Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Is a .308 just as capable of being a 400 yard rifle as a .270 or .30-06?

Sure wish i could find John Barsness' article on the .308 in, I believe "Handloader" magazine. Some here might be rather amazed what he wrote. Great article.

150 grains

#Money

Try and grow a sense of humor - douchemike --hint; +P

Don, was that response to me or the OP?

Killed lots of deer and hogs with my.308 over 40 years, but mostly under 200 yards. I can remember only three shots at game over 200 yards: I used Hornady light magnum and Superperformance.
1. pronghorn at 240 - broadside shoot through , one shot kill.
2. Black Hills Mule deer at estimated 300 yards with cross wind-- held mid neck and shot through heart lung area - one shot kill (real challenge was crossing steep, snowy canyon to recover buck)
3. Whitetail buck at a stepped off 400 yards - broadside lung shot - DRT.

The challenge is knowing the range and wind, and of course , the rifle and cartridge.

All kills were shoot throughs - no bullets recovered.

Just a few years ago here on the 'fire 300 yds was considered chip shot by some. My how we have progressed.

But, 300 yds in the field is more than a chip shot. Shooting under field conditions ain't the same as at the range..........

The “2,700 or bust” article?

Would that be "Why the .308 is Great" perhaps? It is in Obsessions of a Rifle Loony which shows to be in stock at riflesandrecipes.com.

I’ve enjoyed shooting the 308. Mild recoil, easy to find a decent load, and it takes game easily. If 400 is your max, you’re not under-gunned.

Think of it this way, the 308 and 300 win mag shoot the same bullet. No one would question the idea that the 300 win mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge. By looking at impact velocities. That would make the 308 an easy 300 yard elk cartridge.

The OP asked about 400yards. If he was asking about 750 or 900 the answer would have been different.

Look up the thread "Bear Medicine .300 Savage"

WaterRat's wife has a couple one shot kills on big Grizzlies with a .300 Savage.....Should answer the question...

May error... it is 20 plus Bears plus 20 plus moose...

I differentiate between chip shot with respect to the performance of a cartridge and chip shot with respect to my ability to apply same in a given situation.

type of rifle and brand,hand loads ? factory ammo ? and barrel length ? these things all play an important part in shooting 300-400 yards .as far as cartridge i see very little difference between a 270,30-06 and a 308 except a 308 case might be a tad more accurate. all 3 cartridges will shoot just fine at 400 yards in the same rifle and equipment. good luck,Pete53

The 308 Win is a great cartridge when considering bullet weight, recoil, accuracy and big game performance. Shooting accurately at distance has nothing to do with the 308 Win, the 30-06, 270 Win or even the 6.5 Creedmoor at 400 yards. It’s more about the shooter. All of these cartridges will kill game easy at 400, 500, 600+ yards under field conditions. Proper rifle fit, great optics, especially to calculate drift and drop are what’s important. The 308 Win is great at 700 meters, far better than most shooters can ever dream to shoot.

175g berger hunting is a whale of an accurate bullet and just hammers game!

A 155 Scenar at 2900 would float my boat way beyond 400. The rest is up to the shooter.

Gee, 25 years ago the 308 WAS the BG cartridge, 400 yrds or not. Ammo for it has only gotten better, and if possible, wider spread. So what has changed with it?

Zero your rifle and go shoot 400 yards..if you can do it, so can the cartridge, and kill stuff.

Not sure where you live, but the 308 has never been “The Big Game Cartridge”anywhere, ever in the US outside a couple states in New England. Perhaps it is in a couple European and African countries and maybe Australia, but certainly not anywhere in the Western US.

But I do love the round and it does everything for me I’ve needed from a BG cartridge.

Yeah, I don't know where he got that info from either. A lot of guys hated the round, where I came from. Being die hard 30-06 and 270w fans, they just scoffed at the little wanna be. At least in the circle of guys I hung out with and just about everyone else I talked to, since I was a little kid. In my highschool days when we hunted deer, a lot of guys used 7RM, 30-06 and 270w. Girls might have used the little 308? I know you love the little 308 Brad, and I have to say in the right rifle, it is pretty sweet. Yes, I have come around to liking it as well.. I'll never give up my 30-06 or trade it in for a 308w. I have buddies that have done such wicked things. Guys that have hunted with the grand ol 30-06 since age 12. Dang traders... Guys want to talk about the legitimate NA big game cartridge, the 30-06 takes that title..

Throw a damn pack down and use it as a rest. I've shot some of my furthest bucks that way. One at 600 lr yards and the other at 648 yards. If you know how to shoot, 400 yards is indeed a "chip shot". If it's not, that means you either need to practice more, or accept your own abilities and limit your shots to what is reasonable to you. You are the one pulling the trigger and you are the one held accountable for a poor shot...