In this paper, the details of the experimental techniques and set‐ups needed in the acoustic birefringence measurement are given. To precisely determine the wave speeds, the Echo‐Overlap method with reflection mode is adopted. The details of the fabrication of a dual‐polarization ultrasonic shear‐wave transducer are also included. The anelastic effect which occurs in the acoustoelastic measurement of a plastically deformed steel (C1018) specimen is examined. The general assumption of slight orthotropy which is used in ultrasonic stress measurement of polycrystalline metal is tested. The annealing experiment shows that the preferred orientation of the cold‐rolled steel plate can not be changed by annealing the specimen at the recovery temperature. The measurement of the third order elastic constants of the steel specimen is also conducted.