Just looking for recommendations for bullet selections for a .308 bullet. I plan to use 180 grain and welcome recommendations!

180gr. Swift A-Frame.
180gr. TSX.
180gr. GMX.

Whichever of the above your gun shoots best. Put the bullet through both shoulders.

I haven't shot one yet but planning a King Ranch trip Feb 2024. What I learned is a lot like George's list...tough bullets are preferred for penetration. Sounds like pass throughs and blood trails are not a guarantee even with those bullets. Few more to add:

Accubond
Partition
Scenar
Hammer

I'm in the process of a 30 Nosler build and planning on running 190 Scenars, my buddy is going to run a 300prc with 215 Berger hybrids.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

Why do people do this? That is a HUGE waste of meat!

I took my daughter to King Ranch and the guide told her the same thing and she replied we don't shoot animals in the shoulder. He said but your going to have to shoot off a stick up to 200 yards or more and they are big animals with thick skin. She said that's ok, I've never lost an animal shooting the in the heart. And she popped this young one with no issues

I'm leaning towards the FEDERAL TROPHY BONDED 180 gr

NICE shot and beautiful animal and young lady. What cartridge and bullet did she use?

The thought process with the shoulders I've always been given is the heart lies behind it many times and they can't get very far without running gear. I don't shoulder shoot often but when I do it's normally at a longer distance so I have the bigger target area...you hit forward it's neck, back it's lung versus gut and high is spine...low is about the only bad shoulder shot...lots of room for error and especially on a bigger animal.

308, but it was the guides so I don't know the actual bullet she used. She normally shoots a 6.5 creedmore I built her (you can see it in the pic of her and her oryx, 225 yard +shot); it has taken too many deer and hogs to mention as well as red stag, oryx, you name it; but they were insistent that we needed a bigger bullet on the Nilgai Sorry don't mean to hijack the original question/thread. .

She stone cold…nice oryx!

I shot one about 6 months ago with my 300wsm. I used the hornady outfitter ammo. He dropped right in his tracks. Another buddy shot one with a 300win with an ELDx bullet. It ran about 30 yards. Neither bullet exited.

What grain bullet?

WHAT GRAIN BULLET?

Partition, A-Frame, TTSX and the like. And as heavy of a bullet as you can.

I wouldn't care too much about weight of bullet or who makes it. The only thing that matters is what shoots the most accurately in your rifle. When I was working on loads for my .30-06 I got it in my head that I needed to shoot 150 grain bullets. I don't know where that came from, but it caused me a lot of stress trying to find the right bullet and powder combination to get the most accuracy. Years later, I tried some different premium factory loads and the Federal Premium ammo with 165 Sierra Boat tail bullets will all touch in five round groups at 100 yards. That is by far the best results of any hand load, or factory ammo that I've ever found. It took years to find it, tons of money wasted on what didn't work, but in the end, when I go on a hunt somewhere, I know that the rifle is 100% going to shoot the same every time. I aim for the heart. Take out the heart, the animal is dead and easy to find. Shoot for some other organ, and it's gonna be a guess if and where it dies.

Just stay inside 100 yds and shoot them in the heart

best advice i can give having killed a few and being really close friends with someone who guides hunts for a living on them is that their organs are not in the same place as north american game. if you aim for behind the shoulder you WILL lose your bull/cow and tell all your friends how you made a perfect shot and it ran like it was not hit. their hide is thick and it plugs up bleeds almost instantly. shot placement is far more important that what bullet and what grain you shoot. that being said id advise against any bullet designed for quick expansion or any all copper. for a broadside shot i prefer up the front edge leg halfway up the body it feels like to are shooting to far forward but the heart and lungs and farther forward than whitetail etc. good luck on you hunt they are a blast and great table-fare

Everything BM 34 said is pretty much "spot on". You can' imagine some of the blood trails I have been on and what was not found. Customers got to pay anyway.

Most of my experiences was shooting cows for our "daily bread". With this said, I offer -

Running away from me with a little quartering away, I try to hit just inside the front shoulder hoping to plant it in the opposing shoulder. Running directly away from me, nothing wrong with breaking down the pelvis and right below the pooper hole. That's how my one big boy got put down. Didn't have much of a choice. Saw Benny Hill put one down that way.

The above relates to quarry while running. If you "blue moon" it and find one unaware of your presence, I am breaking down the shoulder - plain & simple.

I am shooting a 300 WM with a 180 grain federal premium lead tipped bullet. Can't tell you if it is a boat tail (don't think so), nosler, thingamabob and/or whatever. I do have reason to believe they are quite effective. I do know it isn't a ballistic tip (run Will Robinson, run!)

If still utilizing my 270, which killed many, I would highly prefer the quartering away shot low (from memory) just behind the shoulder with the effort of getting it into the opposing shoulder.

For those that have shot both 30-06 and .308, which do you prefer? The .308 is supposed to be more accurate.

.30-06. It can drive the same -weight bullet faster than a .308.

The perceived difference in accuracy is immaterial at typical hunting ranges (~400yds. or less).

Most people vastly overthink shot placement. Any species of large mammal on the planet, if shot through the shoulders with the appropriate caliber and type of bullet, will die quickly. Who cares if you lose 5 lbs of meat? It’s a quick death for the animal….and if you don’t recover the animal, then you lose everything anyway. I wish more people would realize this.

I hate the “it tears up the meat “ comments. I’d much rather anchor the animal than try and save a couple of burger patties or a gristly shoulder roast

Just for reference, I shot my bull with a Barnes 210 grain TTSX out of a .338 Win Mag at about 50 yards. Complete pass through and scrambled the boiler room. That tough sucker still ran 100 yards before expiring. I was very fortunate he chose to run into a small clearing instead of the brush. It could have been a major ordeal if we had to fight the cactus and brush to drag a 500+ pound animal out. I will pick a bonded bullet and shoot the next one in a spot to anchor it.

That’s awesome!!

I shot 2 of them with Hornady ELD ammo in 300 win 165 gr. Both bulls were shot where the shoulder meets the neck and neither made a step after the shot. There necks at this juncture is the same width as a whitetails body so shoot there.

I gotta do this damm hunt !!!!will have to use the outfitters gun

I shot a 400 lb Red Stag with a 165 Accubond in my 300 WSM. He stumbled off about 25 yards and tipped over. It was the high shoulder shot. Just trying to give you an idea. I don't know what a Nilgai weighs.