How far can a 308 responsibly take game?

[emn83]

Interesting thread. Makes me think I might try working up a load with the 178 Amax I have

 

[yobuck]

Hell of a way to roll out the welcome matt there YO. You didn't even bother answering the man's question.

Great job.

well you read it your way and ill read it mine. ive been hunting there for 66 years.
more than 40 now long range exclusivly. ive had my share and fill of guys asking these type questions which always seem to end the same way.

 

[varmintH8R]

well you read it your way and ill read it mine. ive been hunting there for 66 years.
more than 40 now long range exclusivly. ive had my share and fill of guys asking these type questions which always seem to end the same way.

I understand where your opinion originates from, and would respectfully recommend that you keep it to yourself.

The OP took the time to put together an articulate, detailed, thought-out request for opinions. To broad-brush him based on your "share and fill of guys asking these type questions" is at best counter-productive to the purpose of this site.

I am by no means an LRH expert, but am a hell of a lot better informed than when I first started asking questions here and began pushing distance at the range. To exclude or marginalize another member based on your perception of how committed they are to learning about LRH is ridiculous.

mmh - welcome to the site. I hope you enjoy learning the capabilities of your .308, as well as the capabilities of you and your son behind it. The members here are overwhelmingly helpful and happy to see new people gain interest in our passion. I hope you learn a lot and find it as interesting as I do.

Brandon

 

[etisll40]

Glad to see good conversation and welcoming to M.

Yo, it's either time to take up shuffleboard, quit drinking before you post or write a book on how great a hunter and shooter you are.

Sorry Yo, but you just have no class old man. (you're nasty dude)

 

[Barrelnut]

With 26" barrel 2750 is easily attained with the 178. At 5000' elevation that gets you a reliable deer killer way past 350 yards. 600-800 is more realistic. Running rl17 or VV500 series powders they can be driven even faster.

Would be interesting to see what RL17 would do in a 308.

I just got back from the range trying RL17 for the first time in a 300 WSM. I was impressed. I got 175 FPS more speed than what I get with H4350. I got it with both 180 NBT and 208 A-MAXs. 208 A-Maxs were doing 2975. And accuracy was pretty good too.

Bottom line is I think RL17 would give another 100 to 150 yards additional hunting range with a 308. They have a load for the 308 and RL17 on the Alliant website.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Would be interesting to see what RL17 would do in a 308.

I just got back from the range trying RL17 for the first time in a 300 WSM. I was impressed. I got 175 FPS more speed than what I get with H4350. I got it with both 180 NBT and 208 A-MAXs. 208 A-Maxs were doing 2975. And accuracy was pretty good too.

Bottom line is I think RL17 would give another 100 to 150 yards additional hunting range with a 308. They have a load for the 308 and RL17 on the Alliant website.

Theres a few threads on re17 in here, search that top bar and hold on to your socks!

 

[liltank]

Would be interesting to see what RL17 would do in a 308.

I just got back from the range trying RL17 for the first time in a 300 WSM. I was impressed. I got 175 FPS more speed than what I get with H4350. I got it with both 180 NBT and 208 A-MAXs. 208 A-Maxs were doing 2975. And accuracy was pretty good too.

Bottom line is I think RL17 would give another 100 to 150 yards additional hunting range with a 308. They have a load for the 308 and RL17 on the Alliant website.

I'm going to offer a bit of a warning using 17 with heavy bullets in the WSM. The speeds you are getting are pretty hot loads. You'll want to back your load down for any middle of the summer usage or you will see a lot of pressure signs.

 

[Barrelnut]

I'm going to offer a bit of a warning using 17 with heavy bullets in the WSM. The speeds you are getting are pretty hot loads. You'll want to back your load down for any middle of the summer usage or you will see a lot of pressure signs.

Thanks, liltank. I was getting a bit giddy. The barrel has a deep throat and I have the 208 A-max boat tail setting up in the shoulder of the case instead of down in the body and that should allow me a little room for extra pressure. BUT, I may be maxed out already for sure, as 2970 with a 200 Gn pill is smoking out of a WSM. Wanting to use the load for spring bear. Live in western Oregon, so shooting in 40 degree weather now, and might be 50, 60, 70 in the spring. Was also thinking of letting a friend use it in August for antelope though. Temps then are pushing 100.......

