Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 308 WIN an adequate elk caliber???

I have a chance to go elk hunting? Is 308 Winc big enough for elk.

Bill

Plenty..

And then some...

I've never been but....I would not hesitate using a 308 or
a 7/08 for that matter on one...Even if I had a chance to
shoot a record book elk or a big moose...ymmv...

Only on days that end in a "y"...

If you have to ask, the answer is "no."

I hate to be rude and blunt but that's a noob question. If you don't know the answer, you don't know enough to make the necessary assessments in the field to know which shots will give you a clean kill and which lead to a lot of tracking of an elk you'll lose.

In the hands of someone who understands, and lives within, its limitations, the .25-20 will kill elk. However, you don't hunt 'em with a .25-20 in all the places you'd hunt them with a .338 RUM, nor would you take all the shots.

I think you should find an experienced "hand" to show you the elk hunting ropes, help you gain some understanding of what the strengths and weaknesses of various cartridges, bullets, rifles, scopes, etc are, how to figure out what your combination does well so you can hunt to its strengths instead of being handicapped by its weaknesses.

Tom

Centex Bill:

Sure, a .308 will do the job just fine.

I hunt elk with a 30-06 and 180 grain Nosler Partitions with Spitzer points hand-loaded to perform like a .300 magnum (61 grains RE22 compressed � 2,800 fps). BTW the trajectory is identical to Federal Premium 30-06, 150 grain Sierra Game King BTSP so I can use the same rifle for deer and elk without adjusting my scope. You can also get the same trajectory and improve accuracy using Federal Premium 30-06, 180 grain Trophy Bonded Tip. But I�m not convinced that the Accubonds will hold together like a Partition.

I think the middle calibers, anything from as small as .270 to as big as .338 magnum, are best suited for elk hunting. I recommend a minimum of 150 grain premium controlled expansion bullets. A 30-30 will kill an elk but its� range is limited to about 200 yards. It�s my opinion that anything bigger than a .338mag is more gun than necessary and I don�t enjoy the recoil of those big calibers. A well placed shot from just about any legal caliber will kill an elk but nothing will work right with bad bullet placement, so one needs to use a caliber with which they are comfortable and proficient and take the time to get it right the first time.

Don't forget that your optics are as important as the rifle and caliber. It�s my opinion that the Leupold VX-III is probably the best value scope on the market. You can spend a lot more on a scope but you can't get a better scope at any price. You can spend less but you will get less.

KC

Bill:

While the 308 may not the optimal cartidge for killing ELK, if that's what you have, I would not go out and buy something bigger. 308 has some good heavy bullets that should do the job. I would be more concerned about bullet placement to do a clean kill. I would also try to make as close a shot as you possibly can for optimum bullet energy being expended in the animal.

Good luck on your hunt!

In my younger days when I was young and stupid, ( now I'm just stupid) I killed quite a few elk with a .308.None ever crawled out of the freezer.
Load up some 180 grainers and go kill elk

Yup and I am sure you will have others say, that where you put that 308 round in the animal is the most important aspect of elk hunting.

Wait for your shot and be ready when it comes and you will do fine with the baby 30 cal.

Bill, the 308 is plenty. Just make sure you hit the boiler room and use a good bullet and you'll have elk on the ground. Also make sure you are prepared for the hunt and know that the real work starts after you pull the trigger. Good luck with it...

Absolutely !

Dober

.308 win is up to it..... are you.

If you have not hunted elk DIY before, there are PLENTY of other important things to realize and be prepared for. For one, it always amazes me how different hunters I have lead to there first elk are in the dark on how big an elk is compared to a deer, Self control seems to be another big issue. The shoot'n and kill'n IS the easy part.

If guided, make a GOOD shot then let the men do there work.
If DIY, do lots of homework.

I've killed a bunch of elk with a 270 and the 308 will do everything a 270 will do.

There's a guy on here who goes by scenarshooter. You may want to search his name for examples of what the .308 can do in the hands of a good shooter. There are many others as well. If you load up a stout .308 load of today, you essentially have a weapon nearly the equal of what our grandfathers had when hunting with their 30-06s a few decades ago. Close enough anyway.

Really well said.
A lot of wisdom condensed down into those few sentences.

Bill, you already hunt with a .308 Win?

Then, that's the rifle for you. Use good bullets and place them well. You'll be fine.

Regards, Guy

Yes it will do just fine, pick the 150-180 gr bullet your rifle shoots the best, and bring us back picture of you sitting on top of your dead elk.