What Have You Killed with Your .308 Winchester?

[Alaska Luke]

Works well enough on black bears and Caribou. Hopefully we'll shoot a few with our 30/06 this year and get a comparison. I did see a picture of the same 180 grain bullet fired out of a 30-06 and a 300 Win Mag into wax. The 300 only penetrated 2 inches more. Both made a wide would channel which than narrowed down to just over the size of the mushroomed bullet about 1/3 of the way through.
To me the most interesting thing was that the 300 wound channel was roughly 25% wider and a bit longer. So for a normal broadside hit the higher velocity seems to really buy you more tissue disruption in the vitals. So my takeaway is that I might get faster kills with a 30-06 or 300. But I doubt very many animals would live with a 308 but die with a 300 WM hit. But I have no plans to shoot a grizzly with a 308 either.

 

[USN]

Sig 716….no better medicine for hogs. Just keep shooting and don’t worry they will die.

 

[spike.t]

Hartebeest
Warthog
Impala
Bushpig
Leopard
Nyasa wildebeest
Waterbuck
Hyena
Reedbuck
Probably others but can't remember....
Haven't used it in 34 years

 

[Hunt anything]

Haven’t hunted with .308 much but have taken Javalina, a couple of whitetail, bushbuck and klipsringer. It’s an Ruger American also and it is extremely accurate as well.

 

[MerKuryM8]

I recently sighted in my Ruger American Rifle, and it’s in .308.
I’ve been wondering exactly what can I hunt with this round?
I have a tack driver of a rifle. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the 8 round group all within an inch.
When hand loaded, can I expect to not get the same level of velocity and and accuracy?
What kind of game has everyone used it on to hunt?

Hawk

I don't know how many Warthogs and Gemsbok, as well as a Red Hartebeest. Hopefully going to add an Eland or Kudu to that list in the next few weeks.

 

[lawrence_court]

Anyone else have experience with a Ruger American Rifle in .308?

I went to do final sight in with the scope, and I was dumbfounded to see 8 shots into an inch give or take a hair less or more.

I had used the regular Silver/Gray Winchester Power Point rounds. Just because it’s plentiful and fairly inexpensive.

My mouth dropped when I saw this group!View attachment 528866

What’s the biggest animal in Africa you have taken on with the round?
How did it perform?

Here, I’ve seen guys go after elk with it, granted it’s been within 250 yds, and the majority have only moved a few yards, if not being dropped DRT.

But it might be a different story in Africa, where the fauna seem to be more stout.


Hawk

Excllent group!! Nice shooting.

I've taken game up to and including kudu and waterbuck. Using premium ammo it killed cleanly on large game (kudu size) to 500 yds, medium game (impala size) to 550 yds, and small game (springbok size) to 600 yds. Sierra tgk 165, hornday eldx 178, and Barnes vortx 168. Tested the above ranges and theories on 55 head of game. Seems to be a fantastic caliber inside those parameters!

 

[hawkeyesatx]

Excllent group!! Nice shooting.

I've taken game up to and including kudu and waterbuck. Using premium ammo it killed cleanly on large game (kudu size) to 500 yds, medium game (impala size) to 550 yds, and small game (springbok size) to 600 yds. Sierra tgk 165, hornday eldx 178, and Barnes vortx 168. Tested the above ranges and theories on 55 head of game. Seems to be a fantastic caliber inside those parameters!

Thank you very much!
Needless to say my mouth dropped when I saw that. I had heard RAR’s were good shooters, but this is exceptional.


Hawk

 

[Josh P]

The rifle does it for me far more than the round does. It can be a work horse, but it's also standard Walmart fare. Pros and cons.

 

[CBH Australia]

I don't know how many Warthogs and Gemsbok, as well as a Red Hartebeest. Hopefully going to add an Eland or Kudu to that list in the next few weeks.

Warthogs are cool

 

[Fabnosh]

Red Deer
Roe Deer
Fallow Deer
Chinese Water deer
Muntjac Deer
Feral Goat
Warthog
Impala
Wild Boar
Red Hartebeest
Black Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest
Kudu
Scrub Hare
Blesbok
Common Duiker
Mountain Reedbuck
Black backed Jackal
Baboon
Bush pig
Vervet Monkey
Springbok
Hyrax
Red Fox
European Hare

...and probably a few others along the way.

FN

 

[Dewald]

Lot’s of game in Africa. I’ve used it as my primary client rifle with 165gr Swift Sciroccos for a few year’s now, as well as for bushpig at night with IR or thermal.

 

[WI-2021]

I killed Whitetail with my last .308. The current one has only killed my bank account so far.

 

[CastShooter]

Right now, paper, I've never been a fan of the 308, it's never been a cartridge that has appealed to me in any way. So, I've avoided it as much as possible. There are other cartridges on either side of it that are "better" when speaking of exterior ballistics.

I happened upon a trade that I couldn't pass up, a Savage home build 450 Bush, for a Ruger Günsite Sçout in 308. I never intended to get a 308, but decided to give it an honest try, I will admit that it has shot well, recoil is light, load data is easy to come by and reloading costs are low.

The 308 has nothing new to offer me, if I want to shoot any 0.308" bullet with any powder combo, it's already been done, be it jacketed or cast bullets. This cartridge has given up all it's secrets and there's nothing left for me to explore. It's an "old man's" cartridge, sadly though, I'm starting to like it and I'm afraid this means I'm becoming an "old man".

