caldweller said:
I am considering purchasing a rifle for hunting Deer and Elk. I think I would like to go with a .308 rifle. As I've been looking a different guns many of the .308 are classified as varmint rifles. Does that mean that it shouldn't be used on big game? Or can it be used with light bullet on varmints and with a heavier bullet on Elk? I really like remington 700 VTR(varmint-tactical rifle). I would appreciate any information as to the limitations of a .308 varmint rifle.
Thanks
The .308 is an excellent caliber for animals the size of deer and elk. The one main reason for choosing this caliber over a 30-06 is the shorter action. You can find the .308 in light weight rifles that are easy to pack deer hunting all day.
The term "Varmint Rifle " describes the style of the gun rather than its use for hunting varmints. The Varmint Rifle has a longer and heavier barrel and weighs a couple of pounds more. This of course makes it a great shooter up ranges of 300 plus yards.
If your main use for the rifle is to hunt deer and elk, I may be inclined to get a lighter rifle. Packing a 9 + pound rifle around in the mountains all day gets tiresome.
When it comes right down to the shooting though, the heavier rifle is great. You will just have to decide if it is worth packing the extra weight.
If you really want a rifle for varmints, may I suggest another caliber more suited for varmint shooting such as the .223, or 22-250?
(Edit to fix typo)