.308 and a Black bear

[xdm40Rajuy]

Slightly off topic but...

Hogs.
Tough animals.

The only thing in Fla you would really want a 338 for is for hunting big hogs on the ground, and IMO I would actually be more concerned about a huge boar hog in florida than a black bear, although bears can climb trees.
Actually a 45-70 is probably a better swamp gun, but I already have a 338 and I have shot quite a few hogs with it with good results.

A 308 with normal jacketed bullet will not neccesarily stop a massive hog like in the 350-500# range or even an average pig in its tracks unless its a head or neck shot.

A 338-06 with a 210 gr barnes tipped bullet will drop a hog or a bear in its tracks and put them in the dirt.
Superb super hard hitting round. Important to me because you dont always have a good shot opportunity depending on the situation.

A 308 with a Barnes bullet will drop a huge hog too depending on the size of the critter, placement and the bullet. Not quite as efficient and dramatic as a 338, but it works well with barnes bullets.
130 gr minimum tipped TSX or better yet a 150 or 168 gr tipped TSX is where you want to be for 308.
The tipped bullets open faster.

Still they are tough animals and can charge or take off, even when hit hard.

Even my neighbor in Ga shot a measly 100# pig with a 270 win, jacketed ammo, and the 270 is a solid round, good broad side body/lung shot at about 75 yards and the damn thing still ran over 100 yards before it had the decency to die. Hard to believe really.

All that said, I do hunt hogs in Ga with a 308 and barnes tipped 130 gr bullets or 180 or 200 gr round nose at times. I use a 130 tipped TSX for an all around load for deer and hogs when I know I wont be facing one down.

If I see a massive track and am in the woods after him, my 338 is going along for the hunt probably loaded with 250 gr Gamekings. Its way overkill most of the time unless you need to stop something big in its tracks PDQ.

No matter what, I always have a 44 magnum handgun with me.
Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Since you already have a .40 and its a hard hitting round, I would just load the 308 and carry the .40, both loaded up with barnes bullets of some sort.

A .40 cal barnes pistol bullet will open up to about 3/4" + in diam.


Thanks for the info Tammons. I will look into reloading some tsx rounds for my .40.

[MSG Janoski]

The .308 is quite capable of taking down all you mentioned. It's a shame more companies don't make a heavier bullet for .308, the cartridge can easily handle heavier bullets.

[tammons]

True.

I was out looking locally for some 200 gr 308 ammo and could not find any. 180 gr only but it was cheap.

[MSG Janoski]

Sierra make a 220 HPBT MK and a 240 HPBT MK but I've never seen them in a commercial load by anyone.

[tammons]

Oh I loaded up some 220 gr pro hunters, but could not get them to balance with my 130 gr TTSX load.

Seems like you need to be about 50 grains apart in 308 to have the lighter bullet zeroed at 200 and the heavy one at 100. A 220 gr should work with a 168 gr bullet like that.

That said I just shoot the heavy bulelts so seldom, and I had so many 130 gr TTSX shell loaded I figured a box of 180 GR core lokt remington ammo should work fine for now for what I want.

[handirifle]

from my experience wit the 308, the bullets over 180gr are a waste. They take up too much powder space and will compromise bullet performance, and that is the last thing you want.

The 308 loaded with a 165gr TSX will most likely never offer you a chance to recover the bullet on anything you shoot in FLA or most anywhere else. It just drives right on through, tearing up flesh and bone on the way.

If you want outstanding terminal performance, stick to bullets UNDER 200gr. If you want to see a pretty mushroom, go with a heavy softnosed bullet. my choice is for the damage and it would be the TSX.

There is a reason most factories do not load bullets over 180 for the 308, they are not needed.

[tammons]

I am a fan of the TTSX bullets of all variety and mostly all I shoot, but the heavy round nose bullets for me were more for a slow moving brush load for hog hunting.

200 or 220 gr roundnose is about perfect for that. I can get 2400 fps with a 220 gr roundnose over RL17 or a few other powders and that will give me the same muzzle FPE as mostly any other 308 load. Its a 50-100 yards round max.

I have a 338 I load with 250 gr GK's that I usually take into the woods.

[okie2]

Buy a savage 30-06 then you have more choices as to what barrels you can change it to and 308 will work on a long action

[tammons]

I/we already have too many rifles already.

2 30-06's, one semi auto (old faithful) and 1 remi bolt action (shoots very tight), 2 308's (one real sako), several 243s, 223, 6.8 spc, 338/284, 270 weatherby magnum deluxe and quite a few more.

I have a Savage control feed magnum long action I am going to build another heavy hitter on. Either a 338 win mag, 338-06, 375 ruger, 416 something, or a 458 win mag. Cant see why I would need another 30-06. We actually have a box of 220 gr 30-06 shells sitting around somewhere.

[pa_wdchuckhuntr]

I sold a Remington 760 to a buddy this summer for a "brush gun" for bear season. He loaded it up with 165 Gameking SPBT and took it out. He found a bear the second day of PA's bear season. His first shot was with the bear facing him. The bear then turned and ran broadside to him and he got 3 more shots off at before it collapsed 30 yds away. After the hide was removed he found the first shot had entered the front of the chest an exited just above the tail, another shot went through the stomach, one of them was a miss and the last shot, presumably, went through the front shoulder and spine and exited. I figure the first shot would have killed it quick enough but he's not one to leave it to chance.
His bear dressed out at 492lbs with an estimated live weight of 582lbs. I think that should qualify the 308 for black bear.
Jeremey

[BobT]

I/we already have too many rifles already.

Huh?

[Harry Snippe]

Well I am in the North Bay Canada district and have seen some big black bears . I have seen a few walk away from a 270 W round that was not placed the best , but then again seen two animals shot deader than dead- with a Marlin 336 in 30/30with the 170 Gr. Cup and core bullet .

So you do not need anything Fancy for your 308 . I would just load a 180 Gr. and be well gunned.We had good results with the 180 Speer Grand slam under 100 yards .
Do some research as the vitals are a bit further forward than most people think, so you might just gut wound a bear even with a 300 WM . In the fall they carry a lot of fat so a heavy bullet gets the nod .
Ever heard a wounded Bear ? The remorse would send Satan to church asking for forgiveness.

[rjtfroggy]

Sierra make a 220 HPBT MK and a 240 HPBT MK but I've never seen them in a commercial load by anyone.

Problem with these is Sierra states that the Match King bullet is not for game it is target only. They do not expand when striking game animals and Sierra recommends their Game Kings for hunting purposes.

[MSG Janoski]

Having dough out or "found" many Sierra HPBT MatchKing of various weights from medium and large wt deer, mule deer, elk even smaller antelope I can attest that hollow point MatchKings mushroom nicely.