I have tried just about every short action round, but never a 308... then again you never hear about people hunting with them.

Oddly enough I liked my 358, you could eat up to the hole with that thing.
My 7-08 was fun, but not as fun as the 260..
243 is ok.. but I don’t like watermelon neck deer so ...

Then I realized - huh.. maybe moving up to a 308 with big lead would be like my 358 like performance, and I could go down to 150’s for a bit faster load.... like my 260..
I only use that for less than 300 yards anway.

Still not sure you can kill stuff with a 308 though.

Use one as my main woods rifle. Love it.

IMO the .308 Win is one of the top three best cartridges for Whitetail hunting 👍........Good luck ...Hb

I have used the 308 a lot, and it has not disappointed me.

My son uses one to great effect as well.

Great round.

.308 with 130 or 150 Barnes TTSX over Varget is my favorite for deer and pigs. The results are very consistent DRT without lots of bloodshot meat.

Quite a few actually!



Weatherby Super Varmintmaster, 308 Win.




Savage M-10 FCP, 308 Win.




CZ 550 FS, 308 Win.




Sako 85, Bavarian Carbine, 308 Win




Armalite AR-10, 308 Win





Merkel K3, 308 Win.




Cooper M22, Varmint Extreme, 308 Win


ya!


GWB

Nope, I have a .308 but haven't shot it in probably 15 years. I like my.30-06 better and hunt with that instead. Results are pretty much the same.

Have 3. Bought the both my boys Rem 700 .308's and I just picked up a Tikka T3 in .308. Have been shooting my Browning A-Bolt medallion 7mm Rem mag for over 30 years but started trying this .308. Love the results and also love the recoil or lack there of. haven't had a deer take more than 2 steps with any of them.

I use a 308 almost exclusively. Never an issue and not a lot of drama. I had to mount a Leupold on it just to make it fair.

if you like 358 the 308 is a big improvement. With 200 gr bullets a 308 will out penetrate 358 for big stuff with any bullet you can load in a 358. With decent 165-180 gr bullets it is a 400 yard elk rifle and with 150 gr bullets is an excellent deer round.

I used a 30-06 for everything from the 1970's up until about 10-12 years ago when I tried 308. It does the same thing 50 yards closer with 25% less recoil. I'm up to 4 rifles now in 308. One is set up as a target rifle, one has a short 18" barrel for heavy brush and hunting from a blind, one is a 5 lb Kimber for those rugged terrain hunts, and the 4th is a general purpose all around hunting rifle. I could have gone with 4 different cartridges in those rifles, but would have gained little if anything

308 works for me.

Awesome pictures Ranger!

Thanks!

Nice rifle and thanks for your service!

rgrx1276, thank you for your service!

Where's the "Like" button?


What's the scoop on your top rifle?

Great post and questions, guys. I have finally got the urge to try a 308 for deer hunting. Used 30.06's and a 7MM Mag for years with great success, but I am looking to buy a new lefty rifle in 308. I have heard other hunters brag on them, they say they do the job, period. With all the new choices of cartridges out there one can be over whelmed with all the choices. Thought about going back to one of my 30.06's for deer, but I want a new rifle, so why not try one in 308, is what I am thinking.

+1

Thinking about trying my old JC Higgins 51-L 308 when deer season starts tomorrow. It did a good job a few years ago with at 165 Sierra, this time it's sighted in with a 180 gr. NOE clone of the Saeco #315 cast bullet at 2200 fps. It rings the gong regularly at 200 yards once I figured out where to hold. I'll probably limit it to 100 or less just for more precision.

Stay safe Ranger. Get home soon!

Great pics by Ranger indeed......



Regarding the .308win, I killed my first deer with a Remington 600 Mohawk .308 when I was 9-10 years old.



In my teens and twenties I was all about velocity, so there were no .308 rifles in my rack. I came around about 10-12 years ago, and realized that the .308 has a lot to offer when it comes to big game hunting at reasonable ranges. I've found it to be almost boringly effective, whether it's a vanilla cup/core at moderate speeds or a lighter mono-bullet at high speed. The 7mm-08 and .308 are nice examples of "getting the most for the least".

Seems like I always keep at least one or two .308 rifles these days and the kids and I kill something with them every year, even if it is just meat for the table (it's not generally harsh on steaks).

Just have to add my "AMEN" to other comments...thanks and a very impressive statement in your pics! I showed them to my wife (very seldom do I include her at the Fire) and she said, "You need to add something." So, thanks for her too. BTW- I love the 308 for deer!

They work in Africa too.

I've shot coyotes, antelope, whitetail, mule deer, and elk with the 308, including one of my larger bulls, an old sway-back 7x7.

The 308 has never let me down.

The primary advantage of the 308, over the 30-06, is the wide variety of rifles available for the former. With similar rifles and loads, I could never tell a nickel's worth of difference in their recoil. I've used them both on deer and varmints. Both kill cleanly to 300 yards, assuming good placement. They are work-horse cartridges.

