The .308 Win for plains game

We just returned from a short trip tot he Limpopo and I took two guns, .308 win and a .223 rem. I'm a huge fan of the .308, I use it for 90% of my hunting and I've dragged one or another around the world and back. I think it is a bit light for most guys, but in the hands of a marksman (I'M NOT CLAIMING TO BE ONE) it is more than adequate. I didn't have any problems with the .308 and took almost everything with it, I did shoot one monkey with the .223.

That being said I received and email from a client the other day asking about the .308 for eland. Again in the hands of the right person it will work, but in the hands of the wrong person its a nightmare.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

I would have thought the .308 would adequate for all but the largest PG. LOL, I've got a M700 5R Varmint gun. I wish I had some monkeys to try it out on.

@Clayton I agree, but where do you draw the line.

.308 with quality bullet and precise placement, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot an Eland. would I rather tip the odds in my favor with a larger cartridge, absolutely! But if the confidence level is there with the 308, use it, a proper shot with a good bullet from the 308 is much better than a shot pulled and a piss poor one from a 300. JMHO
Cheers,
Cody

James Jeffrey - HuntingAgent.com said:

We just returned from a short trip tot he Limpopo and I took two guns, .308 win and a .223 rem. I'm a huge fan of the .308, I use it for 90% of my hunting and I've dragged one or another around the world and back. I think it is a bit light for most guys, but in the hands of a marksman (I'M NOT CLAIMING TO BE ONE) it is more than adequate. I didn't have any problems with the .308 and took almost everything with it, I did shoot one monkey with the .223.

That being said I received and email from a client the other day asking about the .308 for eland. Again in the hands of the right person it will work, but in the hands of the wrong person its a nightmare.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

Click to expand...

My thoughts are that the highlighted quote is a very odd one. Care to elaborate a little? It would seem about perfect for plains game to me, with premium bullets of course.

I hunted with a PH who did a lot of culling on various plains game species; zebra, wildebest, impala, etc. I think he said he was on his 3rd barrel for his 22-250.

After taking two rifles to Africa my heavy hitter (375HH) stayed in the case and the week was spent hunting with my CZ550 308 Mannlicher using a 165Gr bullet

James.... pictures???? Story????

James you asked and answered your question it is the age old question in the right hands your 223 would work ( head shot) my eland shooting is limited to one I shot it at 150 yds broadside 300 mag 200gr bullet pass thru both lungs and out the other side it didn't go down lurched ran about 225 yds and piled up stone dead. didn't fire again as me and 2 ph saw the shot hit the bullseye and knew it was dead eland. So I am guesing a 308 kills it fine but it may run a little before it knows its dead that is assuming your guy puts the bullet on the mark. miss the mark and I think a long bad tracking job instore.

@JGRaider I don't claim to be an expert marksman, I consider myself above average, but by no means am I an expert.

@Buckdog head shots work fine assuming you are not trophy hunting.

@reedy0312 We went over to see a new outfitter and spend some time on his property. The opportunity came up for some culling, so of course I graciously agreed . We were shooting for meat, but the landowner wanted the horns as well. Distances were varied and shots were extremely fast. My hunting partner really struggled with making good shots, in his case he would have been much better served with a bigger caliber. Making very quick accurate shots in thick brush is tough for anyone, I fared very well with my .308 and only had one cock up with a wildebeest. We were shooting some problem baboons and after a quick shot on one big bobo, I followed up with a shot on a wildebeest that walked out. The only shot I had chest on, at a bit over 100 yds. the bullet entered the chest and into the shoulder socket. it was a mortal wound, but wildebeest are damn tough and he led us on quite a chase. Would things have been different with a .300 (probably) or even a .375, (definitely). Wildebeest aside I dropped a kudu at over 200yds with a single shot and hit another on followup shot at 300 with a finishing round at 400. Out of the 20 odd animals I shot, I really only had issues with the one. My hunting partner had issues on nearly every animal, he did eventually take the owners .375 and got to work.

Given time to set up and take shots accurately, the .223 will kill just about everything. The .308 would be a better choice as you have a bit more margin for error. For fast shots where time is a luxury bigger is better.

I've shot game mostly with 30-30, 308, 30-06, 303, and 7mm rem mag.

