308s worth buying?

Coleith said:
Are 308 rifles really as good as I glorify them out to be in my head? Folks try and say you need magnum caliber rifles to hunt big game but I honestly believe that a good ol 308 can take down any animal in north America efficiently. Am I mistaken? Should I be leaning towards the 7mm rem mag or a 30-06?
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Inside a couple hundred meters whatever caliber/cartridge you're thinking of is pretty much the same. Barring the extremes.

They go deep enough to disrupt vital organs badly enough that they stop doing the vital stuff that makes them...well, vital. Done.
 
308, 30-06 or the likes are just fine for pretty much anything in North America( up here 30-06 is the minimum for bison even though…)
I’ve hunted here in the Yukon land of monster moose, bison and dangerous grizzly bears for 29 years and never felt I needed more than my 30-06’s, I have other bigger gun but I don’t need them!
I keep my shots inside 300m and really 99% of my shot on games have been inside 150m
So 308 would do just fine!
 
DGY said:
308, 30-06 or the likes are just fine for pretty much anything in North America( up here 30-06 is the minimum for bison even though…)
I’ve hunted here in the Yukon land of monster moose, bison and dangerous grizzly bears for 29 years and never felt I needed more than my 30-06’s, I have other bigger gun but I don’t need them!
I keep my shots inside 300m and really 99% of my shot on games have been inside 150m
So 308 would do just fine!
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How hard is it for someone to find a Yukon resident with a guiding license for the bison?

Pretty much the only compelling reason I see to own a 30-06 (thats not a Garand lol)
 
Joel said:
How hard is it for someone to find a Yukon resident with a guiding license for the bison?

Pretty much the only compelling reason I see to own a 30-06 (thats not a Garand lol)
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Hmmmm I’m not sure how easy it to find an outfitter that does bison hunts….
I’m sure there is some though
 
270WSMXBolt said:
Two posts and stirring the pot... No... it's not anymore... so much more can be accomplished with other cartridges..
Will it work? Yes.. depending as with anything on size and placement.. but it's old and outdated for hunting and is borderline as an ethical cartridge in many cases.. There's a big difference between paper and furball at 300 and you haven't said what you hunt and how far you shoot them at. The 7rem mag you mention is far more capable than the 308 so you already know the truth. There are guides that won't let you shoot several species in North America with it as well as regulations that don't allow it.. Simply not enough energy for the big stuff. The 30-06 is capable with heavy rounds but the 308win doesn't meet the regs. for Bison in BC. You may be able to handload something to produce the required energy, but factory loads won't cut mustard. Handloads are unproven energy values so even if you did manage to make it perform like superman it wouldn't be legal technically. You should come out west and see what a big critter looks like. Cheers
300PRC and it stands there wagging it's tail and taking a dump after two shots in the lungs.. sits down then gets back up before a third shot in the boiler.
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You know, if you aren’t intentionally trying to stir the pot with this nonsense then you are doing a great job of it unintentionally.

As much as energy is something that is pretty much meaningless when it comes to killing, there likely isn’t a 175gr factory loading for the 308 win that DOESN’T meet the energy criteria for bison in BC.
 
KodiakHntr said:
You know, if you aren’t intentionally trying to stir the pot with this nonsense then you are doing a great job of it unintentionally.

As much as energy is something that is pretty much meaningless when it comes to killing, there likely isn’t a 175gr factory loading for the 308 win that DOESN’T meet the energy criteria for bison.
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I agree. The 308 is perfectly capable of killing critters. however it's substandard in the 308win version for numerous and for many reasons on several species. I don't need to elaborate... Your understanding of what I'm saying says it all.. To be clear.. I'm not pooh pooing a 308win... it's not appropriate however for certain hunts as defined by law in my area. cheers
 
1riot1ranger said:
There's no cartridge in the world that doesn't require the hunter/marksman to have some skill and the ability to place the shot in a vital zone. Some cartridges offer the advantage of being "flatter" than others. Some deliver more terminal energy than others.

The chief advantages of the .308 are:
1) wide availability of platforms/rifles
2) ammunition is easy to access
3) with proper shot placement, almost nothing on 4 legs (in North America) is beyond the capability of the cartridge
4) Inexpensive access to "surplus" ammunition

I'm a huge advocate for marksmanship in hunting. You need to understand your "circular error probable". I.e. your ability to hit the vital zone of an animal at whatever range. I've met some hunters who are excellent shots (my dad, for example) and others (my dad's friend Gary) who can't hit an 8" plate at 200 yards.

The biggest advantage of the .308 over, say, Weatherby ammo, is that if you don't handload, the access to inexpensive practice ammunition is reasonable. You can, with only a small investment, develop your skills and build competencies to hit that "vital zone" at whatever range you are competent at. And build out that range and your competency.

The Tikka T3X Compact Lite is one of my favourite rifles. I think it's an exceptional platform that's affordable and very "customizable". I've got one and have been working on building it out into a new, modern "General Purpose" or "Scout" Rifle. (Note: I also have a Steyr Scout in .308. Bought it years ago, and I think the Tikka rivals it in most respects. Light, accurate, great trigger and half the price of the Steyr.)

There may be cartridges that are "superior" to the .308 in terms of lethality and "flatness", but none of them can touch the .308 in terms of affordability and accessibility. "Practice makes perfect," and that's why I love the .308. The affordability of practice.
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This is a cartridge, with a case. Largest one actually. And I tend to argue the fact there isn't a single cartridge in the world that doesn't have to be placed in the vitals...pretty sure I could hit a deer right in the guts, and this would get the job done...lol

But for almost all cartridges, yes.
 

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Personally, I prefer the.30-06 over the.308 on bison. But it's a matter of taste.

The aught 6 is superior in any aspect to the.08.

Yeah, it's a bit more money for reloading due to higher powder capacity of the case and delivers a bit more perceived kick and is a long action cartridge which wouldn't really matter in a 98 action, IMHO.

To each their own. Nothing wrong with the.308. However, I don't need one.
 
Coleith said:
Are 308 rifles really as good as I glorify them out to be in my head? Folks try and say you need magnum caliber rifles to hunt big game but I honestly believe that a good ol 308 can take down any animal in north America efficiently. Am I mistaken? Should I be leaning towards the 7mm rem mag or a 30-06?
Click to expand...

If you encountered something in the wild that couldn't be taken out by 308, then what you need is air strike or orbital bombardment.
 
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