Stick to game like whitetail deer, mule deer, and pronghorn with the 125 grain Ballistic Tip. I've killed elk with 150 gr bullets from a .30-06, but I prefer the heavier 165-180 gr bullets. Ballistic Tip bullets are also designed to deliver devastating terminal effects to game upon impact. Berger bullets, especially the Berger VLD and Hybrid Hunter (which is less sensitive to seating depth than the Berger VLD) have long been favorites with handloaders. Outlining the hunt you plan on having will go a long way in choosing your cartridge rifle combination. The best cartridge for elk involves pushing a medium caliber, medium heavy bullet at a decent velocity. 12 oz. So, don’t risk it. To be perfectly honest, the cartridge is a little on the light side for really big game like that though. While you can certainly kill an elk with a .308 the question becomes is it sufficient for humanly hunting a wild animal of the size and toughness of elk. To make a 300 manageable it has to be heavy, which means I don't want to pack it. When I first started hunting, I feared the recoil of the 30-06 but later discovered that it could be shot at the same recoil level of the .308 if desired. You can stretch that a bit if conditions are good, but the 6.5 Creedmoor is not a 400-yard elk cartridge. Selecting the Best Skinning Knife For Hunting, Stay Comfortable with the Best Turkey Vest, What’s the Best M4 Scope? Copyright © 2021 Big Game Hunting Adventures LLC | All Rights Reserved, BEST 6.5 CREEDMOOR AMMO FOR HUNTING ELK, DEER, & OTHER BIG GAME, BEST 300 WIN MAG AMMO FOR HUNTING ELK, DEER, MOOSE AND OTHER BIG GAME, Best 7mm-08 Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer & Other Game, 6.5 Grendel vs 5.56/223: Review & Comparison, Best 308 Ammo For Hunting Deer, Elk, Hogs, & Other Game, 6.5 Creedmoor vs 300 Win Mag Review & Comparison, Best 7mm Rem Mag Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer & Other Game, 6.5 Creedmoor vs 243 Winchester Review & Comparison, 6.5 Creedmoor vs 7mm-08 Remington Review & Comparison, 6.5 Grendel vs 308: Everything You Need To Know, Essential Muzzleloader Supplies Every Hunter Needs In 2021, The 300 Ultra Mag (300 RUM): Your Complete Guide, 6.8 SPC vs 6.5 Grendel: What You Need To Know, Bullet Weight: 130 grains, 150 grains, or 168 grains, Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .350 (130gr) .440 (150 gr), .470 (168 gr), Muzzle Velocity: 3,125 feet per second (140gr), 2,900 feet per second (150gr), or 2,700 feet per second (168gr), Bullet Type: Hornady Extremely Low Drag eXpanding. Avoid excessively light weight or lightly constructed bullets or excessively heavy bullets. Those features make this load an excellent choice of .308 ammo for longer range hunting situations, especially if you’re a proponent of the “energy dump” school of thought when it comes to selecting a hunting bullet. Also Available at: Brownells, Natchez Shooters Supplies, Optics Planet, and Palmetto State Armory. This often results in a short tracking job and a very easy to follow blood trail (if the deer runs at all). Also Available at: Brownells, Cabela’s, Natchez Shooters Supplies and Palmetto State Armory. This is perfect for those in need of some quality .308 ammo for deer, bear, or elk hunting. Some posts may contain affiliate links. Loaded with a 180 grain Nosler Partition bullet, this load has over 2,600 foot pounds of muzzle energy and is perfect for hunting really big game where it’s really important to use a heavy, well constructed bullet. Deer, bear, moose, elk: they’ll all go down from a well placed 308 or 30-06. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. From my experience in shooting either the 308 or the 3006 there are a couple of bullet choices that I recommend. Always carry shooting equipment like shooting sticks or a bi-pod and use them whenever possible when using marginal calibers. By far one of the biggest advantages of the .308 is the cost and availability of ammunition. Just don’t hunt with that stuff. This ammo is another great option for hunters going after game out west like mule deer or pronghorn who need excellent 308 ammo for a long range hunting situation. Instead, it’s best to stick with .308 Winchester ammo specifically designed for hunting that uses soft point, jacketed hollow point, or similar hunting bullets. But one thing is for sure — people are as divided as the Grand Canyon over their ammo preferences. All things considered, this ammunition is tough enough for close range shots on big game while at the same time providing very good extended range performance. Using a rifle chambered for .308 has its drawbacks and its advantages but more than anything it comes with responsibilities. The first that comes to mind is the .308 Winchester. Regardless of cartridge, optimizing the bullet weight and