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308/300win.mag/300win.short mag for ELK

cjkusnierz
hi again the round i am thinking about for elk is the 300 winchester short mag. i hope to be under 150yards but i wont shoot over 300 yards as i am a shotgunner usaly and the only rifle i use is a 308 and that dosent let me shoot much it took 3 shots to sight in so counting the sightin the two target shots one after sightin and one when i got to pa. and the two that got my frezer full well you can see i dident shoot it all that much i also shot it 5 times at the range to see witch bullet felt the best but that was just pulling the triger both of the deer i hit in the chest jusd behind the sholder at an angle from above and the bulet exited threw the other sholder any way they both never moved forward just a slight lean away from me then colapsed and head fell to one side not so with the shotgun they all have took off runing not to long 10-35 yards but none have ever just dropped like with the .308 so should i stick the 308 or go to a300 short mag or 300win. mag thanks[:p]c.j.
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8 comments

Date Votes
  • plains scout
    Never worry about the size of lead if you have the patience to wait for the right opportunity and can shoot straight.

    I shot the .308 and with my "old" rifle, I don't miss. Why? Because that rifle is an extension of me. It is where you put the lead.

    However, that being said, the .300 win mag is a good round. If I move up to one of the big boys, I will chose the .338 as big enough to handle most anything and I have shot one and the recoil is "gentle".

    Shoot straight.
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  • Uintah
    I agree with the previous post, the .308 will handle the job if you are able to wait for your shot. Just last week I saw a cow elk drop with 1 shot from a Ruger 77 .308 at around 200 yards. Have also watched 1 5pt. bull elk taken with one lung shot at 50 yards and 2 6pt. bull elk taken with 3 shots total. All with a lever action 88 Winchester .308 and 180 grain silvertips. Have personally taken one 5pt. bull elk with open sights lever .308 at close range in the timber. Have also seen a 6pt. bull shot a little too far back with a .338 and run for miles. Placement is the key. The larger magnums are great for those who have mastered them and certainly provide ballistic advantages over the .308, it comes down to knowing your limitations and staying within them.
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  • gunnut505
    First off, I have zero experience with any of the lilliputian magnums now being offered as "equivalent" to the originals; but I have much experience with the .30 cal. in most of its' permutations.

    .300 Win Mag takes a lot more shooting practice than you sound like you are used to doing. Once you get past that whole recoil thing; you realize that it shoots much farther than you thought, with less drop than either .308 or 30-06, and carries (with 180gr. bullets) more energy at those extended ranges.
    Coupla years ago, before I had quit guiding hunts for rich tourists looking for horns instead of meat, I had the opportunity to see 3 gentlemen hunters take 3 almost identical Bull Elk with a 7mm Mag, .308 Win, and a .300 Win Mag. They were about 225 yards from a small group of Bull bachelors, no cover whatsoever between us & them, nice stand of Alligator Juniper that they were sunning in front of was about 250 yds.
    Mr. .308 whispers that he's gonna get the one with the brow tines sticking up & out about 8". Mr. 7mm says,"OK, I'm gonna shoot the furthest left one; he's got a huge rack!". Mr 300 picks a nice 8-pointer with a broad chest and thick main beams, grazing slowly to our right.
    Almost simultaneously, all 3 guns go off, the rest of the bulls scatter, one teeters over, one takes 6-7 shaky steps & drops face-first, the last one tries to join the group fleeing, and gets about 100yds.
    Turns out, the .300 had killed the bull so fast; he didn't know he was dead, and was trying to walk when he dropped. Bullet entered the left front shoulder, passed through the heart, one lung, the liver, and exited through the right loin.
    The 7mm's path was through the base of the neck, shattering bone and exploding the heart; left a wound track almost 6" around! This animal made it 100yds before he fell!
    The .308 entered the chest just above and behind the shoulder, hit a rib and deflected clean through the spine. Dropped like a stone.

    So, anecdotal evidence aside; you should try and shoot as many of the makes in as many of the calibers you're interested in as possible, and make up your own mind. Think about all the fun you'll have adding accessories, finding the right load, shooting tests, wagering on hunt success, and getting a new gun or 5[:D]

    If you know it all; you must have been listening.WEAR EAR PROTECTION!
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  • Kdub
    The last 3 elk I have taken were with:

    7mm Rem Mag, 160 gr Nosler Partition

    30-06, 180 gr Hornady SP

    7mm Mauser Ack Imp, 175 Hornady SP

    All were one-shot kills. All were heart/lung shots, the closest at 275 yds and the furtherest at 375 yds.

    Properly constructed bullets and bullet placement is the key to successfully hunting elk. The .308 will do the job if you do yours.

    Keep off the Ridgeline
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  • cjkusnierz
    thank youall it sounds like i should give my 308 a new scope and belive in her thanks for the in put as for trophie hunting i enjoy finding whats left of my bulet after it passes threw somthing as for what i shoot the meet is what i am after yea a nice 7x7 would be nice but a 2foot spike will be just fine any sugestions on placement for the 308? thanks again[:p]cj
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  • Mobuck
    I've used both the 7mm Rem mag and the 300 Win mag on elk and it seems to me the 300 gets their attention quicker than the smaller caliber. On the other hand, the last two I shot stood long enough to get shot again even though they were dead from the first. If you can wait and hold out for the 200yd broadside shot the 308 is OK. In the excitement of the moment that may not happen and sometimes those bullets don't land where you intended. You should use a good bullet of moderate weight. My son used the Win Fail Safe 165 gr in his 30/06 and had complete penetration on a high shoulder shot on a 5 point at about 200 yards. Go for something like the Fail Safe or Barnes X both of which are loaded in factory ammo.

    Mobuck
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  • padeep
    cjk;

    Sounds like your doing fine with the .308 I would give it another season or two; or three...

    But if you are itching for some new metal, I say skip the standard stuff and get a Weatherby rifle chambered in a Weatherby caliber.

    I picked up a .300 Accumark and slapped on a Leup. 4.5X14 AO.
    Expect this to be the last big game rifle I will ever buy.[:I] [}:)]



    Pdp

    Guns, hunting, diesel pickup trucks, its the American way!
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  • HUNT WALKERS
    Your 308 will kill an elk just as dead with a well placed shot as any magnum will. Someone correct me if I'm wrong,but I beleive Elmer Keith used to hunt elk with a 257 Roberts,which there would be nothing wrong with either,given a good bullet and proper shot placement within range.
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