Can 308 do everything you need a rifle to do under 600 yards?

[Wolf76]

can and should, should not be used interchangably.
I love the 308 for most things out to 5-6 hundred. If big game is involved, I don't like longer shots and the 308. For elk, maybe 450 is the max IMO.
A 300 mag will do it much better in terms of having ample energy and velocity to make the bullet work optimally.

Who the heck wants only 1 cartridge.

 

[bluejay75]

CFE223 with a 178gr eldx in my 26" 308 hits 2775fps comfortably. It kills things just fine. 550 yards is my self imposed distance for killing groceries and that 308 will do it. I haven't messed with it since building the load and getting data in my kestrel but it kills one or two animals a year for me.

What's the charge range and COAL?

 

[Doug Crowe]

I'd say yes, other than brown bear, with placement being the most important. I shot an elk at 200 yards with my 7mm and it ran a mile, not a good placement. I shot another elk at 350 yards with solid copper bullets and my 308 and he didn't take a step. Hit right behind the shoulder. These opinion threads are like elbows everybody's got one

 

[Snowboy]

Greetings Gents,

I am a hunter first and foremost. A few years back I decided to reduce the number of calibers I shoot and reload for. I settled on a 308 as my "do everything" high power cartridge and currently have 5 rifles chambered in 308.

My question is if I know that I will never take a shot longer than 600 yards at game. Will 308 do it all? All species?

Is there anyone else that has done similar/ I would like to hear about your experiences. Post photos too.

Im trying to talk myself out of buying a 300 WSM or 30-06.

Bluejay

I have a bunch of 308 win rifles which I use but since I got my 300 wsm I use it for most hunting from deer to moose. I would keep shots to under 300 yds for larger game like moose with a .308

 

[kolob10]

I have only shot one elk with a
308. Remington 700 ss with 24" barrel. Loaded Sierra 165 gr spbt at 2695fps. Quartering shot facing me at 240 yes. I recovered the bullet. Good expansion and about 14" penetration stopping in the liver as I recall. It was a large cow and she dropped in her tracks. I don't think I would push the .308 beyond 300 on an elk. Deer at 4-500yds would be my limit. Usually hunted elk with 7mm mag or 300 win mag. Big bulls can soak up lead and travel to the bottom of the worst God awful canyon quickly. Makes for a great hunt with a gruelling pack out. Good shooting!

 

[StumpGrinder]

can and should, should not be used interchangably.
I love the 308 for most things out to 5-6 hundred. If big game is involved, I don't like longer shots and the 308. For elk, maybe 450 is the max IMO.
A 300 mag will do it much better in terms of having ample energy and velocity to make the bullet work optimally.

Who the heck wants only 1 cartridge.

There used to be a saying in the old west. Beware the man with one rifle, he probably shoots it very well!

 

[Dr. Richard Gray]

First of all a 30-06 is a 308 caliber. Yes a 308 will take down any North American wild game. It will also shoot respectable groupings at 1000+ yds.

 

[Highlander44]

Greetings Gents,

I am a hunter first and foremost. A few years back I decided to reduce the number of calibers I shoot and reload for. I settled on a 308 as my "do everything" high power cartridge and currently have 5 rifles chambered in 308.

My question is if I know that I will never take a shot longer than 600 yards at game. Will 308 do it all? All species?

Is there anyone else that has done similar/ I would like to hear about your experiences. Post photos too.

Im trying to talk myself out of buying a 300 WSM or 30-06.

