Originally Posted by
finnbear
I guess I don't understand what a less than perfect shot is!!! I killed a elk or two mostly with the old winchester silvertip, only have 5 left!!
we hunt the wide open sagebrush of Central Washington, where U need to be prepared to shoot when U see the animals cause normally they a long way off and gettin ready to move if they ain't already moving, they're going straight away, quartering away, broadside, comin straight at ya or quartering to wards ya I have never had one of those cheap O skimpy bullets fail me yet! whether it be a Remington, winchester or what ever else I bought offn the shelf!!! The only bullet I did have a catastrophic failure with was a nosler partition on a mule deer at about 100yds, was pickin chunks of metal out of that deer from the neck to the butt!!!! Boys ya been sold a bill of goods ....ya don't need fancy bullets fer deer and elk.....they don't kill'm any deader than a cheap bullet as U seem they think they are!! them cheap ones have killed more animals that the costy ones!!!! just sayin!!!!!!
A less than perfect shot is the shot you should not take, not even in the last minute's of shooting light.
And nobody else said it so why not get a new rifle? Be one of the cheapest item's on the trip. A new scope would also be in order. Don't scrimp, buy the best you can, morgage the house if you need to sell your children into slavery.
Or you can use your 308 put any good bullet you want in it that shoot's well and learn to get closer if you really need to. I suspect your not a handloader, so I'd say, whatever Remington , Winchester of Federal have around 165grs. I hae used a 308 for a whole lot of years with great success, my son has that gun now. But I just came into a Rem mod 788 and it loves 165gr Hornadys. You need a bullet strong enough to get inside, mushroom and destroy vital organs. You do not need a bullet that will get inside, destroy vitals, exit and then kill three more elk with the same shot.
If you like premium bullet's, go for it, they work. If you think you might like to try them, go for it, you got time to see just how well they will work in your rifle. Your whole trip is not going to hang on weather or not you use premium bullet's but on weather or not you use good bullet's and take good shots.