What Have You Killed with Your .308 Winchester?

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Not a G/D thing in 14 years. So I sold them all.
Seriously.

Truth be told, each & every time I head out to hunt I find myself reaching for either my 6.5x55 or .358 instead.
Lately, that's more likely to be .223 or 9.3x62

To me, the .308 has always been the 'lights-off-missionary-position' of rifles. Yeah, it gets the job done, but it's not a lot of fun.

@robtattoo
Sounds a bit like me. It's usually either the 25 or the Whelen. More fun. My son's 308 gets the job done well but it just don't float MY boat.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I've shot a Fallow Buck and numerous feral pigs in Australia. I've shot goats, foxes and a Dingo.
It's a popular round in Australia making it readily available. I say it's common as muck because I feel some other cartridges have a more prestigious reputation but the .308 is still out there doing it everyday.
It has been used by professional Buffalo hunters in the day taking meat for export with head shots from vehicles.
Ive owned three .308 hunting rifles and intend to keep the current one even if I have other hunting rifles at times. It just works.

@CBH Australia
Chris the 35 Whelen works. The 308 tries and usually works.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
Chris the 35 Whelen works. The 308 tries and usually works.
Bob

Did your son's .308 work in Namibia?

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

Did your son's .308 work in Namibia?

The 308 works everywhere!!!
hahahaha

 

[Thedoveshooter]

I've got my dad's Rem. 722 in .308 (was originally a 300 Savage). He and I have shot loads of whitetail and some pigs. He also shot a blackbuck with it.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

@robtattoo
Sounds a bit like me. It's usually either the 25 or the Whelen. More fun. My son's 308 gets the job done well but it just don't float MY boat.
Bob

Rob, Bob... thath´s LIFE...
She must be boring if we prefer all the same things!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Did your son's .308 work in Namibia?

@CBH Australia
Yes but not as emphatic os the 35.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
Yes but not as emphatic os the 35.
Bob

Where's the Rolls eyes emoji?

 

[sestoppelman]

One Idaho black bear back around 1975.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

Hahahahaha... Chris and Bob make my day!!!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Hahahahaha... Chris and Bob make my day!!!

@Marcos Rodriguez
You have to feel sorry for @CBH Australia Marcos. He owns a 243 and is actually contemplating getting a 6.5. Next you know he will want a 270.
I have tried explaining to him he needs a nice fast 25 and a 35 but it just falls on deaf ears.
Despite that he still wears his pink tutu and ballet slippers to the Broken Heel festival.
Even tho he has these short comings he is a top bloke but don't tell him it will swell his ego. I will let him think the 243 is actually useful even tho we know better.
Bob

 

[Sarg]

This is a little like asking "what have you killed with your .22LR" as most people have had experience with the .308Win & if using any where near the right Bullets for game being shot it will work nicely !

I'm a 30/06 & bigger guy but have shot many hundreds of Deer, Pig, Goats, Horses, Donkeys & even Buffalo with this caliber, when working as a Meat Works Shooter, Culler & Hunting Guide (shooting Horses & Donkeys for bait) we had to head shoot all our Buffalo for human consumption any way, so went from shooting the 338Win mag 40-60 shots a day to shooting 120 shots of piss weak shit bulleted 144gr FMJ military rounds but the Buffalo died all the same if you got it into the brain !

Then recently shot over 900+ Deer & Pigs with 150gr PPU factory ammo as it was the cheapest & we could get it, out to 667meters (3 stags one under the other so had near 8.5 ft of target) & regularly to 400meters, I was very impressed by the .308Win & the PPU rounds, with pass troughs on good size Stags, DRT & nice size exit holes.

Shot many twofers & a tipple but had to shot one of them again just to be sure !

All with the very plain every day .308Win, the 30/06 is never a mistake & the 308Win is right there to !

 

[Mark R]

We must share a bit of the same history. Our countries I mean. I've only been walking just over 50 years , hunting from as young age though.

Australia has a rich history with the .303. it was used in 2 world wars and I think Bob said the Korean war.

The military then adopted the .308 equivalent for the next war that America dragged us into.

The .223 was later adopted to feed the plastic rifle.

I note the Canadian Rangers carried the .303 as a service rifle into recent times, only to replace it with a .308.

Gotta be something going for it. It's pretty common in Australia. A new shooter was asking about a good cartridge choice for a new shooter on a Facebook forum. Many seasoned hunters said straight up .308 including @Mark R

I agreed on the .308, a few suggested other options and one challenged the .308 comments, I bit, may as well argue with them on Facebook, that's what it's for isn't it.

That bloke really wasn’t worth replying to

 

[Sarg]

CBH, nothing to do with this thread but I recently watched a documentary about the Australian involvement in Viet Nam, I’m assuming that’s the war you referred to. Most Americans probably don‘t realize any of it. For me I appreciate your countries sacrifice.

