.308 for Mule Deer and Elk?

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NickEllis

NickEllis

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Just moved to Colorado from Tennessee, and the big game is a bit.... bigger than before. :) I've been investing quite a bit in my .308 platforms, buying lots of ammo, and trying to perfect some loads. So I'd rather keep using it unless necessary, instead of investing in another hunting rifle and different ammo, etc.

So, any opinions on using .308 for either Mule Deer or Elk? If so, what are the preferred loads for those respective game animals?

Oh, and did any of the rest of you Colorado folks see they're putting in a Cabelas on the west side of Denver? It will be nice to have that to compete with the Bass Pro over on the east side.

Thanks!

Nick
 
go with it. just use Remington Cor-Loc. my dads been using a .308 with Cor-Loc for 25 years. killed more deer and antelope than thinkable. great round. what rifle do you have? what scope?
 
The .308 will work fine for both, although I would try and keep any shots under 300 yards on the elusive wapiti. Any good bullet like a Nosler Partition will work on elk. I used their partition bullet in my .280 Remington when we lived in Montana.

Had a friend kill a nice bull elk with his .270 Winchester and a 150 grain bullet. One guy I know up there uses his .243 Winchester every year and gets his elk, but for me, the .243 is just a little too light.
 
I've got an M1a Loaded, with lots of different stocks I've been trying out for HiPower, tripod shooting, bench-rest, etc., trying to find the best for each. I am "upgrading" the scope to a SuperSniper. However, I'm using the 10x SuperSniper for more target shooting, so if someone has a better suggestion for a dedicated hunting scope let me know. I've never had a problem using MilDots for hunting, but then again I've always just kinda shot what I had available.
 
Your 308 is a fine deer or elk round, Use good shot placement and you'll be in good shape. I have reloaded using the core-lokt's in 150 grains for both animals with with good success many years now. The general consensus seems to "be use a heaver bullet" but I don't shoot unless I am presented a decent shot for either species, and I do just fine thank you, but then I wouldn't shoot a game animal where it shouldn't be shot even if I was shooting a large magnum.
 
and you want to hunt deer with this?

i was thinking bolt gun.
Click to expand...

Is there a problem with the M1a on deer? I'm hitting 2.0 MOA with irons, and less with a scope, from all supported positions. I didn't figure it mattered, as long as you can get good shot placement with a decent bullet.

Care to back up your skepticism with a fuller opinion?

I'm more concerned about the cartridge than the platform. If I need to I can get another gun. Its more trouble for me to relearn a completely different cartridge choice, new reloading dies, etc., than it is to simply buy a Rem 700 or the like.
 
Forget the gunsnob , you're M1A will do fine , if YOU will . I dropped a Pronghorn at 514 yards with Super Match with SMK 168 grn.

Its where you hit that matters no matter what you are shooting .
 
Well, though mine is no Super Match, I've got lots of SMK 168's, so its good to know I can use them on pronghorn!

Any ideas on loads to use for wapiti?
 
I'm taking my M1A 'loaded' after deer this year as well. I typically shoot 168gn SMK, and wanted a bullet that was similar. I'm trying Hornady 165 SPBT this weekend to see how they shoot. I did some experiments with 168gn Barnes TSX, but could not get my rifle to function with them reliably.

Let me know what your using. I'd love to compare notes.

My M1A is currently topped with a Nikon Tactical 2.5-10x. I've used the SWFA SuperSniper in the past and it is a great scope. But where I hunt, there are too many short range shots in the trees and I wanted something variable.

308 will kill anything in CONUS with the right bullet in the right place, with no worries. My M1A will reliably shoot MOA or better with handloads, and I expect yours will too.

What powders are you using? In the past I've been using the standards like H4895 and VV N135, but I've been playing with ball powders lately because they meter so well and I get tired of weighing charges. W748, BL-C(2) and 2520 have been pretty good, with the latter performing quite well with 43.5gn in Winchester brass.
 
gunsnob? how so? never seen a gunsnob hunt deer with a Montgomery-Ward Mauser rebuild with 30 year old weaver scope. gunsnob, no. traditionalist, yes. whats the mag capacity on the M1A? i dont shoot them but they have a 20 round mag, correct? ive always seen deer hunting as a bolt, break, or lever action sport. the semi autos were for fun at the range. but thats all ive ever seen big game hunted with round here.
 
