Where does .308 Winchester excel?

[jessej]

but 30 cals alway kill better than their skinnier cousins, erebody knows that , some just won't admit it !

 

[VLD Pilot]

Meh, to say bullet size (diameter wise) kills game better isn't accurate. Match the bullet weight construction to the animal hunted and it's a win. Yep, bigger animals need bigger holes made with bigger bullets. Also heavier bullets for heavier game applies. The .264/.277 kills deer as good as any .308 caliber bullet on deer size game...period. Anyone that's hunted and killed deer with any or all, know this. It's not a matter of denial, it's a matter of experience and shot placement. I WILL take a .308/.338 over any smaller caliber bullet for Elk and bigger. Thats a no brainer.

 

[bamban]

There are many reasons to have a .308. They are highly accurate and when paired with the right ammunition are very accurate, but the same thing could be said for many other cartridges. I started shooting the 308 in it's military clothing as a 7.62 x 51 in an M14, which was still the Army standard when I enlisted back in 1965. It was the first rifle issued when I arrived in the Republic of Viet Nam. The M14 was hard hitting with a 600 yard plus range. Later in my career I was on several Army rifle teams and we were all shooting M14 National Match versions. The M14's were beating out bolt rifle shooters on a regular basis. Right now I have two .308's, both are Winchester Model 70's both are post 64 and have wooden stocks with floated barrels. Both of them will shoot 0.3 MOA, sometimes less when shooting 165 and 168 gr bullets. Factory work well but handloads using Nosler 165 gr partitions or 168 gr match are capable of one hole 3 shot groups at 100 yards. During our recent pandemic one of the first rounds that became available was the .308 and 7.62 x 51. When I worked at Cabelas the shelves were full of these cartridges while others were still non existent. The .308 is available in just about any model rifle you care to buy. The recoil is easily manageable for most as well as bad medicine for elk or smaller game. One shot and drop in place are the norm for me using 165 gr Nosler Partitions loaded as a clone to the 7.62 Lake City Match ammunition. While I have rifles in 22 LR, 270, 30-06 and 300WM the .308 is still my go to rifle for deer hunting. As Lones Wigger used to say, "One shot, one kill."

The M14 still rules against bolt guns on occasion. This was high power championship, not service rifle championship.

And, at 600 yards when the wind goes up to 30 MPH against the 16s driven by some of the best in the business. 2012 Louisiana by a 60 yo young man.

 

[VLD Pilot]

The M14 still rules against bolt guns on occasion. This was high power championship, not service rifle championship.


View attachment 395934

And, at 600 yards when the wind goes up to 30 MPH against the 16s driven by some of the best in the business. 2012 Louisiana by a 60 yo young man.

View attachment 395933

Gas guns (ARs) are some of the most accurate rifles for sure or can be. My LR ARs are extremely accurate. My AR10 .260 shoots easily half inch groups and my .308 shoots the same. Consistency is better with my bolt guns but I haven't done any additional accurizing on my ARs

 

[bamban]

Gas guns (ARs) are some of the most accurate rifles for sure or can be. My LR ARs are extremely accurate. My AR10 .260 shoots easily half inch groups and my .308 shoots the same. Consistency is better with my bolt guns but I haven't done any additional accurizing on my ARs

Agree.

My former teammate, Keith, posted a nice score at 1000 yards with his AR10, 308, 20 inch barrel and 4.5X March scope against the best prone shooters on the country.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I like the 308. Its accurate, recoil is mild, and its a 30 caliber. If your not making long shots you dont need the higher BC bullets and a lot of velocity. Say your a deer hunter in a wooded area and your shots are 200 or less. A 308 would probably be my first choice.

 

[yorke-1]

The 308 excels at being mediocre.

Every company needs that one employee who just shows up on time and does exactly what he's asked to do, and that's the 308. He's not the fastest, the most productive, or most efficient. But he does show up on time, meet all of the benchmarks set for him, andhave a decent attitude most of the time.

Having said that, the only times I've had a 308 in my safe was the short period between when I take one in trade, and when I have time to tear it apart and turn it into something more useful!

 

[KSB209]

The 308 excels at being mediocre.

Every company needs that one employee who just shows up on time and does exactly what he's asked to do, and that's the 308. He's not the fastest, the most productive, or most efficient. But he does show up on time, meet all of the benchmarks set for him, andhave a decent attitude most of the time.

Having said that, the only times I've had a 308 in my safe was the short period between when I take one in trade, and when I have time to tear it apart and turn it into something more useful!

I like your analogy. Although I really do like the 308 for many reasons it is just a get er done round. Will never be the CEO but not the janitor either (no offense to the janitors in this world).

