What can you kill with a 308?
Ava Robinson
Updated on February 21, 2026
Keeping this in consideration, will a 308 kill a grizzly?
If your plan is to shoot a charging grizzly at 20 paces you do not merely need the perfect North American big game cartridge, you need a specialized, dangerous game cartridge and rifle setup. If you hope to hunt and then shoot a big bear at a reasonable distance, the . 308 will kill him just like it will kill an elk.
One may also ask, can a .308 kill a human? Any caliber round into the head can kill you instantly (with exception to a . 308/7.62mm specifically, is an intense round. In most cases, a shot to the head with one of these rounds will be lethal.
Secondly, what is a 308 capable of killing?
You would be a little under-gunned hunting black bear, and way under-gunned for dangerous game, like grizzly bears & polar bears, lions, rhinos. 308 is an excellent caliber. The 30 cal bullet is capable in the taking of any game given enough powder. Even dangerous game like grizzlies.
Can a 308 win kill an elephant?
A number of the Ivory hunters turned guides used the British 303 and the 7x57 Mauser. They routinely dispatched elephants with a single shot through the eye. I watched park rangers cull elephants with a single shot from a FN Fal in 7.62 X 51 (. 308 Win) so I'm sure well placed shots of lesser calibers is very possible.