Range Report Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

[Deleted member 10043]

What would be the approx. maximum effective range for the .308 168gr bullet on a live target weight of approx. 200 lbs.

Muzzle Velocity 2610
BC .446

I'm guessing about 650 yards maximum.

 

[Dustin Morris]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

650 will be no problem but at 850 or so u will be flirting with subsonic of course there are many other variables mainly altitude that will effect this.

 

[RADcustom]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

You need to specify what brand of bullet.

For instance, the 168 Sierra will not be stable as far out as the 168 A-max.

 

[JSTARSZ]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Culpeper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What would be the approx. maximum effective range for the .308 168gr bullet on a live target weight of approx. 200 lbs.

Muzzle Velocity 2610
BC .446

I'm guessing about 650 yards maximum.
</div></div>
we are talking an animal right??? I would have no issue shooting a deer with my Barnes TTSX 168's out to 600-700. They still will expand at that speed when they hit something. I could do it with an AMAX but I would rather use a hunting bullet. Before that statement starts my AMAX kills everything conversation; I just choose to use a bonded bullet for hunting versus paper/steel shooting. My choice.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RADcustom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You need to specify what brand of bullet.

For instance, the 168 Sierra will not be stable as far out as the 168 A-max. </div></div>

BTHP

 

[MitchAlsup]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

"Ultimate Sniper: revised and expanded" Plaster:: Takes the position that the maximum effective range of the M700 in 308 is 800 yards. And has a long and well crafted rational for taking that position.

Yet M118LR can accurately hit targets at 1000 yards, and have. Lots of ammo has been used in the recent wars at very extreme distances; far beyond what even the shooter would call effective. Yet hits abound.

Certain well developed reloads in 308 are accurate enough to hit targets at 1300 yards; a full 50% longer than what the distance the Army takes as maximum effective.

The problem is that the word 'effective' needs a good definition before one can feret out whether at 1300 yards the terminal effects are effective or not.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

Effective range should include hitting the target with enough energy to kill or incapacitate a known target; i.e. Antelope, deer, Barbary sheep, and so forth. I'm guessing a 168gr .308 BTHP would be past effective range after approx. 650 yards because it is losing energy below 1000 fpe. I'm at 3600+ feet. The bullet stays supersonic way past 650 yards. For example it would still be traveling over approx. 1200 fps. @1000 yards.

I'm excluding shooter skill and other variables. I'm just trying to gauge at what point is it not a good idea to take a shot just based on the single variable of distance.

 

[vman]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

I would assume it would be 800 yards... if in the hands of a capable shooter that can hit the right spot needed to take the animal down.

For anything further, something with good ballistics and lots of downrange energy would be needed to push the boundaries.

.300winmag, then .338Lapua, .50BMG, and then the cheytacs will take you out even further.

 

[l115a3]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

I had seen someone shot @ 1000 yards.

But for me, I prefer 800 yards.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

You've seen someone shot or someone shoot?

EDIT: I even now question my use of energy and others' use of velocity...

http://www.chuckhawks.com/energy_transfer.htm

If we look at stress rather than fpe and fps we have something all together different. So, my question should be at what maximum distance could one hope to cause enough stress to kill or incapacitate a 200 lbs live target using .308 168gr BTHP?

Obviously, my original guess of 650 yards is past medium range. I apparently underestimated.

The Army preaches 800 meters (875 yards) and the Marines preach 1000 yards. Not really that much difference. I think the Marines trust their shooters to take a risk that amounts to about an additional 125 yards. We are also talking about a heavier bullet but just to give a person an idea meet the two half way. 938 yards. Compensate for the difference in bullet weights alone and we're looking at approx. 900 yards for the .308 168gr BTHP effective range to cause enough stress to kill or incapacitate a 200 lbs live target.

Not much to go on since nearly all game is harvested within 500 yards anyway. So, if you really want that antelope-goat and he is right about 900 yards you better be a damn good shot and put that bullet in a damn good place. As for me, I'm not worth a shit past 650 yards with a 3-9x scope and that is on a good day.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What would be the approx. maximum effective range for the .308 168gr bullet on a live target weight of approx. 200 lbs.
</div></div>

Maximum effective range for WHAT:

Use to be the Army called Maximum Effective Range, "the distance where 50% of the soldiers can hit a target 50% of the time.

That wouldnt cut it for hunting in my book. I think the mim. energy levels for hunting is 1000 ft lbs. so based on what your data (velocity and BC) the max effective range for that bullet would be 500 yards.

For target punching paper Bergers (Bryan Litz') Ballistic calcular says the 168 is still super sonic at 1000 yards, This may or may not be true, but with all do respect to Berger, 168s dont work at 1000 yards, I key holed enough 168s at 1000 yard to know this. So I would drop that number down to between 600 and 800 yards.

As far as a snipeing round, I don't know of any military that uses 168s for sniping. Some LE yes, but they dont shoot that far. The Average LE sniper shots is about 100 and under.

In going through Peter Semich's books on Sniping, if I remember right, in Vietnam the average shot was about 400 yards. Most sniping data comes from Stalingrad, where the range was much shorter, urban plus,the Russians and Germans had what you call a "target rich enviorment".

I dont know what the AVERAGE sniper shot in Afgan/Irag is, but I would bet its well under 600 (before you jump on me, I said AVEAGE).

So what is your answer? Without knowing what you are gonna shoot, I can only say "WHO KNOWS". But if you are in the army, they will tell you what bullet to use. Same with LE. You indicated a live 200 lb critter, so that leaves us with hunting. That number would be 500 yards although I have never in my 50 or so years of hunting, seen the need to shoot anything over 300 yards.

 

[Deleted member 10043]

Re: Maximum effective range .308 168gr Match

Good post