All that said- I've only shot a couple of 358s and fell in love with cartridge- particularly in a 20" BLR.

How relevant...

ive mowed down tons of tiddies w the .308:



load 42 g of h4895 and a 165 sierra GK. have a couple 20” heavies for carrying duty (including the salvage pictured), a 5R, and a 700P. all excellent, easy shooters. not sure they offer a single advantage over the creed these days, but the .308 is EASY and it works.

Haven't had one bounce off yet!

My only Elk was killed with a 308. It just works for folks who use it.

Everything I ever killed with a 30-06, and 2/3rds wit a 300WM could have been done with a .308!

That is F'n sweet!! Details?

I'm not sure I have any pics but I've used the .308 a lot for deer and one grouse. It worked on all.

I'm looking to add a .308 this year. Probably in a Kimber Mt. Just to drive y'all nuts, I'm going to put a Leupold VX3i on it too.

I switched to a 308 about 5 years ago. Has killed elk, numerous deer, and several pigs without a problem. Used a model 70 ew in 308 for a couple years, gave it to one of my sons then bought a ruger Hawkeye in 308. I'm trying to give all my rifles to kids or grandkids so all I'll have is the 308 Hawkeye. It's all I need.

Yup, many times. I first shot "308s" in their NATO guise back in my military days. LOT'S of them. Both 147 gr ball and also LC M118 match Ammo.


After I was discharged I ended up with several autos in my collection, M-14, a few FALs and one HK91 and I now also own a Ruger SR762 (which is like new, and for sale) an AR10ish rifle of my own making and a Mossberg MVP.
I used my Smith Ent. M14 and also one of my FALs to kill a fair number of game animals, and I have also killed about 15 with my Mossberg MVP. Many deer (both White Tails and Mule Deer) antelope,and elk have all fallen to my various 308s. At no time did I ever feel as if I was using a "lesser caliber" then what I needed.

I have never killed a game animal with any load that I didn't load myself. I have used 125 grain Nosler BTs on 2 antelope, 130 grain Barnes TSX on a white tail, 150 grain round nose (was unbelievably accurate in my old M14) for 8 deer, 150 grain Remington Core-Lokts for deer and antelope, (about 10 total I think) 150 grain Winchester Power Points for deer (3) and elk, (4) 165 grain Hornady Interlock for deer, (1) and one elk kill with a 180 grain Nosler Partition. All have been fine but I did see the 125 grain bullets can come apart a bit more then I'd like. I killed 2 antelope with them and only one gave me an exit, the other fragmenting and only going about 13" deep total. The 150 grain Winchester was far better then I expected. In one of my rifles (the "me-made AR10") is shoots about 1 MOA and the penetration I got on the elk was about 2X what I expected to see with a 150 grain 308.

Anyway, the overview is simple.
A 308 is an excellent "one-size fits most" caliber for any hunter.

you simply can't go wrong deer huntin' with a 150 bt and the 308 win. that was my 15 yo sons choice when i asked him what caliber he wanted for his first rifle. course he did kill his first deer with the 308 win so i guess he just trusts it. as bad as i tried to get him to like the 260 rem and 7mm-08 rem he just politely said "dad i want a 308" so thats what i bought him.he is 1 for 1 with it this year so far.
Big Ed

Only killed woodchucks with the couple .308’s that have passed through my hands...but what is a watermelon neck deer???

I’ve killed elk, mule deer, whitetails and antelope with a 308 I use a 3006 now but would have no problem with the 308 again.

And my son is on his 7th deer with a 308 Kimber hunter and little tiny 125 grain SST’s he’s only 11 I would like to get him a stouter bullet/weight next year

Rem 700 SS action, Bartlein #2 11 twist with Palma 95 chamber, Mcmillan hunters edge stock, trigger tech trigger, NECG sights zeroed at 100 yards. Had the bolt handle screwed down to make sure I didn't have it come off. Using a NF 2-10x32 with a mildot reticle and a ballistic cam for 165 federal Trophy bonded bullets at 2740 FPS.. 200 yard 5 shot groups, <1". Built by redneck. Rifle weighs 6lbs, 6oz.

I can’t find any fault with that rifle, very nice! That’s a true do anything rifle and load.

Without a doubt. That is one of the best no nonsense hunting rifle I have seen around this place in awhile. Great optics, solid load in a dependable rifle that doesn't need wheels under it!

My guess would be a buck at the height of the rut.

