308 blr for Alberta elk, good idea?

G

GunNewb

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
16   0   0
Location
Alberta!
After a loooong process i think I've decided on my first hunting rifle. It's supposed to be an all-arrounder that i can shoot tons and get good with, then go humanely harvest some meat with well placed shots.

thinking blr because I'm a lefty and i reload, 308 because of the balance of a short action. i know this will do me for deer but i wouldn't buy without asking the wise folks on here if this would be a decent elk gun as well- that being something im interested in down the road.


scope suggestions appreciated!
 
Last edited:
308 has no problems dropping an elk. The blr is a good gun but if you're going to reload, try concentrate on the crimping. I've had problems chambering rounds using reloads for that reason.
 
just don't take shots over say 200- elk have a nasty way of disappearing when you're not looking-actually, that's too soft a term- vanishing is better- typically you'll see at 300 or better, work your way to 250 or so, look down at your rifle or check the background, and they're gone- the whole da88nd herd- all that's left is the morning mist- around here, the 338 is the preferred medicine, with the 308/180 being somewhat "marginal"=it's what's in the rifle scabbard to use if you don't have time to set up - if you have the time to set up, then it's the 338/250 at about 300 -325- and be prepared that neither load is "soft" on the shoulder- and one wiff of you and they've gone over the contintal divide into b/c
 
Alot of people are using 308 blr for moose around here.I keep mine for the deer season but it should do fine for elk.
 
.308 is just a shortened case 30 06 still a good round but i wouldnt use it for anything bigger than deer no more than 200 yards. it is a good round but it needs a litter more punch behind it, the bullets drop a lot when you start reaching farther, they are a bit weak. i have 2 .308's and they are good but not a big game gun. 30 06 is the best all around but in my opinion go big or go home so i use .338 win mag and lapua, the .338 win mag can shoot anything with minimal bullet drop and not do to much damage.
most important thing i can tell you though is dont cheap out on the gun or optics because you will regret it no matter what caliber you choose. best bang for your buck is a savage axis and bushnell 3200 elite but if you have a little bit of money than the browning x-bolt stainless stalker with a zeiss conquest rapid z 600 scope and dont forget to lap your rings before mounting the scope. good luck and i hope this will be helpfull.
 
Yes, it's a good idea for elk, (and a very good idea in the BLR as an all rounder for deer, elk, moose, antelope, black bear.) There are better and worse ideas, but as with anything, practise 'til you know at what range you can consistently put your shots in the appropriate size of killing zone for that animal, check the ballistics charts to be sure the load you are using will have enough energy left at that range, and be sure you are selecting a suitable bullet. That's the effective range for that load for you, and make sure you don't push it.

Every solution brings its own problems, e.g. a more powerful cartridge may be harder for you to shoot well (flinch inducing) or the cost of ammo (or another gun) may be a constraint on getting enough practise. Once upon a time most elk hunters used cartridges as powerful as the .30-30 Winchester and most elk shot died from it. Of course, those hunters knew their effective range with that cartridge and didn't push it. In truth, a .22LR is a reliable elk killer if the shooter can reliably stalk close enough and reliably shoot through the eye socket to the brain, which makes getting to 198 yards range and shooting a broadside standing elk in the heart/lung area with a .308 sound relatively easy.

And people still kill elk with a bow and arrow.
 
308 is fine. Use something 165 -180 gr and get some practice! It'll kill elk as far away as you can accurately shoot! You'll do better with a medium power cartridge you can shoot with confidence than a 338 ultra high speed super magnum that you're scared Sh*tless to shoot because you can't handle the recoil. You truly do not need anything more powerful than a 308/270/7mm-08/6.5x55 class cartridge to hunt anything on four legs (outside of a zoo!) in north america. There was a thread a few years back where an inuit hunter near rankin inlet killed a polar bear with a 243. Accuracy trumps power everytime.
 
gearhead224 said:
.308 is just a shortened case 30 06 still a good round but i wouldnt use it for anything bigger than deer no more than 200 yards. it is a good round but it needs a litter more punch behind it, the bullets drop a lot when you start reaching farther, they are a bit weak. i have 2 .308's and they are good but not a big game gun. 30 06 is the best all around but in my opinion go big or go home so i use .338 win mag and lapua, the .338 win mag can shoot anything with minimal bullet drop and not do to much damage.
most important thing i can tell you though is dont cheap out on the gun or optics because you will regret it no matter what caliber you choose. best bang for your buck is a savage axis and bushnell 3200 elite but if you have a little bit of money than the browning x-bolt stainless stalker with a zeiss conquest rapid z 600 scope and dont forget to lap your rings before mounting the scope. good luck and i hope this will be helpfull.
Click to expand...

i couldn't disagree more- you're short- changing the 308 by a good 65-70 yards, and 200 fps does NOT make the difference between a deer rifle and a moose/elk/ bear- i've had a savage 99 in 308/180 in my scabbard for years, ( it's really fast out of a scabbard)topped with a 3x9- only b/c a 4x12 won't fit in the scabbard
the mpbr for the 308 is 267, the 06 is 276, and the 300 is 325- so no matter how you cut it the 06 is just simply not that superior- and if you're on horseback, you can sneak in that extra 25- 50 yards, ( they smell the horse, not you) so it's a moot point
 
gunnewb said:
after a loooong process i think i've decided on my first hunting rifle. It's supposed to be an all-arrounder that i can shoot tons and get good with, then go humanely harvest some meat with well placed shots.

