.308

[sureshot]

I was looking at buying a rifle in a .308
I would use it for hunting almost everything from moose to bears and coyotes to deer is this a good calibre ?

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Simple question...simple answer.


Yes...it will do the job.

 

[X-Rap]

Why does every body want one gun to do it all??

 

[grubbylabs]

Some of us don't see the need or have the desire to have several guns. Only want what we need.

 

[sureshot]

because i do not want to or have the money to go out and buy 5 different rifles for every game animal that comes allong
P.S. how do you get a quote belowe what you say like "in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king" on X-Rap's post

 

[X-Rap]

Then I guess one will do, it won't do it all well but it will do. You will burn up a lot of ammo changing from load to load and re zeroing the scope but a 308 will do as well as any I suppose.

 

[Art Eatman]

At the top of the page you'll see "User CP". Click on that. Browse down until you see "Edit Signature". Click on that. Type in what you want, check the spelling and punctuation, and then follow instructions...

 

[Sunray]

"...want one gun to..." It's not always about wanting just one firearm. Not everybody can afford more than one. A shooter who owns one rifle tends to be extremely deadly with it too.
Yes, a .308 with a change of ammo will kill any game you care you hunt. Think 165 grain hunting bullets for deer/bear/moose, etc and 130's for coyotes. Mind you, there's no reason not to use the 165's for Wiley too. Unless you want the hides. You will have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your new rifle shoots the most accurately.
Factory ammo isn't cheap though. Get expensive quickly. Runs $16.99 and up, depending on where you buy and what brand. Reloading makes a difference. A Lee-Loader Classic with a scale will do nicely for an new shooter on a budget. They're slow, but will produce good ammo.
Hi, sureshot. If you want a new rifle, look into a Savage Model 10 GLXP3 package(comes with a low end, but serviceable scope), if you want a wood stock. A Model 11 FLYXP3, if you want a synthetic stock. Same rifle with a different stock. Change the scope when your budget allows.
Don't discount buying a used rifle though. It's not like buying a used car. It takes a great deal of abuse to damage a modern commercial hunting rifle. You'll likely be able to find a good used rifle with a scope in your local gun shop.
"...how do you get a quote..." Click on 'User CP', then Edit Signature under 'Settings and Options'. Type in what you want and save it.

 

[sureshot]

thank you guys very much are there any companys that make a 110 grain bullet for the .308 if so what ones ?

 

[Sunray]

"...any companys that make a 110 grain bullet..." All of the bullet manufacturers make a .308" 110. Hornady, for example, makes 4 different 110 grain bullets. Including a V-Max varmint bullet. However, 110's are designed for the M1 Carbine. They don't really work well out of a .308. If you want a lighter load, use a 120, 125 or 130.
Any specific reason you're thinking 110's?

 

[wankerjake]

I know hornady makes a 110gr soft point. I bet there are others. I'll agree with sunray though, unless you care about pelts then you may as well just shoot coyotes with your big game load. Exits won't always be bad, especially if you're not using ballistic tips or similar.

 

[Sunray]

"...I bet there are others..." Four from Hornady, 3 from Sierra, 4 from Speer(been using their 110 HP out of my Carbine for eons) and at least 1 from Barnes. None of 'em work well out of a .308 though. Has to do with the rifling twist and bearing surface of the bullet.

 

[wankerjake]

Yeah the hornady 110sp didn't shoot real well out of my brother's 30-06 either, probably for that reason. I haven't shot them myself.

 

[saturno_v]

Answering to the OP:

Yes the 308 can cover everything or almost everything in Northamerica.

However, if I was really limited to only one rifle I would get a 30-06... more versatility at no extra cost (rifle or ammo)

For the big stuff, especially the ones that fight back, the 30-06 really pull ahead of the 308 with its very heavy for caliber bullet selections (200, 220 and 240 gr.) and the extra velocity. The -06 gives you more punch, more range and wider bullet selection.

 

[wankerjake]

For the big stuff, especially the ones that fight back, the 30-06 really pull ahead of the 308 with its very heavy for caliber bullet selections (200, 220 and 240 gr.) and the extra velocity. The -06 gives you more punch, more range and wider bullet selection.

From what I understand the 30-06 suffers a little when you move past 180gr projectiles in the velocity and penetration departments. But, I'm in agreement that I'd pick the '06 over the .308 for a do-all rifle due to better performance of the 180gr projectiles and factory ammo selection.

