wife wants to try elk hunting next year but doesnt have a rifle. she tried my .300 win mag and buddies 7mm mag but any mag round is to much for her, (117 lbs). she shot a .308 and pretty damn well, but will a descently placed .308 shot do the job on an elk?
.308 on elk?
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MCgunner
Member
Use a Barnes or Partition and live happy.
Kingcreek
Member
Yes. Use a quality bullet and the .308 will do just fine. Keep the range within reasonable.
Cougfan2
Member
.308 is perfectly OK for Elk. I would use at least a 180 gr bullet or possibly 200gr. Nosler Partition bullet would be a good choice. Shot placement is the most importantly thing. If she shoots the .308 well she should be just fine.
JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone
Member
"Shot placement is the most importantly thing."
I have seen magnum shots that I thought would have been quick kills that didn't end up that way. I've seen Big Cows and Bulls take more than one good shot to bring down.
But, I've also seen well placed shots from .308 and 30-06 drop Elk in their tracks.
So, Unless she's a seasoned hunter for Deer or Bear, and has one or both of those kills under her belt, then I'd shy away from Elk with a .308. If she's a shooter, (and it sounds like she is), then I'd say feel good about it.
-Steve
I have seen magnum shots that I thought would have been quick kills that didn't end up that way. I've seen Big Cows and Bulls take more than one good shot to bring down.
But, I've also seen well placed shots from .308 and 30-06 drop Elk in their tracks.
So, Unless she's a seasoned hunter for Deer or Bear, and has one or both of those kills under her belt, then I'd shy away from Elk with a .308. If she's a shooter, (and it sounds like she is), then I'd say feel good about it.
-Steve
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Bottom Gun
Member
.308 works fine on elk. Just put your shot where it needs to go. I load 180 gr Partitions for it.
For the past two years Pamm has commandeered my .308 AR-10 for our elk hunt and it works quite well for her.
For the past two years Pamm has commandeered my .308 AR-10 for our elk hunt and it works quite well for her.
redneck2
Member
I know a guy that's elk hunted with his wife for maybe 25-30 years. She uses a .257 Roberts and does quite well.
MCgunner
Member
I'd use a Barnes of no more than 160 grains and my 140 barnes load would likely get the nod. A 140 Barnes (solid copper) has a length closer to a 165 grain lead bullet and I have no doubt would kill elk better than a standard lead 180 or 200 grain load and still give good range. .308 doesn't have enough case capacity to be efficient with bullets over 180 grains. A 165 grain lead controlled expansion bullet like the partition would be plenty. Keep range under 300 yards.
30-06 lover
Member
Killed my elk just fine. One round hit the rear leg (my fault) the other dropped the animal in it's tracks. Use partitions or TSX and go get an elk
waffentomas
Member
I use a .308 for elk hunting and don't have too much to add, really. I killed two this year using a 180gr Barnes XLC over 44gr of 748. It's not made any more, but the TSX will do the same thing. One took a lot of punishment before it went down, but the other crumpled and slid 10 yards to a stop after the herd was running full speed away from the pushers. Shot placement is key. I don't know what kind of terrain she'll be hunting, but where I hunt in Idaho, there are lots of trees, and shots over 100 yards are rare. These are elk, after all, and are usually moving, often hauling ass. Better to teach her how to shoot a moving target at close/mid range than spend a lot of time at a bench rest if it's anything like where I hunt.
At the ranges we shoot elk, (sorry - 'harvest') I have not noticed any difference in how they die when being shot with 7mm mag or 300 Win, compared to my 'lil 'ole .308.
Also, teach her to work the action quickly for quick follow-up shots. The short action is a plus for this.
In my experience, lung shots work quicker than heart shots on elk, but being greedy and trying for both is best. Again, keep her practicing, it's more important than any bullet or caliber. Still....
I like Barnes, Partitions, Swift A Frames and Fail Safes for elk. 180gr bullets work great. I may try the 220gr Partition next year, though.
Tom
At the ranges we shoot elk, (sorry - 'harvest') I have not noticed any difference in how they die when being shot with 7mm mag or 300 Win, compared to my 'lil 'ole .308.
Also, teach her to work the action quickly for quick follow-up shots. The short action is a plus for this.
In my experience, lung shots work quicker than heart shots on elk, but being greedy and trying for both is best. Again, keep her practicing, it's more important than any bullet or caliber. Still....
I like Barnes, Partitions, Swift A Frames and Fail Safes for elk. 180gr bullets work great. I may try the 220gr Partition next year, though.
Tom
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Too heavy for a .308.
Not enough powder capacity with that long a bullet deep-seated to magazine length.
And the 1/12 rifling twist common in most .308's may not even stabilize the very long 220 Nosler Partition bullet.
IMO: You will be better off velocity, energy, and penetration wise to stay with 165 - 180 grain bullets in the .308.
rcmodel
thanks everyone, yeah buying her a rifle for christmas and i didnt even think of the short action will deffenently look into it. i'm stationed in utah and most of our hunting is in the uintes mountian or on the rolling plains. i bow hunted this year didnt get with in range but mostly wooded areas. so shots could be from 50 to 150 yards in the mountains and down south 150 to 300 yards. i was just worried about the take down power of .308. she'll be at the ranges as soon as the thaw out. what would be the best way to train for moving targets? i've been wrapping my brain around it and can't come up with anything not envolving me down range rolling a tire, not really were i want to be. once again thanks.
