Talk me out of the .308

A

Adam18

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Looking at making the purchase on a .308, specifically the Howa 1500, (the new kuiu rifle looks nice as well) however I'm open to more options. I'd really like the alpine mtn. Rifle, but for the cost, I'd rather spend my money on a great scope, and a slightly heavier rifle. My hunting I've the next several years will mostly be whitetail, with the hopes to go on an elk hunt within the next 5. With as much success I have seen on this forum and the OYOA show with the 308 or 7mm08, be really taken a liking to this round (308). The only hiccup is the more I talk to people, the more they think I am crazy that an elk gun can be a .308. I think with a properly placed shot at 300 yards or less and quality ammo, this is an elk killer. I don't want to be under gunned for 25 percent of my hunts (elk) and over gunned for 75 percent of my hunts (deer, antelope, coyote, fun to shoot at the range and enlighten low recoil my youngest will like to shoot), and have chosen .308 as my caliber......now talk me out of it, am I missing something? I am NOT a gun guy by no means and am very swayed by others opinion because frankly, I don't know any better.
 
I can't talk you out of it because a .308 is a perfectly sensible choice for hunting any animal in the lower 48. Nonpareil in terms of ammo availability from the top shelf to the bottom....and I am incredibly biased towards .284s...and shoot one in a magnum wildcat.
 
It's about the same as the 270, 7/08, 280, and 30/06. No animal will ever know the difference, and you won't either. I think it's a great choice, and I don't even own a 308, and never have. The great thing about it is there are lots of choices in reasonably priced factory loaded ammo, and if you decide to reload for it, brass and components are readily available.
 
jryoung said:
I can't talk you out of it because a .308 is a perfectly sensible choice for hunting any animal in the lower 48. Nonpareil in terms of ammo availability from the top shelf to the bottom....and I am incredibly biased towards .284s...and shoot one in a magnum wildcat.
Click to expand...

This...within most hunting distances there is little difference between many cartridges. 200FPS faster or slower isn't going to kill an animal more dead.
 
Sounds like the 308 fits what you need. I still wouldn't use it on coyotes, but then again I have an AR15 dedicated to that too. If you stay within the ranges you are talking about I think you'll be just fine.

Personally, I went with a 300WinMag. I like the longer range, availability of ammo, multiple friends and family shoot same rounds and with the advent of new technology (recoil pads, muzzle breaks, etc.) the recoil is not much at all.

If you have the inclination, I would point you to the Browning X-bolt.
 
Adam18 said:
The only hiccup is the more I talk to people, the more they think I am crazy that an elk gun can be a .308.
Click to expand...
How many elk have those folks shot? I'm betting fewer than the host of this site has with a 308...
 
JohnCushman said:
There's a reason military snipers use .308's....
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^^^ Plus the fact that the average person who takes care of their rifle will never see the end of the barrel life on a .308. I know a guy that shoots competition and he is over 8000 rounds through his barrel and he will still eat your lunch if you are not at the top of your game.
There is a reason our military designed and progressed in developing the 30-06, .308, then the .223.
 
I've shot elk with a .308 from 10 yards to 300 yards. All of those (12 or so) were 1 shot kills. It is a fine caliber for elk. Use a well constructed bullet and put it where it is supposed to go.
 
Adam18 said:
I drink old Milwaukee, old style, and keystone light.....I'm not certain I'm cool enough for the 6.5.
Click to expand...

LOL! Add Rockdale Light and Black Velvet to that list and I am there!

I never used to think the .308 was very great for anything. I now have two, extremely accurate .308s. I still hunt elk with a 7 mag, but having it all to do over again, I would own two 7-08s and call it good. I could flip a coin between the 7-08 and .308. The .308 will handle a bit heavier bullets maybe, but it is splitting hairs as far as effectiveness on game.

My go-to bullet for my .308s, is the Hornady 150-grain Interlock at just over 2900 fps. Smucks deer.

P.S. I bought a .260 instead of the 6.5, cuz I hate bow ties!:hump:
 
I'm happy with 7mm/08 over .308 because the smaller bullet in the same shell allows more powder to push my copper bullets faster. That would be less of an issue if I was shooting lead bullets since they open up at slower fps. I want to keep 2100 fps or more as far out as possible based on the common understanding of that being a safe threshold for consistent Barnes TTSX or TSX copper petal opening.

It really is splitting hairs though, as a 120g 7mm-08 TTSX drops below 2100 fps around 375 yards while the 150 .308 might be around 325-350. The .308 has about 200 more ft/lbs at that point, I'd estimate, (~1600 vs 1390 at 300 yards).

My final deciding factor? recoil! In a mountain rifle this is important to consider and I don't care for much recoil so I went 7mm08. I feel extremely confident with the bullet's ability on an elk at 250-300 yards and to 350 on a deer, which is at my skill limit anyway.
 
I bought my wife a .308 as her 'all around' rifle to use for everything. I have her using a 150 grain bullet. It's not overkill for antelope and will still put an elk down. The recoil is easy for her to deal with and she doesn't flinch at all with it.
 
There's no reason to question the 308 unless you question your own marksmanship. In which case no caliber is good enough. For another option, I'd throw in the .270. Felt recoil is almost identical and is a little flatter shooting if that fits your needs better. Bottom line, an elk doesn't care whether the bullet that just blew up its heart was from a 308, 30-06, or 300 mag. Get the gun that fits your needs and then buy the best bullets for a particular species. The idea of bullet failure and needing magnums is not what it used to be.
 
I think the .308 is a great all around cartridge and I don't even own one (never have). I have shot a few and have known them to be extremely accurate. I think you have great versatility for heavier loads for elk and lighter loads for the kids to shoot. 7mm-08 is great too. Like previous posts have said, splitting hairs between the two. You've made a solid choice.
 
I can't say anything good about the .308 Win. Sorry.

Only two "disasters/rodeos" I have ever had both involved shooting game with a .308 Win.


Better calibers in my gun safe and my experience. Others may disagree.



(And yes, the plural of "anecdote" is "data", in this case.)
 
JoseCuervo said:
I can't say anything good about the .308 Win. Sorry.

Only two "disasters/rodeos" I have ever had both involved shooting game with a .308 Win.


Better calibers in my gun safe and my experience. Others may disagree.

And yes, the plural of "anecdote" is "data", in this case.)
Click to expand...

Caliber will very seldom trump poor shooting, or bullet selection. Show some proof that the .308 cartridge failed you and maybe you will make a little more sense.
 
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