sep 13, 2019

Consider the expansion velocity floor for your bullet. Leaving the station at 2100fps won’t leave a lot of velocity on your bullet upon impact, and you might run into issues with expansion failures. A 150grn 30 cal at 2100fps is nearing a no man’s land for bullet design and impact velocity. You’re not light and fast, but really not slow and heavy yet. Run the numbers and ask your manufacturer about your predicted impact velocity, maybe your particular bullet is ok. I personally wouldn’t hunt with a load which isn’t going to expand just because it shoots a little smaller than one I know WILL.

z7 · Sep 13, 2019

6 of one, 1/2 dozen the other,

Have you used these bullets before? How do they perform terminally? Probably doesn’t matter

ford8nr · Sep 13, 2019

Used them before but out of a .308 at higher velocities. At .308 velocities had perfect mushrooms.

Gtscotty · Sep 13, 2019

What particular bullets?

ford8nr · Sep 13, 2019

Varminterror said:
ask your manufacturer

Good idea, just emailed Speer
They are Speer Hot Cores.

Varminterror · Sep 13, 2019

Not sure about the 150 30cal, but the 35cal 180 Hotcor only expands down to about 1800. It deforms at low speed, but doesn’t really open the same.

gotboostvr · Sep 13, 2019

Some 150's designed for a 30-30 or 300blk should work in your velocity window.

Dunno who makes them though.

ford8nr · Sep 13, 2019

gotboostvr said:
Some 150's designed for a 30-30 or 300blk should work in your velocity window.

'Cept I need .311"s

BigBore45 · Sep 13, 2019

I cast and load 160 grain bullet out of lead. 15 bhn hitek coated and gas checked. 2150 fps. Deer thumper out to 300 yards

troy fairweather · Sep 13, 2019

ford8nr said:
Working up a hunting load for my nephew using my Howa 7.63x39.
Load development showed decent 100yd MOA accuracy with 125gr soft points at 2500fps and outstanding accuracy 1/2 MOA with 150gr soft points at 2100fps. All shots will be within 125yds.
Accuracy not being the issue, heavy/slow or lighter/faster.
Interesting I liked the 150 gr recoil pulse better.
I'm leaning toward the 150's

What about speer there normally softer and should work good.

Bfh_auto · Sep 13, 2019

Try the loads you have on a wet newspaper block.
308 bullets in a 311 bore sometimes surprise you.
I agree with trying a 30-30 bullet or suggest going to the Hornady 123 sst.

gotboostvr · Sep 14, 2019

ford8nr said:
'Cept I need .311"s

It might work, crazier things have happened.

243winxb · Sep 14, 2019

123 gr Hornady- Powder-CFE BLK for highest velocity. 2300 to 2500 fps. (Hodgdon data) if mine, i would go with velocity. Bullet velocity = Trauma.

when it's topped off with a .30-cal. 123-gr. bullet and loaded to a nominal muzzle velocity of around 2400 fps, it yields terminal performance levels comparable to the venerable .30-30 Winchester. As I had hoped, firing the 7.62x39 mm from a quality hunting rifle produced respectable levels of accuracy. For bench-rested accuracy testing at 100 yards, five 5-shot groups were fired using three high-quality hunting loads. Hornady's steel cased 123-gr. SST ballistic tip produced a best single group of 1.02" with an average of 1.07". Double Tap’s Hunter load topped with 123-gr. Barnes TSX all-copper hollow points yielded a best group of 0.84" with an average of 0.92. The best performer of the test was the affordably priced Federal Premium’s blue box 123-gr. Power Shok soft points. This load produced a best single group of 0.70" with an average of 0.90".

https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...wa-1500-mini-bolt-highlander-762x39-mm-rifle/ photo-Hornady ballistic calculator.

243winxb · Sep 14, 2019

Same rifle? https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/howa-7-62x39-project.846843/

someguy2800 · Sep 14, 2019

ford8nr said:
'Cept I need .311"s

gotboostvr said:
It might work, crazier things have happened.

My three .311” bore rifles all shoot as good or better with .308” bullets. I deer hunted lasted year with 125 grain nosler accubonds in my 7.62x39 AR15.

To answer the original question I would use the 125 grain weight range to ensure adequate velocity for expansion, and I would use a bonded bullet to ensure adequate penetration, such as the nosler accubond or Speer gold dot.

Dr T · Sep 14, 2019

And some non- milsurp rifles are made for the .308 bullets...

fireside44 · Sep 14, 2019

ford8nr said:
I'm leaning toward the 150's

I shoot Tula 154 grain for deer, all 50 yards and under. It's the only cheap steel case soft point I could find at the time, so I grabbed enough for the next 20 deer seasons. With a lung shot it gave me golf or racquetball sized exit wounds, shattered a rib or two, and turned the lungs into chunks of jello and even sent some lung parts out the exit hole with the bullet. I definitely prefer slower and heavier bullets and calibers over light and fast stuff for deer.

ford8nr · Sep 14, 2019

someguy2800 said:
to ensure adequate velocity for expansion, and I would use a bonded bullet to ensure adequate penetration,

Penetration usually means limited expansion. Velocity for expansion. What am I missing ?

Bfh_auto · Sep 14, 2019

ford8nr said:
Penetration usually means limited expansion. Velocity for expansion. What am I missing ?

He's matching bullet speed to bullet hardness.
If you use a harder bullet, it will need more velocity to expand. It still penetrates better than the softer bullet because it was going faster for the same amount of expansion.

Frostbite · Sep 14, 2019

150. Shoot in the head. Half MOA is good for that.

someguy2800 · Sep 15, 2019

ford8nr said:
Penetration usually means limited expansion. Velocity for expansion. What am I missing ?

A bonded bullet ensures it stays in one piece rather than separating into a jacket and core and fragments. This retained weight will give a better chance for the bullet to give an exit wound.

ford8nr · Sep 15, 2019

Makes sense.
Shooting good cup and core bullets, usually Sierra Game Kings I've never had separation out of .308's and a 30-06. Core lokts have worked good too. Whitetails just arn't that tough.

ford8nr · Sep 15, 2019

someguy2800 said:
My three .311” bore rifles all shoot as good or better with .308” bullets.

Only tried it once in a .311 bore Mosin. Lousy velocity and mediocre accuracy as compared with similar .311 bullets.

With the accuracy I'm getting with the .311's I see no reason to try them in the Howa except for convenience in bullet choice maybe.

someguy2800 · Sep 15, 2019

ford8nr said:
Only tried it once in a .311 bore Mosin. Lousy velocity and mediocre accuracy as compared with similar .311 bullets.

With the accuracy I'm getting with the .311's I see no reason to try them in the Howa except for convenience in bullet choice maybe.

Well if you have a .308 bullet you like the looks of, don’t be afraid to try it. This is my .311 bore 7.62x38 shooting a .308 nosler accubond. 2610 FPS from a 16” barrel.

Light and faster of heavy and slower ?

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