308 Winchester for some doe hunting later this week

Ernie Bishop

How many of you guys use a 308 Winchester for hunting?

Dan Ekstrom and I plan to go to the edge of the Bighorns, just north of Buffalo, outside of a little town named Story later this week to attempt to fill some doe tags.

We will be still hunting...Doing the sneaky sneak, and then in the afternoon, we will hunker down on the ground somewhere in what each of thinks will be an area where deer will be moving. 

Not sure which handgun Dan will use, but I plan to take my center-grip 308 Winchester XP-100 and use some factory ammo I have one hand: Hornady TAP 168 grain (A-Max), which has a MV of 2445 fps. 

I have shot this XP out to 1000 yards on steel, so I figure it should do fine to the close distances I will be hunting-Under 250 yards, with most shots closer to around 100 yards. 

I set all of my pistols up with a 100 yard zero. 

It will drop 5 inches at 200 yards or I could dial or use the FFP reticle at 2.5 MOA for a spot on kill.

It has a reworked stock, and it has been bedded.

I bought this off of Gunbroker as a rear grip set-up at a good price, and it turned out to be a gem.

Someone had set it up for IHMSA, so it is a lightweight XP-100, with a 14.5" fluted barrel. 

Glenn (a friend from church) helped me rework a flawed stock and bed it. 

They kept the original recoil lug, when chambering/fitting the custom H-S barrel, which was designed for the center-grip trigger, so all I had to do was grab a spare trigger linkage, which I had, remove the trigger that was on it, put on the center-grip trigger, and I was set!

Mac's Gunworks added one of their solid-bottomed brakes, and Chuck did some adjustment work on the trigger as well. 

H-S Precision did the metal work on it, with their name on the barrel, so I am guessing they built this before they started making their HSP/pistol action.

Scope is a Burris XTR-II 3-15 with the SCR MOA reticle.

Diver43

When I read Buffalo, my first thought was "Ernie is going to New York".
Wishing you luck that the animals show up, we all know you have the skills if you get the shot.
Good Luck, cant wait to see the photos

Zee

Good luck on the hunt. Good looking gun!

I’ve used the .308 Win once or twice on game. 😁

Ernie Bishop

Diver43 said:

When I read Buffalo, my first thought was "Ernie is going to New York".
Wishing you luck that the animals show up, we all know you have the skills if you get the shot.
Good Luck, cant wait to see the photos

Going to New York with a big handgun would probably not be a good thing

Ernie Bishop

Zee said:

Good luck on the hunt. Good looking gun!

I’ve used the .308 Win once or twice on game. 😁

I have heard that you have some fledgling attempts with a 308. 

Have you had any bullets bounce off animals yet?

Every time I shoot a 308 Win, I think of you

JerryBobCo

Good luck, Ernie.  Don't shoot it in the backstrap.

bullsi1911

Good luck on the hunt!

I use the 308 a lot on whitetail.  My two “go to” guns are both in .308Win.

Ernie Bishop

JerryBobCo said:

Don't shoot it in the backstrap.

I will try not to do that.

Ernie Bishop

I ran/drove out to Chuck's/Mac's Gunworks today to drop off a Joy-Pod, and pick up my 25 PRC XP. I grabbed my 308 Win XP just to make sure everything was on.

There was a couple of guys and a gal shooting when I got there.

The guy was shooting of all things, a bolt rifle in 308 Winchester.

The lady had been shooting a 223 AR-15.

I knew the guy that was spotting for them (Dave L), but the other two were a first time acquaintance.

Since Dave was there, I asked him if he could spot for me at 500 yards.

Originally, I was going to shoot paper at 100 yards and then a 5" steel at 200, and 10" steel at 300 yards, from a seated position and some double kneeling.

