Hornady custom lite ammo?

[mark-hunter]

I have a friend sensitive to recoil, due to old neck injury.

He is looking for light kicking hunting rifle in all round caliber.
Possibly 308 win. (with all gadgets like muzzle break, limbsavers etc)

In order to further reduce the recoil, one consideration is to use hornady custom lite ammo.

The question is:
What are the experiences with this ammo, on the hunting field? Does it have enough energy for ethical kill? Hogs, white tail?

How about elk size game with this ammo?

 

[375Fox]

Almost embarrassed to admit, but I used it when I first got my 300 win mag. It’s since discontinued in that caliber, but the recoil at range was significantly less than other 150 gr 300 win mag ammo. It was very accurate. I never hunted with it.
Their 308 loading shows a 125 gr SST at 2675 fps. I’d have no hesitation using that on deer sized game, but not elk.
I don’t have the knowledge on bullet sectional density others here do, but if he can only use lighter weight bullets due to recoil, maybe at 7mm-08 would be a better choice for penetration on larger game than a 308 for the same recoil?

 

[mark-hunter]

Thanks @375Fox

 

[Longwalker]

For minimum recoil and maximum killing power, instead of loading down a .308 ( one of my favourite cartridges) I'd also suggest a 7mm08 or even a 6.5 Creedmore. Their 120 or 140 grain bullets at standard velocity are good killers, and would likely penetrate better than the .308 with 125 gr. SST bullets. I shot only one deer with the Hornady 30 caliber 125 gr. SST, and it was from a 7.62x39. Bullet opened rapidly and seemed to fragment even at a muzzle velocity of 2350 fps. I think the design might be too fragile for 2675 fps. A 7mm08 with a good 120 Barnes TTSX, or 120 Nosler Ballistic tip ( a strongly constructed bullet, despite the light weight) would not kick more, would be more versatile and also flatter shooting and would penetrate deeper.

 

[TucsonFX4]

I would suggest doing a bunch of math to start with, in order to get an idea of options and possibly recoils levels to tolerate. The math I would suggest is energy levels and various weights and velocities and then find some baseline recommendations of minimum energy for ethical kills.

Killing isn’t only math, but this would be a good start for your search. Chuck Hawks talks about this and provides numbers for a variety of game. In my opinion, his numbers are pretty strict, which is good for the ethical hunting mindset. And likely allows a little wiggle room for less energy to reliably kill an animal.

I also agree with the other recommendations, I think a 7mm-08 might be a better choice. Good luck.

 

[mark-hunter]

Thanks, guys!

 

[Nhoro]

Running a 308 with light bullets and low velocity will be inefficient. That means more recoil for the same performance as compared to a 6.5 cm for example. So the 6.5 cm, 7x57 may be a good option.

Also you could try a semi automatic. This would have a reduced recoil with the action absorbing some recoil. And if you wanted a 300 calibre, you could use a 300 hammer.

 

[CJW]

Also you could try a semi automatic. This would have a reduced recoil with the action absorbing some recoil. And if you wanted a 300 calibre, you could use a 300 hammer.

A BAR in 308 weighs essentially 8 pounds. Add a scope and rings and you're up to 9. The gas system, weight, lighter caliber and soft recoil pad would make for a fun shooting rifle that is plenty capable of taking elk. Handloading would open up even more options for light loads and more bullet options.