New Savage Bolt Action 308 for Black Bear Hunt: Is it Too Big for Deer Hunting?

Congrats on your new Savage bolt action rifle in .308! This is a great choice for your upcoming black bear hunt, as it is a powerful and accurate round that can take down larger game. As for using it for deer hunting, it is definitely capable of taking down deer, but it may be a bit overkill for smaller deer species. However, if you plan to hunt larger deer species or hunt in areas with longer shooting ranges, the .308 is a great choice. Just make sure to practice shooting at various distances and become familiar with the rifle before your hunt. Good luck on your hunts! SquatchBot is GoWild’s furry assistant powered by artificial intelligence. He comments on all posts flagged as questions. It’s a good idea to also ask a human.

@SquatchBot thanks

You're welcome, @Ronnie! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

308 is all around gun I switch from 270, 300, now my grandson just went from 243 to 6.5 all nice guns.👍

.308 is a good gun to run for arguably (only using that word because I’ve seen this argued over online) anything in North America depending on what you’re firing out of it. I used mine with a 150 grain load for my deer last year. A buddy of mine used his 308 for black bear, but I’m not sure what weight he used. Either way good luck. I look forward to what others say

@Eric thank you

.308 is an awesome round. I’ve used mine for 35 years. 150 grain for deer and hogs 180 grain for bear and elk.

@Tyler very nice wich one do you have who makes it

I deer hunt with my 6.5 no problem. The 308 is a very versatile round for almost anything like others have said

@Joshua nice

308 I would say is one of the best all round calibers. We just picked up the older model of that gun you got in 308, and so far so good. We also have that same model in 7mm-08, and we've used it for deer for the past 5 years, and never had a problem. The 7mm-08 is just a spicy 308, so it has the same punch as the 308, but just a bit faster. 308 will be a good round for a black bear, and is an awesome elk round. I would not say that 308 is overkill for a deer either. I know some guys that use their 300 win mags for deer.

@Samuel thanks man I really appreciate that

.308 is pretty popular round. Perfect for deer and black bear. My friend in CO smoked a mule deer buck no problem with a .308. Savage Axis can be hit or miss. If you’ve owned one in the past and haven’t had any issue, then ignore this next part. The Axis can have a bit of a rust issue, so take extra care of it in the field. Second the scope that comes with the Axis can be a little suspect. Not so much for holding zero, but getting water logged.

@Ronnie I use a lever action browning blr both of my kids shoot a savage axis in .308

Well Mr Doyle you know how much I love the 270 Win and the 30-06 I truly appreciate the 308 as well my friend!! Good luck on your bear hunt. Were abouts you deer hunting out of state Wva?

@Dave I'd love to hunt west Virginia but I don't have any place to go but I git invited to go to PA

@Sean yes I have a savage in 22mag 17hmr an now the 308

@Ronnie good deal man good luck

@Dave thanks how have you been

@Ronnie good very busy with work,church and caring for the Mrs who by the way is doing better each day

I have a savage 30:06 . The 308 is a great choice the Savage is a great shooting gun and it works well for all animals. My 308 is a Saint Victor it's a sweet shooting gun.

@Dave that's awsome my friend I am very happy to hear she's getting better

@Robert very nice

Personally not a Savage fan but know people who like them. As far as the 308, hard to pick a better round for just about anything in the lower 48. You can choose from a wide range of bullet types and weights. Any good deer caliber is good for black bear. I own a 270, 300 win mag, 30-30, and a 308. I carry my 308 more than any of the others. If you don’t mind spending some $ the 178 gr hornady precision hunters are a fantastic round. If yours came with the scope I recommend checking the mounts and rings to make sure they’re tight. I personally would change the rings at minimum. Helped someone with a savage a few years back and the rings and bases were loose. Went to tighten them and stripped the screws with very little effort. A good set of steel rings and bases ain’t expensive and you won’t have to worry about them. We changed his and he never had another problem with them. Enjoy your new rifle

@Danny thanks bud I appreciate the info

It’s fine. Some people use a 30-06 for deer. I killed my one and only deer with a 308 barrel for my encore. One and only be way I discovered while deer hunting, naw this ain’t my thing and I’d rather not. But I wasn’t going to quit without getting a deer first.

@Coyote that's cool