Thinking blr because i'm a lefty and i reload, 308 because of the balance of a short action. I know this will do me for deer but i wouldn't buy without asking the wise folks on here if this would be a decent elk gun as well- that being something im interested in down the road.


scope suggestions appreciated!
Click to expand...

Leupold, you pick the size you like.
 
TheTooner said:
Yes, it's a good idea for elk, (and a very good idea in the BLR as an all rounder for deer, elk, moose, antelope, black bear.) There are better and worse ideas, but as with anything, practise 'til you know at what range you can consistently put your shots in the appropriate size of killing zone for that animal, check the ballistics charts to be sure the load you are using will have enough energy left at that range, and be sure you are selecting a suitable bullet. That's the effective range for that load for you, and make sure you don't push it.

Every solution brings its own problems, e.g. a more powerful cartridge may be harder for you to shoot well (flinch inducing) or the cost of ammo (or another gun) may be a constraint on getting enough practise. Once upon a time most elk hunters used cartridges as powerful as the .30-30 Winchester and most elk shot died from it. Of course, those hunters knew their effective range with that cartridge and didn't push it. In truth, a .22LR is a reliable elk killer if the shooter can reliably stalk close enough and reliably shoot through the eye socket to the brain, which makes getting to 198 yards range and shooting a broadside standing elk in the heart/lung area with a .308 sound relatively easy.

And people still kill elk with a bow and arrow.
Click to expand...


heheh im gonna go with what I wanted to hear and ignore the rest. :cool:
I kid, good input here.


This is what I wanted- super sound. "every solution brings its own problems" so its good to know the limitations of what Im thinking about. Seeing as how I wouldnt want to shoot past that anyway sounds good to me.
 
i would also point out that elk "spook" a good deal earlier than they used to, if the area is hunted at all- that's the reason for "first encounter" long shots- that and so-called "buck fever"- bottom line is USE A HORSE
 
Get the 308 lever and go hunting. Shot all of mine here in Alberta with a 30-06 carbine with 180 gr round nose at 2500 ft/sec or 300 weatherby with 180 gr BT at 3200 ft/sec. They didnt care which.

Dont need a horse or a quad or jet boat or satallite imagry - just need to go hunting. They are still accessible in lots of areas. You will figure it out.
 
Get the 308 lever and go hunting
Click to expand...
Bingo! There ain't no flies in that ointment. Put a simple 4x Leupold on top and you are good to go. Elk aren't iron-sided and a good bullet from a .308Win through the heart/lungs will fill the freezer every time.
 
Actually taking my trusty blr as a backup for an elk this fall. First time for elk as well. Only using as a back up because I got something new this summer that needs trying out.

For your 308, I would suggest the 165 or 180 nosler partition.

And for scope a 1-6 or compact(meant for pump or lever action)3-9 if you can find one. Bushnell might make them in their doa series.
 
Last edited:
308 will work well if you can get the distance right, (during the rut is easy)

The after rut hunting for the big bulls can be a long distance game, and elk are perhaps the most resilant of the NA big game animals. I have seen elk hit well with a 308 at over 300 yds vanish into the woods with a long tracking job to follow, and i have seen this more than once.

My go to elk rifle is a 7mm rem mag, not terrible for recoil but a bit more power than a 308.

If you keep it within a max of 250 with the 308 it should work for you, pick your shots well though.
 
I prefer bolt guns but if you like levers than it is a great choice. Buy the gun, a low powered variable or fixed power leupold and do a lot of shooting over the summer. If you can put a bullet through the lungs of a bull it will die in short order.

As far as an effective range...if you're holding onto a .308 Win. it is a question of your abilities rather than the cartridges'...
 
I have a friend that has hunted elk with a 308 BLR for 30 years. One time he left it in the barn and the chamber rusted a bit, enough it would not extract. I tried to GIVE him another rifle in 300mag (a dam nice one). He would not take it so I pulled the barrel off the BLR and cleaned the rust out of the chamber. I put it back together and test shot a 3/4" group at 100 yards with it and 180g Winchester silver tips. He still uses that rifle to this day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom