Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting A very basic, common, .308 rifle setup

What do you use for deer hunting? I have a late 90's model Savage 110, but yet chambered in .308 with a Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40 scope on top. I love this rifle and keep it simple, for heavy woods here in Virginia - especially in the mountains in the National Forest. Dead on zeroed at 150 yards, that's all. Ain't nothing too fancy for what I need...

For anyone in Virginia (I think there's a Virginia Mountain thread somewhere below)... Remember the area near Sherando Lake, called Coal Rd in the Big Levels area? This was me last year heading back out for an afternoon hunt, from one of the pullover/parking areas along Coal Rd.

Wait till Big Stick sees that rifle/scope combo.

Better buckle up for that blast.

-Jake

Hard to do better than the .308 Winchester for the ranges at which most of us shoot game. If the rifle shoots well and the scope holds zero.....what more do you need to tip over a deer?

My little 700 pictured here would be one of the last rifles I'd ever part with.

I currently use a Kimber Montana in 7-08. Lovely little rifle. Michigan deer in woods and over ag fields. Last 4-5 deer, cumulative run distance after being shot is probably less than 10 yards.

My .308 Win isn't even drilled and tapped for scope bases... nuclear blast? 🤔

Jake? Wow, you're over on this site too? I bumped into Champlain Islander on here too! Very cool!

308 is boring as fu ck, but I have one set up as simple as I could think of:

I like it and the cartridge so much, it might go on the chopping block.. Put a new stock on it and it's almost as clean as a new rifle... While not as simple as the OP's rifle, it's about as simple as I like to go..

Love my model 7 308

My more vintage 308 it’s a savage

Got a Ruger American compact 308 with a vortex 2-8 HD on it , it’s light and accurate as you could ask of such a rifle .
It’s became my favorite.
Got a Savage10 that I hope to put blood on this year as well as a rebarreled 700 LSS in 243
But it’s going to be tough for them to compete with the Ruger number 1 spot .
Kenneth

My do all rifle----Remington 700 LH 30/06 with a Leupold Var-X III 2.5x8. Everything from hogs in TX, elk in CO & grizzly bear in AK.

Sako AII with Leupold VariX-II 2-7. It has got it done from Maine to Oregon.

I remember a few decades ago when Ruger first started making lefty bolts - I ordered one in 7mm Mag and put a big 50mm objective lens scope on it. I was tip-toeing through the thicks in CO and came across another hunter with the same Ruger MkII, but his was right-handed and chambered in .308. I remember looking at my set-up and thinking, who would ever pick that over this!? Oh...to be so young and enthusiastic! Nothing wrong with a 7mm mag and big scopes, but mine is long gone and I've been waiting for the "right" .308 to come along...

I used a 30-06 almost exclusively until about 15 years ago when I made the switch to 308. Does the same thing with the bullet weights I use with a little less recoil and rifle weight. Uses about 10-12 gr less powder every time I pull the trigger too and that does add up.

Since 2008 my go-to rifle has been a Winchester EW. I found a used McMillan Edge stock for it here in the classifieds a year later. I also have a Tikka virtually identical to bsa's rifle. I have Cabela's Instinct 3-9X40's on both. Same scope as the Zeiss Conquest with Cabelas badges on it.

I short stroked a 30-06 one time and it hit me I needed the short action version

I like .308. I got my Kimber Mountain Ascent to fill the niche of a bolt action .30-30 since my old Savage 340 was long gone. It does right respectable in that role meeting all expectations.

Tom

I like a 308 ....... Plain jane they are, but they do get the job done and offer some versatility for those wanting to use heavier bullets.

I currently use this Sportsman 78 (cheapo M700 version) 308 in a Brown Precision.

1959 Savage 99 EG, .308. Nice, classic rifle.

My favorite round for my Savage .308 (believe it or not) actually comes from Georgia Arms (those ammo reloaders always at the Gun Shows in town). Now, now, now, now... These guys are straight up legit! Georgia Arms is actually a FACTORY with automated machines and serious Quality Control! These guys make ammo that rivals Hornady, Winchester, Federal, etc.. etc..

https://www.georgia-arms.com/308-winchester-165gr-ballistic-tip/