I originally founded The Big Game Hunting Blog as a way of sharing my personal hunting stories. Since then, I’ve worked to turn The Big Game Hunting Blog into a useful resource for all hunters, but particularly those who are just getting started.
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I built an AR upper with a Hanson profile 20” barrel in 6.5 Grendel, and it is very accurate. For hogs, I use an AR chambered in 300 Ham’r, which has ballistics similar to a 30-30.
Awesome!
The 308 info seems really weird. A 125gr goung slower and 150gr or a 165gr. What?
You make a good point. That 125gr load is from Hornady's "Custom Lite" line that's a lighter bullet going slower than normal to provide a low recoiling option for hunters. I was curious to see if a "low powered" load like that would be less sensitive to barrel lengths than more typical loads.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog ohhh I see, I had thought maybe that was a custom load to basically have an exaggerate example of what the velocities would look like. My bad
No worries. That was a good question because it is indeed an unusual load.
It makes a difference but not much with cartridge that doesn't hold alot of powder when u get into cartridge that holds 80 plus grain of powder there is a big difference
I agree. That's probably why there are fewer barrel length options for the bigger magnums: you can get a 26" barrel or maybe a 24" barrel too, but that's it. Putting an 18" barrel on a 28 Nosler (or similar) would probably be a big waste of time.
Great review. It very well demonstrates how efficient the 308 is. Thanks for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I can't believe that more people don't watch/listen to these episodes. Absolutely fantastic information.
100%!
Thanks , great comparison video ,much appreciated 👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Nice test
Thanks!
Ironic when a dude gets a magnum-ish cartridge, but then puts it in a 20” barrel, reducing the velocity to that of a non magnum. Weird flex
100%! Great way to turn a 6.5 PRC into a 6.5 Creedmoor!
Great content John and makes me miss living in ETX.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
👍
Some 30-06 ammo comparison "cheap" vs "premium" ammo would be interesting
Good idea! 30-06 gel tests with Core Lokt, Power Point, Precision Hunter, and Barnes VOR-TX ammo are available at huntingguns101.com/order
Will work well for Impala, blesbuck,bushbuck , warthog and bushpig in South Africa
I agree
Anything smaller than .240 caliber is illegal for deer in my state. That gel test shows why. So yes, it's a terrible idea.
What state do you live in?
Every body keeps saying a lighter gun to hunt with. But yet probly Carey a spotting scop and tripod and tools for the gun and a plethora of electronic devises. Then they lighten up the gun to the point of missing a great shot because the gun is light. Worse yet wounding a troughy animal and end up leaveing the best breading animal to suffer until creditors take it down. ise what you do best with.
How heavy is your hunting rifle?
John it was so nice to chat with you about my eye-opening Tanzanian adventure and WHY regulated hunting is so critical to the people and wildlife of Africa. Hopefully, people will come to understand what I learned while having boots on the ground on the amazing continent of Africa.
I enjoyed it as well Sue. It was a pleasure sharing your story with my audience.
Barrel break in is a myth
What barrel twist do you need for this ammo to function?
Probably 1:12", which is the SAAMI standard for the 223 Remington
I use the federal 62 gr trophy bonded bear claw, item #xf223sp and hornady black 223 75gr bthp out of a 16” for eastern coyotes. That 62gr bonded breaks bone easy, the back half is solid copper
I completely agree, it’s a great cartridge as long as you know its limitations. I just built a 16” with a Leupold VX-R patrol 1.25-4. I chose the 110 Barnes. With a 50 yard zero, it’s less than an inch high at 100, and less than an inch low at 150. It should work well for my kids to take Virginia whitetail.
Great analysis. Thanks for posting.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I know someone that killed elk in Colorado with a 222 but those were head shots
I don't know how long this has been the case (and a 222 might have been legal when this person you referenced killed that elk), but Colorado has a 6mm/.24 caliber minimum for hunting big game today. The state also requires at least an 85gr bullet and at least 1,000 ft-lbs of retained energy at 100 yards to hunt elk. This ammo does not meet the first two requirements and just barely meets the third.
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog this probably after the minimum cartridge was instituted, 70tys and 80tys, it wasn't his typical elk round but there was some kind of dare or bet. This man is probably getting close to 100 years old, but he was a gunsmith and builder and he is from Blanco County tx. He probably hunted Colorado and the rockies for over fifty years straight. He was a 270 or 3006 diehard.