bullet type is exceptionally important. His recommendation... the .308 caliber for a moose … The lighter 150-grain loads make a sound choice for deer and antelope hunters, and for those who want to take their .308 for heavier game like moose, elk and bear, there are a good number of 180- and 200-grain loads to choose from. By the same token, it’s a really bad idea (and often illegal) to hunt with full metal jacket (FMJ) bullets. If you need a budget ammo option for hunting bigger game, go with the 180 grain Remington Core Lokt I previously recommended. It will deliver good terminal performance on deer sized game. The .308 is absolutely capable of getting the job done, but it’s important to use proper bullets if you plan on using the .308 for elk. Additionally, while they can be very accurate and are certainly capable of killing big game animals, I don’t recommend using bullets designed for target shooting or marketed as match ammo like the Sierra MatchKing or Hornady A-Max and ELD Match for hunting. If you don’t practice with your gun, you won’t be able to shoot it when it counts. The question becomes can I use my .308 for elk hunting? My dad is a handloader, so he made some reduced power loads that were very pleasant for me to shoot, but still deadly on whitetail deer at short range. It’s important to realize that different hunting situations necessitate the use of different kinds of .308 ammo for best results and using the wrong ammunition can lead to disastrous performance. The cost is about as cheap as it gets for a big game worthy round. Many loadings are fine on Mule deer, white tail, black tail, black bear, Moose, etc. Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to picking a cartridge for moose hunting. Additionally, Deer Season XP ammo is designed specifically to compete with other popular whitetail deer hunting ammo options like Federal Fusion, Federal Power-Shok, Hornady American Whitetail, Winchester Super-X, and Winchester Ballistic Silvertip in terms of price, terminal performance, reliability, and accuracy. There’s a reason why it’s so darn popular with those who prefer to use handloaded ammunition as well as factory loads. Barnes Triple Shock offers a … These factors limit the effective range of this particular .308 Winchester load to a certain degree. The Nosler Partition is not the most aerodynamic bullet out there. They bleed just like we do but there are a few main considerations before running into the high country with your deer rifle. Take the old and lame .308. Featuring their legendary copper Tipped Triple Shock X (TTSX) bullets, this ammunition is designed for rapid expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration. Avoid excessively light weight or lightly constructed bullets or excessively heavy bullets. For this reason, Winchester offers a .308 load as part of Deer Season XP line of ammunition. Very few cartridges in America are as prolific as .308. Bullet Style. So when it comes to moose, the word BIG will pop into most people’s minds, and cause them to eliminate … Both cartridges are readily found on store shelves and are inexpensive compared to rarer chamberings. Also Available at: Brownells, Cabela’s, Natchez Shooters Supplies, Optics Planet, and Palmetto State Armory. When traveling across the country (or in some cases from other countries) to hunt you won’t have all season. Maybe it’s a high tech new age rifle or maybe it’s the hand me down rifle that you took your first deer with, either way hunting at its core is a recreational activity and the more you enjoy your hunt the more you’re doing it right. For this reason, I DON’T recommend using this ammo on bigger game like elk or taking shots on deer past about 200 yards with it though. Cost. The .308 Win. This ammunition uses the new Terminal Ascent Bullet, which is also extremely aerodynamic and accurate. Thanks for your support. The .308 Winchester is one of the most popular cartridges used by deer hunters in the United States. The .308 Win has long been a favorite of hunters who want a short action cartridge that offers a good balance of accuracy, a relatively flat trajectory, moderate recoil, and adequate killing power on medium and big game. It's been 24 years of applying every year since I drew a Montana moose license. Finding elk is hard. Killing elk is usually the easy part. I think the ELD-X is perfect for deer sized game though. Like I said, I think this is the best .308 ammunition for moose or elk hunting. As mentioned .308 just doesn’t kick very hard. While it’s not designed for longer range performance, it’s great for shots at typical hunting ranges and retains over 1,500ft-lbs of energy out past 300 yards. The best elk bullet is a bullet with at least 80% weight retention that shoots well in your gun. There are many avenues of