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Old September 10, 2013, 11:44 AM   #26
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308 is the best IMO
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Old September 10, 2013, 06:10 PM   #27
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My Wyoming moose fell down approximately 10 yds. from where he was shot. Total distance was 124 paces. Rifle was a Ruger RSI International in .308 with a 168 gr. bullet. Sorry I don't remember the specifications, it was 30 years ago, but my gun has always liked 165-168 gr. factory ammo.

The caliber of the rifle is not nearly as important as the quality of the shooter. I have always liked compact, short action, lightweight rifles, so the .308 has always been my choice for more than 40+ years.
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Old September 10, 2013, 06:14 PM   #28
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A 308 168 gr Barnes TTSX will go through a full size elk lengthwise
1. why would you want this in the first place?

2. what range?

3. why are you shooting at an elk lengthwise?

4. gut shot animals stink.
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Old September 10, 2013, 09:20 PM   #29
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I'll stick with my .300 win mag, thank you. It will do anything the .308 and the 30-06 can do, do it better and stillmakea better"when you absolutely have to killsomething" round. I can load a 130 gr. Barnes TTSX to over 3,600 fps which when sighted in an inch high at 100 is right an inch low at 300. I can load a 200 gr. Accubond (which has a nice high b.c.) to 3,025 fps which ought to deliverthek.e., at300 yards, of a .308at the muzzle. I've shot prairie dogs with it at 400 yards, deer beyond 300 when I have to, elk WAY out there and big hogs that need a lot of killing.

For moose, I'll take the .300 any day of the week.
What powder are you using with that 130g? That's 200 fps faster than I can get.
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Old September 10, 2013, 09:27 PM   #30
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A 168 gr. Barnes TTSX out of a .300 win mag WON'T go through a big hog broadside. Haven't shot a moose with a .308 but shot lots of big hogs with that load.
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Old September 10, 2013, 09:42 PM   #31
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Actually a 308 starts to shine bright when you get up to 190 or heavier bullet. Only reason there not used in target shooting is recoil. As all others have said,Shoot the one that you are best with. All will drop a moose.
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Old September 10, 2013, 10:22 PM   #32
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A 168 gr. Barnes TTSX out of a .300 win mag WON'T go through a big hog broadside. Haven't shot a moose with a .308 but shot lots of big hogs with that load.
I'm just curious, why do you think the 300 WON'T shoot through a hog broadside? What part of the country are you in?

Of the about two dozen Northern California hogs I've shot or seen shot with a 150g RN 30-30, over half of them went clean through. If they didn't hit a bone they went to clean through.

... and every hog I've seen shot with a 30-06 was a shoot thru.

Boomer wonders?
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Old September 11, 2013, 09:28 AM   #33
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Watch how fast a 30-30 dumps this big moose. Hunters have been killing moose with the 30-30 since 1896. Its almost disturbing how new hunters question the lethality of certain calibers effectiveness. Like all of a sudden our big game now wears Kevlar vests....


Goto 24:45 if you don't want to watch the entire hunt.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6xZsgwPlLM0
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Old September 11, 2013, 10:10 AM   #34
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Though I prefer the .300 win mag for the tough jobs, the .308 has a higher level of performance than the venerable .30 wcf and it's probably killed more animals in North America than anything else. So obviously it'll do the job if the user takes care.

I hunt hogs on VAFB and I should be clear: the 168 gr. TTSX handload I use, as well as the 200 gr. TSX I used to use, WILL on most occasions shoot through an average hog. But if you plug one of the big hairies with a 2 1/2" plate on him, and hit both front leg bones doing it; you will recover a beautifully mushroomed copper bullet. Been there, done that. More than once.

IIRC I was using RL22 for the 130 gr. TTSX load. I no longer use it for fear I'm gonna erode the throat of my rifle. I shot a nice 3 X 4 with that load several years ago at a ranged 325 yards, quartering, and it was simply ridiculous what it did to that deer.
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Old September 11, 2013, 10:57 AM   #35
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why are you shooting at an elk lengthwise?
Because it was coming straight at me, mistaking me for a female. I decided to shoot before he realized his error
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Old September 11, 2013, 12:17 PM   #36
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IIRC I was using RL22 for the 130 gr. TTSX load. I no longer use it for fear I'm gonna erode the throat of my rifle. I shot a nice 3 X 4 with that load several years ago at a ranged 325 yards, quartering, and it was simply ridiculous what it did to that deer.
I hear that. That's one hot load. The best I've done is just under 3400 fps with a 130g in the 300. My 7mm mag gets up to 3225 fps with a 139g SST. Both with IMR 4350.

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Old September 11, 2013, 07:37 PM   #37
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Here is a Guns & Ammo article on the beloved .308.
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Old September 11, 2013, 08:46 PM   #38
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Good reading ( article) I am puzzeled by his projections though. He states a 165 or 168 is pushed at 2600 fps. My 168's have a muzzel velocity of 2875 fps plus ( give or take a few ). Now that is a target bullet,so maybe a hunting bullet is different?. Now I know the 308 can't compeate with a 30-06 or a 7mm for sure,but it is better than the article leads you to believe. But than again I am a 308 lover
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Old September 11, 2013, 08:51 PM   #39
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there is also a difference between handloads and factory loads... I was under the impression that 2600 was the average factory velocity for 165-ish grain bullets? I'm too lazy to read the article, what was the ammo used?
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Old September 11, 2013, 08:54 PM   #40
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.308 vs. 30-06 vs. 300 win mag, not just ballistics??