LeonCarr
Member
Heck ya the .308 will work on Elk. If I ever get to make the trip, I will use a .308, with a 165 Barnes TSX or a 180 Nosler Partition.
Just my .02,
LeonCarr
Just my .02,
LeonCarr
30-06 lover
Member
Federal Cartridge Company loads both the Nosler Partition and the Barnes for the 308 Win.
http://www.federalpremium.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx?act=choose&firearm=1&s1=1
Cabela's & Midway USA sell it on the web.
http://www.cabelas.com/home.jsp;jsessionid=KLD05YNA23WRXLAQBBISCONMCAEFEIWE?_requestid=98947
http://www.midwayusa.com/
http://www.federalpremium.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx?act=choose&firearm=1&s1=1
Cabela's & Midway USA sell it on the web.
http://www.cabelas.com/home.jsp;jsessionid=KLD05YNA23WRXLAQBBISCONMCAEFEIWE?_requestid=98947
http://www.midwayusa.com/
Fancy or so called premium bullets are not necessary, good shot placement with just about any big game bullet is all that is required. I speak from personal experience not what I've read in a magazine article, bullet ads or what not.
Premium bullets are fine, just unnecessary and overblown as bad or worse that what caliber works or not.
Premium bullets are fine, just unnecessary and overblown as bad or worse that what caliber works or not.
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.308 is fine for elk.
Premium bullets allow you a bit more leeway in shot angles as they provide better penetration than regular thin jacketed leads core bullets. At the velocities that the .308 is capable of premium bullets are less of a concern than in the faster magnums.
A 165 gr core-lokt is a pretty good choice in a .308 for elk.
Premium bullets allow you a bit more leeway in shot angles as they provide better penetration than regular thin jacketed leads core bullets. At the velocities that the .308 is capable of premium bullets are less of a concern than in the faster magnums.
A 165 gr core-lokt is a pretty good choice in a .308 for elk.
CoRoMo
Member
ANY caliber of bullet, when decently placed, will kill an elk. IIRC Montana doesn't have a minimum caliber regulation for elk. You could use a .22LR legally. I wouldn't though.
Known of elk hunters that were more successful at it than me that used no more than the .243 and neck shots.
My uncle always used a .220 Swift of deer and elk, and he's killed more than I could ever wish to.
MCgunner
Member
Elk are huge. Me, I'd want a premium bullet. I've seen game kings blow up and fail to penetrate big hogs. Big animals deserve a little extra insurance in penetration. Federal Premium is a little more expensive, but I can get 50 Barnes bullets for the price of 100 Game Kings. Not a real bad deal. I've never hunted elk, but when I do, I'll either be packin' a .308 with Barnes loads or a 7 mag with Partitions.
mwpslp
Member
Hey Tiko Joe,
I have a thread here recently for a hunt where I shot a 1,000 lb. bison with a .270 Win. Now I am not saying this would be the right approach for everyone but I am a firm believer in shot placement and have been shooting for a long time now. I don't know the ballistics of it but I just can't see where a 165 gr .308 would pack that much more energy than the 150 gr .270 I was using. If I am wrong someone here will surely correct me because I don't know this to be a fact. The bullet passed all the way through and exited. Even if I were using a heavier more powerful caliber I am not sure it could have done any more than my bullet did. After all when the bullet exits it carries with it any unexpended energy. In a nutshell I think you will be fine with a .308. Just hit your target.
I have a thread here recently for a hunt where I shot a 1,000 lb. bison with a .270 Win. Now I am not saying this would be the right approach for everyone but I am a firm believer in shot placement and have been shooting for a long time now. I don't know the ballistics of it but I just can't see where a 165 gr .308 would pack that much more energy than the 150 gr .270 I was using. If I am wrong someone here will surely correct me because I don't know this to be a fact. The bullet passed all the way through and exited. Even if I were using a heavier more powerful caliber I am not sure it could have done any more than my bullet did. After all when the bullet exits it carries with it any unexpended energy. In a nutshell I think you will be fine with a .308. Just hit your target.
hunttheevil
Member
Actually the 270 has a higher ballistic coefficient than 308. with the same style bullets in 270 at 150 gr., and 308 at 165gr., the 270 has about 15% more energy and velocity. 
I was elk hunting this year using my BLR .308 shooting 180 gr. core lokt. I am confident that .308 is plenty of cartridge for reasonable distance shots on large animals, and I took a nice cow at under 50 yards with a single heart/lung shot. Decisive. I normally hunt elk with a .30-06 bolt but now I'll keep the '06 for open country and when I'm in the thick and steep stuff a long way from my truck I'll be carrying my little Browning. That said, I won't likely be taking any shots over 100 yards (not many available where I hunt anyway) nor any weird angles. Pick the cartridge, pick the shot, then pick your teeth.
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