Long Ranger 308 Review?

[Dodge360]

Hello All,

Seriously looking at getting a longer ranger to use as my western elk and deer hunting rifle out to 500/600 yards with the correct bullet choice.

I have read and watched all reviews on this rifle but there’s only a limited number of reviews on the internet. Does anyone have any experience with the rifle? Can anyone comment on the accuracy?

Thanks

[Henry88]

Hey Dodge360,

Surprised nobody commented on this.

As a .308 lover from Florida, I gotta ask though, Is .308 the optimum caliber for 600 yd elk shots? The accuracy NP but the energy?

Thought that was what the belted magnums were for...................

[JEBar]

I have a 308, a 30-06, and a 300 WBY Mag .... all three are 30 caliber, all three can be loaded to fire the same bullets .... I've elk hunted and have filled some tags .... for elk hunting at 500/600 yards, my experience tells me that no 308 is a good choice .... I agree with Henry88 that accuracy (my qualification) with 308 competition rifle and bullet at those ranges is definitely achievable .... delivering a bullet at that range capable of deep penetration necessary for a clean kill is an entirely different story .... with a 308, my fear would be wounding, not killing the animal

ON EDIT : my first elk was taken with a Browning BLR 308 .... I was firing a hand loaded 180 gr Nosler Partition .... we stepped off the distance and it was between 30 and 40 yards .... we recovered the mushroomed Partition under the skin on the far side of the elk

[BigAl52]

I love the 308 and I own one in an AR-10 platform. I also love the little brother the 243. I also own one of those in a Remington BDL with a varmit barrel. I would in know way try to make a 600 yard shot with a 308 and have the confidence that it would put down an elk. My elk gun is a 338 win mag. Not sure I would attempt a 600 yard shot with it either. Al

[Ojaileveraction]

Hello All,
Seriously looking at getting a longer ranger to use as my western elk and deer hunting rifle out to 500/600 yards with the correct bullet choice.
I have read and watched all reviews on this rifle but there’s only a limited number of reviews on the internet. Does anyone have any experience with the rifle? Can anyone comment on the accuracy?
Thanks

What they said

[CT_Shooter]

Welcome to the forum from CT. I hope you've found the opinions about this caliber to be helpful. Let us know how you make out.

[wingnut]

OP-

I bought a 308 Long Ranger about 1 month ago for hunting deer & elk also. However, my personal max range would be about 400 yards.

I did the 20 round barrel break-in with factory ammo (shoot 1, clean, repeat for 10 rounds, then shoot 2, clean, repeat for another 10 rds).

Now to reload… I chose the .308 150 grain Nosler E-Tip for its high (for weight) BC, its speed out of a 20 inch barrel (high compared to a heavier cup & core bullet) and its penetration abilities (very high for weight). Then I modeled a load on QuickLoad & QuickTarget software.

The long time rule-of-thumb is for a minimum of 500 foot pounds of energy for deer and 1000 for elk upon impact. Here are my results:

0 yards distance – 2730 fps, time-of-flight 0 seconds, 2482 foot-pounds, 0 inches drop
400 yards – 2013 fps, tof 0.5118 sec, 1350 fp, -23.8 inches
500 yards – 1853 fps, tof 0.6658 sec, 1143 fp, -47.7 inches
600 yards – 1703 fps, tof 0.8367 sec, 966 fp, -82.5 inches
950 yards – 1264 fps, tof 1.5559 sec, 532 fp, -314.8 inches

My first 15 reloads were 1 MOA after break-in. Hoping .75 in the near future.

Cartridge : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 150, Nosler E-Tip 59378
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.780 inch = 70.61 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm
Powder : Hodgdon BL-C2, 46 grains

For all others- My first post on the board, please be gentle.

[PT7]

KCMO.jpg

Welcome from the Show-Me-State, Wingnut.

Just about any of the Henry Folk would get on to your first post gently. No worries there.
Trust you'll like your time here....we'll look forward to your Range Reports, photos, and whatever else you bring through the forum areas. Lots of choices under lots of subjects. Enjoy!

PT7

For all others- My first post on the board, please be gentle.

[Cofisher]

Lol. Great first report Wingnut. Enough technicality to satisfy some...and confuse the rest of us. Well done. I am a fan of the 308 and learned from your efforts.

Welcome from Nebraska. Looking forward to more from you.

[RanchRoper]

Post away, welcome and we like photos a lot.

[Cofisher]

Yeah, I keep my crayons close just for this site.

[JEBar]

Now to reload… I chose the .308 150 grain Nosler E-Tip for its high (for weight) BC, its speed out of a 20 inch barrel (high compared to a heavier cup & core bullet) and its penetration abilities (very high for weight).

first, welcome to our forum, delighted to have you join us .... Nosler's E-tip is a truly outstanding choice .... as you note, its penetration and bullet weight retention are outstanding .... in various weights, for 30 caliber it is my big game hunting bullet of choice .... please take a look at our How Many ? thread (link below) and add your Henry to our community's total


http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 325#p79325

[Mags]

.
Welcome from the TV Oregon. Good first post! Thanks for sharing!

OP-

I bought a 308 Long Ranger about 1 month ago for hunting deer & elk also. However, my personal max range would be about 400 yards.

I did the 20 round barrel break-in with factory ammo (shoot 1, clean, repeat for 10 rounds, then shoot 2, clean, repeat for another 10 rds).

