.308 WIN.

.308 Win is one of the most widely used rifle calibres in Lithuanian hunting. This category holds more than 60 cartridge options: from the light 8.0 g Sako Gamehead bullet for roe deer to 11.7 g Norma Vulkan or Sako Hammerhead loads for wild boar and red deer. Bullet designs range from classic soft points through controlled expansion and polymer-tipped bullets to lead-free copper, so you can match the load to the game, the distance and the way you hunt.

What .308 Win ammunition is for

.308 Win ammunition covers almost every hunt on a Lithuanian calendar: waiting for roe deer from a high seat, sitting over crops for wild boar, red deer during the rut and driven hunts where the shot comes at a moving animal at short range. The same calibre is common on the range, so one rifle handles both training and hunting. Recoil is moderate, which lets most shooters stay on the animal through the scope and fire a quick follow-up during a drive. Factory load selection for this calibre is the widest of any hunting rifle cartridge, so finding a load your barrel likes takes little searching.

Bullet types in this category

The category splits into five bullet groups: soft points, controlled expansion bullets, polymer-tipped bullets, boat tail bullets for longer shots and lead-free copper bullets. Each group behaves differently inside the animal, so check what a box will do on your ground before it goes into your bag.

Soft point bullets (SP and SPCE)

The classic choice most hunters pick for everyday work. Sellier&Bellot SPCE comes in 9.7 g and 11.7 g, joined by Sellier&Bellot SP 11.7 g, Hornady 180 gr SP, Norma Vulkan 11.7 g and the light Sako Gamehead 8.0 g. The exposed soft tip opens wide and dumps energy fast, which makes these loads reliable at typical high-seat distances.

Controlled expansion bullets

When the shot may land on a heavy boar or a red deer at an awkward angle, you need a bullet that keeps its weight and drives deep. Norma Oryx 10.7 g with its bonded jacket, Sako Hammerhead 11.7 g and Super Hammerhead 9.7 g, Blaser CDP 10.7 g and Browning BXC 168 gr do exactly that. They rarely break up on bone and usually leave an exit wound, which makes tracking a hit animal easier.

Polymer-tipped bullets

Norma Tipstrike 11 g and Norma Plastic Point 11.7 g carry a plastic tip that protects the nose in the magazine and starts rapid expansion on impact. These loads are valued on driven hunts, where the animal has to be stopped on the spot before it reaches thick cover.

Boat tail bullets for longer shots

The GGG cartridge with a 10.69 g Sierra SBT bullet and Hornady BTSP 165 gr use a tapered base that cuts drag and holds a steadier trajectory past 150 metres. A good pick for open fields and drainage ditch lines where game shows itself at distance.

Lead-free bullets

Norma Ecostrike 9.7 g and Blaser CDC 10.4 g are all-copper designs without lead. They suit hunters who want cleaner meat around the wound channel and grounds where lead restrictions already apply. Copper bullets retain nearly all their weight and penetrate deep even from a lighter load.

How to choose a .308 Win cartridge

You pick a cartridge by game, distance and hunting style, but the final word belongs to your barrel: two loads of the same weight from different makers can group completely differently in the same rifle. Before buying a season's supply, walk through these steps:

1. Name your main quarry: 123 and 150 gr bullets are enough for roe deer, while wild boar and red deer call for 165, 168 or 180 gr.
2. Estimate your usual shot distance: inside 150 m any design works, beyond that SBT and BTSP bullets hold the advantage.
3. Match the hunting style: fast-expanding loads for driven hunts, more precise bullets for high-seat sessions.
4. Buy single boxes of two or three candidates and test their grouping on the range at 100 m.
5. Once you settle on a load, zero your scope for it and keep it unchanged through the season.

Bullet weight from 123 to 180 gr

Bullet weight decides trajectory and effect on the animal: light bullets fly flatter and suit smaller game, heavy bullets penetrate deeper and work more reliably through the shoulder of a big boar. Weights in this category start at 8.0 g with the Sako Gamehead and top out at 11.7 g loads from Sako, Norma and Sellier&Bellot. The middle class of 165 and 168 gr is the most universal: Hornady BTSP, GGG SBT, Blaser CDP and Browning BXC cover both high-seat and driven work. If you hunt mixed ground and want a single load for everything, start there.

Field advice

The biggest mistake is hunting with a load you have never grouped in your own rifle: test it on the range first and confirm your scope is zeroed for that exact bullet. The first shot from a cold barrel often lands away from the rest of a string, and for high-seat hunting that cold-bore point is what matters. Store cartridges dry at a stable temperature, and carry only one load into the seat so you cannot mix bullets in the dark. Remember that buying ammunition requires a valid firearms permit.

Brands in this category

The category carries the main European and US makers: Sako, Norma, Blaser, Hornady, Geco, Browning and Sellier&Bellot. Next to them stands GGG, the Lithuanian producer Giraitės ginkluotės gamykla, loading Sierra bullets. Sako and Norma offer the widest bullet range from Gamehead to Oryx and Tipstrike, Blaser is strongest in controlled expansion and lead-free designs, and Sellier&Bellot is the usual pick for everyday hunting and range practice.

If you run more than one calibre, see the .243 Win. cartridges, 6.5x55 cartridges and 7x57 cartridges. If you cannot find your load or are unsure about a bullet type, write to us and we will advise.