Shoot, there was a British guy in deepest, darkest Africa, early 1900's I think, who dropped something like 800 elephants with a 275 Rigby! Peter Capstick wrote about him. Obviously he had to be a better shot than I.
.308 Popularity...
- Thread starter thatmikeguy
- Start date
I've shot a few deer now with a 308 and my dad uses a 30 06, i prefer my 308 because i can take it to the range and not have a sore shoulder after a few boxes of ammo. Also there is a lot of 7.62 ammo around you can usually get for a decent price to practice with. On all the deer i have shot they haven't gone far, we both use 180 grain core-lokt's and the wounds are usually identical. I don't think the moose/deer notices if the bullet that blew its vitals to bits was going slightly faster from a 30 06, as long as you placed your shot well.
- Location
- Northern Ontario, Canada
I have to agree with the majority and say it really comes down to bullet selection (mostly expansion, but ballistic coefficient matters too) and shot placement.
My personal choice is .308 but anything mentioned here so far will drop deer and moose just fine.
My personal choice is .308 but anything mentioned here so far will drop deer and moose just fine.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
Sorry.....Got to call you that one....a properly expanded quality 7mm bullet will do the job. Plenty of 7x57,7-08,280,284 win, 7mm RM,WSM, STW, etc. users here to back me up on that .
Sorry.....Got to call you that one....a properly expanded quality 7mm bullet will do the job. Plenty of 7x57,7-08,280,284 win, 7mm RM,WSM, STW, etc. users here to back me up on that .
Not to forget the 6.5 Swede.
X2! ........... and add the various 270s and 6.5s to that list as well, esp with the new premium bullets out there.
Sorry.....Got to call you that one....a properly expanded quality 7mm bullet will do the job. Plenty of 7x57,7-08,280,284 win, 7mm RM,WSM, STW, etc. users here to back me up on that .
.
.308 uses a MODEST powder charge, there are TONNES of bullets available, TONNES of reloading equipment, the ballistics are fantastic.
I don't really need anything else! You don't need super, giant, canon magnums to take down north american game.
I hunt and target shoot with my 700 in .308. I like .30-06 quite a bit but it burns much more powder without that much of a difference from .308.
I like .308 because it's common and well designed.
(That said, I would like to add a .338-06 to my collection)
Oh, I'll also add that people were shooting bison with .44mag and 30-30 <--loaded with BLACK POWDER at the end of the 19th century... Amphibious has a hunting article from the 30s or something where guides were claiming that .357MAG was PERFECT for Grizzly Bear and that anything more was overkill....
You don't need a howitzer to take down a moose....
I don't really need anything else! You don't need super, giant, canon magnums to take down north american game.
I hunt and target shoot with my 700 in .308. I like .30-06 quite a bit but it burns much more powder without that much of a difference from .308.
I like .308 because it's common and well designed.
(That said, I would like to add a .338-06 to my collection
)Oh, I'll also add that people were shooting bison with .44mag and 30-30 <--loaded with BLACK POWDER at the end of the 19th century... Amphibious has a hunting article from the 30s or something where guides were claiming that .357MAG was PERFECT for Grizzly Bear and that anything more was overkill....
You don't need a howitzer to take down a moose....
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Don't be too sure, elephants are pretty big!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7x57mm_Mauser
"This made it popular in Africa, where it was used on animals up to and including elephants, for which it was particularly favoured by noted ivory hunter W. D. M. Bell, who shot 1,011 elephants using a 7x57mm rifle, when most ivory hunters were using larger-caliber rifles."
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
Lots of old school Elephant hunters were using 7x57,6.5 MS, 303 brit. etc.
These were not Boiler room shots....were talking frontal Brain shots from ranges you wouldnt' care to try from yourself.....usually a bang flop affair.
These were not Boiler room shots....were talking frontal Brain shots from ranges you wouldnt' care to try from yourself.....usually a bang flop affair.
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Dont know at all what you are talking about. The .308 is a VERY popular hunting round in Ontario.
I have one and love it
I have one and love it
- Location
- Georgetown Ontario
I use the .308 to for moose, Deer and target. I have 3 .308's love them all and will probably buy some more.
No you got my point wrong... its not that the 7mm Mag cannot do the job... its that the 308 being 30 cal is well suited for the job. The 7mm I used in my 2 kills worked. Neither one was what I would call a bang and drop. Both were
boiler room shots and both managed to travel 100 yards before turning out the lights. Funny thing was when I dressed them all I found was bits of jacket left of the Federal Silvertip 7mm. On the 308 kills I did find nicely formed expanded slugs. Maybe a cowinkiedick but that was twice.
Whoops ... I guess I am out of this discussion... I ment to say Winchester silver tips and cramped up... ohhh I am going to pay...
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Our moose camp has eight guys, six use the 308, two the 30-06.
I do take other cartridges on occasion, such as the 45-70, 303Br, or 30-30.
Of the ten guys at deer camp, there are at least 3 that regularly use the 308.
I do take other cartridges on occasion, such as the 45-70, 303Br, or 30-30.
Of the ten guys at deer camp, there are at least 3 that regularly use the 308.
You can drop a moose with a 22 if shot placement is right. it comes down to what you are comfortable shooting and what you can actually hit what you are aiming at. most guys forget to spend time at the range understanding their gun. Some fellow need a 50cal to drop a moose others can do it with a slingshot.
