.308 too big for larger pests?

[Aliqua]

I have read the statements on appropriate calibre for ethical hunting on SSAA, also the code of practice but i read it as they more provide information in the minimums. I just wanted peoples thoughts on whether or not you believe their is a maximum, also? I'm not suggesting a 50cal for rabbits (please let's not go that extreme) as this is a serious question - but would you consider a .308 too big for pest animals such as fox, pig or wild goat? The website says in VIC .22 is mimum but some use .243.

Open to your thoughts and discussion.

[Oldbloke]

I used to worry about 3006 being too big. Not anymore.
I would use 3006 or 308 for foxes up to sambar.

[JimTom]

308 ideal for pigs in my opinion and no doubt will also do the job on fox and goat or whatever you’re hunting. Projectile choice could be the key here with varied game.

[bladeracer]

I have read the statements on appropriate calibre for ethical hunting on SSAA, also the code of practice but i read it as they more provide information in the minimums. I just wanted peoples thoughts on whether or not you believe their is a maximum, also? I'm not suggesting a 50cal for rabbits (please let's not go that extreme) as this is a serious question - but would you consider a .308 too big for pest animals such as fox, pig or wild goat? The website says in VIC .22 is mimum but some use .243.

Open to your thoughts and discussion.

If you load your own ammo nothing is too big, just tailor your load to the job at hand. Subsonic 8x57mm with 180gn bullets does less damage to foxes than my .204, .223 or .243.

I have never liked full-power high-velocity rounds for very close shooting, like finishing off wounded game, so I have always made very reduced loads for everything, subsonic if possible.

[TassieTiger]

hydrostatic shock can be an issue if you plan on eating the meat...shoot a rabbit with a full load 308 or 06 and because of the energy - most of the meat will be toast...down load to subsonic and a headshot won’t bother the important bits.

[womble]

Hmmm, 308 velocity, projectile expansion vs rabbit. That’s a tricky one.
What sort of distances are you taking rabbits and foxes at. Because i think you should be able to get closer than say, i dunno half a kilometre. plus rabbits are generally kinda small, just saying.
Hmmm, not sure what the farmer will think about this way of hunting rabbits on his property. Neighbours might be a little concerned. Must be a tiger bothering old mates sheep again. Hey Marge i just found a rabbit up a tree with it’s legs blown off

[Archie]

There are people who argue that .243 is too small for very large pigs (unless you get a clean shot at the head, which changes the equation a bit). Goats a .308 would be fine although it’s more than is necessary, 223 or 243 are both fine, cheaper to run and most people are more accurate with lighter rounds although 308 isn’t too bad. Rabbits you are probably just turning lot of it into paddock pizza, plus I agree that you want to be careful with the bigger rounds how close you are to your target. Potential for ricochets from rocks etc and the round hasn’t lost much energy.

[Aliqua]

Thanks heaps guys - yeah I agree with rabbits, I couldn't shoot one with a .308... I have the 308 for long range target shooting, but I didn't want to limit myself to just range and I wouldn't want to shoot anything which such a large calibre at a close range (the SST's I have are 900m/s), and at the same time, I don't want to shoot larger hunts like deer etc, because I do not have the intention of removing them for meats etc (I haven't progressed that far yet...). Which brings me on to part two of my question. In relation to pest control, what is the obligation of the hunter after the kill? For pests such as foxes, pigs, wild dog etc, do we need to remove them from the location and dispose of them in any specific manner? I couldn't find information about that, only on the humane / ethical culling of deer and how you have 'limits' etc - again, this is a question about pest animals, not deer.

Thanks heaps for the responses guys. Really appreciate it.

[Oldbloke]

Fpr me, foxes become fertilser. Let them rot.
Pigs, goats human or dog consumption. Havnt shot any for a while though. I dont like waste.

[Aliqua]

Thanks Oldbloke.

Appreciate the responses guys! I asked in anticipation of todays announcement by Andrews Govt. Might be going out to hunt before they open the ranges.. I don't know how long I can wait... I still havent been able to shoot my rifle yet

[Grandadbushy]

G'day Aliqua mate as for removing dead pests from areas well I shoot a lot of pests and I remove them from the paddocks to the scrub next to that paddock mainly because no one wants a rotting carcass on the paddock whilst they are ploughing it, also I move dead carcasses away from houses and farm houses because of the smell they produce whilst rotting I've never seen any law that stipulates how to remove carcasses of dead pests although I presume the law would frown upon dumping them close to houses on highways or anywhere the smell or sight of it would cause alarm to anybody, I usually throw them in a secluded spot on the property away from every day happenings if this is possible at the time, other than that if I shoot them out in a backblock I just leave them where they are to rot usually something eats them or some of them.

[Aliqua]

GDB that sounds logical and appropriate. Thank you. I have no connections for paddocks yet so all my pest hunting will have to be stage forests for now.... so I'll adopt your scrub methodology.

Thanks again for everybody's input.

[TassieTiger]

Haven’t shot new rifle yet ? You must be itching like a 1st dose of crabs lol.

[Aliqua]

I am... I was the last gun to go out of my LFD when all the PTA's were banned (I made it by like 30 mins close of business)... So I am waiting sooo bad. Emailing the small ranges tonight/tomorrow re: opening for atleast a sight in...

I can only do my 25m bore sight so many times in the back yard! hahaha

[Oldbloke]

Yeh, sorry. I gave the wrong impression.
Like GDB said out of sight, never leave beside tracks, near houses, & esp well away from any water.

[CrackThump]

my personal opinion is that yes, you can overgun .. but frock it, dead is dead. i often walk a paddock with just a 223. so if I see a rabbit in amongst the skippies, its gonna be a rabbit with a large hole in it.

of course theres nothing useful left of said rabbit, but as I mentioned, dead is dead #HumaneKill

I mean..I COULD sling a .22 or a 12g as well on my walks..but who the hell wants the weight of 2 firearms and extra ammo + fumbling between tools when something pops up in front of me.