There is no question in my mind that shock/energy is ultimately what puts an animal down quicker. This will vary with shot placement as well as bullet choice. If you hit a medium sized game animal square in the shoulder with a 308, my experience is generally they collapse 50% of the time right there. If you hit one in the same spot with something like a 7mag, it's like they got hit by a car every.single.time.

Now leave no doubt the animal will not go too far while running after a good 308 hit, but the question is "will you find it"? Granted professional trackers are much much better than the average joe in North America, but I always err on the safe side particularly when it's rainy, near water, thick brush, etc.

Right medium sized game, which in this case for Africa limits you to the smaller animals. Even animals like hartebeest outweigh north American deer in body size and tenacity.
So for the average person where do you draw. Especially with a trophy hunt, where shoulder shots are the norm.
I think for most people with average skills the springbok, impala, blesbok and down are about it for the .308.

NRA American Hunter has a recent short article on the 308: https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2016/10/7/behind-the-bullet-308-winchester/

Personally I wouldn't hesitate to use a .308 / premium bullet combo on any PG if presented with the right conditions/circumstances... Plenty of large/tough PG game like eland, wildebeest, etc. have been taken with smaller rifles (.270 immediately comes to mind)...

I typically come from the bigger/slower camp.. I like my .45-70 for hogs and deer.. prefer 180gr over 165gr when hunting with a .308, etc... If I knew for sure that I was going after eland I would probably bring something bigger than my .308 since I have other options in my arsenal.. (.375?)

But if what I happened to have on me was a .308.. and a monster eland presented me with great shot opportunity (right distance, right angle, etc..).. I wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger..

I think its all about knowing your own personal capabilities and limitations.. and knowing the capabilities and limitations of your rifle and ammo... and then hunting in a professional and responsible manner, taking into account those capabilities and limitations..

If the animal presents you with a shot that you know you, your rifle, and your ammo can succeed with... take it....

If not.. don't pull the trigger.. (quartering away eland @ 250 yards, on the move, with a .308 loaded with 165gr SMK's.. is probably not a shot I would take..)..

Almost as big an issue would be what the guy can handle. If you go to a bigger gun for insurance and he can't take the recoil you will have the same result- a long tracking job, only in this case it would be due to poor shot placement. Ask him what the biggest gun he is comfortable with and then tell him to practice his ass off and all will be fine. On a side note, when I finally got drawn for a Maine moose permit, after some slight hesitation, decided to use a .270 due to the fact it was my grandfather's and he never got drawn. One shot from that put a big bull flat on the ground- obviously shot placement was perfect, but it shows how effective a slightly undersized round can be if you take the time be a good rifleman.

I'm not 100% sure, but I have heard that Marius over at @KMG Hunting Safaris is a fan of the .308. I think that black rifle ( cannot remember the make) with the suppressor that is seen in hunting reports from there is his, and is chambered as such. It amazed me when I started researching outfitters how many in RSA at least use calibers that to many in the US would seem "light" on plains game, including .270 and .308 (even 7x64 to my understanding is not too far off from a .270)

I think that 308Win is as good as old 275Rigby.
Witold

Bsto270 said:

I'm not 100% sure, but I have heard that Marius over at @KMG Hunting Safaris is a fan of the .308. I think that black rifle ( cannot remember the make) with the suppressor that is seen in hunting reports from there is his, and is chambered as such. It amazed me when I started researching outfitters how many in RSA at least use calibers that to many in the US would seem "light" on plains game, including .270 and .308 (even 7x64 to my understanding is not too far off from a .270)

Click to expand...

At least when I hunted with him Marius used a 308 Winchester. He declined my offer to let try my 444 Marlin handgun and 300 Weatherby rifle.

I shot my eland with a 168g Barnes out of a 30-06. So maybe a little more than a 308 but pretty damn close. Killed it no problem.

That said, I shot it a second time (despite my PH telling me not to bother) because it was getting dark and I didn't want to have to search for it. That and I believe when shooting living creatures one should choose the first shot carefully and then keep shooting if you can so long as the target remains up.

While the impact was not impressive, my PH was right and the first shot was all that was needed. I don't regret taking the second shot. The 308 will be adequate but don't expect the impact to be impressive. That said, it isn't going to travel far if your shooting is straight.