308 Hunting ammo for AR10?

[Chuck R.]

What would be your suggestion for this scenario:
If you were going to order a 200 round case of hunting ammo, for 16"-18" AR10, for deer, coyotes, hog, and recreational target. I am thinking 150-165 gr. Best stuff for the money, accurate, hits hard.

IMHO, none of the bolded require premium bullets.

The "recreational targets" almost disqualifies them depending on your discretionary budget. I reload all of my stuff and I still come up with practice loads rather than put premium bullets into steel plates.

I'd buy some standard cup and core ammo in the 150-165 range, do some testing for accuracy, then order a bunch of the one that shot the best.

 

[tdbmd]

Get hunting bullets, not match bullets. As suggested above, buy several different loads and see which shoots the best in your particular rifle. Inside 300 yards, if the tip is a bit deformed from loading, it will not matter.

 

[marksman13]

Ive got a friend who can get me a deal on bulk quantities sometimes, hence the "by the case" requirement which indicates a need for good value ($/rd.). Now secondly, how do you like those lead tips ramming through an AR10? I have always been averse to that which leads me to HP and plastic tips. Come to think of it I do not recall checking plastic tips for deformation after they get rammed home. I doubt theres much to see though.
I COULD get set up for a run and do 200 of my own, but would have to go get 150 brass, some Varget, and some bullets. Kind of low on the 30 cal stuff right now. I like to throw my buddy some business once in a while.

Polymer tips get destroyed just like exposed lead.

 

[JDeere]

What JMR said way back in the thread. Years ago when I decided to carry my heavy a** AR10 hunting I found that 150gr BTs over Varget were accurate and deadly at normal hunting distances. I also used them for range time. The plastic tips held up just fine and were never messed up when I ejected a live round...

 

[Buzznrose]

JMR40 I learn a lot from your responses, thank you.

I agree with his post too.

When I was feeling out ammo for my Ruger SFAR, I ordered a bunch of 20 round boxes of various weights and brands from SGAmmo.com

If you order $200 you get free shipping…

Anyway, I found these to shoot well in my gun, but yours may be different…all shot around 1.5ish MOA.

20 Round Box - 308 Win 150 Grain Soft Point Hunting Ammo by Prvi Partizan - PP3081 | SGAmmo.com

SGAmmo.com, bulk ammo sold by the case at the best lowest prices for sale anywhere online

www.sgammo.com

20 Round Box - 308 Win 150 Grain Winchester Deer Season XP Extreme Point Ammo - X308DS | SGAmmo.com

20 Round Box of 308 Win 150 Grain Winchester Deer Season XP Extreme Point Ammo for saleWinchester SKU number X308DS10 Boxes per case. This ammo is made in the USA with a reloadable brass case and boxer primer

www.sgammo.com

20 Round Box - 308 Win 150 Grain Soft Point Federal Fusion Ammo - F308FS1 | SGAmmo.com

20 Round Box of 308 Win 150 Grain Soft Point Federal Fusion Ammo For SaleSKU number: F308FS110 boxes per CaseVelocity Rated at 2820 FPSEnergy Rated at 2648 Foot Pounds

www.sgammo.com

All are available in 200 round lots.

I did get better performance from 165-168 grain rounds but the beauty of 150’s is you can supplement your hunting rounds with FMJ’s for range blasting…

 

[Buzznrose]

Honestly, a deer or a hog aren’t that hard to kill, and precision accuracy from an AR-10 rarely happens unless you are shooting a match grade gun, so I suggest finding the “good enough” option and sticking with it.

Realistically, any 147 or larger grain FMJ or OTM round will kill deer, but the minimal damage and blood trails may likely let them run farther, possibly getting away…so ethically, I’d stick with a soft point for game.

But spending $2.00 or more a round, especially when you are looking to stock up, seems like a waste.

Just my opinion.

 

[6.8 hunter]

Honestly, a deer or a hog aren’t that hard to kill, and precision accuracy from an AR-10 rarely happens unless you are shooting a match grade gun, so I suggest finding the “good enough” option and sticking with it.

Realistically, any 147 or larger grain FMJ or OTM round will kill deer, but the minimal damage and blood trails may likely let them run farther, possibly getting away…so ethically, I’d stick with a soft point for game.

But spending $2.00 or more a round, especially when you are looking to stock up, seems like a waste.