Now to reload… I chose the .308 150 grain Nosler E-Tip for its high (for weight) BC, its speed out of a 20 inch barrel (high compared to a heavier cup & core bullet) and its penetration abilities (very high for weight). Then I modeled a load on QuickLoad & QuickTarget software.

The long time rule-of-thumb is for a minimum of 500 foot pounds of energy for deer and 1000 for elk upon impact. Here are my results:

0 yards distance – 2730 fps, time-of-flight 0 seconds, 2482 foot-pounds, 0 inches drop
400 yards – 2013 fps, tof 0.5118 sec, 1350 fp, -23.8 inches
500 yards – 1853 fps, tof 0.6658 sec, 1143 fp, -47.7 inches
600 yards – 1703 fps, tof 0.8367 sec, 966 fp, -82.5 inches
950 yards – 1264 fps, tof 1.5559 sec, 532 fp, -314.8 inches

My first 15 reloads were 1 MOA after break-in. Hoping .75 in the near future.

Cartridge : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 150, Nosler E-Tip 59378
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.780 inch = 70.61 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm
Powder : Hodgdon BL-C2, 46 grains

For all others- My first post on the board, please be gentle.

[ESquared]

OP-

I bought a 308 Long Ranger about 1 month ago for hunting deer & elk also. However, my personal max range would be about 400 yards.

I did the 20 round barrel break-in with factory ammo (shoot 1, clean, repeat for 10 rounds, then shoot 2, clean, repeat for another 10 rds).

Now to reload… I chose the .308 150 grain Nosler E-Tip for its high (for weight) BC, its speed out of a 20 inch barrel (high compared to a heavier cup & core bullet) and its penetration abilities (very high for weight). Then I modeled a load on QuickLoad & QuickTarget software.

The long time rule-of-thumb is for a minimum of 500 foot pounds of energy for deer and 1000 for elk upon impact. Here are my results:

0 yards distance – 2730 fps, time-of-flight 0 seconds, 2482 foot-pounds, 0 inches drop
400 yards – 2013 fps, tof 0.5118 sec, 1350 fp, -23.8 inches
500 yards – 1853 fps, tof 0.6658 sec, 1143 fp, -47.7 inches
600 yards – 1703 fps, tof 0.8367 sec, 966 fp, -82.5 inches
950 yards – 1264 fps, tof 1.5559 sec, 532 fp, -314.8 inches

My first 15 reloads were 1 MOA after break-in. Hoping .75 in the near future.

Cartridge : .308 Win. (SAAMI)
Bullet : .308, 150, Nosler E-Tip 59378
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.780 inch = 70.61 mm
Barrel Length : 20.0 inch = 508.0 mm
Powder : Hodgdon BL-C2, 46 grains

For all others- My first post on the board, please be gentle.

Welcome aboard and thanks for sharing! As a 308 LR Owner and beginner reloader, you've got lots of interesting stuff here, so a few questions seem to be in order:
1. Never heard of that "barrel break in" protocol. Would love to hear more about it. Is that your own recipe, something from Henry, etc?
2. Your 0-950 yard data table indicates that a 308 bullet will drop nearly 24" at 400 yards? Do I read that right? Seems like a LOT. I've shot my 308 LR about 400 yds and rung a steel plate, and honestly can't tell you how much it dropped, but I don't think the plate was much bigger than 24" high. Just seeking clarification. And, in that table, what powder is being plugged into the software, at what grain weight?
3. Would love to hear more about your 1 MOA results from your 1st 15 reloads. Were all 15 loads the same? What distance? What optic? What other conditions? Stuff like that...

Really glad you're here.

[wingnut]

“Welcome aboard and thanks for sharing! As a 308 LR Owner and beginner reloader, you've got lots of interesting stuff here, so a few questions seem to be in order:
1. Never heard of that "barrel break in" protocol. Would love to hear more about it. Is that your own recipe, something from Henry, etc?”

Please see; https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthrea ... #Post46995

2. “Your 0-950 yard data table indicates that a 308 bullet will drop nearly 24" at 400 yards? Do I read that right? Seems like a LOT. I've shot my 308 LR about 400 yds and rung a steel plate, and honestly can't tell you how much it dropped, but I don't think the plate was much bigger than 24" high. Just seeking clarification.”

The bullet drop (external ballistics) is a function of many things: Sight-in range, elevation, bullet ballistic coefficient(s), muzzle speed, WX and more. The table was computed for a 200 yard sight-in range for that 150g bullet at that muzzle speed at 4200’ elevation. YMMV.

“And, in that table, what powder is being plugged into the software, at what grain weight?”

The powder and weight listed at the bottom of my post. H BL-C2, 46g

3. “Would love to hear more about your 1 MOA results from your 1st 15 reloads. Were all 15 loads the same? What distance? What optic? What other conditions? Stuff like that...”

The best group (1 MOA) was 5 rds at 46g of powder, 45g & 45.5g were also tried of the 15 total loaded rounds. Shot off a bench with bags, 100 yards, 1-4x Leup'd scope, mild wx, temp about 55F, 4200’ elevation.

Software: https://www.neconos.com/details3.htm

[ESquared]

Thanks very much!

[Mags]

.
Welcome. We will be gentle. Noticed your Central Oregon location update. That's a big space. Would you be willing to share where a little closer in?
Me? I'm in the Tualatin Valley, a bit west of Portland. We have a few other Oregonians here too. One a little south of Bend and another on the SW coast in the Brookings area. I think there are a couple others, don't remember for sure or their general whereabouts.

...For all others- My first post on the board, please be gentle.