I know that today's Military has dropped the 7.62 X 51/ .308 Win as a Sniper round. Yet it has been a proven performer for more than half a century. Every critter in CONUS has been dropped with the lowly 30-30, so is the .308 Win still viable?
Is the .308 Win 7.62 X 51 still a Long Range Hunting Cartridge?
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340Wby-4-everything
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Not sure why you think the military and its snipers of the world stopped using the 7.62, but that is not correct. It is still the primary sniper caliber world wide. I read somewhere that socom was going to convert their semiauto snipers rifles to the needmore, but can't confirm if that is correct. If so, it's stupid. The vacation spots our Marines and spec ops troops visit, don't and will never carry a needmore. So if our boys and girls run out of ammo, good luck funding needmore rounds in Somalia, Qatar, any of the " "stans, etc. If the world went to hell tomorrow, all these guys that think all the prcs, needmores and all the other latest and supposedly greatest rounds are the best thing will either be smart and pick up an ar15 and an ar10 or other 308 and a 300 win mag or they will be fools and quickly go the way of the dodo. I'd bet the 308 has killed everything on the planet too. Unfortunately elephants, tigers, lions and rhinos included albeit illegally. Polars and grizzlies legally by Inuits, no thanks. And most everything else is just small stuff that even a needmore might take at short ranges.
I love my 264 Wins and my 300 and 340 Weatherbys, but my first big game rifle was a 308 and I have and always will have several of them. I hunt with one in VA every yr. And for decades it has been a one shot deer slayer and has removed the head of many gobblers. Don't forget Carlos Hathcock hammered many many bad guys all around the 1000yd marker with them and Snipers have killed bad guys at near 1400yds with the 308. So I guess u could say it is certainly qualified to be called a long range round and is very viable if you know your limitations and respect its. As with all rifles, the shooter has to do their part. JOMO
I love my 264 Wins and my 300 and 340 Weatherbys, but my first big game rifle was a 308 and I have and always will have several of them. I hunt with one in VA every yr. And for decades it has been a one shot deer slayer and has removed the head of many gobblers. Don't forget Carlos Hathcock hammered many many bad guys all around the 1000yd marker with them and Snipers have killed bad guys at near 1400yds with the 308. So I guess u could say it is certainly qualified to be called a long range round and is very viable if you know your limitations and respect its. As with all rifles, the shooter has to do their part. JOMOI know for a fact that Carlos favored the Win Model 70 in 30-06. In 2010 Big Green went to the 300 Win Mag in the M2010 and retired the M24. Petty Officer Kyle wasn't using a 7.62 X 51 for any of the acclaimed shots in American Sniper. Not to mention that Navy EOD used Mac's BMG .50 back in 1970 which later developed into Barrets rifle. https://www.americanspecialops.com/special-ops-weapons/ The last 7.62 X 51 I carried was the Original M25. That was back in the First Gulf War. So yup, the 7.62 X 51 is a Sniper Support Weapon Weapon currently at best. 
. End of Rant! Now like Dragnet, just the facts?
. End of Rant! Now like Dragnet, just the facts?
The first 2 comments refer to military use which isn't your question.
First there is the challenge of defining "long range" in hunting as it's not the same for every one and every kind of game and every caliber+chambering.
Modern bullets have much better terminal ballistics than those of 50 years ago.
If the "long range" hunting game is anything deer size. According to all the folks commenting on this forum. 600 yards is "long range" and a 308 will do it.
Flame on...
First there is the challenge of defining "long range" in hunting as it's not the same for every one and every kind of game and every caliber+chambering.
Modern bullets have much better terminal ballistics than those of 50 years ago.
If the "long range" hunting game is anything deer size. According to all the folks commenting on this forum. 600 yards is "long range" and a 308 will do it.
Flame on...
