Thread: Factory .308 ammo for 16" Tikka to 300m+?

Hey guys, I have a Tikka T3X .308. It has been shortened to 18" by the original owner. I'm thinking of getting a QD Oceania Defence can for it and have it shortened to 16" so it is still quite handy as OD cans are muzzle forward.

I do plan to get into reloading as I've always been interested in it but for now is there a factory .308 round that will punch out from a 16" suppressed rifle with good expansion/knock down for deer at around 300 - 350max meters?

Cheers

My t3 likes the hornady whitetail 150gr

Mate the 150 SST Superformance will easy make 400yd and will still have 1800fps to expand (even better if you strike bone). My reloads are mimicking that load and have had good results to 390yd. Got no experience with the 178 ELDX precision hunter but I’d look at that too.

I really rate the winchester 180grn for sub 50 yard bush load......IF you stick one of them up the spout for close stuff/spook n shoot...you can go to a not so good in close but awesome out further really accurate load for out further.plenty heaps of deer have died out to 300 mtrs with pretty bog standard cup n core loads..federal blue box NORMALLY shoots accurately in most rifles and kills good too.

Gidday man, trial and error, as always one size doesn’t fit all, so to speak. Hornady Superformance is a grunty fast load but doesn’t always shoot that well in some rifles. Plenty of options out there. An inch or better will get you out to 350m easy enough. Good luck

Hey guys thanks so much for the info, will any of these rounds struggle to 350m coming out of a 16" barrel?

Originally Posted by 308mate

Hey guys thanks so much for the info, will any of these rounds struggle to 350m coming out of a 16" barrel?

Everything mentioned should be fine mate. Get into it.

Hard to go past the Hornady superformance 150sst I had good results when I owned a 308. Bit pricey though, also depends if it groups well in your rifle too.

Buy a box and shoot some paper at the distances you’re wanting so that you are certain how your particular rifle is running them.

A small investment in time and ammo may well ensure that trophy (or good meat) animal doesn’t get away

Call it an investment in certainty.

Originally Posted by SiB

Buy a box and shoot some paper at the distances you’re wanting so that you are certain how your particular rifle is running them.

A small investment in time and ammo may well ensure that trophy (or good meat) animal doesn’t get away

Call it an investment in certainty.

Spot on.
If you've got access to a range out to 350m make some 1 MOA white targets on a black background. If you can shoot inside the white comfortably, 1" dot for 100m 2" for 200m 3" for 300m etc. you'll be good to go. Wind will still push ya projectile round a hell of a lot at 350m.

Originally Posted by McNotty

Gidday man, trial and error, as always one size doesn’t fit all, so to speak. Hornady Superformance is a grunty fast load but doesn’t always shoot that well in some rifles. Plenty of options out there. An inch or better will get you out to 350m easy enough. Good luck

I had a couple of boxes hornady, fricken expensive alright.
Wouldn't group for shit till I pulled the bullets and re-seated them just off the lands, then sub-moa.

Federal blue box 150g always shot well in my 308s and killed well.

My tikka T3 is chopped 16 inch and shoots the hornady superformance 150sst sweet. I have shot 1 deer at 300ish meters, and smoked it.
Everything else i have shot has been less then 100m.