need advice on .308Win hunting rifle
- Thread starter pilgrim
- Start date
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
I've tried Tikka rifles and like them a lot. I'm also a HUGE fan of the .308, though I don't own one. Are you looking for a backup "all-around" rifle? Then the .308 is a great choice. Truthfully, neither of these cartridges will do anything the other can't, under pretty much any real-world conditions. Having one of each would be great.
I wouldn't feel undergunned for any North American game except grizzly and bison with a .308, and in fact I have faith in the .308 to take those as well....but there are much better out there.
Why do I even read these posts? Now I want a .308 too!
I wouldn't feel undergunned for any North American game except grizzly and bison with a .308, and in fact I have faith in the .308 to take those as well....but there are much better out there.
Why do I even read these posts? Now I want a .308 too!
Browning A-bolt-use moly 150gr CT bullets and you will never need another gun in Canada. (Need has nothing to do with want!) Put a leupold variable on it and it's the perfect .308. Mine's a synthetic stock that I like for hunting, but I have a wood stock one as well.
I personally would get a Remington Model Seven CDL in 308, Talley light mounts, and a Leupold that suits your budget. Nothing bigger than a 3-9x40
308 is a great round, aint much ya cant do with a premium 165 gr. bullet @ 2600-2700 fps
308 is a great round, aint much ya cant do with a premium 165 gr. bullet @ 2600-2700 fps
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
One of the great qualities of the .308 is low recoil. I'd buy a regular 7 lb rifle and avoid the lightweights....but then I don't like a lightweight rifle in anything bigger than .260 or 7mm-08 Rem. Just my preference.
I like the 308 because it is a short action and when you are up to your ass in aligators there is less of a chance of short stroking the action.
It is a very accurate cartridge and if I am not mistaken alot of bench rest shooters use the 308.
It is a very accurate cartridge and if I am not mistaken alot of bench rest shooters use the 308.
Having a 308 is nice if you have access to a lot of milsurp ammo for plinking. Plus you can handload the thing 7 ways from Sunday. Mine's a custom 700 BDL SSDM with a 19" barrel, medium contour. With a 150 partition, it flattens anything in the deer category. A 165 would work great for larger stuff.( but then so does my 35 Whelen with a 250 Speer.)
The other nice thing about having a 308 is you can find ammo for it damn near anywhere in Canada. Great if you run out or loose your stash. Plus if you don't handload, there's a ton of variety to chose from.
Elkman, if you pull that off, tell me how you did it so I can try the same on my GF!
The other nice thing about having a 308 is you can find ammo for it damn near anywhere in Canada. Great if you run out or loose your stash. Plus if you don't handload, there's a ton of variety to chose from.
Elkman, if you pull that off, tell me how you did it so I can try the same on my GF!
My first rifle was (is) a Winchester M70 (Coyote) in .308 with a walnut stock, leupold mounts and a Elite 3200 6x24x50 scope and a varmit barrel and I take it to LRRP to their urban counter sniper comp. Only been handload and shooting it for a bit over a year and a half and I placed 3rd in the bolt action category with my own ammo at the Feb match. I have yet to get my skill up to the level this gun can shoot at.
.308 is a very forgiving cartridge if you're new to reloading and its a very flexible one as well, with never a worry about a gun store or Canadian Tire carrying your round. You can make a good investment in a quality .308 in your brand of choice for dual target/hunting use without making any compromises. If you're on a budget, its a great starter caliber and you have a lot of choice when shopping, new or used. I highly recommend it for what my opinion is as a newb shooter and hunter is worth.
.308 is a very forgiving cartridge if you're new to reloading and its a very flexible one as well, with never a worry about a gun store or Canadian Tire carrying your round. You can make a good investment in a quality .308 in your brand of choice for dual target/hunting use without making any compromises. If you're on a budget, its a great starter caliber and you have a lot of choice when shopping, new or used. I highly recommend it for what my opinion is as a newb shooter and hunter is worth.
I hunted for years with the 308. Deer,moose, blackbear. I never had it fail me and never used anything more than the 150 gr speer grand slam. I also have started other hunters on this round, it is an excellent choice. I appreciate the ease and availibility of ammo even though I load myself. Every Canadain Tire in Canada has 308 on the shelf. I only left it to get a 7mm-08. Now that is my rifle of choice. I would say there is no point in swapping a perfectly good 308 for a 708 but then we wouldn't have this forum to debate the merits of each and things like sectional density and kinetic energy wouldn't keep me up at night. Get the 308 and don't look back.
Here's another way to look at it - although it's different depending on the loads, when it comes to terminal performance on game a 308 is exactly the same in all practical respects as a 30-06 shot about 40 yards farther.
In other words - hitting a deer with a 308 at 200 yards is no different than hitting the animal with a 30-06 at 240. The same is basically true of ballistics too.
So what do you 'gain' in trade for that 30-40 yards? Short action - low recoil - cheap and easy to reload so you can practice yer butt off (Which is the most important factor in killing animals) and inherently accurate as a rule.
So from a 'practical' point of view, you give up very little indeed over a 30-06 (which can kill just about anything loaded right) and you do gain some advantages. With a 150 grain x-bullet in it for hunting you're good for any big game in north america except the big bears, and you can use cheap ammo for practice - being proficient with your gun will kill more game than anything else.
Consider this - even with factory ammo loaded with a 150 grain barnes x bullet, you're only 6 inches low at 300 yards, and you've got over 1500 ft/lbs of game stomping energy - and penetration will be great. That's more than enough for moose, it's way more than you need for deer, and you wouldn't have to 'hold over' on either animal at all.
Its a fine cartridge. Grab a loading kit and you'll save even more money and you can go crazy at the range.
In other words - hitting a deer with a 308 at 200 yards is no different than hitting the animal with a 30-06 at 240. The same is basically true of ballistics too.
So what do you 'gain' in trade for that 30-40 yards? Short action - low recoil - cheap and easy to reload so you can practice yer butt off (Which is the most important factor in killing animals) and inherently accurate as a rule.
So from a 'practical' point of view, you give up very little indeed over a 30-06 (which can kill just about anything loaded right) and you do gain some advantages. With a 150 grain x-bullet in it for hunting you're good for any big game in north america except the big bears, and you can use cheap ammo for practice - being proficient with your gun will kill more game than anything else.
Consider this - even with factory ammo loaded with a 150 grain barnes x bullet, you're only 6 inches low at 300 yards, and you've got over 1500 ft/lbs of game stomping energy - and penetration will be great. That's more than enough for moose, it's way more than you need for deer, and you wouldn't have to 'hold over' on either animal at all.
Its a fine cartridge. Grab a loading kit and you'll save even more money and you can go crazy at the range.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
After some thought, I have a slightly different suggestion for your general purpose .308. Why not try a full custom rig? That way you can pick the components you prefer...CRF or push feed, hinged floor plate or DBM, barrel length and weight would be at your discretion, as would be the choice between carbon and stainless steel. You could choose between a scout scope, and a conventional scope, and between a ghost ring and post or express sights and front bead. The stock can actually be made to fit you, and the combinations of stock materials, bedding and stock designs are out of this world. Will this approach cost more than an off the shelf Remington M-7 or a Ruger 77? Sure it will, but maybe not as much as you think. Besides, the rifle you end up with will be unique, and due to the close attention a gunsmith can give a "made one at a time rifle", it will be far superior than either.