28 noslor from 700 yards , I think it will be interesting to see the effectiveness from that long distance
If I can shoot the 458 win in the 458 Lott rifle then the Lott is better to choose because then you can shoot that and or you can shoot the win mag into as well plus to that you can custom load your win buckets to suite your needs and still shoot them into the Lott rifle load them with swift bullits what ever and slide them into the lot rifle and shoot the shit off of anything. This way you have both worlds you can take both bullets with you to your hunt and one rifle that dose it all. That's what I came up with watching this video. I have a 458 win mag but after watching this video I am gettin my self a Lott rifle as well that way I am covered with one rifle.
Great episode. Unfortunately I don’t own a 7.62x39 but it would be interesting to see what accuracy one would get reloading .308 bullets in it. And yes, I know the diameter is different… but seriously, given how loose the specs seem to be on some AKs going from .311 to .308 might not be that much of a stretch and would open up whole different quality level of projectiles
I have a beautiful Winchester 270 and also a really nice Remington rifle in 7 mm mag, I like them both very much but my preference is the 7 mm mag
Congrats
Very historically interesting episode, l enjoyed listening . Thankyou John.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was so thorough, really appreciate it. Very very informative. I made the choice of buying a rifle with 7PRC over 300 WIN MAG because of the ballistics. Still happy with my choice.
Glad to help!
Good job
Thanks!
Always just thought of 7.62x39 as 30-30 light, with more aerodynamic bullets.
That's a good description of the 7.62x39
Great videos John. Would you say that the utility of this chambering is probably more than most others as far as the variety of things you can do with it versus what you have to pay in terms of ammo price, ammo availability, recoil for all day range use, etc…?
I was goin to try mine with a similar bullet, winchester made a 64 gr bonded bullet and also the deer season xp. Ended up not doing it but i had confidence in it. Love to build a 22-250 fast twist setup for this kind of thing.
It doesn't matter. Marksmanship matters when you're basically sticking pencil eraser-sized holes in things. Both are *just fine* Get closer and hunt better with either one.
It works in Alaska!
Tell me more
in the past before karens and kens started yaking and promoting their anti gun anti hunting propaganda shooting game with small calibers such as this was normal and quite effective. All hunters I have known in the past and present wait for a perfect shot to take game . trying to be as effective and ethical as possible . I have seen what bullets from a 223, 220 swift, 22-250 , (.22 to the head ) and other, " what could be considered small caliber " bullets do to internal organs and lungs . They basically explode and turn to jello . Looking at a wound channel in a "gel block" does not truly represent tissue and organ damage. One needs to also notice the explosion , the shock wave , how much the block swells and shakes vibrates upon impact . There is a technical term for this and at the moment it eludes me but . I have seen game up to the size of elk drop in their tracks or stand or stumble only a few feet not truly realizing what just happened . Gel blocks are fun and give a guesstimation of bullet performance but are not the scientific go to for the Answer !
I've reloaded over 45years many,many calibers and testing, hunting and my number one deer rifle for many years is my savage heavy barrel 22-250. taking deer from close range to 300 yards. i use serria 63gr psp and Winchester 64gr psp. At 3450 fps it is a devastating deer round with good shot placement. The biggest buck i ever took is a massive 8 point over 240 pounds. Quartier shot left shoulder though both lungs and through outher side at 86 to 92 yds.buck went 10 _13 ft . the really odd thing was the massive damage it did inside but exit hole so small blood would just drip. i wouldn't hesitate to hunt deer with your rifle but I'm a well seasoned tracker and many hunters not. as there is never a 100 percent that a deer wouldn't run on a vital shot i don't recommend the 223 or my 22-250 to a new hunter or a hunter without reasonable tracking skills. papa wishing you well 😊
Thanks for the comment!
Foot lbs. of energy plays a roll as well. I was always taught to try stay above 950 ft/lbs of energy for whitetail here in PA. I've limited my 6mm Rem. to under 300 yards for this reason. I currently shoot 100 gr Hornady interlock
6.5 kind of falls between the .243 and 7mm-08. For me the. 308 makes the most sense, it has a plenty flat trajectory within my hunting distances and hits harder within those distances. Plus, it's a little bit better suited for big game like elk and moose while still being capable of being a great varmint rifle with the lighter bullets. It does it all just for me.
Really wanna see some 300wsm with 210gr, 212,215, and 220s for some of the bigger brown bear
Great video. It would be interesting to see your take on premium ammunition such as SAKO.
