Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Anyone use a .308 rifle

You don't hear much of folks using the .308 in Alaska. Is it popular or really used for hunting, it would make a great mountain carry riffle caliber.

Yes.

Anytime I'm not on Admiralty or after the big furry guys go to bed!!!

I have a .30-06 with 17 inch barrel which I would guess has equivalent velocity to a 22" .308. Maybe even less - have not chroned it. Use it a lot. Works fine. Have taken caribou with it to almost 400 yards, sheep to over 300, a number of moose, a couple black bear. Nice carry gun.

My .243 and .260 work also, tho I've taken fewer animals with them

It isn't so much what one hits them with as where, within reason, given good bullet construction and range considerations. And of course pucker factor.

Same here

The 308 is one of my favorite rifles and I've probably used it more than anything else - have certainly carried it more. One of my favorite and most productive bullets has been the 139 Interlock........ that's a .284 diameter bullet BTW

[quote=las]I have a .30-06 with 17 inch barrel which I would guess has equivalent velocity to a 22" .308. Maybe even less - have not chroned it. Use it a lot. Works fine. Have taken caribou with it to almost 400 yards, sheep to over 300, a number of moose, a couple black bear. Nice carry gun.

I also have a 17"bbl .30-06. Federal 180gr Power Shoks give 2505fps. 150gr CoreLokts with 56gr of IMR4350 go 2545fps. At 6.6lbs all up it's joy to use.

I've hunted Kodiak and Afognak as well as the interior with the 300 Savage in both a 99 and a bolt rifle. I guess that's pretty much the same thing as using a 308.

And while I don't reach for one of the 300s first when heading off after a brown bear I wouldn't say I'm afraid of them if that's all I'm carrying either.

My wife carries a BSA Majestic in 308. It works on moose.

I grew up with a BSA .308, great gun which is deadly in the300-400 yard range. Passed her down to my son who has taken some big moose with it. Great gun

What bullets/ammo are you using and a Leupold 3-9x40mm should be plenty enough magnification. Some guy's like the 130gr TSX, 150gr Core-lokts and the 165gr NP for hunting the -48 states.

150gr Hornady IL or Nosler Btips in my 300s. Been using 150gr Normas lately but I'm almost out. Shot a 150 Hornady out of my 99 into a middlin sized blacktail on Kodiak from the front, bullet angled down from the base of his neck and exited the bottom by the last rib then went back in his leg and smashed the knee joint and exited again. Point being I don't think you need to get too worked up about bullets at the velocities you'll be talking, just pick one that shoots well.

Maybe Waterrat will chime in, his Mrs has killed some big stuff with an old 722 and the 165 Nosler if I'm not mistaken.

My Boys used a old Browning BLR in 308 Win when they were young and learning to hunt moose. With 180gr Nosler Part bullets and IMR 4064 we done quilte well but we kept our shots on moose under 250 yards.

Now they shoot 300 Win and 338 Win.

This coming fall I'm using my .308 Rem TI on my moose hunt.
Most likely be using Barnes Tsxs

I typically run the 150 TTSX or 150 NPT Gold. Plan on trying the 130 TTSX w/ CFE-223 just to see . . .

I've taken a lot of game with my Sako .308 and Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40. I use 150TTSX for virtually everything but have used 168TSX on deer, elk and black bear. I don't feel under gunned but have a .338 should I need to step up in power. The whole package is about 7lbs and is a pussycat to carry and shoot.

While I have never been all that whipped up about Barnes TSX bullets, that's the one my wife's rifle likes best and it performed perfectly on her moose. I'm at work on the slope right now so can't tell you what powder I used. Her rifle wears a Leupold VXII 1-4X.

While still hunting with rifles (mid-70's - 1991) I used everything from 375 H&H to 308 with just about everything in between. I've killed lots of moose and caribou with a 308 through the years and have complete confidence in it except for brownies. If you hit a moose or sheep or or sitka blacktail or caribou broadside with a 308 you will not need anything more. The 308 is a fine cartridge and proves that super magnums (which I've owned and used) are not needed.