for hunters - 30-06 VS 308

[coug]

If you buy the optics and practice at those ranges you can do it with ease. But to shoot 500 yards you need a good scope with tactical turrets and a range finder that will range a deer at that distance, you will also need a wind meeter. and last but not least a good proven chart and a lot of trigger time. I can hit the base of a pop can almost every time @ 650 yards and if i don't hit it, its within an inch or two. But I shoot almost every day and I compete in long range matches all the time. you have to have the equipment to be constant at those ranges. And believe it or not the rifle is the least important part of the whole deal. if you want to shoot that far you just need to learn what it takes. The 308 is very susceptible to wind, but they all are to a degree. I just don't think the 308 is a good choice for a long range hunting rifle. there are so many others that are better. You wont hardly ever see a 308 in a match anymore because they are so easy for the wind to push around. And they don't pack a god punch way out there. a .308 has about 600 ft.pounds of muzzle energy at 1000 yards, my 6.5-06 AI has about 1150 ft.pounds and way less wind factor. It takes 1000 ft.pounds to constantly kill a deer....... What would you use??????? I'm not bashing the .308 its a good target rifle or a short range rifle. I just know there are way better choices for long range so I'm letting you know what I know. Hope this helps. And for the nay sayers of long range shooting, thats only because of their limits that they say its bad. Most anyone who shoots long range will shoot better at 600 yards than they do at 100 yards. Its all about equipment and time on the trigger. A 200 yard shot would be less ethical for some guy that pulls old Maggie out once a year to go shoot Bambie than an 800 yard shot made by someone who knows what he is doing and well practiced. So dont let the jive get to you. Just learn what you need get it and learn how to use it. practice practice practice.....

 

[MoBoost]

I can hit the base of a pop can almost every time @ 650 yards and if i don't hit it, its within an inch or two. But I shoot almost every day and I compete in long range matches all the time

Got any links to scores at the matches? 2" @ 600+ is a mighty tall claim.

It takes 1000 ft.pounds to constantly kill a deer.......

I've heard this a million times now, shoot, I probably repeated it. Anyone knows where it originated and WTF it means? 60ft/lb arrow takes deer just fine, and 50BMG blowing a leg off - doesn't.

 

[ez bake]

Got any links to scores at the matches? 2" @ 600+ is a mighty tall claim.



I've heard this a million times now, shoot, I probably repeated it. Anyone knows where it originated and WTF it means? 60ft/lb arrow takes deer just fine, and 50BMG blowing a leg off - doesn't.

I just about posted the same thing man. You also don't need tactical turrets, a range-finder, or a wind-meter and 500yds isn't "long range shooting". I'll stick with my .308s because I'm lazy and factory ammo is cheap (I spend the time I would spend reloading just shooting the $.60-$70 per round good-enough factory ammo I can get on sale and I'm doing ok with well under 1/2 Minute out to 400yds.

.308 is cheap, reliable enough (with enough energy at 500yds or less to kill the Dog-sized Oklahoma deer), and has less recoil than .30-06 in most loads. I'll take it over .30-06 all day.

 

[coug]

+ or - 2" @ 650yards on a pop can base is about 6" group. Not that hard to believe. And if you look on snipers hide I took 25th of 72 @ the battle of the canyons.
Parker Ackley is where the 1000 ft. pounds of muzzle energy came from and he is kinda like the Tesla of the shooting world. I'm am not looking to have an argument just stating facts.

 

[coug]

And if you want to hit 1/4 min or better at 500 yards you will have a program and dial that range in or you will be lucky to hit a paper plate @ 500 yards. To be good enough to deer hunt @ that range you should have a scope that is repeatable and has turrets that you can use to dial in with. or you will not be consistent.

 

[ez bake]

And if you want to hit 1/4 min or better at 500 yards you will have a program and dial that range in or you will be lucky to hit a paper plate @ 500 yards. To be good enough to deer hunt @ that range you should have a scope that is repeatable and has turrets that you can use to dial in with. or you will not be consistent.

People were shooting 1/4 minute groups at 500yds well before ballistics software was around. You can dope a rifle for range and wind without a computer program (I won't lie, I'm lazy so I use JBM Ballistics' online calc as a starting point, but I always manually dope them out to as far as I can get to). You can also use standard turrets (they don't have to be tactical) to adjust for different ranges or just use holdovers if you've got the reticle for it.

I can measure distance out of both reticles on either of my bolt-guns within a few yards and if you're really feeling lazy you can do a little prep work with google earth and eliminate most of the guess work if you know the area you will be hunting.

I'm not trying to argue either, but you can in-fact shoot out to 1000yds with nothing more than a rifle capable of whatever accuracy you feel is necessary, a good scope, some good ammo, and a little home-work in math plus practice time behind the trigger. People were doing it years before any of the fancy stuff was invented.

 

[coug]

Okay ill let him take it for what its worth. I don't prefer to work out a math equation while the buck of a life time is walking away.

 

[Weatherby]

Neither, get a Weatherby.

 

[338Shooter]

Okay ill let him take it for what its worth. I don't prefer to work out a math equation while the buck of a life time is walking away.

You sound terrible at math.

 

[coug]

Yeah, Maybe. I have been shooting long range for long enough that I know my set up is worthless without a good range finder.And my nice Beanland built rifle is worthless without great optics. I have also milled enough targets with my reticle to know its a good way to check your range finder but it doesn't replace it. I was just trying to help this guy if he really wants to shoot long range. not take the old 06 toped with a Simmons out and cripple a dear @ 300 yards. You guys can Blow smoke and act like you understand what I am talking about. But anyone who has been around knows better. Im just trying to help this guy. and telling him that 50 years ago they didn't use range finders is not helping him. I don't care if he shoots a .223 .308 or a 50 BMG. There is only one way to be good with it, And thats to have the right equipment and learning how to use it.