I never gave the .308 much respect until 1973 when in desperation I bought one. St the time my only rifle was a 9+ pound 30-06 based on a badly bubba'd 1903A3 Springfield. My hunting buddies and I have found a choice place to hunt but it was up around 9,000 to 9.500 feet MSL and I was at the time a heavy chain smoker. I had to find a lighter rifle that I could afford at the time. I was living in a small western cow town that had exactly two hardware stores at the time and one of them had a Remington 660 in .308 for $99.95 They'd been trying to sell it and when I looked at it they offered to give me a 15% discount. I bought it and the stuff to mount a 4X Bushnell scope plus a couple boxes of ammo. I finally got it sighted in at 3" high at 100 using the 150 gr. Remington Core lokts in time for deer season. I was not a fan of the .308 but it was light and reasonably accurate.
My buddies were off to one side and was maybe 200 or so yards to the left of them when they kicked out a nice 4x4 and started shooting. I knew they'd hit it and as it ran out in front of me way out yonder I took a shot to try and bring it down. Shocker hell out of me when it dropped at the hit. My buddies came over and we paced it off and total the results. The average was 426 paces. That rifle and I took many a deer back in the 1970's.
In 1979 I moved to Arizona on a job transfer and was using a lightweight FN Mauser that looked ugly as sin but shot like an angel. Over the years I was always looking for a replacement for a 6.5x54 M/S that was stolen back in 1975. I found a Ruger M77 RSI back in 1980 that felt and handled exactly like that old M/S that I lost. Guy was honest when I asked him why so cheap? He said he could not find a load for that rifle that would give any kind of a usable group. I thanked him for his honesty and bought it anyway. It took a little over two years before I found a load that would do 1.5" or less from that rifle. I'll just say a stiff load of W760 and the 165 gr. Speer did the trick. Velocity is only 2550 FPS but it's taken deer out as far as 250 yards. For some reason, when ever I've drawn a tag for the Kaibab National Forest I've taken that little RSI and it's always brought home the meat. I had to buy another one as my wife took over the first one and somehow fell into a third one, all in .308. The load for the first rifle has worked very well in the latter two. They were also cheap because the guy selling them couldn't get them to shoot bug holes.
Paul B.

For 30 years it was the meat getter here...but I finally matured and came to my senses and went with the father of the .308, born in 1889, the 7.65 Belgian Mauser. Accept no imitations.

Nice rifle and thanks for the build sheet.

Not to derail this thread, but when did Rangers stop wearing the high and tight? When I was in 3/1 SFG(A) at Ft. Lewis in the 80's, you could spot a Ranger from outer space by the haircut.


Okie John

Definitely a solid package.

I've downed many large animals with my Savage .308 rifle including a bull moose and two caribou during a hunt to Saskatchewan. Seven elk within the Bear Lodge Mts. of Wyoming and a big black bear in Ontario. None required more than two shots through the chest organs. But for deer, I feel that the .308 is a bit too much power and have switched over to my 30-30 carbine.

Sherwood

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/gallery/80/full/57411.jpg I killed this deer with a 308

Hoss of a buck there!

Stud!

My info tells me the rangers stopped with the high and tight after 2001.... I was with the 48th Inf BDE- 3rd ID outside Yusufiyah Iraq in 2005 when that shot was taken.

Rem 700 SS action, Bartlein #2 11 twist with Palma 95 chamber, Mcmillan hunters edge stock, trigger tech trigger, NECG sights zeroed at 100 yards. Had the bolt handle screwed down to make sure I didn't have it come off. Using a NF 2-10x32 with a mildot reticle and a ballistic cam for 165 federal Trophy bonded bullets at 2740 FPS.. 200 yard 5 shot groups, <1". Built by redneck. Rifle weighs 6lbs, 6oz.[/quote]

Looks like a great build. What is the barrel length? Blind magazine or floor plate?

Barrel is 21"... Using a drop box floor plate by PTG that holds 5 under the bolt easy...

Truth be told I’m not a ballistics expert I hunt with a 30-06 and a 308 I’ve not seen a difference even out to 300 yds but got into a situation on a buck running several years ago and short stroked my 30-06 and it went click that’s why I prefer a 308 I still killed the deer

Wooters liked it. 'Nuff said.

I have 2 and the buck I killed is in the bullet holes thread. As much as I love my 260s I’ll admit the 308 puts a bigger hole in a critter. Probably the best blood trail and perfect sized exit hole I’ve ever had with a deer.

I like the 308 Win and have shot 1 moose, a black bear, two elk and some deer with them.

Great pic and thank you for your service!!

Only thing I ever hunted with the round was people. We called the 7.62x51 and it was belt fed. Over penetrated a bit. Maybe it was the FMJ stuff that did that.

.308s work for me.














Now I have a kid who shoots one.

My wife and I have both killed more with our 308s than any other caliber. Mostly moose, caribou, grizzly and brown bears, sheep, and goats.

Don't hunt as much these days with it, but still have two in my wife (my wifes Kimber Montana & the Model 7 Rem my dad got me as my first big game rifle)

Hard to argue against the 308 just like the 30-06. Neither is flashy but they just work.

This guy below died with one single shot from my wife's 308:


Was able to snap a pic of her at the ready while waiting for the bear to get up from its nap.

Nice work. Gotta admit I'd have something bigger if I was going to shoot something like that.

The 308 is my usual hunting rifle for what I shoot and a 243 would do just as well. Sometimes I go overkill but a 308 is always in my hunting camp.

I have a couple, I like them! I load 150 GameKings for them.

Excellent!