Bluejay

Hi Bluejay
After time in the military, I thought the .308 was the end all-and be all.... My first mountain rifle was in .308, and was very capable, but definitely has limitations. The biggest limitation is wind-cutting ability. I can't think of too many cartridges that get blown around in the wind more. If you practice a lot at the range, and get to know you're rifle, no big deal, but it is a draw back, and another variable when shooting at 5-600 yards. With my short barreled .307, it wasn't uncommon for my 175gr Sierra to get blown 16-18" at 500 yards.
The other thing to look at is what bullet you'll be using. Most Bullets need at least 1900-2000 FPS to mushroom properly. Unless you have a longer barrel, most .308's are in the 2500-2600 FPS area, and loose velocity fairly fast. I'd recommend going on JBL ballistics, and crunching some numbers with the different bullets out there to see what your velocity will be at 5-600yards. I shot a Bighorn ewe over 400 with my .308, it did kill her, but didn't have optimal terminal ballistics.
I'd have a serious look at a bullet like hornady's ELDX that will perform down to 1600 FPS IMO.
good luck!

 

[drahthaars4ever]

Greetings Gents,

I am a hunter first and foremost. A few years back I decided to reduce the number of calibers I shoot and reload for. I settled on a 308 as my "do everything" high power cartridge and currently have 5 rifles chambered in 308.

My question is if I know that I will never take a shot longer than 600 yards at game. Will 308 do it all? All species?

Is there anyone else that has done similar/ I would like to hear about your experiences. Post photos too.

Im trying to talk myself out of buying a 300 WSM or 30-06.

Bluejay

If you have 5 rifles in .308, I'd presume you are a better than average shot! The .308 is awesome! Very tolerant of powders and bullet combos, great caliber to reload. My Remington heavy barrel 5R is the most accurate in my gun safe....just like yours. A call to Remington on how accurate it is......they told me it's 1 in 1,000 for a completely stock factory rifle. Will shoot black hills and similar high quality ammo well under moa all day long.....5 shot groups. I'd be completely confident to take a head shot on any game animal out to 600 yards. If you miss, animal can walk away!!!

 

[wolffo]

life is better with more guns! you dont have to reload for all of them

 

[StumpGrinder]

If you have 5 rifles in .308, I'd presume you are a better than average shot! The .308 is awesome! Very tolerant of powders and bullet combos, great caliber to reload. My Remington heavy barrel 5R is the most accurate in my gun safe....just like yours. A call to Remington on how accurate it is......they told me it's 1 in 1,000 for a completely stock factory rifle. Will shoot black hills and similar high quality ammo well under moa all day long.....5 shot groups. I'd be completely confident to take a head shot on any game animal out to 600 yards. If you miss, animal can walk away!!!

I personally DON'T take head shots over 100 yds. Although bullets are real fast, by the time you squeeze the trigger and the bullet gets to 600 yds, the slightest twitch from the animal or you and you blow off a jaw leaving the animal to suffer an agonizing death. Hear in NC where the 22lr is deer legal I've taken many head shots at 50 to 75 yards and even at those distances that head can move awfully sudden.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Congratulations you can look up a definition. Muzzle break's reduce recoil and I've heard arguments for and against. It's not really an argument as much as user preferences. I would rather reduce the recoil to spot my shots at long range for target practice. This way when the time comes to harvest an Elk it is one shot with excellent placement in less than excellent environments. The muzzle brake reduces the recoil to allow my kids to have a good experience so that I can pass along the fun of hunting and conservation.

He's not making fun of your use of a brake. He's making fun of your word use.

Muzzle Brake not Break. I use muzzle brakes on everything to include .22LRs and .17HMRs.

 

[bigdogone]

Hey Bluejay, me too hunter first. Yes the 308 will kill anything on the planet depending on distance and bullets. Lots of elephant control has been done with 7.62 fmj. My personal threshold is 1000 ft-lbs for buck deer and 1500 for elk. For me, Projectiles chosen based on speed at likely kill distance first for penetration and second for wound channel.
Those energy mins get a 308 to 450ish yards for bucks and 250ish for Elk. YMMV.

 

[MZmoose]

I handload a Nosler 190 gr ABLR in my friends .308. he uses it for coyotes to elk. He took a nice 6pt bull elk last year at 332 yds and didn't feel under gunned. I feel 600 yds would be pushing it, but doable with the right conditions. One cartridge to do it all sure would make life easy.