6.5 creedmoor Barnes lrx
Thanks for the suggestion!
My experience with light calibers like the 223 you need to use a bullet like a Barnes and a 22-250 will do the dance for you with a 55 grain bullet
That exact recipe (22-250 with 55gr Barnes) is one of the cartridge/bullet combinations I was referencing at the end of the video as better alternatives to this one. Can you share some more details regarding your experiences with that ammo on game?
@@Thebiggamehuntingblog I lost a large doe to a 223 that just did not have enough power to finish the job quickly. I thought the bullet would be fine if it was sent faster. I tried me 22-250 on a doe broadside with the barnes handload and it was a one shot kill on the spot. I've only done that once to prove a point to myself I prefer to hunt deer with something bigger. To be fair the 223 bullet was a cup and core not a Barnes.
I've tried Barnes tsx and ttsx in 223 and it works pretty good. I got to try out several types of bullets in 223 on deer while shooting deer for farmers on a deportation permit. Out of about 30 different projectiles the 77TMK was the best. I tried everything from 40gr noslers to 77gr TMKs at ranges from 50 yards to 700 yards. Using am ARP 18" 8 Twist barrel. The 77TMK at 700 yards was still extremely impressive. I took the 12 twist 22-250 a few times and the 53gr varmageddon (3850 fps) was pretty wicked out to 550 yards. It wouldn't shoot any 60gr+ good at all. 8 twist 22-250 with 80gr bergers at 3225fps was pretty nasty but it hurt to loose that lapua brass and 80gr bergers aren't cheap.
Excellent video! Really enjoyed it. I wouldn't use anything less than a 6mm/.243 on deer.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Last season I shot a medium size whitetail with a very similar round, Winchester Deer Season, 64 gr .223. Double lung shot although the bullet didn't exit. Deer ran 40 yards, slightly downhill before dying. This was with an AR15, with 16" barrel
Good deal, thanks for sharing that experience with us. I've tested the 64gr Deer Season XP in gel (it's available in the premium Hunting Guns 101 portal) and observed similar results to what I got with the Power Point ammo: the Deer Season ammo penetrated a tiny bit deeper and made a little bit bigger wound cavity. Very similar overall though. Can you tell me a little more about how it performed on your deer? What did the chest cavity look like when you field dressed the animal? What sort of angle was your shot? Close to broadside?
@Thebiggamehuntingblog I shot an Antelope at 300 yds and a whitetail at 50 yds last year, both with the Deer Season XP. Hit the goat with a slight 1/4 towards. The top of the heart was torn completely off and the lung was jelly. It must have tumbled backwards a ways and left a quite alot of damage to the liverand never got an exit. He didnt make it 5 yards before falling over dead. The whitetail was a perfect broadside shot. It basically jellied everything and left a pretty intense hole on the exit. As long as the conditions allow i wouldnt think twice about using the 223 for deer. Its also not something I'd use in heavy brush or where you dont have a perfectly clear shot. The rifle used was 20" AR
This was the duty ammo for my department for several years
No kidding? That's very interesting.
I've seen departments issue Winchester 40gr ballistic tips before. That fired from a 16" 7 twist barrel is quite devastating
It could work on smaller Texas/southern whitetails at borderline archery distances, or if you made a head shot, but it doesn’t leave much if any room for a margin of error for your shot placement.
I doubted mine for deer, till, I used a 60gr. Nosler Partition.. Surprised, I was.😮
Oh boy.... you just upset a few dozen Rokslide guys that swear by the 223 and the 77 gr SMK for Bear and Moose. Good luck
Haha. Well, that's how it goes sometimes and they're welcome to feel however they want to feel. Like I said in the video I wasn't impressed with this particular bullet, but that also doesn't mean it doesn't work. For what it's worth, the 77gr TMK was one of the "better bullet options" I referred to in the video. More to follow...
Home defense or truck gun ammo?
What do you think about the 6mm ARC? Don't have one but was considering it. I'm in the south east and looking for something more than "just enough" out to 100 yds on 150lb max deer(on the hoof). Possibly monolithic. Thoughts?
@@mikecross2435 Mike the 6mm ARC with a 103gr bullet moving at 2800 feet per second and just shy of 1800 ft lbs. Will take care of any whitetail, as long as you do your part. I have considered both the 6 ARC and 6.5 Grendel for my kids. Both are quite capable for deer and hogs