Deer Hunting with a .308 win?

I have only shot moose and black bear with the 308 win.

Dont know how it would work on deer. :roll:
 
Gee, for an outdated unexciting caliber there sure are a lot of responses to the 308 thread . . . . guess I better go load up some more 165 Partitions for mine . . . 8)

Long
 
Lets just retitle this one"success stories with America's most successful cartrige" Easy out there all you 30-30 and 30-06 shooters. The 308 beats the one and is the result of superior AMERICAN re-engineering of the other. If this thread dosent die soon I will have to start bragging up my "antiquated 250-3000 Savage" You really dont want me to do that :lol: I am the original one man "save the Savage campaign". CL
 
I love the magnums, but I have shot lots of deer with a 308. No problem if you do your part, same as any caliber within reason.
 
I just don't know what got into me...last fall I bought one of those junky Thompson Center Icon rifles in a worthless caliber to play with. The Icon is chambered in that terribly weak, inefficient, and inaccurate cartridge known as the .308 Winchester, aka as the original short fat magnum. With a variety of factory loads this rifle will shabbily shoot and very easily into the 5's or BETTER! With a 150 gr. BT stoked with a full load of Varget the group size drop into the 3's and all this at the very slow fps of 3010 across the chrony.

Last month on a West TX ranch it was bang flop at 360 yds across a wheat field on a 128 inch 8 pointer...he never took a step! Dayum! If I didn't do the same thing a couple of days later on a fat juicy doe...bang flop! I think next time I should use my .300 RUM with a 200 gr. AccuBond at 3200 fps, then I know the deer I shoot will be way more dead when I squeeze the trigger than they could ever be with the wimpy .308 Win.

A few years back an elk I shot with a 180 gr. Partition at just over 200 yds with another sissy .308 Win went all of 75 yards. That bull just RAN WAY TOO FAR! I just know he would have never moved out of his tracks had I shot him with a .300 Winchester with same bullet traveling roughly 200 fps faster! Stooooooooopid me!

I just don't know what to do with new T/C Icon in .308! Should I just throw it away..........cause I know none of you fellows would want such a poor shooting tool! Stooooooooopid me! One of these days I might just learn not to buy such junk! :grin:
 
Yeap, you should throw it away. Tell you what, why don't you send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly for you! :lol: :wink:
 
Best bullet I have ever used for Med Game in the 308 Win the

Sierra 165 BTHP and IMR 4895

Shot alot game from coast to coast and here in Alaska with the 308 Win and the 165 Sierra BTHP.......white tail deer, mule deer, caribou, black bear and even a elk no problems !
 
I can't believe this post keeps getting replies! I originally posted it in June of last year and it keeps getting responses! I wonder what the record number of replies is to a single post??? Should I just delete it?? Nah, its fun to read the comments you guys write! Lets go for the record!!!
Mike :lol:
 
OK - you guys wore me down.

I just received my latest custom hunting rifle. I'm almost embarrassed to tell you what it's chambered for. Yup, that anemic little, under-powered, non magnum .308.

I'll play it safe and keep my shots under 100 yds. Hope it shoots straight. :lol:
 
CHARLIE PICS MAN PICS!!!!


Here is mY "wimpy, no-good " custom built 308 deer killer


predator1g.jpg



predator3g.jpg
 
Not the best image but here it is:
Lawton_308.jpg

Having trouble with image size. It's either this size (thumb) or GIANT. :?
 
Thanks for the Photobucket tip - Image was taken on a 5 megapixal camera - not sure why it isn't too clear.

Lawton308.jpg
[/img]
 
here in Mn we've had lots of deer shot with a 308 at over 200 yards w/o any problems. You can't tell the difference between 30-06 and the 08 realistically. I wouldn't be afraid of pulling the trigger on a white tail at 600 plus provided the rifle is accurate and the conditions are good.

no worries, Mark
 
Longest shot I have made on game was with a 308 Win ......Caribou in Alaska and Mule Deer in Norwood, CO.

My favorite load 165 Sierra BT and Varget powder.


SSG-69 is my rifle
 
I'm with all the .308 fans. The energy and velocity are plenty for whitetail and the 165 gr. A/B or Part. will do it from any angle as far out as I can reliably hit. I once had to put down an 800 lb. steer with my .308 and the animal dropped straight down, stone dead where it stood .In my mind that eliminates the power shortage theory. Bigger and faster will make up for some range and angle in shooting but not very much. Anybody that had a whitetail run off made a poor shot that would have allowed it to run off from most calibers. I'm a big fan of very powerfull calibers and I use them but a .308 is never under-caliber for deer in my opinion :wink:

Good Hunting
Elkhunt :grin:
 
Greg Nolan":1nrkr2dr said:
I'm with all the .308 fans. The energy and velocity are plenty for whitetail and the 165 gr. A/B or Part. will do it from any angle as far out as I can reliably hit. I once had to put down an 800 lb. steer with my .308 and the animal dropped straight down, stone dead where it stood .In my mind that eliminates the power shortage theory. Bigger and faster will make up for some range and angle in shooting but not very much. Anybody that had a whitetail run off made a poor shot that would have allowed it to run off from most calibers. I'm a big fan of very powerfull calibers and I use them but a .308 is never under-caliber for deer in my opinion :wink:

Good Hunting
Elkhunt :grin:
Click to expand...
As you may recall, I hunt most everything with a 7STW nowadays. Hard to beat 160gr AB at 3,400 fps. Retains more energy at 300 yds than a .308 at the muzzle with a 165gr loaded to 2,750.

However, I've been elk hunting the past 5 years in a "target rich" area of New Mexico and have gotten lazy. My shot last year was 440 yds only because I was too lazy to stalk in closer. I'm thinking of taking out my inherited Winchester Model 88 .308 this year to force me to get in closer. It has a fixed 4X scope. I'm thinking my effective range is probably 200 yds or less.

Should I go with 165gr AB's/partitions or the 168gr CT's?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
A Great Deer Season
Replies
12
Views
1K
preacher
P
N
Bullet choice for a .308 Win. back-up elk rifle.
2 3 4
Replies
66
Views
11K
JD338
JD338
badaxeriverman
.308 180 grain partition gold group testing out of my 300 RUM
Replies
5
Views
184
PJGunner
P
N
The Family That Hunts Together ....
Replies
15
Views
1K
DrMike
DrMike
reflex264
2023 Deer season
Replies
6
Views
754
diverdown
D
AMMUNITIONAmmunition BULLETSBullets BRASSBrass FirearmsFirearms GearGear
Back
Top