No mag limit in Montana, but I typically use 10 rounders because they stick out less. I've had more than one opportunity to shoot both my tags at the same time. A semi might be handy.

I also like the M1A for bear in brush.
 
thank you for clearing that up. no need for.... "snob-calling"? i dont shoot them(never bought a gun over $500) and i have only seen them with 20 rounders, so i made a mistake in judgement. sorry if i offended anyone with my "old fashioned" ideas about hunting guns.
 
.308 is a suitable caliber for both mule deer and elk. Just make sure to get a magazine of the appropriate size. I believe you're limited to 5 round mags in Colorado.
 
While AZ limits magazine capacity, both Utah and Texas have no such restriction. I'm fairly certain the NM doesn't have magazine restrictions, although their regulations are per species and there could be something tucked away in there.
 
Gaiudo,

Like you, I tried a number of stocks. I ran my M1A in a JAE-100 for a while, but it was too heavy for hauling around in the field. I've gone back to a GI fiberglass, carefully selected for fit.

I did all the accuracy mods: Unified gas system, guide rode, NM piston. I dropped in a Rader trigger set at 2.5 pounds and added a Karsten cheek piece. Very happy with the result and ready to kill some deer.

Here's the current configuration. Just your typical deer rifle. :)

m1a-olive.jpg
 
Just wait until you try to get a deer, antelope, or elk tag. And Oh, by the way, if you are planning to hunt this year for big game you missed the bus by about 5 months. Unless you are one rich dude or a rancher, you will find out that Colorado has its hunting stacked against anyone not who can't afford to pay big $$$. Good luck with the hunting in Colorado. I am also in Colorado, and can't wait to get back to somewhere where the average Joe can hunt too.
 
I don't remember there being anything in the NV hunting regs about a 5 round limit. Although its been a few years since I last read them....
 
Nothing wrong with your setup, other than being a little heavy. The only issues you may encounter is some spitzer bullets with a lot of exposed lead may tend to cause jams. Didn't have trouble with Remington Cor-Lokt's but did with Winchester factory.

My first deer was killed with an M1A with a Brookfield mount, Bushnell scope and handloaded 180 Nosler BT's. I used a 20 round mag with 3 rounds loaded.

My father-in-law kinda got his panties in a bunch (hunting @ the family farm) but I had deer 2 hours into my first day and coyote afterward. He never complained afterward.

He now hunts with a Remington 7400 with the composite stock and I often have to give him static whenever I see him with his "evil black rifle".
 
Guntech,

I love the JAE-100, but agree its too dang heavy to haul around in the field. I think its a nice system though, with the drop-in capabilities and no bedding. I'm using a GI stock currently, though its a bit pared down itself for weight. For hunting purposes, I think its great. I would use something else for benchrest or even for hipower, though (a McMillan, etc., and something with about four more lbs. of weight in the stock). What kind of scope mount are you using? It looks low, so I'm guessing the ARMS mount? How do you like that Nikon Tactical 2.5x10x? I've always used variable scopes, but the quality of the SuperSniper really drew me in. Hunting in Nebraska, My 3# stock trigger is a dream, actually, and I don't think I'm going to mess with it. I do like that Karsten cheekpiece. Nice setup. I've only got a bunch of 20 round mags and some 10 rounders. Any decent suppliers of 5 round hunting mags? Funny, I've been looking at ball powders lately too.

Birdbuster, yep, I didn't move here fast enough to get my tags in (though I may actually find a way yet). I agree, its a bugger getting tags out here. Still haven't figured out the system yet. I'll probably be paying out of state tags somewhere this year (though that could even be a positive, come to think of it.... state of choice.... Montana?).

And KiltedClaymore, naw, you're not a snob. I'm sure it would give you a start to see a bunch of "black rifles" being used on deer, but when that's what you've got to use... well anyways, I'd like to be able to turn this M1a into an all-around gun anyways, so I'll have at it.
 
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