How far will a 308 kill?

[thelukai1100]

I have a Remington 7400 in 308, I'm getting it to group 0.82" at 100 yards with hand loads. (which I'm told is amazing for a 7400).
I tried it at 400 yards but didn't group it. i was shooting a 12" steel gong that had already been plastered with bullets.

I'm confident to shoot a deer out to 300 yards.
but how will the .308 do for elk and moose? I know it will kill them but at how far?

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I have a Remington 7400 in 308, I'm getting it to group 0.82" at 100 yards with hand loads. (which I'm told is amazing for a 7400).
I tried it at 400 yards but didn't group it. i was shooting a 12" steel gong that had already been plastered with bullets.

I'm confident to shoot a deer out to 300 yards.
but how will the .308 do for elk and moose? I know it will kill them but at how far?

you will get a lot of answers look at the energy you want at least 1k pounds use that as your guide, maybe 1500 pounds for an elk

 

[emn83]

for Elk, I'd go a maximum of 400 yards, depending on bullet weight and Muzzle velocity. That's about the max I've seen for getting 1500ft/lb of energy. For deer, assuming good accuracy, 600 is the max I'd shoot, for me that's because velocity goes under 1800fps after that, and for my Bergers, I want them going at least that fast for good expansion. of course differing temp, humidity and air pressure will change things too

 

[BrentM]

Perhaps you can find out the speed of your bullet and the weight, brand, etc and give that info. Correct me if I am wrong but these things along with BC will give you a bunch of numbers to study.

If you don't have a chrono just use the bullet drop in inches from zero (100?) to say 400 yards.

I tend to think you are shooting around 2600-2650 fps. Probably 165 gr Nosler with a BC around .450.

I am curious about the answers to this as well. For example I have seen a couple of videos where elk are taken from 900- 1000 yards with a 6.5 x 284 and the cow had 3 shots, all complete pass throughs. I was surprised about that especially considering it was a 120g Barnes bullet. Energy had to be around 750.

 

[Woody26]

Shot a 5x5 bull elk last year in colorado at 451 yards. First shot hit high shoulder, the bull never moved, second shot .75 inch 5 o clock from first shot. The bull folded like a cheap lawn chair. From now on 400 is my max if i ever shoot the 308 for wapiti again. I was shooting factory HSM ammo loaded with 168 bergers on a borrowed gun wirh zeiss rapid z 600 ( awesome!) Since then i have added a new 7mm mag sendero sfii to my collection, 2nd bullet was recovered under the offside hide, partially opened but fully intact. That is my experience with the 308

 

[luke]

My wife shot a muley buck this year with my buddies 308 at 675 yards. The rifle is loaded with a 155gr A-Max leavin the barrel at 2950. Him and I made a bad wind call and she hit toward the back of the rib cage. The video is on youtube if interested. Look up Amber's 675 yard mule deer.

 

[WildRose]

With the right bullet/load 500yds is probably as far as I'd go on those critters with the .308.

The biggest limitation is your ability to put it where it belongs.

Take that 12" gong and find the max range at which you can consistently hit it and that should be your limit.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

The distance depends on a lot of things not just the cartridge. For elk, my max distance would be the distance a 180 bullet reached 1800 fps. That would be on the very edge of minimum performance. 1800 fps is the minimum opening velocity of a lot of bullets and that's one reason I say 1800 fps. For an elk, I would pass on 1800 fps with a smaller than 180 gr bullet. So it depends on your load and the BC of your bullet. One bullet and load may perform a good bit farther than another. Elevation will be a factor as well. With a good load of RL17 your 308 could become a 30-06.

 

[MMERSS]

Look at your energy and velocity at the intended ranges for the size of the animal. 400-600 yards should be in the ball park. You can always practice up to 1K if your bullet retains enough velocity.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Could you say what load your shooting? These guys will be able to give a much more accurate answer.