308 Win is a great hunting Cartridge…Change my mind

[HATCHET1]

Uggh work!!! Fun time with your boys for sure..nothing better... I'm back in CA for the next 2.5 weeks....I've had diarrhea and a rash ever since crossing the border again...wish me luck luck man..I did however bring my blood pressure meds...so I got that going for me..

 

[KoozeDeer]

Perfect for animals out to 400 yards, assuming one is correcting for elevation and any wind conditions

 

[JakeSCH]

Idk, I still do not see how the 308 is “considerably above the normal or average”.

@Truduct saying a cartridge is “just as capable” is the opposite of great.

I do know that if I brought my 308 on my elk hunt I would most likely be home without meat! Even my close shot at 300y was steeply quartering away and I am not convinced that the 308 would have penetrated the lungs. I do believe it would have killed the elk but tracking / gut shot may have made it unfindable.

To me a great cartridge allows you to take shots from nearly any shot angle.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Idk, I still do not see how the 308 is “considerably above the normal or average”.

@Truduct saying a cartridge is “just as capable” is the opposite of great.

I do know that if I brought my 308 on my elk hunt I would most likely be home without meat! Even my close shot at 300y was steeply quartering away and I am not convinced that the 308 would have penetrated the lungs. I do believe it would have killed the elk but tracking / gut shot may have made it unfindable.

To me a great cartridge allows you to take shots from nearly any shot angle.

In your opinion what was holding it back compared to another cartridge? Velocity?

What bullet were you using and do you think better penetration would have been possible with a heavier bullet (high sec density) or a monometal like a ttsx?

In your scenario, what would you have been comfortable taking the shot with? 30-06 or would it have to have been bumped up to 300 win mag?

 

[JakeSCH]

In your opinion what was holding it back compared to another cartridge? Velocity?

What bullet were you using and do you think better penetration would have been possible with a heavier bullet (high sec density) or a monometal like a ttsx?

In your scenario, what would you have been comfortable taking the shot with? 30-06 or would it have to have been bumped up to 300 win mag?

At the end of the day bull elk are freakin tough animals. My dad hit one a little off at 400y with 180gr TTSX out of his 30-06 and he was running the next day like nothing happened (we did find blood)

Most cartridge will work well as long as they are used within their protentional limitations. I also tend to be on the conservative side...why I was shooting a 260 gr hammer out of a 338 RUM. Its now my opinion that having 'extra' is nice when you need it.

As @NBK always says, accuracy is king...but when you heart is about to beat out of your chest and you are using shooting sticks...I like the additional forgiveness of "overkill". In addition, hunting in the thick 7' tall scrub oaks, follow up shots are few and far between.

In my particular case, my bullet needed at least 2' of penetration through ham / flank, guts, and paunch just to get to the lungs, let alone go through them and break a shoulder and exit. Elk would have died with any of the 3 calibers you mentioned but recovery would have been difficult with little to no blood on the ground and 20 to 30 elk stampeding off together.

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

Like NBK stated accuracy is king. It's all about bullet placement. Any big game round put in the right place will bring the animal down. Two years ago my friend shot a cow elk at approximately 100 yards with a Federal 180 gr. Nosler Partition, she ran about 50 yards. when we field dressed her, her heart was all but gone, exploded by the round. How she took one step is beyond me.

 

[HATCHET1]

Shoot um in the throat..they don't go far..and lots of blood...I think..

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

Shoot um in the throat..they don't go far..and lots of blood...I think..

Do you have another wider angle shot of that. I'm not for a minute doubting you that that is a throat shot, I just can't really tell what it is I'm looking at, aside from blood and fat.

 

[HATCHET1]

No..I pulled it of the internet from a professional killer...Larry was his name I think...but I think it's blood..so he says...it's red anyways..so it has to be blood ..im told ..LOL..

 

[MJB]

I'm not a fan of copper so I'd use lead unless you have to. My elk bullet is Hornady's SST which was designed for deer but the elk didn't get the memo.
I've never shot an elk with copper and hope too never have to!

Heart shots they always live longer it seems......now diaphragm or lungs they seem to die quicker.

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

No..I pulled it of the internet from a professional killer...Larry was his name I think...but I think it's blood..so he says...it's red anyways..so it has to be blood ..im told ..LOL..

We all miss Larry. But thankfully I know where to get my "L" fix.

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

I'm not a fan of copper so I'd use lead unless you have to. My elk bullet is Hornady's SST which was designed for deer but the elk didn't get the memo.
I've never shot an elk with copper and hope too never have to!

Heart shots they always live longer it seems......now diaphragm or lungs they seem to die quicker.

I know the large pig I shot while hunting with Nessen, died a fast death. Lights out. I'm a compassionate kind of guy.

 

[JakeSCH]

We all miss Larry. But thankfully I know where to get my "L" fix.

Larry uses a 308

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

Larry uses a 308

Or was it a .380. Damn near the same

 

[JakeSCH]

At the end of the day I wouldn’t trust my advice if you don’t like it.

guys on rockslide are killing elk at 1000y with their creedmores pushing 140gr bullets 2950 fps.

I like big calibers and I cannot lie!

 

[JakeSCH]

Or was it a .380. Damn near the same

.380 is his how he finishes them off

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

.380 is his how he finishes them off

Less meat damage.

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

At the end of the day I wouldn’t trust my advice if you don’t like it.

guys on rockslide are killing elk at 1000y with their creedmores pushing 140gr bullets 2950 fps.

I like big calibers and I cannot lie!

1000 yards, it better be a massive elk, maybe 10 ft. at shoulders.