Can 308 do everything you need a rifle to do under 600 yards?

[BamaMike63]

Carlos Hathcock's rifle that is.

 

[Leaf Litter]

I wanted to say no on a gut feeling (600 is a long distance). But I ran the ballistics for 168gr ABLR and you should have expansion velocity to 600 yards, so my vote is yes. Tear it up

 

[TheSouthpaw]

You ever done a tmk at 1800? That's what I'm shooting this year. Last year I shot 215 berger hybrids but I didn't get close to 1800.

Everyone I can find using tmks close to that number is reporting them working

This is a 130tmk at 1905fps impact from a 6.5CM at 571 yards. Dumped a roosevelt elk.

 

[GrayCreed]

Then how would you justify constantly buying more guns???

 

[bultinkle]

This is a 130tmk at 1905fps impact from a 6.5CM at 571 yards. Dumped a roosevelt elk.

View attachment 494263

I've switched to this bullet for this year, they shoot great and are cheap too

 

[akmtnhnt]

With certain bullets such as the Badlands .308 150 there's not much advantage ballistically to the 7-08 over the .308. I'm running my 18" bolt gun 308 with a 150 Badlands at 3075 FPS. It's a killer of anything that gets in front of it.

There is if you run the 150gr 7mm bullet from badlands.

 

[akmtnhnt]

We (Army Snipers) still use a 175 grain Sierra Matchking at under 2600 fps. Not the best performance from a .308, that is the kind of loads you're thinking about. Load the best bullets with optimum powders and it is not the same, becomes a different animal. bamban's .308 has better ballistics than our M2010 .300 Wimags did, and remember his barrel is only 18". Now most long range hunters wouldn't hesitate to question the capable of killing deer/elk at 600 yards with the WinMag.

If you ran the same bullet and leaned on that brass as much as he is, the 300wm would completely outclass it. As anyone would expect.

 

[Hugnot]

.30 caliber bullets from a .308W are too big & fat for shooting rodents.

 

[JAYgs8163]

There is if you run the 150gr 7mm bullet from badlands.

Correct but it's hard to get the same velocity from the 7-08 as the 150 Badlands takes up case capacity. I've been working with it though trying as have a 7-08 also. Thinking the 7mm 150 Badlands would be great in my 7WSM.

 

[436]

If you ran the same bullet and leaned on that brass as much as he is, the 300wm would completely outclass it. As anyone would expect.

I wouldn't run the same bullet in a .300WM, I jump right up to the 190gr Mk as good as the 175gr is, in that matchup 190Mk just walks away with ease. Just making conversation... Cheers

 

[marksman1941]

Isn't that always the eternal battle? You can hot rod the heck out of any cartridge to make it step up to the next level, but if you hot rod THAT cartridge it'll outperform the hotrodded smaller case. We've gotten to the point of splitting hairs on performance from factory loadings, and handloaders can naturally outrun factory if they're willing to push boundaries

But compare your basic 30 cal cases with factory loadings using the same 180gr bullet weight across the board.
308 win - 2620 fps
30/06 spr - 2700 fps
.300 win - 2950 fps

A 300fps window in factory offerings in the same bullet range, and we all know how conservative most factory offerings are for fear of some yokel sticking an overpressure round in an M1 and blowing it to kingdom come.

But when we're comparing ".308 can make .300 win mag performance" that's usually a hotrodded .308 compared to a factory .300 win. Which is still impressive as heck, but a hotrodded .300 win running a better bullet will absolutely smash the .308

 

[memtb]

Isn't that always the eternal battle? You can hot rod the heck out of any cartridge to make it step up to the next level, but if you hot rod THAT cartridge it'll outperform the hotrodded smaller case. We've gotten to the point of splitting hairs on performance from factory loadings, and handloaders can naturally outrun factory if they're willing to push boundaries

But compare your basic 30 cal cases with factory loadings using the same 180gr bullet weight across the board.
308 win - 2620 fps
30/06 spr - 2700 fps
.300 win - 2950 fps

A 300fps window in factory offerings in the same bullet range, and we all know how conservative most factory offerings are for fear of some yokel sticking an overpressure round in an M1 and blowing it to kingdom come.

But when we're comparing ".308 can make .300 win mag performance" that's usually a hotrodded .308 compared to a factory .300 win. Which is still impressive as heck, but a hotrodded .300 win running a better bullet will absolutely smash the .308

Sort of along these lines…..always get bigger! You can always download a high horsepower cartridge down to a lesser cartridge but, as in life ……you just can't (or shouldn't) ever bring a juvenile into an adults only establishment! memtb

 

[ButterBean]

Sort of along these lines…..always get bigger! You can always download a high horsepower cartridge down to a lesser cartridge but, as in life ……you just can't (or shouldn't) ever bring a juvenile into an adults only establishment! memtb

I don't care what it is as long as it has a high BC number
Just an inside joke fellas don't go off the rails on me

 

[marksman1941]

Sort of along these lines…..always get bigger! You can always download a high horsepower cartridge down to a lesser cartridge but, as in life ……you just can't (or shouldn't) ever bring a juvenile into an adults only establishment! memtb

Lol it really does seem to be asking for trouble to step up too far. .308 is highly capable but it will never be a .300 ultra. Weirdly, you can load .300 ultra down to .308 energy levels (albeit with more powder and less efficiency)