We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n Although we still haven\u2019t climbed out of the ammo shortage, there\u2019s good news if you hunt with a .308\u2014many retailers have a variety of .308 hunting ammo available. The previous ammo shortages hit the .223 and .308 ammo stocks hard, while having less effect on stalwart hunting cartridges like the .30\/06 and .30\/30. This time, it seems that manufacturers have been able to stay on top of .308 hunting ammo production and hunters at least have something to buy.<\/p>\n Still, it\u2019s a strange time, and there are both surprises and disappointments in the ammo market today (not exclusive to .308). Some ammunition has excelled, and some factory offerings that typically delivered excellent accuracy don\u2019t seem to shoot as well as they used to. Some types of ammo seem to be everywhere, and other loads are scarce.<\/p>\n This year, I have tested and reviewed 11 different rifles chambered in .308 Win. I shot many types of ammo through these guns, testing it in affordable budget rifles<\/a>, but also in mid-priced<\/a> rifles. I\u2019ve shot a variety of .308 Win. in specialized rifles like the Christensen Ridgeline Titanium FFT<\/a> and the Howa M1500 HS Carbon<\/a>. Through all this shooting, I was able to see what shot well, what didn\u2019t, and hopefully help you pick the best .308 hunting ammo for deer or whatever your game is this year.<\/p>\n Game and Bullet Construction<\/strong><\/p>\n As with any hunting ammo, you want to choose a load and bullet that will suit the game you intend on hunting. The .308 Win.<\/a> is an extremely capable (and oft underrated) cartridge, and is suitable for large game like elk, moose, and even brown bears. If you\u2019re hunting heavy game, pick a bonded or monolithic bullet and keep your shot distances under 300 yards. However, most people are hunting medium-sized game with the .308 and just about any medium-weight expanding bullet will do. Luckily there\u2019s plenty of good, affordable .308 ammo for deer that can still be found on store shelves.<\/p>\n Accuracy<\/strong><\/p>\n Each .308 ammo offering listed here will have both five-shot average group accuracy and standard deviation. It\u2019s always great to maximize accuracy, but keep in mind that each rifle will like a different load. If you can\u2019t try several loads, pick one with a small standard deviation. That means that across all the rifles tested, the accuracy of the load didn\u2019t very much, and there\u2019s a good chance it will shoot similarly in your .308.<\/p>\n Cost<\/strong><\/p>\n Ammo is expensive, and premium ammo is even more expensive. If you need top-end bullet construction or are shooting at distances that require best-in-class accuracy, it\u2019s worth the extra cost. However, if you\u2019re hunting deer-sized game at distances under 200 yards or so, less-expensive ammo is usually sufficient.<\/p>\n To test each of these types of .308 hunting ammo, I fired and measured five-shot groups through a variety of rifles. I recorded a minimum of five groups for each type of ammo (based on my inventory), but I was able to record between 15 and 30 groups for most offerings.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that average group size is with five-shot groups across all rifles tested. Some rifles shoot better, some worse. The standard deviation is the average variation in group size across all rifles tested. This data only reflects the rifles tested. Accuracy, obviously, varies from rifle to rifle. I experienced a couple of loads that would shoot four-inch groups in one rifle, and one-inch groups in another.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Award:<\/strong> Best Overall<\/p>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 1.54 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .46 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n Remington\u2019s 150-grain Core-Lokt Tipped features a mechanically fastened jacket and was the most accurate and consistent .308 ammo tested across all rifles. It\u2019s seriously good stuff.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n I first reviewed Remington\u2019s (new for 2021) Core-Lokt Tipped<\/a> ammo late last fall and wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. This was, after all, one of Big Green\u2019s first post-bankruptcy launches. I found that the green-tipped bullets shot well in my .30\/06 and performed well on a caribou. How would the load do in .308 Win. though?<\/p>\n The bullet is a boat-tailed projectile with a core that\u2019s held together by a rib on the jacket. It\u2019s tipped with a green-polymer nose and has a thin jacket up front that promotes expansion\u2014much like the original Core-Lokt. The 150-grain bullet doesn\u2019t have a remarkable B.C., but it\u2019s better than its lead-tipped counterparts.<\/p>\n Accuracy of this .308 ammo<\/a> was excellent in several rifles, but what was most impressive was that it shot well in almost every rifle tested. Across a spread of rifle\/cartridge combinations, the Core-Lokt tipped was the lone standout as ammo that would shoot well in any rifle I tried.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Award:<\/strong> Best .308 Ammo for Deer<\/p>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 2.08 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .66 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n Most deer hunters simply want dependable .308 ammo that\u2019s affordable and shoots well out to a couple hundred yards. Reliable and affordable ammo has killed more bucks than anything, and that\u2019s what you get with this .308 ammo for deer.