.308 Winchester for Eland and Argali Sheep

[Scoobyshoot]

Welcome here at the supersniper forum it seems. There are people who shoot at 500 yard with h&h375 and prefer that above??? shooting a 308 at 100 yard?
Talking about ballistics? Pure ballistics a supercharged h&h375 has 1600ft/p left at 550 yard and has drop a 55 inches. A 308 with a 178ELD-x has...1600 left at max charge. I knew this was the forum i had to be, i am a more range-shooter than a hunter. There are only few bullets that keep there ballistics after heating up during 500 yards. There are reasons why the top brands invest in heat resistant tips. Whe see a shift here to more and more varmint/sniping rifle barrels to hunt.
And we have to stay quiet about the first cold-bore shot, that differs at 500 yard. Some 10 inch. So nowerdays, everybody is unloading the Brenneke tig,etc bullets
to load them with ELD-X bullets. And they al like it. I have seen a person shoot a crocodile with a buckmark lr22 bullet standard velocity. Instant dead. That i call
having ba....I take somebody with me to the range to shoot 600M. 10 shots. Every shot out of the 10" circle i buy a botlle wiskey and otherwise. But still,respect
everybodies words. Respect

 

[IvW]

Welcome here at the supersniper forum it seems. There are people who shoot at 500 yard with h&h375 and prefer that above??? shooting a 308 at 100 yard?
Talking about ballistics? Pure ballistics a supercharged h&h375 has 1600ft/p left at 550 yard and has drop a 55 inches. A 308 with a 178ELD-x has...1600 left at max charge. I knew this was the forum i had to be, i am a more range-shooter than a hunter. There are only few bullets that keep there ballistics after heating up during 500 yards. There are reasons why the top brands invest in heat resistant tips. Whe see a shift here to more and more varmint/sniping rifle barrels to hunt.
And we have to stay quiet about the first cold-bore shot, that differs at 500 yard. Some 10 inch. So nowerdays, everybody is unloading the Brenneke tig,etc bullets
to load them with ELD-X bullets. And they al like it. I have seen a person shoot a crocodile with a buckmark lr22 bullet standard velocity. Instant dead. That i call
having ba....I take somebody with me to the range to shoot 600M. 10 shots. Every shot out of the 10" circle i buy a botlle wiskey and otherwise. But still,respect
everybodies words. Respect

Neither the 375 H&H or the 308 Win are 500 yard plus hunting rounds! They were designed for totally different applications and should be used within these design parameters.

I don't see anybody recommending the 375 H&H here for an Argali hunt at 500 yards and wanting to use a 308 Win @ 100 yards on a Giant Eland is a very bad idea.

If I had to hunt at 500 yards plus I would use my 338 Lapua Magnum.

As for shooting a crocodile with a 22LR, I would not call it "having balls" rather being a very stupid and irresponsible idea, unless it was a 1.5m specimen in a croc farm and it was shot at point blank range in the head. For a 12 foot plus specimen in the wild it would be a very unethical thing to try, no matter how good a shot you are.

There are many tried and tested calibers out there that are suitable for specific hunting requirements(which both Argali and Giant Eland are).

Range or paper punching is far removed from practical hunting in the field. Bullet designs for target shooting are mostly not suitable for hunting and should not be used no matter how good there paper ballistics might be. Only use premium hunting bullets in an appropriate caliber, especially for large animals such as Giant Eland.

My 2c.

 

[Scoobyshoot]

In this forum a person says, i kwote. My closest shot was 500 yards. I know i am not English speaking. So please read our search that kwote. I never said.......i could shoot at 500 yards on any wild. That is why i said i am not Lucky Luke. With my 557 harmony 308,,,i am confusing to shoot and hit and take down a lot untill 110 yards. When i use hornady eld-x. But does anyone allready used them? I sold my 7rem and 300winmag because off Overkill.

 

[fourfive8]

Neither the 375 H&H or the 308 Win are 500 yard plus hunting rounds! They were designed for totally different applications and should be used within these design parameters.

I don't see anybody recommending the 375 H&H here for an Argali hunt at 500 yards and wanting to use a 308 Win @ 100 yards on a Giant Eland is a very bad idea.

If I had to hunt at 500 yards plus I would use my 338 Lapua Magnum.

