Who uses the 308 Winchester for hunting?
- Thread starter SEB-USA
- Start date
shooterjon
Silver $$ Contributor
I have used my Kimber 308 Win. rifle to take one deer ,3 Antelope AND two wild pigs.How many of you guys use a 308 Winchester for hunting?
Dan Ekstrom and I plan to go to the edge of the Bighorns, just north of Buffalo, outside of a little town named Story later this week to attempt to fill some doe tags.
We will be still hunting...Doing the sneaky sneak, and then in the afternoon, we will hunker down on the ground somewhere in what each of thinks will be an area where deer will be moving.
Not sure which handgun Dan will use, but I plan to take my center-grip 308 Winchester XP-100 and use some factory ammo I have one hand: Hornady TAP 168 grain (A-Max), which has a MV of 2445 fps.
I have shot this XP out to 1000 yards on steel, so I figure it should do fine to the close distances I will be hunting-Under 250 yards, with most shots closer to around 100 yards.
I set all of my pistols up with a 100 yard zero.
It will drop 5 inches at 200 yards or I could dial or use the FFP reticle at 2.5 MOA for a spot on kill.
It has a reworked stock, and it has been bedded.
I bought this off of Gunbroker as a rear grip set-up at a good price, and it turned out to be a gem.
Someone had set it up for IHMSA, so it is a lightweight XP-100, with a 14.5" fluted barrel.
Glenn (a friend from church) helped me rework a flawed stock and bed it.
They kept the original recoil lug, when chambering/fitting the custom H-S barrel, which was designed for the center-grip trigger, so all I had to do was grab a spare trigger linkage, which I had, remove the trigger that was on it, put on the center-grip trigger, and I was set!
Mac's Gunworks added one of their solid-bottomed brakes, and Chuck did some adjustment work on the trigger as well.
H-S Precision did the metal work on it, with their name on the barrel, so I am guessing they built this before they started making their HSP/pistol action.
Scope is a Burris XTR-II 3-15 with the SCR MOA reticle.
.150 grain Sierra pro hunter.From 80 yards to 299 yards.
Great shooting gun.
Last edited:
Adam in WI
Practically lives here
The best thing the .308 ever did was give us .243 and 7mm-08... 
Well prior to my commie state banning lead bullets for game and non=game hunting, 90 % of the bullets I shot, in various calibers on big game, were either Core-lok Remington's or Nosler partitions, they did the job the were designed for. Now I use mostly Nosler, Hornady and Barne's non-lead and they are working fine.
So in your 308 use core-lok or partitions and you will be happy.
Lets not forget the 260!!!!!The best thing the .308 ever did was give us .243 and 7mm-08...
GotRDid
Gold $$ Contributor
Rem PSS/LTR in .308, Barnes 150 TTSX (this year) and a last minute invite over a frosty field on opening day.
Got to hunt for only 3 hours this whole season (no place to go), but the highlight of my year.
Didn’t even see a squirrel, however, but good to be up in a stand again.
pirate ammo
Guaranteed to take the wind out of their sails
308 all I use, with a 168GR A-max it will kill the heck out of a Texas Porker.
3Sigma
Silver $$ Contributor
Took my first deer with a 308 this year. Nice fat doe, 60 yds, one shot through the vitals. I was impressed with the results.
Hornady 165 SST running 2630 fps from a 20" Model 700.
Not much different than the deer I've taken with a 30-06 and 165 SGK st 2800 fps. But, terminal ballistics are independent of what cartridge was used and inside 300 yds there's not enough difference to matter IMHO. 2000+ fps impact velocity with a good controlled expansion hunting bullet will get it done as long as it is put in the right place.
Hornady 165 SST running 2630 fps from a 20" Model 700.
Not much different than the deer I've taken with a 30-06 and 165 SGK st 2800 fps. But, terminal ballistics are independent of what cartridge was used and inside 300 yds there's not enough difference to matter IMHO. 2000+ fps impact velocity with a good controlled expansion hunting bullet will get it done as long as it is put in the right place.
Where did you place the shot?
Rick in Oregon
Gold $$ Contributor
Humm, the .308 or 7.62 NATO for hunting.........does Vietnam count? 
I ran/drove out to Chuck McIntosh's/Macs Gunworks today to drop off a Joy-Pod, and pick up my 25 PRC XP. I grabbed my 308 Win XP-100 just to make sure everything was on. There was a couple of guys and a gal shooting when I got there. The guy was shooting of all things, a bolt rifle in 308 Winchester. I knew the guy that was spotting for them (Dave L), but the other two were a first time acquaintance. Since Dave was there, I asked him if he could spot for me at 500 yards. Originally, I was going to shoot paper at 100 yards and then a 5" steel at 200, and 10" steel at 300 yards, from a seated position and some double kneeling.
But since he was set-up for 500, I told him I would start there.
At the last minute, I decided I would shoot it double-kneeling with the Bog Gear and PSR top and small field bag.
Dialed 13.5 MOA (168 grain TAP ammo) and dialed 1 MOA left for the wind. Why not make it challenging
Took me awhile to get steady at 500 yards, but smacked it first shot.
Reloaded, and moved hastily too 300 yards (5.5 MOA), again double kneeling, and saw the cross-hair drop at the shot. I called it just low and Dave confirmed it-Rats!
Then, I moved to the 5" 200 and smacked it from the same position.
Hunting this week will likely involve a sitting shot with my back resting against a tree-Tripod will be lower and more stable than double kneeling.
Don't tell anyone, but I enjoy shooting this XP.
Talked Dave into shooting it from the bench (Harris bi-pod and small field bag) and he nailed the 300 yard steel first time.
The 308 Win XP-100 is ready to go!
But since he was set-up for 500, I told him I would start there.
At the last minute, I decided I would shoot it double-kneeling with the Bog Gear and PSR top and small field bag.
Dialed 13.5 MOA (168 grain TAP ammo) and dialed 1 MOA left for the wind. Why not make it challenging
Took me awhile to get steady at 500 yards, but smacked it first shot.
Reloaded, and moved hastily too 300 yards (5.5 MOA), again double kneeling, and saw the cross-hair drop at the shot. I called it just low and Dave confirmed it-Rats!
Then, I moved to the 5" 200 and smacked it from the same position.
Hunting this week will likely involve a sitting shot with my back resting against a tree-Tripod will be lower and more stable than double kneeling.
Don't tell anyone, but I enjoy shooting this XP.
Talked Dave into shooting it from the bench (Harris bi-pod and small field bag) and he nailed the 300 yard steel first time.
The 308 Win XP-100 is ready to go!
I would have thought the 308 just barely marginal for a black grouse!!!!! Generally, if go for grouse......that's when I get out the 300 Weatherby!!!!!
pirate ammo
Guaranteed to take the wind out of their sails
That's as bad as me using a 416 Rigby on a Florida Whitetail.
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