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n Premium-line ammo has its place, but simple and affordable has been putting meat in the pot for generations. Like the basic do-all .308, Federal\u2019s Non-Typical Whitetail<\/a> line is an \u201ceverybody\u2019s .308 deer ammo.\u201d It\u2019s a middle-of-the-road 150-grain soft point that will put bucks on the ground without killing your pocketbook.<\/p>\n This .308 ammo\u2019s soft-point bullet will expand reliably, and it\u2019s loaded into good quality brass. It\u2019s not going to wow anyone with a high B.C. or nickel-plated cases, and accuracy isn\u2019t anything to write home about. An average five-shot group size of 2.08 inches might seem outrageous to the precision rifle crowd, but for deer hunters who likely won\u2019t be shooting over 150 or 200 yards, there\u2019s not much reason to go with something that\u2019s more expensive.<\/p>\n Across the field of .308 ammo that I tested, this stuff hits the sweet spot for performance versus cost, and the deer certainly won\u2019t know the difference.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Award:<\/strong> Best Copper .308 Ammo<\/p>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 1.95 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .52 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n Barnes bullets set the standard for copper hunting projectiles, and their factory Vor-Tx .308 ammo was the most accurate we could find.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n Barnes has long been an industry leader in monolithic copper bullets, and their TTSX<\/a> is one of the best on the market. Loaded in their factory Vor-Tx .308 ammo, the 168-grain TTSX is an excellent choice for just about any game. In-fact, a friend of mine who lives on Kodiak uses it for everything (including brown bears).<\/p>\n The TTSX bullet is copper with a blue polymer ballistic tip that helps initiate expansion. Typically, these bullets expand into an X-shape with almost 100 percent weight retention and deep penetration. The TTSX certainly has some challengers, but it\u2019s the standard that all other copper bullets are measured against.<\/p>\n Some rifles can be finicky with copper bullets, but this .308 ammo is generally accurate overall in a variety of rifles. Some like it, some just shoot it OK, but none seem to shoot it poorly. It\u2019s a great option for .308 deer ammo but can also tackle bigger game.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 1.79 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .71 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n This .308 ammo has premium components, is accurate, and has a high-B.C. bullet that will expand at a wide range of velocities.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n Federal Premium\u2019s Terminal ascent<\/a> bullet and load are designed to deliver accuracy and terminal performance at long or short distances. This 175-grain bullet features a bonded core and hollow \u201cslipstream\u201d ballistic tip that helps initiate expansion at lower velocities. The bullet also has relief grooves like those on monolithic copper bullets, and a long boat tail. The nickel-plated cases feed and extract reliably, and the quality of components is good.<\/p>\n I found the Terminal Ascent to yield somewhat mixed accuracy results, depending on the rifle. Some rifles shot it well, others didn\u2019t. In the Christensen Ridgeline Titanium that I reviewed, this .308 ammo shot well, and I was able to reliably make first-round hits out to 600 yards.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re hunting larger game like elk, or might be shooting beyond 300 yards, this load is an excellent option (assuming your rifle likes it). A bullet with a good B.C. like this will give you a better trajectory and buck the wind better than other bullets. Because it will still expand at lower velocities, it has an edge over some copper and other bonded bullets\u2014especially in the relatively slow .308 Win.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 1.88 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .49 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n This ammo has an accurate, mechanically bonded bullet with good velocity. It would be ideal for deer-sized game.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n Hornady\u2019s Superformance<\/a> line is still on the shelves in .308 ammo, and its biggest selling point is speed. The powder used delivers a couple hundred extra feet per second of velocity without dramatic pressure increases compared to other commercial loads. Topped with a 150-grain SST at 3,000 feet per second, it\u2019s a great option for medium-sized game and hunters who prefer to sight in using the maximum point-blank method<\/a> rather than turrets or holdover reticles.<\/p>\n The 150-grain SST bullet is a simple but effective boat-tail-based, cup and core bullet, but the jacket is mechanically fastened to the core for weight retention. The polymer tip helps make it more aerodynamic and initiates expansion. It might not be as deep-penetrating as heavier bonded or monolithic bullets, but it would be ideal for deer, black bears, and caribou. It would work just fine on heavier animals such as elk and moose.<\/p>\n Although accuracy in my testing wasn\u2019t bad, it wasn\u2019t great. There weren\u2019t any rifles with which the load really stood out. However, the standard deviation of the group size was pretty small, so you could reasonably expect this ammo to shoot well in most rifles.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 2.43 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .57 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n This deer-specific ammo is affordable and offers great terminal performance and expansion on medium-sized game.