 

[Terry3006]

The M14 still rules against bolt guns on occasion. This was high power championship, not service rifle championship.


View attachment 395934

And, at 600 yards when the wind goes up to 30 MPH against the 16s driven by some of the best in the business. 2012 Louisiana by a 60 yo young man.

View attachment 395933

Great pic Nez!

 

[CBH Australia]

Having grown up hunting with a 30-06, 8mm Mauser, 7,65 Argentine & 6.5x55 Swede, wanting or needing a 308 Win was Verboten ! at least in my immediate family, as a result I never owned one until well into my 30's ... but have relatives & friends that used 308's forever and still do to this day for moose hunting, usually late season calling/raking in for 200 yards & in shots, considerably more effective & better killing power over the 6.5 & 7mm counterparts , but 30 cals alway kill better than their skinnier cousins, erebody knows that , some just won't admit it !

Swamplord,
I really like the 7mm-08 have used the 7-08 & .308 plenty and both kill dead.

After all the .284" 7mm is actually 7.2mm.

.308 is just something that is there. It's common and does not conjure up thoughts of classic because everyone has one but it's a simple solution to the one gun hunter.

 

[OldElkHunter1961]

The .308 Win isn't the best at anything.

It is good at just about everything.

It's appeal and success are due to it's inherent flexibility in myriad applications.

It's Mr Coffee not a Capuccino machine.

 

[SSG Graybush]

Can you clarify what isn't dismal? I mean if anything shy of 300 WM is dismal I guess you can feel that way but that doesn't really make it so.

My 300 wm with a max load of 78 grs of H1000 pushes a 208 amax at 2882 fps, 26" barrel. It shoots very well at 1000 yards. At 1000 yards it has about 1270 #'s of energy, compared to a 308 with a 185 jug starting at say 2664 fps which would have about 750 #'s of energy.
In a 3 to 8 mph fv variable wind the 308 would drift between .6 and 1.7 mils, the 300 wm drifts .4 to 1.3 mils. So you can split the difference and get a hit on a regular sized 18 inch wide silhouette with the 300 wm, you can not with a 308. In any caliber its the same. A 6.5 Grendel shooting a 123 gr .51 g1 bc bullet at 2500 fps is hard to get consistent hits at 1000 in the same wind, compared to a 6.5 cm shooting a 147 gr .629 g1 bc bullet at 2650 fps. I use this analogy cuz Ive seen it numerous times at my range.
Better bc coupled with slightly more speed reduces the margin of error. Whether its holdoff or even vertical dispersion. Am not hating on the 308. Its pretty good enough for hunting within distances most shots are taken. But for long range, its lacking. 3006 is a good round. But imo a .6+ g1 bc bullet going over 2850 fps is the standard for any long range round, in any caliber. Especially for hunting where moa or better accuracy is needed to be ethical at distance.

 

[jbronner13]

The .308 is great at nothing but good at a lot.

It's the ultimate utility cartridge and I think everyone should own at least one.

Not to mention the staggering amount of different ammo choices available for it if you need factory ammo.

Let's call it the German Short Haired Pointer of rifle cartridges…..the versatile champ.

 

[jbronner13]

Newer, faster, etc. is always enticing, but is it always necessary? Obviously shooting through the same hole at very long distance is a completely different use case than shooting/hunting at closer distances. Additionally the size of the animal also dictates an ethical caliber. While the brand new hot rod Dodge Charger I got for a rental car recently is way more high tech and exciting to drive than my 89 Ford Ranger, the Ranger suits my needs just fine, is cheaper (basically free) and will greatly reduce the probability of getting traffic tickets. Just because the .308/.30-06 are older cartridges doesn't make them obsolete. Look at the 30-30, no one would say it's a cutting edge high performance cartridge but many a deer has been taken with the old trusty lever gun. Again, it comes down to the use case. Keeping up with the latest new cartridge is a daunting task because almost everyday someone is coming out with a better newer cartridge. Knowing your use cases and limitations and using something "older" may suffice perfectly. I really don't think a blanket statement that the .308/.30-06 are useless is truly accurate. Just my thoughts.

Wouldn't take a corvette off-roading…..it's always about how and what you are using something for. I am just echoing what others have said but the 308 works for me up here in the northeast for anything I would hunt. I could take it out west and shoot elk at ethical distances for me confidently (under 400 yards) because I practice with it a lot. I am able to do that because of great barrel life and cheap, readily available ammo. But again the old saying "when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail." If you need a gun, cartridge for a very specific route/task, get that specialty product. What I find so enticing about the 308/30-06 families is our ability to now easily make switch barrel rifles and swap out barrels in 15 minutes or less. What's not to like with this? Especially as a hand loader with resizing dies.