Is the .308 a good hunting round?

[Dave3006]

Is this considered a good hunting round for deer? Would it be too small for elk? I was curious as to the limitations of this round for North American game. Thanks.

[Jay Baker]

IMO, .308 Win. is ONE of the best, for deer hunting, and not a bad all around round, either.

As for elk, I've seen quite a few who've fallen quickly to the .308, and my cousin, who is a good shot, practices, and is a good hunter, has not only killed quite a few elk with his Mdl. 70 Featherweight in .308, but pulled an Idaho permit for Shiras moose several years ago, and killed a really nice bull near Island Park, Idaho. Two shots, factory Fed. Premium 180 Nosler Partition.

The key is practice, being a good hunter and using the proper bullets.

FWIW. J.B.

[bk40]

agree with Jay. Great for deer and not a bad choice for elk (shot placement!). The .308, I would dare say, will take any game animal in N America (know your and the rifles range limits, proper bullet selection and placement). Take a look at factory ammo variety and you'll see one of the reasons the .308 is so popular.

[Al Thompson]

Dave, truthfully, I don't see much practical difference in any cartridge from .270 through .30-06. The .300 Win Mag has some difference, the .300 Weatherby and above start to get into truely more effective cartridges.

I have both .308s and '06s and defy any critter to tell the difference.

Practice is the key, as usual.. :D

Giz

[M1911]

And the .308 has the advantage in that it can use a short-action, resulting in a slightly shorter, lighter rifle.

M1911

[Poodleshooter]

.308 surplus ammo is also much cheaper than 30/06 and it is a more economical cartridge to reload for. That price difference translates into more practice and better shot placement making it, in a sense, an excellent game cartridge!

[Ron Ankeny]

I agree with Gizmo, the critter can't tell the difference. It puzzling to me as to why the .308 is not at all popular in the western states. I guess the old .30-06 has just been touted as the best all around rifle for a long, long time.