Introduction
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Now that you’ve decided to hunt elk, the next question is which rifle round is best for you. That depends on a lot of factors like whether or not you want to reload, how much money you want to spend, and your personal experience with different calibers. But one thing we can say for sure: if you are going to choose between 30-06 Springfield and 308 Winchester, then choose the 308 Winchester.
The 308 Winchester is a great round for hunting elk.
The 308 Winchester is a great round for hunting elk.
308 Winchester has lower recoil than the 30-06 Springfield, but it still packs enough energy to hit hard at 500 yards. Despite this, it isn’t going to be as expensive as other popular big game rounds like 338 Lapua or 338 RCM. There’s also no reason not to use it—it’s safe on elk and you can reload it yourself if you want to save money and time on ammo purchases during your hunt.
308 has lower recoil than the 30-06
The 308 Winchester is a popular round for varmint control and hunting elk. The 308 has lower recoil than the 30-06, which means you can shoot it more comfortably. It also has a flatter trajectory and hits hard at 500 yards! The 308 is less expensive to buy or reload than some other calibers, like the 338 Lapua Magnum.
It has enough energy to hit hard at 500 yards
The 308 Winchester has enough energy to hit hard at 500 yards. You can expect around 2,200 foot-pounds of energy at that distance. That’s a lot less than the 30-06 but much more than a .308.
The .338 is a better choice for long range shooting because it has even more energy and you can get some serious performance out of it with bullets like the Nosler Partition or Barnes TSX in your magazine.
It’s not too expensive to buy or reload
The 308 is also less expensive to buy, cheaper to reload and even more affordable than the 30-06.
The 308 is an excellent choice for those who want the added punch of a full-power cartridge but don’t want to spend as much money on their firearms.
you can safely hunt elk with the 308
The .308 Winchester is an excellent elk cartridge. It’s also great for moose and deer, as well as bear and coyote. The .308 can be used in open country or dense forests, which makes it effective at short to medium ranges—perfect for hunting big game!
In addition to its versatility, the .308 has another key advantage over other popular rounds: it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other calibers with similar performance. If you want more precision than your standard rifle scope can provide but don’t want to drop a few grand on a high-end optic (or if you just want something simple), the Simmons Whitetail Classic Rimfire Riflescope will do the trick perfectly without breaking the bank.
30-06 Springfield vs 308 Winchester
The 308 Winchester is a smaller, lighter round than the 30-06. In fact, the .308 is actually shorter and fatter than its big brother. The smaller size of the shell means less recoil; and since it’s easier to handle, shooters can get off more accurate shots with a little less practice.
While both cartridges are effective for hunting deer and larger game, if you want to shoot at longer distances—say 300 yards or more—the 30-06 has a clear edge over its younger sibling. The question then becomes: why would you choose one over another? If you have access to both options in your area (and assuming they are priced similarly), we recommend sticking with what works best for your particular style of shooting.
Conclusion
All in all, the 308 Winchester is a great round for hunting elk. It has enough energy to hit hard at 500 yards and it’s not too expensive to buy or reload. You can safely hunt elk with the 308 Springfield as long as you use good bullets and practice with them regularly.
