.308 for big game
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oneounceload
Moderator
WHAT?!?! BC has to do with resistance to air and trajectory - the higher the BC, the flatter the bullet will fly compared to a bullet with a lower BC, all other things being equal.
A quality 308, in a good rifle, with good glass and a practiced hunter, will do just fine on anything in the lower 48
Ballistic Coefficient
Go into your reloading manual and look up the long range table for any two ballistic coefficients for example:
A bullet with a BC of .35 that weighs 150 grains:
Muzzle Velocity - 2800f/s
Muzzle Energy - 2611.5ftlb
500 yard Velocity - 1637 f/s
500 yard Energy - 892.5 ftlb
A bullet with a BC of .45 that weighs 150 grains:
Muzzle Velocity -2800f/s (SAME AS ABOVE)
Muzzle Energy - 2611.5ftlb (SAME AS ABOVE)
500 yard Velocity - 1862 f/s
500 yard Energy - 1155 ftlb
If you notice that they both have the same muzzle energy but the BC (Due to its ability to retain velocity also retains the energy. They are the same weight bullet but the one with the higher BC retains 263 more foot pounds at 500 yards when they are equal at the muzzle. I hope this helps. This is why getting bullets with a higher BC can extend your effective hunting range for a specific animal.
The recommended minimum energy for deer is 900 ft pounds and for elk it is 1300. You should check your bullets and know the range you can take this animal with before you actually hunt them and take a shot that isn't recommended. You should also practice at various ranges and only shoot what you know you can hit. It is only fair to the animal. I can't even say how many deer I see limping around and it is frustrating to see.
Good luck with everything!
Go into your reloading manual and look up the long range table for any two ballistic coefficients for example:
A bullet with a BC of .35 that weighs 150 grains:
Muzzle Velocity - 2800f/s
Muzzle Energy - 2611.5ftlb
500 yard Velocity - 1637 f/s
500 yard Energy - 892.5 ftlb
A bullet with a BC of .45 that weighs 150 grains:
Muzzle Velocity -2800f/s (SAME AS ABOVE)
Muzzle Energy - 2611.5ftlb (SAME AS ABOVE)
500 yard Velocity - 1862 f/s
500 yard Energy - 1155 ftlb
If you notice that they both have the same muzzle energy but the BC (Due to its ability to retain velocity also retains the energy. They are the same weight bullet but the one with the higher BC retains 263 more foot pounds at 500 yards when they are equal at the muzzle. I hope this helps. This is why getting bullets with a higher BC can extend your effective hunting range for a specific animal.
The recommended minimum energy for deer is 900 ft pounds and for elk it is 1300. You should check your bullets and know the range you can take this animal with before you actually hunt them and take a shot that isn't recommended. You should also practice at various ranges and only shoot what you know you can hit. It is only fair to the animal. I can't even say how many deer I see limping around and it is frustrating to see.
Good luck with everything!
skydiver3346
New member
The versatile .308
As I have stated before, if I could only have one rifle (for every need), it would be a .308 caliber gun. Why, because it starts with being a .30 caliber bullet. Next, it's available in many different size bullets up to 220 grains. The 180 grain bullet will take any animal you care to hunt: Deer, elk, moose, etc. (almost any animal on the North American continent and other countries as well). Now I would probably use a more powerful rifle caliber I was after a more dangerous quarry, (such as Brown bears, Griz, etc). My particular .308 is a Blaser R93 model and is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot. I would take it hunting for any game I sought, (except Griz) and feel more than comfortable about having success....
As I have stated before, if I could only have one rifle (for every need), it would be a .308 caliber gun. Why, because it starts with being a .30 caliber bullet. Next, it's available in many different size bullets up to 220 grains. The 180 grain bullet will take any animal you care to hunt: Deer, elk, moose, etc. (almost any animal on the North American continent and other countries as well). Now I would probably use a more powerful rifle caliber I was after a more dangerous quarry, (such as Brown bears, Griz, etc). My particular .308 is a Blaser R93 model and is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot. I would take it hunting for any game I sought, (except Griz) and feel more than comfortable about having success....
Last edited:
James R. Burke
New member
They are correct, your good to go. My best freind has the same set up. He tried a differnt rifle once, and went back to what he had. Just loved that rifle.