Is the 308 the best rifle for all purposes

[Vipa]

I have to admit that the majority of times when I've hit a shoulder have been by accident. Either I've pulled the shot and it's gone forward of the intended point of impact, or I've misjudged the angle on a quartering animal and its gone through the offside shoulder on the way out.

However, I do deliberatly aim for the shoulder when I don't want them to run at all: last light, thick cover or near a boundary. I'm happy with doing so, and it works for me.

'pinning' common practice in dense cover

 

[MARCBO]

I have to admit that the majority of times when I've hit a shoulder have been by accident. Either I've pulled the shot and it's gone forward of the intended point of impact, or I've misjudged the angle on a quartering animal and its gone through the offside shoulder on the way out.

However, I do deliberatly aim for the shoulder when I don't want them to run at all: last light, thick cover or near a boundary. I'm happy with doing so, and it works for me.

I am a carnivore and I always "aim" (poor pun) to preserve meat. A lung shot will lways bring them down and usually provide a big blood trail.

SS

 

[Vipa]

I am a carnivore and I always "aim" (poor pun) to preserve meat. A lung shot will lways bring them down and usually provide a big blood trail.

SS

Sika would disagree.... boiler room shots just seem to make 'em run faster and further... no fun at last light in a dense forest, even with a dog on hand!!

 

[MARCBO]

Sika would disagree.... boiler room shots just seem to make 'em run faster and further... no fun at last light in a dense forest, even with a dog on hand!!

If you hit the lungs they cannot breath and drop quickly.

SS

 

[bogtrotter]

If you hit the lungs they cannot breath and drop quickly.

SS

Can still make anything up to a 100 yards with a lung shot which is a long way in thick cover.

 

[Mungo]

If you hit the lungs they cannot breath and drop quickly.

SS

You'd think so, but not always quick enough. I've had roe run up to 50 yards with a good solid lung shot from a .308. In thick gorse, or young sitka spruce plantation, or at last light in an overgrown meadow, that's far enough to cause a real headache. Worse still if it goes over the boundary, and you have to go phone someone for permission to go fetch it.

I'm happy to lose some meat if it means I don't have to spend an hour on hands and knees, searching for the blood trail in the ****ing rain.

 

[MARCBO]

Can still make anything up to a 100 yards with a lung shot which is a long way in thick cover.

Having never shot a Sika, I cannot comment but having shot Antelope, Mule deer. white tail, Elk, Roe and American Bison I have never had anything run more than 25 meters and most less than half of that.

SS

 

[bogtrotter]

You'd think so, but not always quick enough. I've had roe run up to 50 yards with a good solid lung shot from a .308. In thick gorse, or young sitka spruce plantation, or at last light in an overgrown meadow, that's far enough to cause a real headache. Worse still if it goes over the boundary, and you have to go phone someone for permission to go fetch it.

I'm happy to lose some meat if it means I don't have to spend an hour on hands and knees, searching for the blood trail in the ****ing rain.

Which is why the pinning shot is the recommend shot for anyone granted a night shooting permit.

 

[Mungo]

Having never shot a Sika, I cannot comment but having shot Antelope, Mule deer. white tail, Elk, Roe and American Bison I have never had anything run more than 25 meters and most less than half of that.

SS

This shows what can happen:

Incredible lung shot

 

[Southern]

When a deer exhales, its lungs collapse 75%, leaving the entire upper cavity empty. A bullet or arrow can pass through, over the lungs, and create a condition of pneunothorax, making it difficult to breathe, but the deer can heal and entirely recover.

A shot to the top of the heart will always get heart, lungs, arteries... something killing very quickly.

 

[MARCBO]

When a deer exhales, its lungs collapse 75%, leaving the entire upper cavity empty. A bullet or arrow can pass through, over the lungs, and create a condition of pneunothorax, making it difficult to breathe, but the deer can heal and entirely recover.

A shot to the top of the heart will always get heart, lungs, arteries... something killing very quickly.

Interesting but I cannot open the video.

In over 35 years of hunting I have never had an animal run from a good lung shot. I would never advocate a high lung shot but still never ahd a runner. On Bison the spine runs pretty much center so hunters will often place the bullet into the "hump" rather than the lungs and get runners. I saw a bull shot two years ago with a 338 Win though the heart that ran over a mile, that was an adventure....

SS

 

[Jagare]

.308 is a crap round. I've hunted with .308 for 40 year and have shot deer from muntis to moose and boar in between. Whilst over all those years I've never had a problem with it i ask, do i need something larger. Something that has a couple of extra Ft Lbs and shoots a a couple of mm flatter at long range plus makes my teeth rattle when i shoot it.

Can the SD expert panel give me the best caliber please. I'm sending my Heym- Ruger back to Heym in the near future to be rebarreled so must decide.

 

[MARCBO]

.308 is a crap round. I've hunted with .308 for 40 year ...

40 years of shooting a "crap round"? Perhaps you sir need to rethink what you are doing if it has taken you 40 years to decides it is a "crap round"

SS

 

[Mungo]

Interesting but I cannot open the video.

It's one of Yorkshire deerstalking's. Search through the vids on here - it'a about 6-7 pages in.

 

[MARCBO]

It's one of Yorkshire deerstalking's. Search through the vids on here - it'a about 6-7 pages in.

My security settings are blocking the vid.

SS

 

[Mungo]

My security settings are blocking the vid.

SS

Roe buck, 80 yards. .308 with 150gr partition (I think). Clean through both lungs - you can see the blood gushing out. It runs a good 100 yards before folding up.

 

[MARCBO]

Roe buck, 80 yards. .308 with 150gr partition (I think). Clean through both lungs - you can see the blood gushing out. It runs a good 100 yards before folding up.

Ok, happens. Can anyone say this is the norm? Doubt it. Personnal experience hunting big game for over 35 years in North America and Europe tells me no.

BTW: They never run far with a 50-70

SS

 

[User00026]

Ok, happens. Can anyone say this is the norm? Doubt it. Personnal experience hunting big game for over 35 years in North America and Europe tells me no.

BTW: They never run far with a 50-70

SS

I guarantee you that an 85g or 100g soft point in .243, same placement, ceteris paribus, that buck would not have taken 5 steps, maybe not even 1!

 

[rabbitter]

.308 is a crap round. I've hunted with .308 for 40 year and have shot deer from muntis to moose and boar in between. Whilst over all those years I've never had a problem with it i ask, do i need something larger. Something that has a couple of extra Ft Lbs and shoots a a couple of mm flatter at long range plus makes my teeth rattle when i shoot it.

Can the SD expert panel give me the best caliber please. I'm sending my Heym- Ruger back to Heym in the near future to be rebarreled so must decide.

Jätte kul, Jagare
I think it's possible your meaning may have been lost to some though.

 

[provarmint]

I guarantee you that an 85g or 100g soft point in .243, same placement, ceteris paribus, that buck would not have taken 5 steps, maybe not even 1!

You guarantee!