good ammo

[dixie deer hunter]

right now Im shooting a savage .308 with a 3x9x40 bushnell banner scope. My ammo is Hornady TAP 110 grain, The ballistics say it is good out to 300 yards, but im looking for something that will go to at least 400 yds. Any suggestions?

[John1961]

A canon or tank may be.................LOL

[jacannon63]

Wellcome Dixie I would use a heavier bullet and hand loads. My son is a long distance target shooter. He uses a 175 gr bullet in his 308 and shoots out to 1000 yds. You could use a 150 gr. or 168 gr. at 400 yds. You just have to shoot enough to know what your rifle likes and what it will do at 400 yds.

[PrairieShadow]

ORIGINAL: dixie deer hunter

right now Im shooting a savage .308 with a 3x9x40 bushnell banner scope. My ammo is Hornady TAP 110 grain, The ballistics say it is good out to 300 yards, but im looking for something that will go to at least 400 yds. Any suggestions?

Where are you getting these ballistics from and what criteria are you using for being good out to 300yds??

[passin through]

I have shot my Winchester ballistic silver tips out that far (150grain)....they will do the job.  Like was said earlier though, depends on what your rifle likes as to what the group will be.  Minute of angle translates to a 4 inch group at that range -that is good--anything better is great --but probably hand loaded or a premium bullet.  Most modern rifles and ammo will produce minute of angle groups now.  Your TAP ammo is not designed for that range and not really even the 300 (though it will kill at that range easily)  TAP was not really designed to hunt four legged critters with, rather the two legged type in urban settings.  If you want the perfect round for 4-500 plus you need to shoot a bunch, both to get you used to it and to find the round you can do it best with.  Personally I am not an advocate of hunting shots that far out, particularly on whitetail.  But different strokes....If I was going to routinely engage paper or steel targets at those ranges I would pick 168grain boat tails --match grade loads.  If I were trying to routinely kill out beyond those ranges I would pick up a 300 win mag or a 7mm mag in 175-180 grain...bigger projectiles and more umph delivered down range.  Not that a 308 wont do the job out beyond 400 or so (It very definitely will)  But just the added insurance is nice if you are doing a thing regularly.

[Gahunter]

COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF.

[shaman]

ORIGINAL: dixie deer hunter

right now Im shooting a savage .308 with a 3x9x40 bushnell banner scope. My ammo is Hornady TAP 110 grain, The ballistics say it is good out to 300 yards, but im looking for something that will go to at least 400 yds. Any suggestions?

My first suggestion is to move closer to the target.

I'm sure you have reasons for picking 400 yards, but the vast majority of deer hunters take their deer inside 100 yards. 

308 WIN is normally a 150 grain bullet.  110 grains is light.  It's not too light to take a deer, but 400 yards is a long way to be pushing it.  Impossible?  No.  110 grains is going to have less-than-optimum retained energy when it gets out to 400 yards compared to 150 grains.

150 grainers will reach out to 400 yards, but you will have to be careful with exact range estimations. There will be a six inch drop or better between a 375 yard target and one at 400 yards.  You will also have to contend with doping the wind.  A 10 MPH crosswind will deflect a 150 grain bullet over a foot.

The most important thing in all this is that in order to to do this right, you will have to practice a lot-- I mean A LOT!!!-- in order to pull this off consistently.  At 400 yards, ambient temperature and altitude will affect the shot.

My wife routinely shoots her 30-06 at these ranges.  She's been at it now for 2 years, plinking milk jugs at 450 yards. When she can make a first-shot hit on the jug, it's still a cause for celebration. That's off a bench with an inanimate object, not a living deer.

[CB on the run]

You need to find a bullet with a high ballistic coefficent. I would look at Barnes and Berger in a 150-168 grain. Both companies make good bullets. I don't want to sound like a 'smart a*s', but if you're routinely shooting that distance I would upgrade your scope.
Your TAP round is not for deer hunting. It has a lot of use in Law Enforcement. While it will kill a deer, that's not what it was intended for and there are far better choices.
Savage makes very good barrels and if your gun has the Accu-trgger you should be all set with the right bullet and a new scope. Good luck.

CB

[rem700]

hey just so you know 300 win mag is .308cal 7mm is .284cal.. they are not bigger  they just have more powder and a bigger case. the .308 win can use the same bullet as the 300win mag up to 200gr bullet. the 7mm is smaller then the .308 win

[mightyfofaad]

ORIGINAL: dixie deer hunter

right now Im shooting a savage .308 with a 3x9x40 bushnell banner scope. My ammo is Hornady TAP 110 grain, The ballistics say it is good out to 300 yards, but im looking for something that will go to at least 400 yds. Any suggestions?

When I was in the army, back in the old days, we were issued the M-14, which used the .308. That was the 1st PC cartridge; NATO used that. Nonetheless, it was a slight step down from the M-1 which fired the 30-06.

Now, the army M-14, while a good rifle, was not target grade, & the ammo we used was not match grade ... if you know what I mean. Yet I never missed a 400 meter 1/2 silhouette, & 400 meters is roughly 440 yards which is 1/4 mile.

Now that was with open (iron) sights ... so hitting a target at those distances is no big deal. However, in military terms, any hit on a soldier puts him out of commission. But getting a hit on a 200 lb animal that will render him immobile is another story.

If you're really going to be hunting at those distances, you have to think 300 magnum or one of it's variants. Now, I have a Weatherby 30-378 for shooting elk & caribou at those distances, however, I would never use that on a deer.

Don't waste your money on more fire power than you need.