Is 308 good enough

[PredatorSlayer]

Cartridge discussions always illicit emotional, often times inaccurate or misguided responses. The question should be will a 168gr-180gr bullet kill an elk? The answer is 100% yes.

 

[Broomd]

.308 has worked well for me with Nosler 165 Accubonds; mine is also a shorter barrel as well (19")

My exact setup and load as well, kilt many deer and elk!

 

[House21]

If you don’t hand load I would look for some 150gr cx hornady superformance. It’ll carry enough velocity out to 400 yards to expand and will penetrate deep enough from any angle.

 

[rifletuner]

The 308 Win remains an outstanding choice for most game

 

[peaches]

Cartridge discussions always illicit emotional, often times inaccurate or misguided responses. The question should be will a 168gr-180gr bullet kill an elk? The answer is 100% yes.

130 TTSX is wicked started above 3k too. Not really a need to go heavier.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

130 TTSX is wicked started above 3k too. Not really a need to go heavier.

That is a valid point. The point I was trying to make is that a 160gr bullet will kill an elk. Doesn’t matter if it is from a 308, 7mm, or 6.5.

Same could be said for 130gr bullets. Is it adequate for elk? I say yes. Does it matter if that 130gr bullet comes from a 300 win, 270, 308, 6.5 or 25-06? I dont think so. What will change is the effective range based on min velocity for bullet expansion.

 

[Mpaschke7]

I love the 308, built my son one this year and he was able to get his first bull with it

 

[Lytro]

KSRancher : beware those SST's for elk. I have had bad experiences with them (180 grain Hornady SST, some handloaded before they were readily available from factory) exploding on elk, especially at closer ranges. I have stopped using them for elk. Better suited for deer, imo. went back to 165 grain Core Lok because that is about all i can find! Shooting .30 06. same bullet as .308 out of a different cartridge.

I've had good experiences with SST's on elk out of my 7RM. One shot kills with 162 gr factory loads in the past, and 154 gr handloads this year. Everything has surprisingly been taken from 220 yards and in, where I would assume they would be the least effective.

 

[mac53]

I do not reload so it will be factory ammo.
I know that I need to shoot it to find the best for it but what factory load to start with?

 

[Travis907]

The 308 will definitely do the trick on elk. Match it with a good bullet and hit the mountains! Best of luck to ya

 

[intunegp]

I do not reload so it will be factory ammo.
I know that I need to shoot it to find the best for it but what factory load to start with?

I've had good luck with Nosler Trophy Grade 165gr Accubonds, Hornady SST Superformance 165gr, and Sig Sauer Elite Hunter 165gr. Ultimately what load you start with doesn't matter as much as finding one that performs well in your rifle. When I got my .308 I purchased six or seven boxes of ammo ranging from 150gr to 180gr and then settled on the 165s. Then I started shooting different 165gr loads and the differences between the three I listed are negligible out of my gun.

 

[cs1]

If you’re having to go the factory route I would start with Federal blue box 150 grainers. I have found them to be available a lot of places recently and they’re normally the most inexpensive soft point 308 on the shelf.
They have proved very accurate in both my 308’s for getting them on paper and for field practice (Savage 110 and RR serial # range M700).

 

[Newtosavage]

Probably beat to death but here goes.

Is a 308 good enough for elk?

I have 2 300-win mags and the more I shoot them the more I find that I don't care for the recoil (getting old I guess)
So I have been rethinking my caliber choice for my Elk hunt, Thinking 308 would be a good compromise of bullet weight and recoil. I already have one in the safe.

So what do you all think? My longest shot maybe 400 yards but I will always try to get closer.
Also considering the 270 that I use for Deer hunting.

Thanks in advance.

I don't know that much about killing elk but it sure seems like Randy Newberg (and many others) do just fine with a .308 or even 7mm-08 every year.

The latest load I discovered for my .308 is giving me 30-06-like performance and makes me wonder why I ever bothered to carry around an '06 years ago. Modern bullets and powders make today's .308 better than your grandpa's '06, and they certainly accounted for a ton of elk in the past 100 years.

Don't overthink it. A well designed bullet located properly will result in a dead elk.

