Best .308 & 7.62×51 Ammo: Target Shooting, Plinking, & Hunting

There is no more popular long-range cartridge in the world than the 7.62x51mm or .308 Winchester.

Whether on the shelf in its .308 Winchester flavor or the 7.62x51mm version, this cartridge has been in use since the 1950s, and it has carved out an enduring reputation with hunters, target shooters, the military, and law enforcement.

This legendary little cartridge still offers the same excellent ballistics and is still available cheaper and more readily than any other round in its class.

We’re going to go over a little history, followed by our favorite ammo picks.

But since ammo supplies are tight, here are some choices that are in stock:

How We Tested the Best .308 Ammo

The Pew Pew Tactical editorial and writing staff have extensive range and field experience behind various rifles and platforms. We've used a variety of ammunition in that time, and our experience covers competition, law enforcement, military, hunting, and plinking.

We've run through thousands of rounds to land on the recommendations on this list. We use these picks when we test and review guns, and they have been selected based on availability, cost, performance, and reliability.

Best .308 Ammo for Hunting

1. Federal Premium Vital-Shok 165gr Trophy Bonded Tip - Best Hunting Ammo

Best Hunting Ammo

Federal .308 Win 165gr Vital-Shok Trophy Bonded Tip

$39

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$39 at GrabAGun

BattleHawk Armory (see price)

Brownells (see price)

Federal’s Premium Vital-Shok line is one of the most popular game rounds around, and for good reason.

The .308 Vital-Shok offering comes with a 165gr Trophy Bonded bullet with a polymer tip for superior aerodynamics and controlled expansion.

I’ve gotten a few big whitetails and numerous hogs with this round, and I’d trust it for any medium game.

2. Remington Core-Lokt 150gr Soft Point - Most Affordable Hunting Ammo

Most Affordable Hunting Ammo

Remington .308 Win 150gr Core-Lokt PSP

$25

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$25 at GrabAGun

Sportsman's Guide (see price)

Brownells (see price)

Remington’s Core-Lokt line is a favorite of whitetail hunters, especially in the Southeastern US, where we don’t have those long 400+ yard shots to worry about most of the time. Core-Lokt ammo has been in widespread use for decades and may have very well taken more game than any other bullet around.

The 150gr soft point round is perfect for mid-sized game at close to mid-range and is relatively accurate, even without the polymer tip.

It's also a good bit cheaper, and it is fairly common to see it on sale from time to time.

3. Barnes VOR-TX 130gr TTSX Boat Tail - Best Varmint Ammo

Best Varmint Ammo

Barnes VOR-TX 130gr TTSX Boat Tail

$44

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$44 at GrabAGun

BattleHawk Armory (see price)

Firearms Depot (see price)

Sometimes the bigger number isn't always better. Those who primarily hunt varmints like coyotes will enjoy the extra velocity and faster expansion offered by lighter bullets.

The Barnes 130gr VOR-TX tipped TSX bullets are built just for that, speed and lethality. We have experienced excellent terminal performance combined with excellent accuracy. These will bring home the bacon - as it has for our editor many times.

Don't be fooled into thinking that these are exclusively for small games, though. The 130gr TTSX is excellent for harvesting whitetail deer and other medium game, as it delivers rapid and violent expansion without overpenetration and wasted energy.

Best .308 Ammo Target Shooting

4. Federal 168gr BTHP Gold Medal Match - Editor's Pick

Editor's Pick

Federal .308 Win 168gr Gold Medal Match

$33

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$33 at GrabAGun

Lucky Gunner (see price)

BattleHawk Armory (see price)

Federal Gold Match is one of the best match loads on the market. These rounds use Sierra Match King bullets that produce outstanding factory-loaded accuracy. Many firearm manufacturers use this specific round as their accuracy benchmark for factory ammo.

I've been about to get half-MOA groups with this ammo with the right rifles; that is mighty nice off-the-shelf ammo!

What's your take?

5. Hornady Match 168gr ELD Match - Best Match Ammo

Best Match Ammo

Hornady ELD Match .308 Win 168gr

$35

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$35 at GunMag Warehouse

GrabAGun (see price)

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

Lucky Gunner (see price)

Hornady Match ammo is one of the most popular target rounds out there, and the 168gr ELD .308 offering is fantastic for stretching the legs on your .308.

This is my go-to factory load if I need to quickly pick up something for some range time where I actually care how I do.

I get sub-MOA groups out of this with a good rifle, and I would be happy to make use of these high ballistic coefficient bullets in a match if I didn’t have any handloads.

Best .308 Ammo for Plinking

6. AAC 150gr FMJ-BT - Most Affordable Plinking Ammo

Most Affordable

AAC .308 Win 150gr FMJ-BT

$15

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$15 at Palmetto State Armory

Since the COVID-induced ammo shortage, .308 ammo increased in price across the board considerably and has taken its sweet time coming back down.

Finding ammo under $1 a round can be tough, but Palmetto State Armory has you covered with their AAC line of ammo.

Their standard 150gr full-metal jacket boat tail ammunition runs clean and gets the job done at a reasonable price.

7. Prvi Partizan Match 168gr HPBT - Best Budget Accuracy Ammo

Best Budget Match Ammo

PPU Match .308 Win 168gr HPBT

$22

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$22 at GrabAGun

Sportsman's Guide (see price)

Lucky Gunner (see price)

PPU Match is decidedly better than normal plinking ammo and is much closer to the good match-grade stuff, but at a price that is still affordable.

Finding cheaper .308 ammo that uses rounds heavier than 150gr can be tough at times, but luckily, PPU has a reasonably priced 168gr loading. Think of it as the poor man's Federal Gold Match.

If you want to practice your match shooting without spending true match ammo money, this is your guy!

8. PMC Bronze 147gr FMJ-BT - Best Plinking Ammo

Best Plinking Ammo

PMC Bronze .308 Win 147gr FMJ-BT

$18

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$18 at GunMag Warehouse

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

Lucky Gunner (see price)

Ammunition Depot (see price)

PMC makes solid ammo in almost any caliber, and the PPT team is a huge fan of their Bronze line and frequently uses their ammo to feed our handguns and ARs.

Their .308 stuff is no different. We have found it to be great for plinking, and it has produced good groups for us for the price.

Final Thoughts

That’s all she wrote, folks. These .308 rounds are more than good enough to get you started.

We tested a lot of these ammo choices when we did our Aero Precision M5 Review, so if you want real-world shooting of these .308 rounds, take a look!

If you try any of these, make sure you let me know in the comments below! And if you have another factory load you prefer, make sure to drop that in the comments as well.

Latest Updates

May 7, 2024: Removed Magtech 147gr M80. Added Barnes 130gr VOR-TX TTSX. Added data detailing how we chose the ammo on this list, added supplemental data to each product with more information, and changed the organization of this article.