As for shooting a crocodile with a 22LR, I would not call it "having balls" rather being a very stupid and irresponsible idea, unless it was a 1.5m specimen in a croc farm and it was shot at point blank range in the head. For a 12 foot plus specimen in the wild it would be a very unethical thing to try, no matter how good a shot you are.

There are many tried and tested calibers out there that are suitable for specific hunting requirements(which both Argali and Giant Eland are).

Range or paper punching is far removed from practical hunting in the field. Bullet designs for target shooting are mostly not suitable for hunting and should not be used no matter how good there paper ballistics might be. Only use premium hunting bullets in an appropriate caliber, especially for large animals such as Giant Eland.

My 2c.

Well said. Recently, within the last 4 years or so, a very well trained military type "tacticool" shooter from Europe decided to hunt PG in Zimbabwe with 6.5 Creed (or similar cal?). He was truly an excellent shot as witnessed by the PH. All went well, not spectacular but OK on PG kills until it came to eland. What appeared to be perfect shot placement at less than 100 yards turned into a mess! Hunt close and use enough gun with good bullets! Anything else could be called a stunt.

 

[IvW]

In this forum a person says, i kwote. My closest shot was 500 yards. I know i am not English speaking. So please read our search that kwote. I never said.......i could shoot at 500 yards on any wild. That is why i said i am not Lucky Luke. With my 557 harmony 308,,,i am confusing to shoot and hit and take down a lot untill 110 yards. When i use hornady eld-x. But does anyone allready used them? I sold my 7rem and 300winmag because off Overkill.

There is no such thing as "Overkill" when you hunt African game.

Over gunned is a much better option than undergunned and over confident, trust me.

By the way Hornady bullets are not premium grade hunting bullets for large African animals.

 

[salesman]

IMHO if I had to choose one rifle to hunt the two species in the OP it would not be the .308. Sure it will kill either one, but it has serious limitations on overall performance for either.

My choice would be either the .338 Win. Mag. or the .300 H&H (substitute the .300 Win. Mag. if you must).

If I chose the .338 I would use either 250 grain A-Frame or Partitions for the eland. Then re-zero and use a quality 210 - 225 grain bullet for the sheep.

With the .300 a 200 - 220 grain A-Frame or Partition for the eland. For the sheep re-zero and go with a quality 165 - 180 grain bullet like an Accubond for example.

As usual just my 2 cents.

 

[ChrisG]

Will a .308 KILL an Eland? Sure. Do I want to pay $2,000 to try?... nope. I would say a step up in power would be called for, at least for the Eland. They are fairly docile animals that sometimes could feel like pole-axing Elsie the cow (to borrow Peter Capstick's phrase.) I would personally want a .30-06 minimum but mainly for it's ability to fire heavier bullets. A 240 Grain Woodleigh weldcore at 2,300 FPS sounds about right to me. A .300 Win/Weath/H&H would be able to throw it a bit harder. For a barnes TSX I would opt for a minimum of a 180 grain. You are going to have a hard time getting enough powder behind that bullet to make it a reliable expander at 200 yards out of a .308 without undue pressures. It's the same length as a 200 grain lead core bullet. I just think that on an animal that could run 1,600 to 2,000 lbs, you're going to want some extra thump. Not necessarily because it's absolutely needed in a best case scenario, but because you should always prepare for a worst case scenario i.e quartering steeply away with a less than ideal shooting position and a hefty trophy fee hanging over your head. A little leeway is never a bad thing.

 

[Foxi]

I was wondering would a .308 Winchester would be suitable for Eland (Giant and Common) and also for the Argali Sheep. I will be using Barnes TSX Bullets on both animals.

I know some farmers in Namibia, they use this,but they can go out every day .
As a guest --never.
An Eland is heavier as a Buffalo.We have to do quick kills and:
Wounded and not found is full price.
A Giant Eland trip costs round USD 30.000.-,Im sure you would not use a .308 there.
Foxi

 

[BWH]

I took one with 30.06 w/ 168 gr TTSX. Long range, on the move.... monster Drakensburg Bull. Wished I had more.... lots more. Took more than 1 shot.

