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

[MZmoose]

The 190gr ABLR load my friend runs still has 1500ft/lbs at 500 yds. Tune the load to the game you hunt.

 

[WHITEBULL]

Yes. And do it accurately in most cases.

 

[drahthaars4ever]

Everytime we pull the trigger, we take a chance. We take a chance of kill or wound. Anything can happen. If you've never wounded an animal, you haven't hunted enough. All I'm saying is if you feel absolutely confident in your ability, go for it.

 

[FlyGuy11]

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.

Auto got me again, darn automation.

 

[sea2summit]

The 190gr ABLR load my friend runs still has 1500ft/lbs at 500 yds. Tune the load to the game you hunt.

In a .308 case? I'd like to see that load data and MV. Looks like you'd need to be pushing it at about 3,150?

 

[Lee Goodwin]

There may come a time when you are looking at an 8 point 800 pound elk and at 568 yards you may say to yourself in that microsecond....****, shoulda brung a bigger gun.

 

[MZmoose]

In a .308 case? I'd like to see that load data and MV. Looks like you'd need to be pushing it at about 3,150?

Nosler 190gr long range Accubond, G7 ballistic coefficient of .301, MV of 2550 fps, 2000 ft elevation. Run the numbers.

 

[GLTaylor]

yes, reading the wind gets pretty crazy. I took a deer last year at 260 yards with a 10 mph full value wind. I knew where I was going to set up and used my weather app the day before to get wind speed and direction. According to my research I could expect 8 inches of drift with my 308 shooting 110 grain hollow points. I held on the front edge of the shoulder and the wind drifted the bullet right into the kill zone. I don't often get shots like that so I was pleased with the result. Most of the time I'm in the woods and shots are less than 100 yds. I can only imagine doubling that yardage and wind value. And then in the mountains where you have updrafts and downdrafts!!! I don't know how you guys ever predicted your shots!!!.

Amen to that. I just don't try. If i can't practice it and get confident, i don't shoot.

 

[ButterBean]

Congratulations you can look up a definition. Muzzle brake'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.

I know very well what they do and I'm not arguing that point at all and I'm glad you have your kids involved, the point I'm getting at is when folks start saying "No It Won't " when it very much will and then throws in the Ole 6.5 any flavor with a "Break" that has nothing to pertain with the OP's question what so ever it's "Whoop There It Is" ................308 to 600 was the question and Yes it will do what he's asking, Folks have been using it for decades and will continue to, are there better choices, Maybe, are there worse choices, Maybe as well but he didn't ask that so when someone say's no it won't and break and I mean no offense at all but they should have looked the word up, Once again no offense intended

 

[FEENIX]

There may come a time when you are looking at an 8 point 800 pound elk and at 568 yards you may say to yourself in that microsecond....****, shoulda brung a bigger gun.

Yep!

 

[skipglo]

I made much the same choice as you, more recently. I decided that .308 is my "big gun," and for everything I do, it works wonderfully. Inside 600yd it will absolutely get the job done, and I would not hesitate to tote a .308 anywhere on the continent, after anything that walks it.

If I were an Alaskan hunter, or chased game like Moose and Grizzly, I am sure my opinion would be different...but at my age and station, even a Western Elk is looking more and more like a pipe dream.

A .308 will also take any Moose or Elk and any Bear....but not my first choice for Grizzly...don't forget...the North American military chose .308 for a reason too....and many other other countries for police, security and Military

 

[.300 Dakota]

Will 308 do it all?

Yep. Pretty much. I'd feel better with a .375 Ruger stalking brown bear in Alaska, but the 308 COULD even take care of that.

 

[jarnold37]

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 had access to two farms to deer hunt and have enjoyed experimenting with different cartridge bullet combinations and there effect on deer. The owner of one of the farms, which allowed long somewhat open shots, was a gunsmith and bench rest shooter who I hunted with. He had access to rifles chambered in everything from 223 to very big game cartridges. I also had tried everything up to 338-378 with 300 grain bullet. In looking back, his favorite rifle was 308 shooting Sierra125 grain. He used one of the early 40-X and used barrels with 1-14 twist, and had benchrest accuracy and used it in bench rest matches.Most of our shots were 500 yards and under. Over the years I witnessed more than a dozen kills and it proved to be as good as anything under 500 yards. He said if using at longer ranges going to bigger bullet reduced hydrostatic shock and sometimes deer would run a ways.

 

[Greyfox]

About 20'years ago I decided to double my decades old maximum hunting range from roughly 300 to 600 yards. This was largely driven by a developing knowledge and successes with long range target shooting and competition. The accuracy potential, bullet selection and advancements in commercially available scopes and accessories resulted in my selection of the 308 as my rifle of choice for "medium" game hunting. I did have good success taking game at the extended distances and found that the 308 dispatched game as large a the big Alberta mule deer quite well out to 600 yards. I didn't shoot larger game, but I would likely close the range gap for moose, bear, or elk. After a few years with the 308 I developed a craving for improved ballistic performance for its effect of reducing margins of error in the wind(in particular) as well as the flatter shooting characteristics and increased down range energy. I eventually increased my cartridge performance beyond the 308. Given your distance requirement "and" the inclusion of larger game, I would probably venture out beyond the 308's capabilities, following your instincts to add a 300WSM, or even one of the other higher capacity 300 magnums to you collection of 308's. IMO.

Photo: First LR Whitetail taken about 20 years ago at 500 yards with a Remington 308 Milspec 700/Leupold Mk4..