[SCJ429]

I know that a 125 grain Speer TNT is effective out of a 308 on foxes even at longer ranges.

I have never had a fox run off on me once I hit it with a 416 Rigby. I also used the Rigby to shoot a crow at a bit over 200 metres. Not half as spectacular as you would have thought.

[Oldbloke]

If you think about it. An unexpanded 308 is about same diameter as a mushroomed 22.

[Elmer]

After a pest popping session I normally pick them up and chuck them under a thick bush.
Sometimes if it's late I will leave them there, cos guaranteed the foxes will come and clean them up during the night.
If it's a fox, I will remove it's tail for the collection and dump the feral away from the property under a thick bush on the side of the track.....and away from other farm houses.

[Lorgar]

I just wanted peoples thoughts on whether or not you believe their is a maximum, also?

but would you consider a .308 too big for pest animals such as fox, pig or wild goat? The website says in VIC .22 is mimum but some use .243.

There's no such thing as a "maximum", really. I mean, you're trying to eradicate a pest. You shoot it. It's dead. Mission accomplished. Can you say you exceeded some maximum and killed the animal "too much"?

Obviously common sense dictates that at some point you're just being wasteful though. You're absorbing recoil you didn't need to shoulder, and using lead/powder you didn't need to consume, and not getting the job done any better for having done them.

.308 is unquestionably more than enough for foxes, a center hit will simply obliterate them. Likewise for rabbits, feral cats, etc.

I don't think many would dispute that it's on the larger side for goats. But not crazy. It'll routinely put them down with authority, and fast, ethical kills are never a bad thing.

With a 150gr - 180gr projectile, .308 a solid choice for pigs in just about any hunters book.

At the end of the day, you can't have a rifle for every pest that does precisely the amount of damage required, and not a single ounce more. If you want a single rifle as a bit of a "do it all" walk around gun you're going to be applying overkill at times.

This is going a little off-topic, but food for thought from a fellow Victorian here. If you think at some point you may want to start hunting deer, keep the minimum calibers in mind (.243 for the smaller 3 species, .270 for the 3 larger ones.)

I originally had a .243 and a .308 with the intent of them being my "small" hunting rifle and "large" hunting rifle.

The trap was, every time I went out I'd think I don't want to take the .243 and then have fate put a larger deer in front of me and I have to let it go, so I ended up always taking the .308, and the .243 eventually went largely unused.

I ended up selling them both and going for a 7mm-08 replacement, and I have 120gr and 140gr loads for "smaller" and "larger" hunting to cover both bases.

Anyway, not to turn this into a pitch for the 7mm-08... My point is if you go for something smaller for your initial pest hunting, then decide you want to go for larger deer it means buying a second rifle and finding yourself in the above conundrum.

My 2c.

[Archie]

If you think about it. An unexpanded 308 is about same diameter as a mushroomed 22.

Albeit going at least twice as fast. That did get me thinking though whether with a fast 308 round you could have a no-expansion pencilling hit at close range on a small animal, or whether it’s just not going to matter because even that would be a bang-flop on an animal that small.

[Archie]

This is worth a read. Scroll about halfway down to the section under “performance” unless you want a rather in depth history lesson, in which case start from the beginning.

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowle ... +NATO.html

[Oldbloke]

If you think about it. An unexpanded 308 is about same diameter as a mushroomed 22.

Albeit going at least twice as fast. That did get me thinking though whether with a fast 308 round you could have a no-expansion pencilling hit at close range on a small animal, or whether it’s just not going to matter because even that would be a bang-flop on an animal that small.

I used to worry about penciling through. Until I shot a couple of foxes with 180gr 308 interlocks. Gutted them.

[bladeracer]

If you think about it. An unexpanded 308 is about same diameter as a mushroomed 22.

Albeit going at least twice as fast. That did get me thinking though whether with a fast 308 round you could have a no-expansion pencilling hit at close range on a small animal, or whether it’s just not going to matter because even that would be a bang-flop on an animal that small.

I've shot rabbits with factory 139gn FMJ 6.5x55mm and they just dropped dead on the spot with a hole drilled through them.

[Archie]

Sounds like not an issue then. To be honest it’s probably like a person getting hit with a cannon ball really isn’t it - expansion isn’t going to really matter.

[Blr243]

Better to have 30-50 per cent more unnecessary energy than to be 10 per cent under .....I recently shot a fox close range with a 300 grainer from a 450 bm and I was expecting it to just pencil through but it made a mess

[bladeracer]

Sounds like not an issue then. To be honest it’s probably like a person getting hit with a cannon ball really isn’t it - expansion isn’t going to really matter.

Either the size of the hole, or the velocity, still provides plenty of shock to the support systems without requiring the bullet to deform, put it in the right place and it works just fine.

[straightshooter]

Aliqua
You don't say whether you handload. That can make all the difference.
There is a very wide range of projectiles available in 30 caliber so a 308 would probably be one of the most ideal chamberings if due to resources or calamity one could have only a single centerfire.
Think about it.
A 110 grain FMJ at moderate velocities for smallish game to minimise skin or meat damage. A 125 grain soft or hollow point for medium sized pest destruction and 150 to 180 grain projectiles for larger game.

[Aliqua]

No I dont hand load. Unfortunately I dont have the time or patience haha!! I'm using the .308 Hornady 165gr SST. I thinks it's about a 900m/s projectile.

[Die Judicii]

In answer to your question (even smaller ones) NO

I've shot many feral cats with the .308

It's a real good all rounder cos they end up with a big round hole.