 

[WI-2021]

Right now, paper, I've never been a fan of the 308, it's never been a cartridge that has appealed to me in any way. So, I've avoided it as much as possible. There are other cartridges on either side of it that are "better" when speaking of exterior ballistics.

I happened upon a trade that I couldn't pass up, a Savage home build 450 Bush, for a Ruger Günsite Sçout in 308. I never intended to get a 308, but decided to give it an honest try, I will admit that it has shot well, recoil is light, load data is easy to come by and reloading costs are low.

The 308 has nothing new to offer me, if I want to shoot any 0.308" bullet with any powder combo, it's already been done, be it jacketed or cast bullets. This cartridge has given up all it's secrets and there's nothing left for me to explore. It's an "old man's" cartridge, sadly though, I'm starting to like it and I'm afraid this means I'm becoming an "old man".

View attachment 529694

A Ruger Scout was actually my last .308, except my bolt handle was on the proper side. Mine was unbelievably accurate, it just was a little too heavy for my liking by the time I added a suppressor.

I embraced my inner old man and switched to .308 mainly because I was looking for a chambering that did relatively well out of short barrels, had good availability, and inexpensive ammo options for practice/fun at the range. To me, .308 seemed like the best way to achieve that.

May as well post the pic here too. This is the .308 that has, to this point, only killed my bank account. The .300 in the background merely wounded it.

 

[Hunt anything]

Remember that the Remington M700 in .308 was the first standard US Marine Corp sniper rifle issued first in around 1966 or so. Not sure if that’s the round they still use but it must work pretty well and have really good ballistics.

 

[Ragman]

Right now, paper, I've never been a fan of the 308, it's never been a cartridge that has appealed to me in any way. So, I've avoided it as much as possible. There are other cartridges on either side of it that are "better" when speaking of exterior ballistics.

I happened upon a trade that I couldn't pass up, a Savage home build 450 Bush, for a Ruger Günsite Sçout in 308. I never intended to get a 308, but decided to give it an honest try, I will admit that it has shot well, recoil is light, load data is easy to come by and reloading costs are low.

The 308 has nothing new to offer me, if I want to shoot any 0.308" bullet with any powder combo, it's already been done, be it jacketed or cast bullets. This cartridge has given up all it's secrets and there's nothing left for me to explore. It's an "old man's" cartridge, sadly though, I'm starting to like it and I'm afraid this means I'm becoming an "old man".

View attachment 529694

With age comes wisdom and it sounds like you’re coming around. Up until I was 23 I’d only hunted with a .30-30 until Dad bought me a .308 when I was 15. That gun was a workhorse until some misguided coworkers razzed me enough and finally convinced me to trade it in for a 7mm Rem Mag which was a real man’s rifle. I used that one until I was 26 and was feeling like a shit for getting rid of the rifle that my Dad had gifted to me. I was also starting to realize that the same thing happened to the animals that I shot with my .308 as the 7 mag. So I bought another one and alternated back and forth. Eventually the more years that went by, the more the 7mag stayed in the safe. I’m now 54 and if I wasn’t interested in other rifles I’d hunt exclusively with my “old man’s” cartridge. By the way that’s a beauty rifle you have!

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

.308win?
Well, I kill everything I shot with this round!... I have only a .308 to hunt and never think "wow, I should use other caliber, the 308 falls short!"
Mostly wild boars, but also red deer, guanacos, pumas, a couple of big feral bagual bulls (800 kgs) ande all kind of medium game animals, between 20 to 450 meters...
Never dissapoint me

 

[hawkeyesatx]

I am not ashamed to say that in my youth, when I was in my early twenties, I was also swayed by my hairy chested, this is manly group of friends who only hunted with 7mm Magnum and 300 Magnum rifles. I, let them persuade me into getting one of the fire breathing dragons, testosterone dripping magnum rifles. I was of the thought back then before the persuasion, that 95% of my hunting could be done with a .308 Winchester. I haven’t shot at an animal, even with one of the magnums, more than 300 yds. I guess luck has been on my side, who knows?!? But I am 54, and going on 55, and I keep hearing my dad tell me, you can hunt anything on this continent with a .30-06! I eventually realized, he was right. But I haven’t always wanted to do exactly what my dad does or has, and I have chosen a .308! I know this will make some mad out there, but whatever a .30-06 can do, so can a .308! The .308 isn’t flashy, or excessively speedy. It won’t gut, clean, or cook the animal(s) you’re hunting with one shot. Neither will a Magnum. For my style of hunting, I don’t need more energy down range. I love accuracy! I don’t hunt and shoot anything outside of 500 yds, anyway. The majority of my game animals, I can honestly say have been, at the most, 300 yds away, and usually much closer. Am I getting older, yes! Hopefully I’m getting wiser as well. I’m realizing I don’t need anything more than my .308 Win. I know if I do my part with threading a bullet into the vital area of an animal, the .308 will the rest. Not with fanfare, not with belching flames or brimstone. Just being it’s own modest self.


Hawk

 

[Safari Dave]

I've never killed an animal with my .308, but I have a friend who killed a tiger with one while on patrol in Viet Nam!


I usually grab the .30/06...

 

[CastShooter]

Remember that the Remington M700 in .308 was the first standard US Marine Corp sniper rifle issued first in around 1966 or so. Not sure if that’s the round they still use but it must work pretty well and have really good ballistics.

The ballistics of a 308 are quite mundane in the world of rifle cartridges, the military uses it due to the millions of rounds of ammunition stockpiled around the world, not because it's really good.