Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting looking for good .308 bullet for elk

Speaking for the .308 only, I have killed several elk with the 180gr Sierra round nose. Don't have a lot of comment, I shot them, put the bullet where it needed to go and they fell over. My memory is not all that good but as I recall of the over 40 elk I have killed, only three were past about 150 yards.
I hunt timber or small pockets. Those that hunt later seasons in the sage brush have different experiences.

For someone who has never hunted elk before, I'd sure limit my shots a lot closer than 500-600 yards

So you want a good bullet that will drop elk regardless of range or velocity out to 800 yards? just so long as it's a .308, right?

hmmmmm. maybe you need to start your search a little differently.
pick one rifle you have that you carry well and shoot better than the rest. find what bullet it likes, I would start with the 180 partition or accubond, maybe the BT. then I would practice with it out to 600 yards until I was 10 for 10 at random yardages out to that far, practice practice practice as often as you can before your hunt. then when your time comes to hunt, keep your shots under 400 yards.

I never practice just to my max hunting distance. I practice well beyond that.

The most probable way you "will mess this up" will be because you miss a standing or slowly moving Elk @ less than 100 yards.

2ND most possible way is that you will only get 3 seconds to mount, aim and fire at a moving Elk @ less than 50 yards and you won't do all three in time.

Use the quickest to mount, fastest to aim-and-fire rifle that you have. failing that: use the one you shoot the best.

PS: Many decades ago I killed 5 nice Bulls in a row with a .308 Win Model 88 using 180 grain Rem factory ammo. It was excellent for that work because it was (relatively) short and fast with more than adequate power.

be prepared for a 4 to six foot drop,at the ranges you are talking about..

Thanks for the input fellows. I hope to get one in bow range but want to be able to close the deal with a long ethical shot also if that's all I have. I have shot my 308's to 800 with no problem with some 175's and CFE 223 but wouldn't shoot that far on an elk with it. If I take my 308 it will be for shorter work. The reason I ask this was in hopes to get a bullet with good terminal ballistics at ling range with muzzle velocities of 2700-3100fps (depending on bullet weight and cartridge used) on an elk size animal. Around here we only have small game, such as whitetail that are on average 130# dressed for a mature buck, lots of coyote's and hogs. Shooting long range is probably one of my favorite past times just below spending time with my kids. I shoot my 223's a lot from 400-600 yards with 69gr sierra's with a straight 10x scope. We use 5" balloons and sometimes go to 700 with a gallon jug filled with water and red dye. I have a custom 300wsm that jim see that owned center shot rifles that I have taken to 1000 with 178gr amax and some AA4350 and a SS 20x scope. Also another custom 6.5X284 I bought here from wifowler that shoots lights out and have put a 6shot group in 1.3" at 309yds. I don't believe in unethical shots, had a buck 2 years ago that I was almost 100% sure he was at 850yds as I have shot at plates at same place he was but my leupold range finder wouldn't come on so I passed ( I have a leica 1600B now) . If the animal is not setting still or if I have doubt I will pass. I wanted to get opinions on the bullet so I can start getting my load and start practice now. I have nothing to prove to the na sayers on here but thanks to all the positive comments.

shootin elk in the next county is funny,i live in eastern oregon in the desert, long shots like that just dont much happen.my cousins do in wyoming shootin speed goats though.there might be a few tommy tacicals but not many locals

You've gotten an earful over the distance already so let me get to what you actually asked. Go with the RUM or Win Mag & 200gr Accubond. Practice your ass off with that rifle until you are more than proficient, but so you shoot as second nature. You MUST practice in field positions, conditions, and at angles. Much has to do with the area, but you can expect big elevation changes from day to day. Getting in shape starting now will help you when it's time to control your breathing. Most commonly, as others have mentioned, are short quick shots at moving animals. If you can consistantly make shot's on hogs or coyotes out to 600 and practice beyond that you will be fine as long as you can respect the wind.

Long shot's have to be done when you have time to make the shot, which requires not only ranging but reading wind. The wind and the animal moving are what makes it difficult.

I passed an opportunity last year at a amazing bull because of distance. It's the first one I've passed up on distance alone since I started elk hunting in '83. My favorite has been a 250gr .338 bullet out of a quick pointing easy carrying rifle. There are places I carry a .308W with 180's because it is a 16" barrel with a 1.5x scope that is the quickest to shouler that I'm comfortable making longer shots with if need be. As of yet, I've never shot it beyond 150yd or so at an animal. My closest was tweleve steps.

190 LRAB

nosler partition or acubomb or barnes ttsx all work very well.you also dont need a magnum for elk,a 308 or 30-06 or 7mm-08 is enuff.but what ever caliber you use practice is what will fill your tag.find what your rifle likes for bullets and loads,not whats popular.it dont take alot of speed and size to kill,shot placement and penetration is everything.i want to see a pic of ya with that elk this winter

Is that a hunting bullet? Thanks James

Get in shape, figure out how to find elk on public ground.

Those should be your priorities as a first time elk hunter.

Fuggin' crickets..

I hope to f-u-c-k the OP isn't coming to Montana.

Exactly!!!

How did you know, believe I will bring my Barrett with 660gr fmj

Wow! A Barrett!!

Really?

Wow. I shoot clay pigeons at 600 using 9x scopes. It's hard, but it can be done. (A 14x makes it much easier.)

Elk at 600 are still big targets at 9x.

Yep. I wear them out at 300 using my little Mark AR scope which tops out at 3.9x magnification.

sounds like a bunch of guys arguing who has the biggest dick.

You're projecting. Other guys' dicks are prominent in your thought processes.