What beats a 308

S

Scottish Highlander

New member
Hi everyone. I have a Tikka T3 308 as my main stalking rifle for deer hunting. I was looking at adding a second rifle or replacing my current 308.

The 308 is a brilliant rifle but can anyone add what would be a good move forward. I was thinking a 7.62 but I have no experience with this kind of caliber.

Thanks:confused:
 
Are you looking for more punch or ability to reach out further?
If more punch perhaps something along the lines of 35 Whelen, 338-06. If your looking for a long reach then perhaps a magnum of some sort ( 7mm Mag, 300 Mag, 338 Mag etc....), but then again a magnum does offer both (punch and long range).

Now let's see just how wrong I got this.:)
 
scottish Guess you don't know a 7.62 is also 30 cal just like your 308 and mostly known in the military as a as a 7.62x51 or 308 winchester. If you just think you need to move up in cartidge size look at a 300WSM or 300win mag or 338 win mag. Then compar them. You may want to spend some time first looking up different cartidges to help understand how they differ from each other. Wikipedia can help there too. make notes.
 
Well being that you did say "for deer hunting" I'd have to say that not much beats it.

If you want more range with less holdover, faster will shoot flatter, but I doubt it will make any difference unless you have opportunities to shoot over 350 yards. If you do, maybe you should look at a 270.

For normal deer hunting that are many calibers that will do as well, but nothing I can think of that will do better.
 
If you're a good enough shooter and can accurately estimate the range and the wind drift, the .308 with a 150-grain is plenty good for deer to 500 yards.

Family experience. '06 loaded to GI pressure is right at equal to the .308.
 
+1 What Art said.
A 308 can drop pretty much anything on the North American continent, with a decent shot.
338 Lapua may have some advantages, particularly at longer ranges, but if you're price sensitive to ammo, check out cost per round before committing.

If you want to engage polar bears, big African game, or vehicles particularly over 1000 yards, there's always the .50. But a .308 is pretty blasted solid.
 
What he is really doing is rubbing our noses in it as he knows he has the top of the line rifle in the Tikka and everything else is a downgrade. I just finally got a Tikka and love it. Came from a buddie's estate. New unfired stainless 308 to boot.
 
Is there going to be a big red deer involved? I'm still free associating on Scottish Highlands and stalking rifle. And on top of it, it's a Tikka. You must be living in Heaven, man!
 
you need to get something that is both plentiful and on the cheaper side to shoot. 338 lapua is not that and almost no one needs that.

go with the 300wm. you dont need it but it is on most gun counter shelves, is a beast and you can shoot to 1000yds (a feet which very few do but everyone thinks they want to do).
 
7.62 what?

Yeah, the "7.62" line is confusing. There are lots of "7.62's"!

I will comment that a bolt rifle in 7.62x39mm is a dandy little rifle to an extent and suitable for whitetails and hogs, possibly black bear. Cheap to shoot (can we say that anymore?) with mild report and recoil. Great starter centerfire as long as the range is not to great, and pretty useful as a GP piece as long as you don't need .308 win or '06 power, and most of us don't most of the time!

Some (not many) may be bored .308 instead of .311 and if so can use commonly available .30 cal slugs, and may shoot .308 dia well enough for plinking anyhow. For a while I loaded my Ruger bolt so chambered with 147 gr GI FMJBT and shot very cheaply. In those days I could get 1000 slugs for well under $100. I did not want to shoot import steel case ammo thru that particular rifle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top