 

[Nosler guy]

Will a .308 KILL an Eland? Sure. Do I want to pay $2,000 to try?... nope. I would say a step up in power would be called for, at least for the Eland.

Our man is talking Giant and Common - so I presume his Giant is the "Lord Derby Eland" - so you need to add another 0 to your price, like $20,000 + , and not only that but a bigger animal and usually in terrain with harder hunting and more difficult and borderline shots are required ...

 

[ChrisG]

Our man is talking Giant and Common - so I presume his Giant is the "Lord Derby Eland" - so you need to add another 0 to your price, like $20,000 + , and not only that but a bigger animal and usually in terrain with harder hunting and more difficult and borderline shots are required ...

Thanks for the correction! . I think my point proves even more valid. If I had eland running around in the woods behind my house and a hunting license was $35 a year... Sure, I might be tempted to try to take one with a .308. I don't own one though... my larger game guns start with a 6.5x55 and that is too small in my opinion. The next step up from my gun safe is a .375 H&H and that would be the one I'd reach for... I might even try the .416 out.

 

[Graham Hunter]

I would shoot a charging Grizzly with a 22 short if that was all I had in my hand. But results define the hunt. I tend to shoot either larger calibers or smaller calibers at high velocity and for range. I have killed Elk with my 257 Weatherby as dead as with my 338 Win. And always with premium bullets.

 

[Kenneth McMillan]

Thanks for all the replies. I will probably use either a 7mm Rem Magnum and a .300 Winchester Magnum but they would both be Browning BLRs. The only problem is I don't know whether or not the BLR has a range of 365 - 458 metres (400-500 yards), I do know they can get 275 metres (300 yards) but can they get the distances needed for Argali and other mountain game.

 

[ChrisG]

Thanks for all the replies. I will probably use either a 7mm Rem Magnum and a .300 Winchester Magnum but they would both be Browning BLRs. The only problem is I don't know whether or not the BLR has a range of 365 - 458 metres (400-500 yards), I do know they can get 275 metres (300 yards) but can they get the distances needed for Argali and other mountain game.

Do you consistently practice from field positions at those distances? I think the BLR is mechanically up to the task... I mean, with no wind, a Marlin guide gun in .45/70 is mechanically up to the task. The limiting factor here is not the equipment.

 

[Kenneth McMillan]

Yes, I consistently practice from 275 metres in the field and at the range with a friends BLR in .300 Win Mag, do you think I should practice from 365 metres then 459 metres. I will have to vary my licence here in order to purchase one

 

[Rick Cox]

I guess since they make sniper rifles in .308 caliber, it's appropriate for sheep. A 180 grain bullet will be just fine for eland hunting.

If you poke a hole in a human and he gets away, do you still have to pay the trophy fee?

 

[ChrisG]

Yes, I consistently practice from 275 metres in the field and at the range with a friends BLR in .300 Win Mag, do you think I should practice from 365 metres then 459 metres. I will have to vary my licence here in order to purchase one

Personally I would go with the .300 Win Mag with 200 grain premium bullets.

 

[Kenneth McMillan]

I guess since they make sniper rifles in .308 caliber, it's appropriate for sheep. A 180 grain bullet will be just fine for eland hunting.

Now I would love to use a sniper rifle on sheep but believe me as a former Army Cadet Force ASOL Group SAA Instructor and NCO for the Reserves on Emergency Deployment Only those rifles kick like a bloody mammoth mule with steel shoes with iron nails in them on. I know this having shot them in ACF rifle shooting competitions.

 

[308Win]

I feel like I have to say *something*, but I have no particular wisdom to offer...

 

[Opposite Pole]

Can it be done? Sure, some of the time it will even work. You could also walk backwards but what for? In Oz lots of Buffalo were shot with the likes of 303, 308, 270 etc. Hit them in CNS with FMJ and the are killed instantly. But if you miss...
.308 is far from optimal on an animal the size of Eland. I like my 308 but would not consider it for such a large animal. If your projectile doesn't work perfectly (and sometimes they don't), or if you put less than a perfect shot in it you are unnecessarily wounding an animal. We have responsibility towards the animals we hunt to kill them quickly and humanely and should use appropriate weapon to do so. 308 against an animal weighting over half tonne and sometimes close to a tonne is not optimal.