.308 TOO BIG TOO SMALL???????????

[naconst]

I have been reading alot of the posts on the .308
It seams alot of guys say its too big for deer .why?load it down 150gr.or now they even have low recoil 125 gr. thats still better than a 30/30.

Or its too small for larger game but they like the 7mm-08 or .260. when you can fire a 180 gr. /165gr. in a .308. whats up ??

[semi]

308 is fine for deer and many people use this caliber to hunt larger. It's really a short action version of the 30/06 which alot of people use for deer including myself. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for larger game either.

[DM]

There's nothing wrong with the .308 for deer and even bigger animials with proper bullets and at reasomable ranges.

The 150 grain bullet for deer is perfect!!

Drilling Man

[Vapodog]

The .308 is fine for deer and also fine for elk and other big game.

The advent of a lot of new premium bullets just makes it even better as the advantage the .30-06 had over it was it's ability to handle larger bullets is now a very minor advantage.

It's not a back seat driver to any .30 cal IMO for big game and that includes African plains game.

For deer buy a box of 150 grain corelokts or power points or even sure shocks and go hunting. If you reload the Hornady interlocks are as good as it gets and as good as is needed for deer,

If one is hunting something much larger the 165 grain bullets in the North Fork, TBBC, SAF, Barnes is all that's needed.

You're not a second class citizen with a .308 Winchester and you can sit around a campfire with the guys with their .300 RUMs and know that their advantage is largely emotional and hot air.

[naconst]

also alot of guy want to use their 7mm.08..260's ,270....on elk with a smaller bullet. but dont use a .308 (too small)

[ELKampMaster]

308,
Nicebore diameter, bullet wise.
Dandy for deer and one of my favorite centerfires for target shooting (PALMA's too).

Otherwise,
Kinda dinky in the casevolume department, especially if you want to stuff them with some of the larger mono-metal bullets like Barnes TSX which are longer for their weight compared to lead-core bullets and will extend well down into your powder column on a 308.

For bigger (and/or farther)game, I'll take cartridgeswith the bigger case capacities (and velocities)in a New York minute. You can load the bigger ones down if you decide you "like slow",on the other hand,you can't load the little ones up to any degree if you later decide you want more performance.

For bigger game, 800 fps between 308 and 300 RUM with 180 grainers (Barnes 3, Optimum Load Powders correspondingly, max loads for each). Much larger operating envelope. That is a little more than just hot air and emotion;though it IS quite emotional for the game animal.

Energy, Momentum, Shock, Penetration; ouch, ouch, ouch, and ouch.

[frizzellr]

also alot of guy want to use their 7mm.08..260's ,270....on elk with a smaller bullet. but dont use a .308 (too small)

I don't know about that since I haven't seen any on this board. Well maybe one, but he uses a 243 Win for elephants. Oh, and then there used to be this other guy who would rather use buckshot for everything.

[naconst]

also, the claims about the .308,(too big for deer)
what do they think,its a cannon?
to me its seams do be a very good all around cal.not too big for deer or too small for elk.some do it better, but i dont think a .308 with 165 or 180gr. too small for elk ,or a .308 with 150 gr. too big for deer.but i dont claim to be an expert.

[James B]

If one sat down and drew up a design for the perfect deer rifle, He would end up with the 308 or something very close to it. To me its right in the middle of the perfect class. Out to 300 yards it gives up nothing to the 30 cal magnums as a deer rifle. It will deliever 2000 lb of ME @ 300 yards. If one can't kill a big game animal with that then maybe hunting ain't their game.

[Rebel Hog]

.308 is fine with the right bullets.