308 longrange shooting/hunting

[Terry Perkins]

Lethality for a 30 Cal Medium Capacity Case ranges from 600 to 1000 yards for a 150 pound game animal.
- 300 pound game - 350 to 600 yards
- 600 pound game 100 to 250 yards.
Depending on bullet wieght, and of couse shot placment

Just reading about lethality on 150 LB game in Litz's book. With a 150 LB animal, and using a 150SST bullet, you should only shoot out to 575 yards with this bullet to ensure a humane kill. Sometimes you punch one at 800 yards, and get lucky. Most people don't talk about the not so spectacular (supposed) misses.

 

[lwing]

definately interesting, enjoy all replies, if familiar with vancouver island, hunting at 800 yds is rare, was hoping to squeeze 800 target shooting with lotsof practice out of my rifle.longest deer shot i,ve heard of on the island is 400 yds, thanks everyone

 

[Bush Man]

I started out with a .243 Remington SPS Varmint to do target and long range coyotes only. And now I'm going to step up to one of the big .338's for the long range hunting part.

I decided it wasn't worth learning to shoot long distance with a big boomer. Extra recoil, powder, expense. I wanted to become proficient at long range shooting and wind reading before putting an animal of any size in the scope.
Reading the wind is the hardest part of long range shooting/hunting. I've passed on a few opportunities because of a crazy wind.

 

[Toomanyguns]

You may have sipped a bit too much Koolaid.

I will hit the intended target all day long from 800 yards with the 338 Lapua AI. It is very, very easy to do. Try it some time. With a 100 yard zero, I can almost do it by using only the hashmarks on the vertical crosshair without dialing up - almost. Thats with a Harris bipod and homemade denim rear bag. lol

You obviously need to get into the right type of Koolaid.

 

[X-fan]

I will hit the intended target all day long from 800 yards with the 338 Lapua AI. It is very, very easy to do. Try it some time. With a 100 yard zero, I can almost do it by using only the hashmarks on the vertical crosshair without dialing up - almost. Thats with a Harris bipod and homemade denim rear bag. lol

You obviously need to get into the right type of Koolaid.

So what sort of accuracy can you produce on demand at 800 yards?

 

[Toomanyguns]

Pie plate if the distance measurement is accurate and I dope the wind properly. Uniform handloads are very, very important. Too much coffee is not a good thing. I am certain that a more experienced shooter can shrink that down considerably.

The rifle/round is capable out to 1500 yards. (1500ish ft-lbs) I have never tried it yet. You gotta talk to Rick about that. I still have lots to learn.

I do know this much, it has some very serious smack down power at 800 yards. According to ballistics program bullet velocity is 2157 fps and 3100 ft-lbs at that range with the load I am using. I have witnessed the results and it is a sight to behold.

I am no expert long range marksman. Far from it. It is amazing what a half-assed shooter can do with first class equipment and ammunition.

SORRY ABOUT THE HIJACK

So what sort of accuracy can you produce on demand at 800 yards?

 

[RojamB21]

50 BMG ----- 800 yards ? Guarantee . The deer gonne jump off the cliff, no shooting required

 

[rnbra-shooter]

[The 308...] at 800 yards, but remaining velocity is well below the required minimum to reliably expand any known bullet.

I think there are much better choices for 800 yard hunting.

Just reading about lethality on 150 LB game in Litz's book. With a 150 LB animal, and using a 150SST bullet, you should only shoot out to 575 yards with this bullet to ensure a humane kill. Sometimes you punch one at 800 yards, and get lucky. Most people don't talk about the not so spectacular (supposed) misses.

A .357 Magnum with a 158 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1520fps, delivers that bullet at 100 yards at 1250fps.

A plain old target rifle (.308 firing 155 at ~3000fps mv) has a Berger 155 VLD bullet (which they have recently taken to recommend for hunting!) arriving at 800 yards at 1525fps, and at 1000 yards at 1234fps.

While a .357 Magnum might be considered on the marginal side for deer hunting, it is also (in many circumstance) considered to be adequate. Note that a .308 at 800 yards basically delivers what a .357 does at the muzzle, and a .308 at 1000 yards delivers what a .357 does at 100 yards. Admittedly the .357's bullet diameter is a bit bigger, which is probably a bit of a help; but both of these are in the ballpark.

Perhaps these sub-2000fps velocities are where soft-cored, thin-skinned match bullets actually start to perhaps makes some sense for hunting?

 

[X-fan]

A .357 Magnum with a 158 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1520fps, delivers that bullet at 100 yards at 1250fps.

A plain old target rifle (.308 firing 155 at ~3000fps mv) has a Berger 155 VLD bullet (which they have recently taken to recommend for hunting!) arriving at 800 yards at 1525fps, and at 1000 yards at 1234fps.

While a .357 Magnum might be considered on the marginal side for deer hunting, it is also (in many circumstance) considered to be adequate. Note that a .308 at 800 yards basically delivers what a .357 does at the muzzle, and a .308 at 1000 yards delivers what a .357 does at 100 yards. Admittedly the .357's bullet diameter is a bit bigger, which is probably a bit of a help; but both of these are in the ballpark.

Perhaps these sub-2000fps velocities are where soft-cored, thin-skinned match bullets actually start to perhaps makes some sense for hunting?

I think you should have quoted everything I said...
I said the 308 had enough remaining power to get the job done.
I also said that I didn't think there is a 308 bullet that will expand at 1200fps.

Jacketed 357 bullets are well shaped for terminal performance (even if they don't expand) and have more or less pure lead cores and very thin jackets.

If you are bent on using the 308Win on game at 800 yards you might ideally experiment and find a bullet that expands at 1200fps.


I think you will find that bullet does not exist.