New Zealand also fought most of those Wars along side Australians & Americans, many of my Fathers friends fought (I think he was a little young) in Vietnam, my buddies Dad fought in Korea & another's in the Malayan Emergency, not sure if the USA fought in that one ?

Sorry going off topic !

 

[CBH Australia]

New Zealand also fought most of those Wars along side Australians & Americans, many of my Fathers friends fought (I think he was a little young) in Vietnam, my buddies Dad fought in Korea & another's in the Malayan Emergency, not sure if the USA fought in that one ?

Sorry going off topic !

It's me who should apologise for forgetting out Kiwi cousins. Your forces a are a part of the ANZAC history and traditions.
Your people were alongside ours at the Gallipoli landing and are remembered every year alongside of our fallen from various wars since.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It's me who should apologise for forgetting out Kiwi cousins. Your forces a are a part of the ANZAC history and traditions.
Your people were alongside ours at the Gallipoli landing and are remembered every year alongside of our fallen from various wars since.

@CBH Australia
Chris what pisses me of is everyone remembers Long Tan. Yes it was a major battle BUT the battle of KAPYONG in Korea was a damn side bigger battle and where 3RAR got its first unit presidential citation. That battle raged over the 24th/25th April where defensive positions of the Australian, Canadian, Scottish, English and New Zealand forces held off repeated attacks by an estimated force of in excess of 300,000 North Korean and Chinese forces. The American 72nd Armoured gave covering fire to the Australian troops with their Sherman tanks even putting tank rounds within a few yards of the Australian forces.
Some Australian troops were even heard to say were going to run out of ammo before we run out of Chinamen. During the night of the 24th my fathers section held their line but had to get higher to keep shooting. Come daylight the found that they had been using Chinese bodies as shooting positions they were ridt up to the defensive positions.
During the battle no one retreated they just moved to better defensive positions.
Any one interested in a viscous battle should read the story of Kapyong. The Chosin River was a hard fight for the Americans and those that fought that were known as the Chosin Frozen.
Just the thoughts of a pissed of ex service person.
As my dad used to say the Vietnam veterans weren't the only ones spat on when they returned home. The Korean vets got the same treatment years before hand. Korea wasn't a police action it was a bloody war and should be remembered as such.
Bob

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

@Marcos Rodriguez
You have to feel sorry for @CBH Australia Marcos. He owns a 243 and is actually contemplating getting a 6.5. Next you know he will want a 270.
I have tried explaining to him he needs a nice fast 25 and a 35 but it just falls on deaf ears.
Despite that he still wears his pink tutu and ballet slippers to the Broken Heel festival.
Even tho he has these short comings he is a top bloke but don't tell him it will swell his ego. I will let him think the 243 is actually useful even tho we know better.
Bob

243!!! 270!!! Great shots to kill rabbits!!! hahahaha
I have two kids, If I had had a daughter, I probably would have thought of one of those calibers.
But my kids loves the 308 and the 3030, and the younger push me up to aown a 9.3x62... so.. no place to little bullets! hahaha

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

243!!! 270!!! Great shots to kill rabbits!!! hahahaha
I have two kids, If I had had a daughter, I probably would have thought of one of those calibers.
But my kids loves the 308 and the 3030, and the younger push me up to aown a 9.3x62... so.. no place to little bullets! hahaha

@Marcos Rodriguez
I also have a daughter mate and she loves the Whelen loaded with 225s. The 250s are a bit much for her tho.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
Chris what pisses me of is everyone remembers Long Tan. Yes it was a major battle BUT the battle of KAPYONG in Korea was a damn side bigger battle and where 3RAR got its first unit presidential citation. That battle raged over the 24th/25th April where defensive positions of the Australian, Canadian, Scottish, English and New Zealand forces held off repeated attacks by an estimated force of in excess of 300,000 North Korean and Chinese forces. The American 72nd Armoured gave covering fire to the Australian troops with their Sherman tanks even putting tank rounds within a few yards of the Australian forces.
Some Australian troops were even heard to say were going to run out of ammo before we run out of Chinamen. During the night of the 24th my fathers section held their line but had to get higher to keep shooting. Come daylight the found that they had been using Chinese bodies as shooting positions they were ridt up to the defensive positions.
During the battle no one retreated they just moved to better defensive positions.
Any one interested in a viscous battle should read the story of Kapyong. The Chosin River was a hard fight for the Americans and those that fought that were known as the Chosin Frozen.
Just the thoughts of a pissed of ex service person.
As my dad used to say the Vietnam veterans weren't the only ones spat on when they returned home. The Korean vets got the same treatment years before hand. Korea wasn't a police action it was a bloody war and should be remembered as such.
Bob

I knew where that was goingas soon as I identified it as your post.
It's sad there are a lot of unknown Battles and people who did not get the recognition they deserve.
It's also why we ANZAC DAY is to recognise all of the sacrifices, commitment and courage of all of those who served.
We will remember them.

 

[wesheltonj]

White-tail deer and elk.