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n For the deer hunter who doesn\u2019t need bonded, ultra-accurate ammo, Winchester\u2019s Deer Season XP<\/a> is a great option in .308. It\u2019s a little over $30 a box and is ideal for deer-sized game. Its most noticeable feature is a large-diameter polymer ballistic tip. This is designed to initiate dramatic expansion, while the tapered jacket helps the bullet hold together.<\/p>\n The bullet itself isn\u2019t bonded or fastened, it\u2019s a flat-based cup-and-core slug that won\u2019t win any long-range contests\u2014but that\u2019s not what it\u2019s made for. The jacket is tapered to be thinner up front and thicker in the rear which helps it hold together and penetrate. The fast 150-grain bullet will deliver heavy blows to deer at normal ranges.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t find this ammo to be very accurate in any of the .308 rifles I tried, but for the average deer woods hunting situation, it\u2019ll work just fine. I believe it would also make excellent black bear ammo. Deer Season XP is priced well and is certainly worth considering.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 1.93 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .50 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n This heavy .308 load is made for controlled expansion and bone-crushing penetration. It\u2019s an excellent choice for large game.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n The Trophy Bonded Tip<\/a> bullet is a tough but streamlined projectile that\u2019s meant for heavy use. The 180-grain .308 Win. load is a potent one, and appropriate for just about any game in North America. It\u2019s only 80 feet per second slower than the .30\/06 load with the same bullet, and most animals would never know the difference.<\/p>\n In addition to the bonded jacket and core, the bullet has a polymer tip that aids with consistent expansion, as does the scored jacket. Relief grooves and a boat tail give the bullet a good B.C., but its strength is in shooting tough game at closer distances. The nickel-plated cases and bullets help them load, chamber, and eject smoothly, and it uses Federal Gold Medal primers.<\/p>\n Accuracy of this .308 ammo was mediocre in my test rifles, but it was relatively consistent. It is noticeable that the nickel-plated cases load and cycle more smoothly, and it is excellent ammo for hunting larger game. Its strength isn\u2019t long-range hunting, but were I taking a .308 after moose, elk, or grizzly bears, this is probably the load I would use.<\/p>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n Average Group Size:<\/strong> 2.54 inches<\/p>\n Standard Deviation of Group Size:<\/strong> .82 inches<\/p>\n Why It Made the Cut<\/strong><\/p>\n This monolithic copper ammo is loaded into nickel-plated cases, has a streamlined profile, and expands reliably with good weight retention.<\/p>\n Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Product Description<\/strong><\/p>\n Hornady\u2019s Outfitter line is designed for hard use in inclement weather conditions, and uses their latest mono-metal bullet, the CX<\/a>. Like Hornady\u2019s previous iteration\u2014the GMX\u2014the CX is a controlled expansion, high weight-retention copper bullet with a ballistic tip, relief grooves, and a boat tail. It\u2019s ideal for both medium and large-sized game out to about 300 yards. Beyond that, it drops below 2,000 feet per second, and expansion will diminish.<\/p>\n This ammo comes loaded in nickel-plated cases with both the case mouth and primer sealed to prevent any stubborn moisture from contaminating the powder. In addition to corrosion protection, the nickel plating is a harder surface that provides smoother loading and cycling.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a believer in the effectiveness of mono-metal bullets like the CX, and in a recent brush bullets test<\/a>, they proved to be much less prone to deflection than lead-core bullets of similar shape. Their performance on game is also excellent. Accuracy can sometimes be an issue though, and none of the rifles I tested really cared for this Outfitter load. Accuracy was good enough for hunting at close ranges, but I\u2019d like it to be better.<\/p>\n
\n Published Nov 14, 2022 6:39 PM
\n <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\nThings to Consider Before Buying .308 Ammo for Hunting<\/h2>\n
Interpreting the Data<\/h2>\n
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Federal-Non-Typical-Whitetail-150-grain-Soft-Point.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Barnes](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Barnes-Vor-Tx-168-grain-TTSX.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Federal](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Federal-Premium-175-grain-Terminal-Ascent.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Hornady](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Hornady-Superformance-150-grain-SST.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Winchester](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Winchester-Deer-Season-XP-150-grain-Extreme-Point.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Federal](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Federal-Premium-180-grain-Trophy-Bonded-Tip.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Hornady](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Hornady-Outfitter-165-grain-CX.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")
\n <\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Federal](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/14\/Federal-Premium-165-grain-Swift-Scirocco-II.jpg?auto=webp&width=800&crop=16:10,offset-x50\")