Just my opinion.

So good enough to you is... 1.25 MOA or so?

 

[Buzznrose]

So good enough to you is... 1.25 MOA or so?

You sound as if 1.25 MOA can’t kill a deer or a hog…until a few years ago, 1 MOA was unobtainable in most hunting rifles. Still today lots of folks are killing thousands of game animals yearly with open sight lever guns and PawPaw’s 1950’s ‘06, none of which are close to 1.25 MOA.

Back in the 90’s, I was stationed in Great Falls. I owned a M77 in 7MM mag. I generally got around 2” groups with factory ammo and under that with 162 grain Sierra handloads…maybe 1.5 MOA, on a real good group.

I killed some nice deer and antelope out to 350 yards with that gun on the Eastern MT plains. Most of them with a $60 3X9 Bushnell scope.

Here is a pretty interesting video on the realities of “sub MOA” and hunting rifles…

The 1 MOA Hoax: How they’ve confused shooters

Most hunters think a hunting rifle can generally shoot 1 MOA of accuracy, but in this video I show how achieving that tight of precision in a hunting rifle i...

youtu.be

 

[Buzznrose]

So good enough to you is... 1.25 MOA or so?

Also…you said you were using an AR-10. I’d like to know what model. What is the reality of that shooting sub MOA with factory ammo?

Lots of guys think 1 MOA is typical accuracy these days, and it is certainly doable and more common than 15 years ago, but it’s still not necessarily easy…

 

[earlthegoat2]

My CMMG MK3 shoots Federal Power Shok 150 gr averages just at an inch @ 100.

This is fairly common to find in case size as well.

Federal Power-Shok 308 Winchester 150 Gr SP | Ammunition Depot

Buy Federal Power-Shok 308 Winchester 150 Gr SP Online Now! Ammunition Depot offers a wide selection of bulk ammo for game, target practice, and self-defense.

www.2ammo.com

Thats just one source. There are plenty of others.

 

[ACES&8S]

I would like to recommend Hornady American Whitetail ammunition.
ive used the 150 grain .308. cal for sight in purposes and it has been pretty accurate for me.
relatively inexpensive

Love that round, it is accurate, they used to have them in 300 win Mag, which I broke in my Ruger precision with, they were overlapping at 100 yards.
I always use factory ammo when breaking in a new firearm, just in case there is a problem with it.

 

[ACES&8S]

As much as I’d like to use my AR10 for hunting, I have too many other rifles ahead of the AR10 that haven’t shot deer yet….lol

I know what you mean.
So many options yet a favorite deer rifle will be hard to replace. But for hogs, bear, and varmints the options fall to other favorites.

 

[ACES&8S]

LAR 8, heavy barrel weights a ton. Very little recoil. I settled down to Hornady 150 sp bought on sale. IMR 3031 at 39 gr. Kills deer and paper with equal enthusiasm. Couldn't imagine surviving on store bought.

You are probably like myself; I was so far ahead on reloading ingredients when the factory ammo became scarce and then the price jumped so much, I have enough reloading
stuff to keep my whole family going for years.
The 556 ammo isn't as bad on price, but the bulk ammo is just for shooting away anyhow, so that is easier than making a thousand rounds of precision and accurate rounds.
We just make those for critters and such.

 

[Respeck]

FGGM is the go to for 308
168 or 175

 

[Chuck R.]

You sound as if 1.25 MOA can’t kill a deer or a hog…until a few years ago, 1 MOA was unobtainable in most hunting rifles. Still today lots of folks are killing thousands of game animals yearly with open sight lever guns and PawPaw’s 1950’s ‘06, none of which are close to 1.25 MOA.

Back in the 90’s, I was stationed in Great Falls. I owned a M77 in 7MM mag. I generally got around 2” groups with factory ammo and under that with 162 grain Sierra handloads…maybe 1.5 MOA, on a real good group.

I killed some nice deer and antelope out to 350 yards with that gun on the Eastern MT plains. Most of them with a $60 3X9 Bushnell scope.

Here is a pretty interesting video on the realities of “sub MOA” and hunting rifles…

The 1 MOA Hoax: How they’ve confused shooters

Most hunters think a hunting rifle can generally shoot 1 MOA of accuracy, but in this video I show how achieving that tight of precision in a hunting rifle i...

youtu.be

Excellent post AND a great video!