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Originally Posted by 4runnerman View Post
Good reading ( article) I am puzzeled by his projections though. He states a 165 or 168 is pushed at 2600 fps. My 168's have a muzzel veocity of 2900 fps plus ( give or take a few ). Now that is a target bullet,so maybe a hunting bullet is different?. Now I know the 308 can't compeate with a 30-06 or a 7mm for sure,but it is better than the article leads you to believe.
2900 FPS is a little hot for a 168 gr .308 load, but not unordinary. They are probably publishing slower loads for liability reasons rather than to make the .308 seem anemic.

For hunting, however, an animal won't know the difference between a bullet that left the muzzle at 2,900 FPS and one that exited at 2,700 FPS.
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Old September 11, 2013, 08:59 PM   #41
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And consider: some barrels are faster than others. My .300 is apparently on the fast side, but that 130 gr. load is right out of the Barnes handbook with similar velocities. It was nice to not have to worry about ranging an animal--just aim for hair and cut loose.
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Old September 11, 2013, 09:15 PM   #42
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allaroundhunter- Yes you are right. I changed my velocity. I went down and checked my records. 2875 fps. I don't believe it is a hot load. I have no pressure signs at all. Heck my 175 serria match loads are 2710 fps.

Yes I do believe there is a big difference between hand loads and what you buy on the shelf. Store ammo is a slower load,I'm sure for safety reasons.
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Old September 11, 2013, 09:49 PM   #43
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.308 vs. 30-06 vs. 300 win mag, not just ballistics??

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Originally Posted by 4runnerman View Post
allaroundhunter- Yes you are right. I changed my velocity. I went down and checked my records. 2875 fps. I don't believe it is a hot load. I have no pressure signs at all. Heck my 175 serria match loads are 2710 fps.

Yes I do believe there is a big difference between hand loads and what you buy on the shelf. Store ammo is a slower load,I'm sure for safety reasons.
Sorry, when I said hot I didn't mean unsafe. I simply meant that it may be a little hotter than what an ammo manufacturer would load them for. Just a little closer to max pressures than factory ammo.

I load my 168s to 2845 FPS as well
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Old September 11, 2013, 10:06 PM   #44
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I was interested as to what was recommended in Alaska. I was expecting a discussion about magnum rifles... But, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has this to say about it. You might be surprised: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm...nting.firearms
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Old September 12, 2013, 05:02 AM   #45
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not a problem allaroundhunter.
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Old September 12, 2013, 08:30 PM   #46
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Barrel life's different....

.308's 20% more than the .30-06.

.30-06's 200% more than the .300 Win. Mag.
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Old September 27, 2013, 04:48 PM   #47
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I like the .308, but I know "my" limitations are different than the caliber. I learned along time ago that taking a shot at longer distances is more a problem for the guy behind the trigger than what caliber you are shooting.

Pick a caliber you are comfortable with, learn to shoot it well and figure out your personal limitations. Most folks find they cannot shoot nearly as far as the gun can and still make a good, clean, well placed shot. Moose have been taken with everything from .243 to .458, so pick your favorite and learn what "you" can do, set your limits and stick to it. Sometimes you have to hunt harder and get closer.
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Old September 27, 2013, 09:19 PM   #48
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All three will do the job but you have to do your job first. In other words, you have to put the bullet in the right place. If it were me, I'd opt for the .308 or 30.06. The 30.06 packs a little more energy but the moose won't know the difference.
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Old September 27, 2013, 10:25 PM   #49
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While I love the 30-06 & .308, the 300WM is my favorite. I had my gunsmith build my 300WM. With the tri fin muzzle brake it has far less recoil than my .308's or 30-06's. The only sacrifice is the noise. It is a loud beast.

I would say most would be perfectly satisfied with the 308 or 06, after shooting a few round chrono'd in my 300 I fell in love. My loads are not for the faint of heart though. I received a few boxes of the Army/Navy Mk248 Mod1 and realized the potential of the Win Mag. After cloning the rounds I realized why the hype behind them was there.

Don't get me wrong, I shoot steel only, but with my back issues, there is NO way I could shoot the 300 without the brake. My rifle weighs In at around 13 lbs. with Manners T5-A, NightForce, and Harris bipod. I wouldn't want to trek it through the desert or woods very far but to set and hit steel it serves me perfectly.

That being said I still swear the 30-06 is the most versatile caliber I have shot. The 308 is no slouch, but picking the right caliber and rifle is up to the individual.

My next project is a 243 or 6.5 CM.
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Old September 27, 2013, 11:33 PM   #50
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Quote:
A 308 168 gr Barnes TTSX will go through a full size elk lengthwise

1. why would you want this in the first place?

2. what range?

3. why are you shooting at an elk lengthwise?

4. gut shot animals stink.
5. http://www.vidoevo.com/yvideo.php?i=...-bag-explosion

A picture may be worth 1,000 words ..... but that video ........ Priceless.
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