Can 308 do everything you need a rifle to do under 600 yards?
- Thread starter bluejay75
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bluejay75
Well-Known Member
Shots 1,2,6 are in FC brass slightly compressed and sized with a small base die. 3,4,5 are LC not compressed.
18.5 inch barrel
18.5 inch barrel
I often find myself attempting to reason out of buying a new caliber or rifle. Only ever works for me for a little while. I seem to be drawn to the more unique calibers now a days, and think I need to get into reloading to support the oddballs that I keep eyeing. Good luck and stay strong, resist, thats what they say right
My do all go to rifle is .308 however I limit myself to 400 yards. Yes I realize that I am on long range hunting forum but that is my personal limitation considering the velocity, energy and skill level. I do not reload so I have another limiting factor. Has worked on deer, moose and elk so far. Good luck!
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
If 400 yards is YOUR LR, your on the right forum. Actually many guys should be more honest of their personal LR maximum. Not speaking of anyone here but I have a few aquiantances I know that push that number too far for their personal shooting. They don't dial they gap shoot and it's just not a precision method for hunting. They put terrible hits on animals and while they do kill, they do an awful lot of tracking and lose a lot of meat from damage. Your being honest with yourself and that's priceless.
You are absolutely correct, 400 yards is a long way when a life is at stake and I'm not throwing stones but there are a lot of "World Class" shooters on this site, I've changed my way of thinking over the years, If you been shooting 100 yards all your life and you finally work and get consistent at 300 yards, That's long range, Just my 2 pennies
Meh ... average!
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
It's pretty cool going to the range when other guys are there shooting and everyone is impressed by the guy shooting 300 yards and hitting the target. Most if not all the guys I see at my private range only shoot at the 100 yard line. Most saying "No way I'd hit anything at 300 yards. Maybe 200"! That's pretty refreshing really. Honesty at its finest. I've also been there when guys are sending bullets to the 500 yard target only to see no holes in the paper. Yet they keep trying without any plan. Just aim a foot over the backstop and squeeze. Most don't do that where I shoot but there's always the few knuckle heads that don't want to learn but rather guess and pull the trigger.
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Every year we have two friendly club competitions at our range. Maybe 6-10 guys at each spring/fall shoot. First one is an AR15 match 100-500 yards. 3 shots per target at all 5 distances. X is one inch on all targets. 10 ring is 2". The fall shoot is any rifle. The guys that shoot the matches are seasoned shooters but not all shoot long range. 500 yards to many is long range. My son at the time was 12 on a couple of the matches. He shot 150s at both matches one year at 12 years old with several X's as well. Pretty impressive really but he had years of shooting time in even at 12 and a custom built .260 that didn't hurt his chances. Talk about a proud Dad. Most guys high fived him and really made him feel proud. Couple of guys mumbled under their breath about a snotty nose kid getting lucky. Those two never made it back to the range again. Point is, if a 12 year old kid can accomplish what many don't think is possible, anybody can. Just takes a little time behind the rifle and a place to do it. If you don't have time or place for it, stick to 100 yard shooting.
Yes
VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
Wyoming is like Montana when it comes to wind. When working up loads, most of my notes reflect 10-15 MPH winds. When we find those few days where they are less, you really feel good about the rifles grouping. If you do not shoot and practice in the wind, you can not hunt in it effectively either. My .308s come out on calmer days, because I shoot 165 grain and lighter bullets in them. As a friend who lived in Nome AK once told me " I love the wind, it keeps the population low"
MooseChaos
Member
Long range is very subjective. There are conditions where long range is 15 yards - not 500 or somewhere over past the keyboard. I had a deer behind me, 15 yards away and because of the conditions I would not take a shot. But on anything other than a dead calm day, anything over 300 is very long. You have to figure wind drift and direction, mirage, bullet speed and drop and last of all range. If you carry a ballistic computer and chronograph all your loads AND understand external ballistics as well as internal, AND have a rifle capable of better than 2moa and no nerves and a solid rest and a great trigger and no temperature variance from when you chronographed your loads, you may succeed in making a humane kill.
Most hunting rifles and damned few hunters cannot live up to that 300 yard or greater challenge of the truth is known. I can shoot great groups from the bench - .4" or smaller at 200 yards is not unheard of but I don't have a bench in the field. I HUNT and I keep my shots as short as possible by hunting and stalking the game. If I can take a deer at 30 yards I will. I rarely shoot further than 150. I want to hit where I am aiming.
A 2moa rifle will at best hit within a 12" circle at 600 from a locked in bench position. Thats 20" at 1000 yards. 6" at 300. Practical accuracy in the field with most hunting grade rifles is about 2-2.25 moa. Throw in less than ideal conditions and that accuracy drops.
Light recoiling varmint rifles are NOT what I am referencing here. I'm talking abojt rifles in the 6.5 - .338 level which maintain enough energy for a clean kill on deer size or larger targets at 300> yards. These rifles from the .264 Winchester on up through the .338 Lapua are not gentle on the shoulders (another consideration to take into account).
Just an irascible old man making a statement.
Most hunting rifles and damned few hunters cannot live up to that 300 yard or greater challenge of the truth is known. I can shoot great groups from the bench - .4" or smaller at 200 yards is not unheard of but I don't have a bench in the field. I HUNT and I keep my shots as short as possible by hunting and stalking the game. If I can take a deer at 30 yards I will. I rarely shoot further than 150. I want to hit where I am aiming.
A 2moa rifle will at best hit within a 12" circle at 600 from a locked in bench position. Thats 20" at 1000 yards. 6" at 300. Practical accuracy in the field with most hunting grade rifles is about 2-2.25 moa. Throw in less than ideal conditions and that accuracy drops.
Light recoiling varmint rifles are NOT what I am referencing here. I'm talking abojt rifles in the 6.5 - .338 level which maintain enough energy for a clean kill on deer size or larger targets at 300> yards. These rifles from the .264 Winchester on up through the .338 Lapua are not gentle on the shoulders (another consideration to take into account).
Just an irascible old man making a statement.