But since he was set-up for 500, I told him I would start there.
At the last minute, I decided I would shoot it double-kneeling with the Bog Gear and PSR top and small field bag.  Why not make it more challenging
Dialed 13.5 MOA (168 grain TAP ammo) and dialed 1 MOA left for the wind.
Took me awhile to get steady at 500 yards, but smacked it first shot.
Reloaded, and moved hastily to 300 yards (5.5 MOA), again double kneeling, and saw the cross-hair drop at the shot.   I called it just low and Dave confirmed it-Rats!
Then, I moved to the 5" steel at 200 yards and smacked it from the same position.
Hunting this week will likely involve a sitting shot, with my back resting against a tree-Tripod will be lower and more stable than double kneeling.
Don't tell anyone, but I enjoy shooting this XP.
Talked Dave into shooting it from the bench (Harris bi-pod and small field bag) and he nailed the 300 yard steel first time.
The 308 Win XP-100 is ready to go!

Zee

Dialed wind?!?
:sacrilege:

Zee

I need to put the .308 Win barrel back on my MOA Maximum!  It’s currently sporting the .338-06!  

Ernie Bishop

Zee said:

Dialed wind?!?
:sacrilege:

I actually thought of you for about that lo..n...g, and dialed it

Zee

Ernie Bishop

Zee said:

I need to put the .308 Win barrel back on my MOA Maximum!  It’s currently sporting the .338-06!  

Do It!!!

Linefinder

The first deer I ever killed was with a .308 Win. It was the smallest deer I've ever shot. It left the area minus half a lung and most of a heart. It was the only deer I've ever shot that required tracking., and I'm really glad it wasn't able to jump across the creek it stumbled into. Therefore.....308 Win is not only an inadequate deer-round, but a terrible one.

Why would you purposely hinder yourself with such a choice, when .270 Win is readily available?

Mike

Zee

bellcat

Good luck! Looks like a fun hunt!

JerryBobCo

The first rifle I ever bought with my own money was a .308.  It was a Winchester Model 88 (no surprise there).  I bought it for $144 in 1968 (I think) when I was 16.  The seller threw in a Weaver 4x scope (K4) with mounts and rings.  I had worked in a gas station that summer, and it cost me half of what I made that summer.

I killed 5 or 6 deer with it, including my one and only Texas/desert mule deer before it was stolen.  The gun is gone, but the love remans.

Jay

Good luck on the hunt, Ernie. 

Ernie Bishop

Thanks!

bullsi1911

I’m loving the special purpose pistols.  Need to get a bolt action one next

Zee

bullsi1911 said:

I’m loving the special purpose pistols.  Need to get a bolt action one next

Yes. Yes you do!

bullsi1911

 Holy crap- all of the factory bolt pistols are really expensive.  This may be a “One Peice at a time” sort of build.

Zee

bullsi1911 said:

 Holy crap- all of the factory bolt pistols are really expensive.  This may be a “One Peice at a time” sort of build.

That’s my recommendation. 

And it gets built right that way. 

Zee

The MOA Maximum is back in .308 Win configuration. 

Ernie Bishop

Nice. 

Our friend Matt is hunting deer with his new to him 250 Savage MOA Maximum.  It has a brake as well 

Ernie Bishop

bullsi1911 said:

I’m loving the special purpose pistols.  Need to get a bolt action pistol 

Look at the CVA pistols 

bullsi1911

Ernie Bishop said:

bullsi1911 said:

I’m loving the special purpose pistols.  Need to get a bolt action pistol 

Look at the CVA pistols 

I have the scout pistol in .243.... and a TC in 454.  Just thinking I need a bolt action repeater as the next step

Zee

Cheapest route would be a custom encore bull barrel with 1-8” twist and threaded to take your suppressor. 

My vote. 

Zee

So, all this talk inspired me to get the MOA back out and running. 

Zeroed it .8” high (was trying for 1” but....close enough😒) at 100 yards and chronographed it for the first time, I think. 

Put the data in StrelokPro and then took a shot at 300 yards. 

Seemed to work. 

She’s all ready for whatever is next. 

zorba

That MOA is SA-WEET!