[Lawyer Daggett]

I have a 308 Winchester (MLR) which I am thinking of taking into an area with known deer- plenty of fallow, some red and a chance of a Sambar (Far south NSW).

Factory winchester 150's are fine on fallow and also OK for red, but I doubt if they would penetrate well enough for Sambar.

I am leaning toward a 165 gn or ideally 180 gn load capable of performing on all species. Bullet can be high tech and reasonably pricey (I figure a Sambar shot with a 308 will call for this in order to get penetration) but the load must not be too hot because of the extraction limitations of the BLR/MLR design.

Has anyone any proven pet loads that they are happy to divulge?

Ideally I don't want to be carrying two different loads in different mags and having to swop if I see the big one.

Thanks in anticipation

[bobnob]

165g Nosler Accubond and 44g of 2208. Mild and accurate and deadly.

[Tikka Tart]

Quote

165g Nosler Accubond and 44g of 2208. Mild and accurate and deadly.

Yep, good choice of both powder and bullet, for Sambar though i'de add a couple more grains of 2208.

For Sambar I would also consider the Barnes 150 or 165 TSX driven by 2208.

If you can get you hands on some Reloader 17 it should be ideal in the 308 and possibly push these bullets up around 30-06 top velocities.

[vman]

What distance are you shooting from?

Berger 185 Hunting VLD works well.

Shot placement is key.

Please dont quote me, but if it were me I would not be afraid to even use 155 Scenars on them. Smash those shoulders and lungs/heart and shes going down.

[mark]

I have shot Sambar with 180 grain prodgys in my 30-06 but I have also used my 375 H&H loaded with 260 gr nosler accubonds. I know a few guys who use 375 H&H's and 9.3*62 Mauser. Reason being Sambar are commonly shot in heavy scrub and the larger calibers will leave a bigger blood trail. A mortally chest shot sambar can cover a fair distance until it drops and when light is fading you may need the blood trail to find your deer.

Sambar are a big deer, one of the biggest in the deer family, up there with Elk for body mass.

[Lawyer Daggett]

Mark I know Sambar are big, the first time I ever confronted one that had been grassed was quite a shock. Fallow are also very lightly constructed.

The issue for me is that, because some areas I hunt provide me with a chance of taking a red, fallow or sambar is there a 308 load that will perform well on all species?

The other way of approaching it would be to hunt all with my 350 Rem Mag, but I imagine that would be very destructive on the meat of lighter deer.

[bobnob]

Lawyer with a 308 I really think you are well equipped with a Accubond or one of those TSX bullets with well placed shots. The other option might be a good round nosed Partition or similar.
Round nosed bullets get poo-pooed on here because they drop rapidly after 250 yards. But I believe they are far deadlier, all things being equal.
A well made round nosed 180 grain might be exactly what you want. They cause a larger wound channel and a partition will exit the other side of a cow. I know because I have destroyed a few.
Really, how often are you going to risk a shot at a Sambar beyond 250 metres anyway?
I wouldn't.

[mark]

Lawyer Daggett, on 28 Apr 2011 - 04:32 AM, said:

Mark I know Sambar are big, the first time I ever confronted one that had been grassed was quite a shock. Fallow are also very lightly constructed.

The issue for me is that, because some areas I hunt provide me with a chance of taking a red, fallow or sambar is there a 308 load that will perform well on all species?

The other way of approaching it would be to hunt all with my 350 Rem Mag, but I imagine that would be very destructive on the meat of lighter deer.

Keep in mind there isnt too much usable meat in the rib cage or head.

[bobnob]

Don't go for head shots. Too little margin for error. Nothing like some poor animal running around the bush for 3 days with its bottom jaw blown off.
Plus the average bloke might be lucky enough to have one shot at a decent deer a year. You WILL get nervous. Go for the heart lungs where there is a better margin.

[Dylan S]

Something around the 165 grain region could work quite well. The extra weight of a 180 grain projectile is good but you have to remember that plenty of sambar are killed with .270s or 7-08s every year, so it's more about where you put the bullet and the quality of the bullet, than the weight (at least, when referring to a .308). Most people use a 130 or 150 grain in a .270.

The Barnes TSX and Nosler Partitions seem to have a good following. I'd also check out some of the Woodleigh stuff as people seem to mention that name in the same breath as Barnes and Nosler.

If you haven't already, check out Errol Mason's 'Secrets of the Sambar' books, in particular volume 1. It has some good information in there about different calibres and projectiles and all that sort of stuff.