deernut07

I am looking for a gun for Maine, as stated in my last thread, but I forgot to mention that I currently own a dandy of a rifle, a Remington 700 VTR in .308. I use it primarily for benchrest but was wondering if it would suffice for going after Bear, possibly Moose, in Maine. I know it will do the job for Whitetail, but does it have enough power for bear? Or moose?

Pygmy

Yes and yes....

The .308 is very capable of cleanly killing black bear and moose at ranges out to 300 yards...You don't need a cannon to kill those critters.. As with any game good shot placement is the most important issue..

I'd recommend a 180 grain bullet, but a 150 or 165 grain bullet would do the job also, as long as you put it in a vital spot... Shoot 'em in the ribs and you've got meat...

txhunter58

Abosoluetly! Would be a great choice.

For the most part, bears are hunted and shot at close range, so I would probably choose the upper end of bullet size.

Hurricanespg

Yes, definitely big enough for black bears. Hit them where you are supposed to and they will go down. I have never used a .308 for moose, but in my experience they are not difficult to bring down so I believe a well constructed bullet will be up to the task.

stalkingbear

The .308 is PLENTY gun for any black bear or moose walking the earth. All it takes is good shot placement and a well constructed, premium 180 gr bullet. I wouldn't feel undergunned at all. The magnums that everybody likes so much only make a difference at longer ranges where a flatter trajectory is important.

country1

I agree with stalkingbear - 180 gr bullet that is well constructed for moose. You wantthe bullet tohold together and penetrate vs. breaking apart if it hits heavy bone.

IMO, I would not go above 165 gr for deer. A 180 gr will do the job on deer, but not as well as a good 150 or 165 gr(where the major shock wave takes place is important).

I have not hunted black bear, but I don't think I would go below 165 gr. You can always call the ammunition manufactures and ask what they recommend.

blasted_saber

Yes yes yes YES. Black bears are not particuarrily hard to kill. 180grsoft pointammo is find. Dont waste your money on premium bullets, they definately arent needed.

For moose, I recommend a premium bullet. Hundreds of thousands of them have been shot with soft point ammo, but premiums level the field considerably.

FarNorth

Why do you recommend premium bullets for moose and not bear?? That just doesn't make sense to me.
The .308 will work fine on moose or black bear deernut07

Western MA Hunter

plenty

mybigredford

holy smokes i think this is the first thread i have ever seen where everyone agrees (including me) that the 308 will work on bear and moose. usually there is someone that always chimes in and says, "308? hell no, you need at least a 338 or bigger, maybe you should go with a .50 cal elephant gun instead. that should work"

anyways, i could go on and on. have fun hunting with your 308, they are a great gun for what you are hunting for!!