Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting .308 sniper rifle for deer/elk/bear.

seems to me that if you can make a head shot at 500 yds, go for it. you either kill the animal or miss it cleanly....unless you shoot the jaw off...get my dift??

okie john,

I've spent more than my share of times being alone and lost in the jungles of SEA, the deserts of SWA, the bottom lands of Kentucky, and the mountains of Colorado. So I know of what you speak. In my younger days, I could start a fire, hunker down, or walk all night if I needed to. Nowadays, I keep map and compass, GPS, and a backpack with bivey sack, LW sleeping bag, H20 tablets, and a little bit of food with me whenever I stray out in the boonies.

chazgreen,

a guy I was hunting with, once claimed he saw a nimrod shoot an antler off of a nice mule deer. So unless it's a charging buffalo, elephant, or lion, I'll stay away from the head shots, thank you very much.

Tony Montana,

Thanks a bunch for the link! There was some excellent information on every aspect of long range hunting (and hitting). Very good stuff.

Rick (buffhunter)

No problem, glad it had some info you could use. Clearly the Lilja crew has the experience to back up their writing. I was very impressed with the quality of all of the articles on their site. Good luck this fall!

buffhunter/ my point exactly..if one cannot keep shots in a tight kill zone (7 inches) in the field, regardless of the yardage, keep the bullet in the chamber. i love to hear about those 500 yard kills; never hear much bragging about the animals shot in the jaw or the rear hoof; woods have too many gut shot deer to encourage those who lack that rare field skill to make CONSISTANT 400 yd bang flops.

I agree that the .308, while a fine all around cartridge, is NOT a long range big game caliber. I like for my STRIKING velocities to be above 2500fps for thin skinned game. I have seen a remarkable difference when this line is crossed. Good Hunting!

safariman

Well Guys,

I finally got around to shooting my sniper rifle. I shot off of the bipod instead of sandbags to make the shooting more realistic.

Without touching the scope settings. I fired 3 shots at 100 yards, 200 yards, and 300 yards. It was a fairly hot day, with a more-or less steady wind hitting my back at about 7-10 MPH.

Results:
At 100 yards, 1 inch group (including the fouling shot), with two rounds hitting the same hole (maybe 1/16-1/8 inch off). at 200 yards 1 inch group, at 300 yards 2 5/8 inch group.

I was going to shoot some more but both the heat (approx 90+ degrees) and the wind started picking up so I thought I would try again on another day. I was using the Fed 168 BTHP match ammo.

I went out today and bought some Fed 150 Nosler and some 168 Win Ballistic tips to see how they work in the gun.

If either one of them shoots as well as the Fed Match, I feel confident that a 350-400 yard shot on a black bear is reasonable and a 300-400 yard lung shot on an elk is doable.

I'm editing to add the fact that folks seem to think the 308 is the "sniper" round for a reason. It is with the military and that carries over to the civilians many times. LE uses it because the military perfected the rifles and ammo and it works. The military used it because in a pinch you can grab linked M60 ammo Etc.... and still have a functional weapon. Try that with your 300 Win, 6.5x284 or my 338/300 RUM rounds. Given a choice I suspect that most folks would choose a better round for longer distance shooting. Sorry for the soapbox but I wanted to better explain why the 308 round was picked-- even though its not ideal.

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I have often wondered why military snipers who aren't carrying the big .50 are using .308's

I can understand law enforcement, being most of their shots would be under 100 yds.

I find it hard to believe military snipers would be limited to a .308 even over a 30\06 that past snipers used.

Do you really think it is only about the ammo supply, or does the military really believe in the .308 for other reasons?

chazgreen,
A few years ago I was at a gun show in MPLS MN.
Sitting at a table was some rufus with a Browning A- Bolt in 338 Win Mag. He had a polaroid picture of a cow elk that he had shot at some crazy distance and he was proud as a peacock of it. It had about seven holes that I could see,
some in the guts, some in the back legs, etc. I would have been ashamed of such a thing myself. I can't remember the yardage anymore but it was around 600 give or take 100.
Different strokes for different folks! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
GWN

Got back from the range today. The 150 grain Feds seem to shoot better at 200+yards, but at 100 yards both the 168 Win. Ballistic Tip and the 150 Fed. shot at exactly the same place. I think I will start out with the Feds for the hunt. I also sighted in my .416 Rem Mag. in case I have to go into the scrub oak after a wounded bear.