 

[mmh]

Time to resurrect an old post. My son & I went antelope hunting in WY last week. Each of us took a buck & a doe. He shot his at 350 & 300 yds. & I shot both of mine at 300 yds.

My son was shooting a Remington 700 AAC-SD (20" barrel & 1 in 10" twist) w/ a Manners T6A mini chassis (with a AI box magazine) & a Vortex PST 6-24x50 FFP scope. His load was 43.0 grains of Varget pushing a Hornady 180 gr. SST w/ a COAL of 2.82". Out of the 700 this load chronographed at 2500 fps.

I was shooting a Sig 716 DMR (essentially a precision piston-driven AR10). This rifle has an 18" 1 in 10" twist barrel w/ a full free floated hand guar & a Vortex PST 4-16x50 FFP scope. My load was 43.0 grains of IMR 4064 pushing a Hornady 180 gr. SST w/ a COAL of 2.82". Out of the 716 this load chronographed at 2100 fps.

We took the antelope in the first two days of hunting. On the third day we went out & did some field shooting. Both rifles were holding less than 5", five round groups at 500 yds. under fairly windy conditions. The guns were doing their part, the load was doing it's part, and, the shooters were just plain lucky!

 

[mmh]

Shhhs.. Don't tell yobuck that we took some antelope - he already has me figured out.

well you read it your way and ill read it mine. ive been hunting there for 66 years.
more than 40 now long range exclusivly. ive had my share and fill of guys asking these type questions which always seem to end the same way.

 

[ammohouse]

Congrats to y'all.
The 308 is plenty capable, Snipers have been using it for years.

 

[AZShooter]

I recently loaded the 230 gr match target hybrid in my 22" heavy barreled 308". It is actually a 30 BR reamer plunged deeper to headspace as a 308. Not sure what to call it perhaps a 308 BR improved? Anyway I used RL-17 with win brass. Bullet was seated into the rifling. Worked up to 46 gr of RL-17. Best load was 45.5 gr for velocity of 2430 fps. It was a single shot proposition with an OAL of .2990" Just checked it will fit and feed from my SA Rem 700 with Wyatt's mag box.

I crunched the numbers for this load vs my 28" 257 Weatherby shooting moly'd 110 accubonds @ 3675 fps. I was amazed to find the 308 edged out the Weatherby in both drift and energy!

I have used the 230 gr in a 300 RUM and my friend used it in his 300 WSM with success to get our cow elk last fall. ( 300 RUM RL-33 for 2975 fps/300 WSM RL-17 for 2725 fps)

I wonder how the 230 would work at much slower velocities? Is the threshold for expansion also 1800 fps for this bullet? I realize it is a target bullet. I know Broz and some others have killed with this bullet at ranges near 1000 yds from a 300 win mag. I am guessing that the bullet was traveling at approximately 1900 fps.

This subject sure has me thinking. I am seriously considering a 26-30" barrel with this puny 308 win. What a concept! A round with long barrel life, low recoil, excellent accuracy AND perhaps lethality out to as far as 800 yds. Amazing.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Congrats to y'all.
The 308 is plenty capable, Snipers have been using it for years.

If it's good enough for snipers to use for 1,000+ yard kills, then it's plenty capable for hunting animals.

But people will try to discredit the .308 because the world has gone magnum-crazy.

I have my share of big magnums, too, but I won't ever take away from a caliber what it is capable of.

 

[Dgd6mm]

well you read it your way and ill read it mine. ive been hunting there for 66 years.
more than 40 now long range exclusivly. ive had my share and fill of guys asking these type questions which always seem to end the same way.

mmh, glad to hear about you and your son's successful hunt. You probably went out there hoping to be successful, when all you had to do was ask buck to look into his crystal ball, he can tell the future, don't you know..... congratulations again.

Don Dunlap