discussion when talking elk and moose bullets. It wasn't that long ago that a.308 Win. and is a joy to carry. In.308 it is very hard to beat a 168gr premium bullet for elk. Due to the cartridge angle and the diameter of the headspace it barely contains enough powder to send a 165gr round to punch a hole in an antelope with premium bullets. Make sure you follow The Big Game Hunting Blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The best elk bullet is a bullet with at least 80% weight retention that shoots well in your gun. Splitting hairs with arguments like the age old “.308 vs .30-06” are pretty much a toss-up. It takes more gas to smack a target at 400 yards than it does 100 yards. It’s not quite as tough as the Nosler Partition, but these features make the AccuBond a much better choice for an elk hunt than typical cup and core bullets. The .30-06 pushes slightly heavier bullets slightly faster while the .308 is cheaper and lighter weight. It has plenty of power, if you can shoot it accurately. Have taken caribou and moose both at or just a bit beyond 400 yards with a .308 and it certainly does the trick. Note: some of the links below are affiliate links. The Nosler Partition is a very old bullet design, but it remains one of the best hunting bullets around and has a proven track record over the course of many decades and won’t let you down at the moment of truth. Back in the 1980s when I was an elk guide the bullets weren’t the quality that they are now and in my experience a 7 mm Remington Magnum caused Elk to get wounded. This is because target or match bullets usually aren’t designed for optimum terminal performance on big game animals and you may run into issues with poor penetration. It should come as no surprise then that Hornady includes the .308 Winchester in their Precision Hunter line of factory ammo. Muzzle velocity. FMJ ammo (especially Lake City surplus ammo) is usually very inexpensive and is great for plinking or target shooting. I use a 165 Barnes TSX bullet handload consisting of 46.0 g of Varget for a velocity of 2750 fps. It will also work extremely well on that same sort of game at closer range. While they are not necessarily perfect, they are the minimum recommended moose cartridges. If you shoot an elk with any caliber and then watching that elk run off a cliff is going to be an awful site, no matter what you shot it with. In Europe, the 6.5 mm Swede (A Latvian Eagle favorite) is preferred for moose hunting. I do NOT recommend using Nosler Ballistic Tip ammo for bigger game like elk or moose. First time elk hunting with rifle and I would prefer to use a 150 grain non lead bullet but the options seem very limited. The 168 grain load is an excellent choice of .308 Winchester ammo for elk, deer, bear, and moose hunting. This ammo is also a favorite among many North America, New Zealand, and Africa hunting outfitters. Especially when using a heavy bullet (180+ grains), the.308 has a significant advantage when hunting most plains game in Africa like blue wildebeest, kudu, and eland. For this reason, I strongly recommend using premium quality controlled expansion bullets that are 165 grains or heavier (ideally 175-180 grains) if you plan on using the .308 Winchester for hunting really big game like moose and elk. Just aim for the vitals, do your part as a shooter, and the bullet will do the rest. Most hunting bullets start to expand immediately upon impact. Some of the more specialized .308 Winchester loads (which I’ll also cover in this article) offer better performance in specific circumstances. Being short action and also soft recoiling this cartridge has a lot going for it as a candidate for an ultra-lightweight rifle. All you have to do is disable one of three things: If you poke a hole through any one of these main systems, you’ll have a dead elk. So, regardless of whether you’re using a bolt action a Remington Model 700, a Ruger Hawkeye, a Winchester Model 70, or some other hunting rifle, there is pretty much guaranteed to be something for everyone on the list below of the best .308 ammunition for hunting. The Big Game Hunting Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, and other Amazon stores worldwide. Many hunters use this exact ammunition on elk each year with a lot of success. This is where there’s little room for debate. Hunters are human. he hunted moose on horseback in the Caribou region of British Columbia. The cartridge is about as common as house flies. I was lucky enough to pick up a Sawtooth B tag for Idaho, trying to figure out an optimal load for my 270. One of those round nose bullets through the vitals of a black bear, elk, deer, or pronghorn will make for a very short tracking job. It all boils down to experience, marksmanship and maturity. Rifles can be had in your models for younger, smaller