 

[S-3 ranch]

308 I am shooting Norma 150gr, everything with in 350 meters has been one short DRT , the barns ttsx 150 is a punching SOB also

 

[Tbonespop]

A 308 is the same thing as a 30-06 except minus about 75 yards of range. Definitely good out to 400, might push 450 yards at the most if you do your part correctly with a good quality bullet. I run a Nosler Accubond or Nosler E-Tip, 168 grain in 308. That seems to be the sweet spot in terms of BC, energy, and velocity for bullet expansion. A 165 grain is perfectly good too. Rock solid setup for elk or deer. I'd shorten the range to 300 yards if using it for bear or moose. But again, a 308 is the same as a 30-06 as far as what the animal gets hit with. You just get about 75 more yards of distance out of an 06, which has taken every animal in north America for decades. Its a great caliber, low cost, lots of options, easy to find rounds, cheap to practice with, low recoil. Absolutely a 308 will do the job.

 

[Tnjones1247]

Did the trick yesterday on a cow. Federal trophy bonded tip. Didn't take 10 steps.

 

[Otter86]

Absolutely fine for elk just make sure you have the right bullet

 

[Skerhunter]

I've had good experiences with SST's on elk out of my 7RM. One shot kills with 162 gr factory loads in the past, and 154 gr handloads this year. Everything has surprisingly been taken from 220 yards and in, where I would assume they would be the least effective.

I can confirm the SST's don't get the best penetration for closer/higher velocity shots! We have shot a pile of deer and antelope, with .308 and .270. ~150 and in I"m taking neck and head shots or they may run a little on you. At 200-400+ they work great!

 

[Tbonespop]

The 308 is an excellent round out to about 400 yards for most animals in north America. I've posted the following in other threads before but I think it needs to be said more often so people hear it again. Very few hunters should be taking shots over 400 yards from my experience. I get this is a hunting/shooting website and most people on here are beyond being just a hobbyist, and fall into the extreme enthusiast or even zealot categories. This may not necessarily apply to you, but carry this message to others you know. Most hunters are just hobbyists. A 400 yard shot is a long shot. Shooting an animal in the field after hiking up or down a ridgeline breathing heavy is not like shooting from a bench off a lead sled at the range. Trying to find a super stable shooting position on the side of a mountain isn't always easy. Ever try to lay prone on the side of a canyon while shooting down or across into a canyon? A bullet has the most pronounced effect from gravity resulting in bullet drop across a flat ground. But its not the same when shooting up a mountain or down into a canyon, when you get beyond about 400 yards. Within 400 yards, the effect of elevation is <6" depending on the conditions. But when you get past 400 yards, the bullet drop gets a significantly bigger effect when shooting up or down. Recoil - do you flinch or are you rock solid. Most hunters flinch to some extent unless they shoot A LOT.

In order to get good at taking animals ethically at longer distances, one needs to practice shooting your rifle at those distances and in those conditions. You need to dope your rifle for elevation loss or gain. You have to be used to the recoil and not flinch. You need to find the best ways to get comfortable shooting in the field and not just from a bench rest. You have to spend time learning how to shoot in windy conditions at longer distances. The bottom line is, you have to practice real world scenarios, not just range practice.

Practice means shooting a lot of ammo. If you ammo is expensive, you won't practice as much. Practice means shooting your rifle a lot. If your rifle kicks like a mule and beats you up, you won't practice as much as you should and therefore you won't be ready when the time comes. Accuracy comes from practice, real world scenario practice. There are tons of weapons and optics to shoot long ranges. Its not the tool, its the operator. Practice, practice, practice - and in the real world conditions.

For the reasons above, I'm a big fan of the 308s and 30-06s. Inexpensive and widely available ammo. Guns don't beat your shoulder up too bad (sure, most people can take recoil for 1 or 2 shots, but shoot 80 rounds on a practice day with a 338 and get back to me on that). The 30-06 will take big north American game animals out to 500 yards and the 308 out to ~425 yards. My advice to people is to get really good at shooting at those distances and don't waste your money going beyond that.

Now, I get there are enthusiasts and zealots that are into long range shooting. The above doesn't apply to you, because I assume you already know it. I'm talking about the average hunter. And for those folks, the 308 is an excellent round.

 

[JVS]

Dang right its good enough!
Modern day powders sure makes these short action calibers shine.