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Title says it all. But let's have a cordial & polite discussion - no b.s. & no flaming. Here's the deal: A parishoner of mine is taking his 14 year old daughter on a guided elk hunt this September. I think they're going to Wyoming. She's killed deer the last two seasons with this particular .308 she's shooting. I have not seen the rifle, but it is scoped. She's made kills out to 125 yards, and from knowing the family, I can tell you she's a serious kid, excellent student, and thoroughly enjoys hunting - especially with her dad. He's a no-nonsense, quiet spoken fellow & an all-around great guy. As I said, it is a guided hunt. I believe she could shoot a bull or a cow. Given these circumstances, what .308 Win FACTORY load would you recommend? One other question: what would you suggest to be the maximum point-blank-range? 200 yards? 250? Thanks & God bless, friar Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain. | ||
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Good for her! Not sure what is all availible in .308 factory. A 150 or 162gr should be more than adequate. And 250 yards is fine. I have seen elk shot with 22-250's, .243's, 30-30, and I shot one with a .41 mag once. It's not what you shoot, but how you shoot it. Hornady used to have a line of light magnums in various calibers, my son bought some for Africa and shot them in his 30-06, the 180gr, over the chrony was 2930fps. You really couldn't tell the difference in recoil. THey preformed well. | |||
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I have killed a lot of game with a 308, big pigs, heyena and black bear being the largest. The wife has killed zebra, kudu and wildbest as well as deer and pigs with her 308. For factory ammo I would recommend the Federal 165 Trophy Bonded Bearclaw, the Federal 180gr Nosler Partition, or the Federal 180gr Barnes MRX bullet. The wife and I have used all of these loads for several different animals, and they have performed perfectly. I would not hesitate to shoot an elk with any one of them. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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I would use Nosler's Trophy Grade with the 165 gr Nosler Partition bullet at 2800 fps. Best combination of "punch" and trajectory, IMO. | |||
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+1 great load. | |||
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Any of the premium bullets (TSX, TTSX, Partition, Accubond) ove 165gr is gonna work. I killed a huge nilgai bull with Black Hills' 168gr TSX at 100 yards. Bullet penetrated 36". Perry | |||
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I loaned my 308 to my buddy 2 years ago for his teenage daughter to use on her elk hunt. I had it loaded with a handloaded 165 gr Nosler partition. Short story is she got her elk, one shot, lunged it (cow), and down it went. I would set it for a 200 yard zero and make sure someone has a sharp knife. Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor | |||
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Black Hills makes factory 308 with Barnes TSXs in either 165/168 Usually pretty accurate Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I would go with the 165gr Nosler Partition. "If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it". Fred Bear | |||
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What load is she shooting deer with? It might make a fine elk load too. -------------------- THANOS WAS RIGHT! | |||
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My son had excellent one-shot kill performance in Namibia using 180 gr TBBC in his .308. Since they don't load TBBCs anymore AFAIK (which have also killed several deer and truckloads of hogs from the same gun, sadly we're down to a small handful left), and I don't know how the Trophy Bonded Tips perform, I would recommend either the Nosler 165 Nosler Partition or the Fed Prem 180 gr Nosler Partition with a slight preference for the lighter bullet because of recoil and trajectory, both available from Midway. This is not knocking the TB Tips, it's just that I haven't used them and have no knowledge of how they perform, so I am recommending something that I know works, first time, everytime with decent bullet placement. xxxxxxxxxx When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere. NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR. I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process. | |||
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308 = 30/06. I've been using a 30/06 for 30 years here in Colorado for elk. My load is the factory Remington 180 grain "core-lokt". Never had a problem with it. That's what I would use in a 308. If the Win PP is a little more accurate out of her rifle, then use it. I've killed elk with that load also. Practice is more important than bullet selection in 30/06 velocity. A 180 grain "Core-lokt" in the boiler room is better than a "premium" in the paunch. CB | |||
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excellent point. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Give me the simple life; an AK-47, a good guard dog and a nymphomaniac who owns a liquor store. | |||
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Thanks everyone - good advice. I'll show the thread to her dad. I'm not sure what she's using for the deer load, but that's a good point. Like Slim says, I think a 200 yard zero would be just about right. Thanks! friar Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain. | |||
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I hunt elk with a 30-06....but I shoot 150 grn Accubonds for everything my old 700 points at.....deer, antelope, sod poodles ect.....2900 fps is what she does A .308 Win. will do the same as my -06 with a 150 ________________________________________________ Maker of The Frankenstud Sling Keeper Proudly made in the USA Acepting all forms of payment | |||
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Excellent choice!!!!! | |||
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The first ones I'd try would be the Federal Premium 150 grain TSX, the Federal load with 180 grain Partitions, or 180 grain Remington Corelokts. If she is shy of recoil, I'd lean more toward the 150 grain TSX. I sight my .308 2" high at 100 yards with a 150 grain Speer at 2850 fps, which puts you pretty close to dead on at 200, and ~9-10" low at 300. With 180s I'd probably sight in 2.5" high at 100. | |||
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My son has used his .308 with 150gr Accubonds to take everything from 450lb hog to blue wildebeest and kudu. All were one shot kills. As I told someone else today, easy chambering to put the bullet in the right place with. Highly recommend it. | |||
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I absolutely love the .308 for a number of reasons and I am a recent convert to the TSX. I would even be comfortable with the TSX in smaller calibers, as long as it was under 200yds. In .308 I'd have no problem using a 150gr TSX on Elk. The Hunt goes on forever, the season never ends. I didn't learn this by reading about it or seeing it on TV. I learned it by doing it. | |||
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Friends, thank you very much! I'll share this with her dad, and keep you appraised! Blessings, friar Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain. | |||
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165 grain, whatever brand shoots best in your rifle. Hornady factory ammo has always seemed more accurate than other brands in IMHO. Get the 165 grain GMX Superformance. Or try the Remington 165 gr Sciroccos. Better yet, have Superior Ammo work you up a sample pack of 165-168 grain ammo and see what shoots best and order a few boxes of that load. That's what I did for my son last summer when we went to Africa - 308 Win 165 grain Swift A-Frames. Killed everything. "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting Recommend .308 Win load for teenage girl's first elk hunt
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