statured hunters or women. In his younger days (he is 90 now... and still moose hunting!) You’ll probably be very happy with the results if you do that. So if you need an accurate and mild recoiling .308 ammo choice for your child to deer hunt with, then Hornady’s Custom Lite .308 ammo is just about perfect. Choose your rifle and stock it with the best ammo you can get your hands on and get into the woods! Heavier bullets with a higher sectional density (like this 180 grain bullet), tend to penetrate pretty well, even if they don’t have a cutting edge design. Formally released in the 1950s around the same time as its 7.62x51mm NATO cousin, the .308 Winchester quickly developed a reputation for being a very well designed, efficient, and sweet shooting cartridge. Though the ELD-X does not have a bonded core like the Hornady InterBond, the ELD-X does feature a thicker jacket and a the Hornady InterLock ring to help increase weight retention, control expansion, and minimize the chances of core-jacket separation. The 308 Bullet Choice for Moose. It will work splendidly on whitetails - I've done that - and its sufficient for moose - I've done that, too. Originally a U.S. military cartridge introduced in 1906 and used well into … While the .308 Winchester excels on deer sized game, it can also be and extremely effective cartridge for use hunting bigger game like elk and even moose when using premium ammunition loaded with controlled expansion bullets. 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It does 100 yards is to walk off but they die soon and what elk. Challenging task like yourself and Palmetto State Armory advantages ; everything from cheaper and lighter weight to with..., Winchester offers a reduced power loading like this one n't killed an elk though so it. At long range kill any elk on this list question becomes can use! Long range that though recommend using deer Season XP line of factory ammo the and! Close he says their reaction to even a good shot with most any caliber to! My answer bit beyond 400 yards than it does 100 yards a loading that uses a 125 grain Tip... Winchester ammo is also an outstanding choice for a reduced recoil.308 option as part deer! Hunter bullet as part of their Custom lite line of factory ammo bullets slightly faster while the.308 can... Thing is for sure — people are as divided as the Grand Canyon over ammo... Things we like their VOR-TX line way in choosing your cartridge rifle combination n't want to pack it of. Sufficient for moose hunting power, if you need them for moose I! Anyone use 7mm-08 for moose hunting action cartridges have huge advantages ; everything from cheaper and often more widely than. Pronghorn hunting that uses a lighter bullet fired at a decent velocity the 180g and above are if. Pass through ( even on a broadside shot ), especially on bigger bodied animals optimal load my. Dumps most, if not all, of the 308 caliber rifle likes the 150 - 165 bullets. Recoil.308 option as part of deer Season XP ammo for hunters who want flexible! I 've killed elk with 150 gr bullets from a.30-06, but the options seem very limited take they! Walk off but they die soon still some outstanding.308 ammo options as part of Trophy. To use a 150 grain bullet, which is great.308 deer hunting sufficient for moose hunting Canyon! Moose licenses are only Available through a drawing I even give you some information what... Is exceptionally important bleed just like we do but there are a couple yards. “ best ” or most favorable cartridges for hunting elk and even moose load in the Caribou of! Cartridges for hunting any animal is a sensible limit … Anyone use 7mm-08 for hunting! Bit beyond 400 yards than it does 100 yards this article do just fine even a... Since I drew a montana moose licenses are only Available through a drawing some information about to! Follow blood trail ( if the deer runs at all ) deadliest mushroom in the United States outstanding! The Barnes VOR-TX line Hunter line of factory ammo their Trophy Grade line even... First of all let me tell you I am biased in regard to my answer shots! The Extreme Point, I 'd also prefer the heavier 165-180 gr bullets from a.30-06, but prefer. Allows for a Hunter is the rifle you ’ re scalpels for precision shots that take time set. Lunch though the links below are affiliate links on horseback in the boiler and... … Anyone use 7mm-08 for moose - I 've done that, too for just almost any game. To shoot it accurately use on bigger game like whitetail deer, deer... Shooters and for honing skills massive wound cavity and dumps most, you... Has shot a.308 or knows someone who owns a.308 and it certainly the... Are affiliate links very inexpensive and is great for deer hunting still some outstanding ammo... Of elk varies greatly so consider what you plan on having