You don't really tell us what conditions you'll likely be hunting under. From the description of the rifle, I'm sort of doubting it'll be for woods walking. I'm seeing it as a stand type rig, with maybe long shots on the menu? But not neccesarily? I don't know.
Boattails have a reputation for slipping the core and coming apart more so than flatbase bullets. High velocity impacts accentuate this. Really unless you're talking shots well over 300 yards, boattails don't offer a great advantage, if any. Get closer to 350 - 400 yards and they begin to come into their own. That's a mighty long shot on game, expecially from field shooting positions. The .308 probably doesn't offer enough velocity to make the core seperation a major issue unless you will be shooting at fairly close ranges. Or taking raking angle shots might also be a problem. Bonded core bullets alleviate the worry of boattails, however, these premium bullets are usually considerably more expensive and I don't see a need for them with deer size game. That's a personal view, everybody won't share that opinon. Or, maybe it's not a problem. Some people like the bullet coming apart inside the animal once enough penetration has been accomplished to ensure the vital organs are being destroyed. That type performance may well result in quicker kills on broadside shots, than a narrow straight through wound channel provided by a more "controlled expansion" bullet. I have no need for magnum performance for my deer hunting, I usually shoot middle of the road cartridges such as the .308/.30-06, and my shots are always under 100 yards in the timber. I use three .30 caliber cartridges, the .30-30 with 170 grain Remington Core-Lokt at 2,168 fps from a Marlin 336C 20" barrel lever action. Reliable killer just as it has been for a long time in the woods. A Browning BLR lever action .308 gets fed a 165 grain flat base Hornady Interlock at 2,600 fps. Doesn't get much better for midrange whitetails. It's accurate, destructive to vital tissue, penetrates completely through and leaves a good blood trail if the deer runs out of sight in the thick cover. One of my .30-06 rifles is a Ruger No. 1 and shoots the same 165 grain Hornady very accurately at 2,788 fps. A little on the mild side from the 06', however, it is very accurate and performs superbly on deer in the Ozark timber. My Browning BAR 06' loves the 180 grain Sierra spitzer boattail at 2,734 fps. That Sierra BT Game King has been a hammer on whitetails and I find no fault with it. It opens quickly and at the modest velocity the 06' pushes it, penetrates completely, and destroys a lot of important stuff inside as it does so. I've yet to recover one from a whitetail.
I use other calibers too, however, the .30's pertain more to this discussion. This is a hot topic anywhere on the net. I've seen some knock down - drag em' out fights over the "match" bullets use on game over the years on various internet sites. Also, the complete penetration vs. blow up inside topic can be hotly debated. Personally, there are so many very good accurate bullets designed for actually shooting game, I feel no need for the match bullet. I tend to be quite conservative and use what works for me based on experience and need. If I was trying to outshoot another fellow at 1,000 yards for money or a fancy title, then I'd use the most accurate bullet I could find. All that bullet need do is shoot accurately, flat, and straight. I wouldn't worry about it's terminal effectiveness on the dirt bank behind the targets. A game bullet has more responsibilities, and most shoot better than the equipment they're fired from and the person pressing the trigger can hold. That's my take on it... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
