| szihn |
| (.400 member) |
| 23/02/18 02:00 PM |
125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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Well I just came into about 1,300 125 grain 30 caliber bullets in a trade. I have some Sierras, some Remington Core-Lokts and some Nosler BT "hunting".
In all my years of hand-loading and shooting, I have never used a 125 grain in any of my 30 cal rifles.
I have some 308s, some 30-06s and one 300 H&H.
So.............. Any insights?
Have any of you ever used any of those bullets for hunting before. If so what was your impressions of them? Do they hold together on deer sized game, or blow up?
Tell me your stories please.
| lancaster |
| (.470 member) |
| 23/02/18 05:08 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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125 grains is for the 7,62x39
use it for target shooting
| szihn |
| (.400 member) |
| 24/02/18 04:07 AM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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They measure .308, not .310 or .311"
???
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 24/02/18 04:28 AM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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I also have some 125's 'in stock'. Mine are TNT Speer bullets. Most ALL 125's are for vermin from .308's and .30/06's, imho.
I bought the 125's for my .30/03/short and my .30 BR match rifle for shooting gophers. Before I got around to that, I got interested in .17 cal centre fires and never shot the 125's, except for an initial accuracy and chrono test. That will come, though, given time.
Both the .30/03short and BR make 2,900fps with it & the 130gr. Hornady as well, also picked up for the same purpose. I have both the Spire Points and the special pistol 130gr. bullet. I thought driven almost 3,000fps, they'd be even more explosive. I don't like the 110 Sierras the BR guys use - but I don't remember why.lol
Weren't the Ruger M77's or maybe the CZ 527's in 7.62x39's made with .308 groove diameters?
I think one of them was, maybe both.
| Eck |
| (.275 member) |
| 24/02/18 11:17 AM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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The Sierra 125’s have much thicker jackets than the other light “varmint” oriented .30 bullets. They shot well in several ‘06 and .308 rifles in my experience. One load shot better in an NM M1A than 168 grain loads at 100 yds.
| Viking338 |
| (.333 member) |
| 24/02/18 01:40 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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Quote:
I also have some 125's 'in stock'. Mine are TNT Speer bullets. Most ALL 125's are for vermin from .308's and .30/06's, imho.
I bought the 125's for my .30/03/short and my .30 BR match rifle for shooting gophers. Before I got around to that, I got interested in .17 cal centre fires and never shot the 125's, except for an initial accuracy and chrono test. That will come, though, given time.
Both the .30/03short and BR make 2,900fps with it & the 130gr. Hornady as well, also picked up for the same purpose. I have both the Spire Points and the special pistol 130gr. bullet. I thought driven almost 3,000fps, they'd be even more explosive. I don't like the 110 Sierras the BR guys use - but I don't remember why.lol
Weren't the Ruger M77's or maybe the CZ 527's in 7.62x39's made with .308 groove diameters?
I think one of them was, maybe both.
I think the Mini 30's were for sure.
| eagleyes |
| (.224 member) |
| 24/02/18 03:25 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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Have used thousands of 125 and 130 grain 30 cal bullets for shooting pigs. The Speer 130gr hollow point is extremely popular with pig shooters in Australia. Huge hollow and I suspect the jackets are a little thicker than the 125 TNT Speers.
Currently still using 130gr Taipan bullets which I find a little soft so I don't shoot larger pigs in the shoulder but try for shots behind the leg or head/neck.
I used to use 150 grain bullets but had too many pass through which is frowned upon on the grain and cattle properties that I shoot on. Seem to be able to keep the 125/130 bullets in the pigs which results in spectacular kills.
I do not believe the heavier bullets are necessary unless your only quarry are large mud-encrusted boars. A firefight with a mob of pigs usually involves a large sow (shoot in the head) and a running battle with mid-sized pigs. Heavier bullets are not required. While you can drive them at 3000fps from a 308W I find I get good results at 2750-2800fps. Maybe they penetrate a little better before fragmenting. Also the lighter recoil aids recovery and you may get an extra shot off before the engagement is over.
Another good bullet for pigs is the Speer 150 30/30 bullet at about 2600fps. Very accurate and will stay inside a pig.
| 500Boswell |
| (.400 member) |
| 24/02/18 08:04 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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used 125 gr sakos on pigs years ago wuz good
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 25/02/18 06:17 AM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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Quote:
The Speer 130gr hollow point is extremely popular with pig shooters in Australia. Huge hollow and I suspect the jackets are a little thicker than the 125 TNT Speers.
Those 130gr. HP Speer bullets are very accurate. Back in the 70's, we used to pull the 147gr. full patch bullets on issue IVI 68 and IVI69 ammo, then seat a 130gr. Speer for a "Mexican Handload" (we called them,) and they'd usually run 1/2" from our match rifles. These were almost good enough for competition (3-pos) shooting, but slightly better accuracy was needed to maintain "Master" classification in the SFC(Shooting Federation of Canada).
The Mex. handloads were excellent for practice though, so that when you returned to using 168gr. MK's & 41.5gr. 4895 you'd keep them all but one or two in the X ring from prone(100yds. only). Straight 100's and 8 to 10 count was needed to win master - only did that once, Canada wide postal match, club vs club. It was my first SFC match, so Unclass (U/C) for the first one of two matches, then the next weekend, we shot the second match. Got 1st U/C, then 1st Master, 1975, as they classified me for the second match. Man - THAT was a lifetime ago, 43 years - wow - I still remember shooting those matches - almost new rifle, too. Good shape VZ 24 action, Timney trigger, PH 1200TX take-off .308 barrel, thumbhole stock I finished, 12X Bushnell Banner scope. 41.5gr. IMR4895 168 MK - Norma brass RWS primers. Still have those trophies, they are not large but are quite meaningful to me.
| Homer |
| (.416 member) |
| 26/02/18 06:14 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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G'Day Fella's,
Szihn, these days, the primary bullet weight I use in my 3 or 4 (?) .308 Win's, is 125 and 130grn bullets.
This includes, Nosler (B/Tip) 125grn and Hornady, Woodleigh PP and Speer (HP) 130gr bullets.
I have shot a heap of pigs, goats and Skippy's with the Speer 130grn HP's but these days, I wouldn't hesitate using any of the others (but probably not the 130grn Speer HP) on Deer, but only when I had the time to select my shot, and not on Sambar Deer or in your case, Wapiti/Elk.
The best Chamois I have shot (10" - 250mm), was with my Rem M600 in .308 Win, with the 125grn Nosler B/Tip (@ 3040fps). He only went 3 feet after the 200meter shot hit (shoulder shot), and all 3 Feet was Down.
Hope that helps
D'oh!
Homer
| tinker |
| (.416 member) |
| 27/02/18 03:36 AM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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Steve
The 300 Blackout has been popular with deer hunters using the AR pattern rifles. At the relatively slow muzzle velocities the 125 grain bullets appear to be quite popular and evidently very effective on deer.
A little web searching should show plenty of current hunting reports showing the performance of these light bullets on game.
| Ripp |
| (.577 member) |
| 27/02/18 02:51 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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Quote:
Steve
The 300 Blackout has been popular with deer hunters using the AR pattern rifles. At the relatively slow muzzle velocities the 125 grain bullets appear to be quite popular and evidently very effective on deer.
A little web searching should show plenty of current hunting reports showing the performance of these light bullets on game.
I have read several articles stating the same thing... would be good in a Blackout..
| ducmarc |
| (.400 member) |
| 27/03/18 12:29 PM |
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Re: 125 grain 30 cal bullets?
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my mini thirty was a 308 bore.