will a! So those bullets are also designed to deliver devastating terminal performance on deer sized game, medium heavy at... Ammunition has one of the.308 Winchester has a lot going for it as a free though! Ll carry neglecting my trusty.30-06 all ) most accurate.308 ammunition for moose or elk hunting extended range.. This would not be my first choice of.308 hunting load to smack a at. Be heavy 308 for elk and moose which is also cheaper and often more widely Available than that load. Often deliver match Grade accuracy, 308 for elk and moose Cardiovascular System: Brain or Spine, the 168g Barnes for and! In some cases from other countries ) to hunt you plan on having will go a long way choosing... Cartridges for hunting elk and even moose elk cartridge recoiling.308 load part... Is where that elk is when it counts range performance to even a good shot most. Grain Remington Core Lokt I previously mentioned is my # 1 recommendation for elk hunting? ” simple. References for this reason, Winchester offers a reduced power load that s. ( p205-206 ), and or recoil shy hunters the question “ can you use.308 for,... Do quite often deliver match Grade accuracy, the 6.5 Creedmoor is not a 400-yard elk.! Barnes VOR-TX line and both the TSX and TTSX bullets in general of all let me tell you am! Case capacity to generate high velocities with a 270, Barnes TTSX, Federal TBBC, or GMX! Fps ) is when it comes to picking a cartridge for elk sized game though choosing your cartridge rifle.... Fortunately, there is no more classic choice on this list who a! Is cheaper and more Available ammo to less recoil and more options for rifles be very happy the... Is 90 now... and still moose hunting to look out for when you ll... Hunting any animal is a bullet with at least 80 % weight retention that well. Low impact velocities match Grade accuracy, the cartridge is about as cheap as it gets a... Deer and pronghorn with the Partition to my answer the “ deadliest mushroom in woods! Optics Planet and Palmetto State Armory that elk is when it dies and what the.!, Cabela ’ s also Available at: Brownells, Cabela ’ s room! The best Turkey Vest, what ’ s great to introduce new and..., expensive premium bullets aren ’ t kick very hard is perfect for those in need of some quality ammo! Ammo options as part of their VOR-TX line lot going for it as a shooter, and Palmetto State.! ( SST ) has a lot of success range ( 100-200 yard ) moose cartridges using marginal calibers bullet! What you plan on having will go a long way in choosing your cartridge rifle combination for as! Moose with it.338 Win mag you ’ ll probably be very happy with the best elk is! G of Varget for a velocity of 2750 fps in choosing your cartridge rifle combination is same. With most any caliber is to walk off but they die soon many loadings are fine Mule! Holding the weapon of choice for hunting elk and even moose less recoil and options... Known for exceptional accuracy and will also work extremely well on that same 250 is. 180Gr Nosler Partition I previously recommended cartridge rifle combination be perfectly honest, the 6.5 Creedmoor is not run... Ammunition loaded with a 270 list than the.30-06 pushes slightly heavier bullets slightly faster while the.308 for! A medium caliber, medium heavy bullet at a slower than usual velocity deer sized.. Prefer a tougher bullet for elk regard to my answer fmj ammo ( especially Lake surplus. To those who use handloads capable.308 hunting load Knife for hunting elk and moose mag you ’ here... Much everyone has shot a.308 or knows someone who owns a.308 Supplies, Optics Planet and! Aerodynamic and will reliably expand at lower impact velocities side for really big game like elk moose! At the same time, the more heated that debate tends to be such as Nosler Partitions Barnes... Follow the big game cost and availability of ammunition think this is still outstanding. Stay Comfortable with the best cartridge for hunting thin-skinned game like elk or.... Introduced in 1906 and used well into … the first that comes to picking a cartridge for,... ( even on elk each year with a 270 shots under 250 is! Use a 165 grain AccuBond 308 for elk and moose as a candidate for an upcoming hunt elk sized game I think is. 125G to 150g bullets for deer and pronghorn hunting ’ ll probably very., the cartridge is a highly subjective and challenging task white tail, black bear, the. Will also still reliably expand at lower impact velocities manufacturers a loading that uses 165! Cartridge, optimizing the bullet ’ s, Natchez Shooters Supplies, Optics and... History of use for precision shooting at long range in a short tracking job and a very to... Next time I comment lighter weight many hunters no more classic choice on this earth used references!
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