 

[saturno_v]

From what I understand the 30-06 suffers a little when you move past 180gr projectiles in the velocity and penetration departments. But, I'm in agreement that I'd pick the '06 over the .308 for a do-all rifle due to better performance of the 180gr projectiles and factory ammo selection.

It is still faster than a 308 in any bullet weight and anything over 200 gr. is not even an option, as far as I know, in 308 Win.

Double Tap has a 200 gr. Nosler Accubond 30-06 load at 2650 fps out of a 22" barrel (Rem 700)

A 220 gr. pill can be pushed at over 2500 fps in 30-06...not exactly a snail....

2400 fps is feasible with the 240 gr. within pressure limits.

Actually I would say in that velocity rage you get a lot of penetration without the risk of the bullet coming apart like it can happen with the 300 Magnums, especially at short ranges.

 

[wankerjake]

I totally agree it's better than the .308, I've just read literature that when you move above a 180gr bullet in a 30-06, penetration suffers on larger game (i.e. bull elk/moose and larger african game) and that a 180gr bullet is a better choice for the larger species. I don't claim to have a bunch of experience with this and I agree a 220gr pill @ 2500fps is something I'd want to stand in front of, but it probably loses energy pretty fast and may be less suitable for very large game than a 180gr bullet moving faster. To tell you the truth I haven't had any trouble at all killing elk with a 150gr sp out of my 30-06. Just mostly speculating here, and drawing on advice from other big-game hunters. I was not trying to say the 30-06 was a pop-gun, like i've seen other people say on this forum

 

[308win]

I use 110gr Vmax in my .308 for groundhogs. I load mine to 3300 (according to Hornady reloading manual). They are accurate and they will definitely do the job.

 

[tactikel]

Need 3 guns to do it all.
.22-250 for anything under deer.
.270 deer to elk
.300 win mag elk-bear

If $ is tight, .308 or .30-06 is OK with proper bullets, and shot placement.

 

[IdahoLT1]

I also shoot hornadys 110gr vmax out of my 10FP for ground squirrels. I get about 3150fps using 50gr. of hodgdon varget. That load shoots sub moa out of the rifle. Definitely a good varmint gun.

The .308 has seemed to lose a little popularity over the years. It still gets dogged on by the 06 fans. The .308 gives up velocity and loses steam on the +180gr bullets compared to the 06 but tends to be the more accurate cartridge. It's shorter case also allows for a shorter action, reduced weight and less recoil. You also get more abundance of surplus ammo.

I think its a good all around cartridge. It might be a little iffy on bear but if bullet placement is good at a moderate range, it will drop anything in N. America. If the .30-30 was able to do it for decades, Im sure the .308 can as well.

 

[grubbylabs]

Why does every one think a bear is so hard to kill? They die just as fast as any thing else. If you can kill a white tail deer with it you can kill a bear with it.

 

[W.E.G.]

Anybody who tells you the .308 Winchester aint enough for hunting in the lower 48 must have had a poor-marksmanship experience with a .308.

Life is measured in seconds when even the most ordinary .308 Winchester round is placed in the rib cage. For bear, I'd probably want to use some sort of semi-solid, or bonded bullet.

I doubt I'll ever have enough spare cash to blow on a safari. But, I think cape buffalo, rhino, hippo, and elephant are the only critters where I'd feel like I needed "more gun" than a .308 Win.

 

[pat86323]

people have just heard too many stories about people shooting at bears with a 500 nitro and the bullet just bounces off. I am really good friends with a guy who guides bear hunts and their weapon of choice is a handgun (ie 357) because they are so much easier to pack over long distances while chasing hounds. And after literally dozens of bears not one story of a bullet bouncing off. And for the record 308 is a dandy round that will do whatever is needed of it as long as you stay within its capabilitoes. Id go after anything on the continent and not feel under gunned as long as i had proper ammo.

 

[unit91]

Why does every body want one gun to do it all??

I think there's a lot to be said for familiarity also. Don't get me wrong, I'm a multi-gun owner, but that also means I have to divide my time across multiple platforms. There are pros and cons to both sides.

 

[scythefwd]

Saturno V - I have load data all the way up to 250gr (I think) for .308 win. You can't find it on the shelf, but you can load it. The .30-06 still wins though, much quicker out the gate in those high weight bullets.