What wouldn't you do with a .308 Winchester?

Longwalker said:
Out of the hundreds of thousands of big game animals taken by hunters in Canada each year, NONE are brown bears, they live in another country. Grizzly bears are not so big that a .308 isn't fully adequate with good bullets. Polar bears are so seldom hunted that they hardly count, and when hunted with dogs most Inuit shoot them with rifles no more powerful than .308.
I'm getting very tired of theoretical experts dissing perfectly good all-around game loads because "you can't hunt the big bears with them" or the are "only" good to 300 yards! Gimme a break!
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I agree with your basic statement about the 308...but you might want to check your facts about exactly what a Grizzly bear is... here is an interesting site

w ww.bear.org/website/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=47

I think you might be refering to the Kodiak Bear, which is basically a freak big Grizzly that only lives on 3 little islands. All the coastal bears get monstrous big.
 
I would happily hunt any animal that resides in North America with a 308 WCF load to 2800fps with 165gr TSX's. If it'll kill a 1200lb moose, it'll kill a 1200lb bear. If you don't believe me (I have never shot a 1200lb bear, nor seen one), feel free to go the 24hrcampfire and ask Phil Shoemaker (458Win) about it. He has killed lots and seen lots killed.
 
X-fan said:
Hard for you to imagine over the internet, but that 308 you are so fond of will feel incredibly small when its time to start shooting.
It gets even better when the bear you just shot gets up (most likely will) and runs into the thickest bush you have ever seen.

You can't always shoot both shoulders.
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I suspect that the old time hunters I have met over the years with 30/30 lever actions have different feelings about this. :D
 
X-fan said:
Hunting BC's big coastal bears is quite the thrill. Doing the same in thick bush takes big huge balls.
Depending on where you are BC's coastal bears can every bit as big as Alaska's....There is no such thing as a "small" grizzly.

Hard for you to imagine over the internet, but that 308 you are so fond of will feel incredibly small when its time to start shooting.
It gets even better when the bear you just shot gets up (most likely will) and runs into the thickest bush you have ever seen.

You can't always shoot both shoulders.
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I disagree totally. What takes big balls is to realize that the gun that you are packing has far less to do with taking the bear down than most people think, but how you hit it is very important, A 308win with a good bullet has enough to take any bear that walks this world, and if those who pack bigger guns are totally honest, they would admit that they pack such guns for their own peace of mind......................in my opinion.
BTW, this isn't just armchair experience.
Mike
 
I will tackle any N/A animal with a .308. I personally have shot moose, deer, and black bear with it.

It's a 30 calibre bullet, the same as all the longer and fancier 30 cal's. However, I will respect it's limitations, as I would with any other calibre. But in my mind and experience, it is more than enough for anything around up to 200 yards, and I wouldn't hesitate to drop a moose at 300 with it under the right conditions.

In my opinion, for North America, it is an excellent all-round calibre with nominal recoil, and is found in short-action rifles with carbine length barrels of 20" or less. Perfect for smaller shooters, new shooters, women and youngsters.
 
mike shickele said:
I disagree totally. What takes big balls is to realize that the gun that you are packing has far less to do with taking the bear down than most people think, but how you hit it is very important, A 308win with a good bullet has enough to take any bear that walks this world, and if those who pack bigger guns are totally honest, they would admit that they pack such guns for their own peace of mind......................in my opinion.
BTW, this isn't just armchair experience.
Mike
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The importance of piece of mind when you enter that thicket your bear disappeared into at your shot, cannot be over emphasized. There are times when a powerful rifle is the better tool, although typically the North American big game hunter seldom experiences those situations.
 
I'll be the first to admit I built my 375 Taylor for that exact purpose: Peace of mind.

I would love to chase all game with that 25-06 of mine (it's such a nice light-recoiling shooter), but I don't have confidence enough in it that it would adequately be able to deal with big scary wounded animals that have wandered off into a willow thicket.

Or for that matter, coming back to a kill-site the morning after having dropped a moose: when you see fresh grizz tracks/scat on the trail as you are on your way back to pack out the rest of your moose, even a 375 feels small.

I sure as hell wouldn't do that with a 308 winchester.
 
hansol said:
Or for that matter, coming back to a kill-site the morning after having dropped a moose: when you see fresh grizz tracks/scat on the trail as you are on your way back to pack out the rest of your moose

I sure as hell wouldn't do that with a 308 winchester.
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Been there done that got the T-shirt and my third grizz when it charged off my cow moose kill it had claimed. Mind you these were pre internet days before bears got so large and bullet proof.:D
 
Omega said:
Been there done that got the T-shirt and my third grizz when it charged off my cow moose kill it had claimed. Mind you these were pre internet days before bears got so large and bullet proof.:D
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Sir, if you did that, you have HUGE balls. I salute you.

But I can agree with the "pre-internet" days bit ;)
 
It wouldn't be my first choice for the great bears, but I wouldn't feel undergunned with the right bullet. Other than that there isn't much I haven't done with .308.
 
hansol said:
Sir, if you did that, you have HUGE balls. I salute you.

But I can agree with the "pre-internet" days bit ;)
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If I'd have known he was there he could have had the moose, but the first I knew was when I stood up from crawling through the alders and he was already on his way.
The other 2 grizz were also shot with the 308 but in hunting situations without any extra excitement.:D
 
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