There was a fellow at the range that was shooting a 100 grain Barnes X in .25 cal. on a 300 WSM case. According to him, it chrono'd at around 4100 ft. I shot it a couple of times and at 200 and 300 yards it is flatter than a pancake.

He is going to use it on caribou this fall. One hell of an interesting round.

buffhunter-- Don't let him fool you--I built one of the .25-300 WSM's last year and 3800 is a hot load with a 100 gr Barnes TSX--If he told you he's getting 4100 fps, he need a new chronograph or he's a bald faced liar. You can get get 4100 fps with a 75 gr VMAX, but not the Barnes TSX...Speaking from experience... CJ

Sounds like a cool caliber for deer in the open alpine country....

I actually did deliberately gut-shoot a cape buff one time. But in Zimbabwe the trackers are so good that you are certain to get another chance at killing the animal (not so here in the US). Even then, I felt guilty and quickly finished off the animal......you arsehole,that kind of [bleep] moronic behaviour gives hunters a bad name,and shows how much respect you had for your quarry (none).

Thor

buffhunter, the .308 is a fine cartridge and your rifle may be fine as well, but labels don't make good or fine stuff great stuff, which is what one needs for the long range shooting (or hunting) you seem interested in.

No offence intended, but deliberately heading out to shoot game at 500-600 yards is very irresponsible. You are purposely decreasing your chances of a quick, humane kill and greatly increasing the chances that you will wound or terminally injure an animal. At those ranges it is likely that you will not find the wounded game and it will die needlessly. �Sniper rifles� are indeed cool, but I doubt that you�re trained as a sniper. A trained sniper would know that deliberately decreasing your odds of a quick efficient kill just for fun is a foolish idea.

Maybe for you...

What makes you think this?--Are you speaking from experience?
You don't know me, or anyone else on this board, for that matter, so how would know what training has been had?
Most people who hunt long range seriously are just as good, if not better, shots at long range than are most short range hunters.

Dude--get a little education on a topic before you jump into it with both feet--Its hard to get both feet out of your mouth after putting them in as deeply as you just did.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I was really gonna stay out of this.But I really have a hard time keeping my mouth shut on this topic.....500 or 600 yards for a TRUE Long Range Hunter is a One shot,load them in the back of the truck deal.At 500 yards if the pin is dropped on one of my guns by myself or the other person in my crew.What ever is on the other end is dead...No if's ands or buts.We have "NEVER" shot a deer in the jaw.And we have "NEVER" had an animal get away from us..And I can only remember one time having to shoot an animal more than once.The deer at 780 yards was dead on his feet.But I did not like the fact it was still standing.It was in fact not needed

QOUTE ;-500 or 600 yards for a TRUE Long Range Hunter is a One shot,load them in the back of the truck deal.

I can find only 1 word wrong with this sentence....that word being "hunter".....I could go with just about anything else shooter,taker of game,anything you care to name...but hunter sorry no.
I am not in anyway disputing your ability to take game at looooong range so dont get me wrong....but call it for what it is.

Thor222

I reckon the gang at Camp Perry ain't punching longrange tags,though the longrange tag punchers often play at Perry.

Semantics is trivial debate. Done deeds is simply that.

As an aside,were I twisting up a tool purposely geared towards stopping distant heart beats,the 308 wouldn't rate conversation.

'Course...your mileage may vary..........

Ditto here, also...
But... sometimes, I like to run what I brung, and if an opportunity arises, I wouldn't let a little thing like having a .308 in hand stop me... I hasn't yet, out to 604 yds on real, live critters...But I would have shot them at 64 yds just as <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> fast...