.308 for Elk

[MountainMan83]

I have hunted whitetails with my .308 Browning BLR since 1986. Now that I live in the mountains of Colorado and I am transitioning to Elk hunting I was planning on moving to a bolt 7prc or 7rem mag but budget will not allow me to do it this year.

So....how many of you hunt elk with a .308?

My plan for this year was to continue to use my .308 but keep shot distance to 300yds. I have downed whitetails at 300 yards with my BLR but with these bigger bodied elk, would you feel comfortable shooting them at 300yds and in?

Love my 308! I currently use Barnes 168 TTSX in my Savage 110 storm which makes for tight groups at 100 yards. I have taken 7 elk with mine and none of them made it more than 50 yards. I would be comfortable shooting out to 400 yards if I knew I could make the shot. Get a good bullet and shoot them in the boiler room and you won’t have any issues.

 

[peaches]

One more fan of the 308, but skip the target bullets and try a 130g TTSX or plain jane 165g interlock.

 

[Five-Pointer]

The .308 has been my favorite rifle. Hand me down gift from dad when I was 14 and first hunt, it hasn’t let me down since. Savage model 99E. I’ve gotten better shooting out of it since I installed muzzle break 20 yrs back, and since I started shooting Barnes 165 TTSX bullets. I will occasionally shoot nosler accubonds, and they are just as good. I’ve taken many elk and deer with it. I have a 7mmmag, but prefer to tote the .308 in the hills. It gives me a nostalgic feeling when I do!

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Replace your scope and rings. If on a budget look at the Trijicon Huron line with the hunter BDC reticle, they are proven scopes. Get a chronograph, rangefinder, then learn your dope and practice from field positions.

Dead elk will result.

 

[sneaky]

Nothing on this continent that'll walk away from a 175gr Terminal Ascent out of that 308 under 400 yards. Factory loads have shot great in multiple rifles for friends of mine, and they hammer out of my 280AI also. You can only kill something so dead.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Iceman661]

I had this same question. A lot of positive responses in favor of the .308
I guess it goes back to the “ shot placement over stopping power “ principle.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

It's more that "stopping power" doesn't exist.

 

[MountainSide]

I've shot a number of moose with a 308 Win, but it might be marginal for elk . 130 ttsx, 150 ttsx, and 180 partitions all worked...

 

[Ringbill27]

If your aren’t shooting past 300yds is there even a point to go to a 7prc or similar?

 

[Lelder]

welcome Mudshack! i think you were just seeing if any of us wanted to take that BLR off your hands, okay ill take one for the team lol. I love my 308 for elk as the others have said bullet selection and shot placement are the keys. i love sierra gameking 180's but have killed elk with a bonded 150gr. i think its worth noting that a lot of guys with the big magnums do not shoot them well due to lack of practice because of the heavy recoil

 

[silencedmajority]

I've killed several with a model 70 chambered in .308, I always preferred either Nosler Accubond or Partitions, 165 to 180 gr.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I haven't used the .308 cartridge specifically but every 30 caliber I've used which is to include the 30-06 and 300 Win mag, have been equally effective on elk. The .308 Winchester is a fantastic choice within the range the projectile has required expansion characteristics. Bullet weight is a constant. More bullet weight with the proper expansion is a good thing. All else equal, will cause more damage with equal expansion characteristics at the same velocity vs smaller cartridges.

 

[Woody26]

Killed my 1st bull with a 308 using 168 bergers. Took 2 bullets through the boiler room at 498. It wouldn't be my first choice but it'll get the job done.

 

[Cantshoot]

my BLRs are some of the most accurate rifles I have you’ll be fine.

 

[davsco]

I have hunted whitetails with my .308 Browning BLR since 1986.

that was my exact first hunting rifle, around that same timeframe. def got some whitetails with it! what a sweet and smooth gun! i bought it because ima lefty and there weren't a lot of lefty options back then so the lever seemed a good compromise.

i'd think a 308 inside 300 yds would be just fine for elk. and you being very experienced and comfortable with that gun def helps.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Good point. I have been shooting 165gr Sierra Gamekings for years because my gun loves them and shoots postage stamps at 100yds (MOA).

You will be fine with that bullet and it will drop the biggest bull you can find, just ensure that the velocity is above 1800 fps so the bullet does what it is designed to do, I would not hesitate to shoot an elk with a .308 at all, guys are killing them with a .223 or .243 with good bullets like game tmk, tgk’s eld-m/x all the time

 

[35WhelenAI]

Push a 130 TTSX to 3200 fps from any .308 and it carries 1 fps over 2200 out to 500 yards at 8,000 FT elevation which is not a-typical elk hunting territory. 2,200 FPS for a TTSX in any caliber has dire terminal performance consequences. Call on a higher BC frangible bullet with lower expansion threshold and I suspect that bullet would carry the day to that range and at least a bit beyond.