The 308 was never intended to excel at anything. It is a conglomerate of compromises designed to reliably kill or wound more bad guys per $. Acceptable recoil, satisfactory feed reliability across multiple platforms, component economy (raw brass and powder needed), weight and portability, etc. There are better cartridges for everything the 308 does including the original intent.
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Where does .308 Winchester excel?
- Thread starter dmass
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Most concisely correct post on the subject I've ever read. Bravo.
You can't hate the 308!
3k+ barrel life
You can find 10 different boxes of ammo on the shelves just about anywhere. Not to mention the 100 or so different types of factory ammo you can find online.
168gr match bullets out of a 18" bolt gun decimate hogs and do it for really cheap.
If I was dropped off somewhere with snow on the ground and spruce trees, and someone handed me a 308win rifle I wouldn't feel like I needed a lot more gun. I couldn't say that if I was handed a 6.5cm.
It's a "jack of all trades but master of none" timeless cartridge.
3k+ barrel life
You can find 10 different boxes of ammo on the shelves just about anywhere. Not to mention the 100 or so different types of factory ammo you can find online.
168gr match bullets out of a 18" bolt gun decimate hogs and do it for really cheap.
If I was dropped off somewhere with snow on the ground and spruce trees, and someone handed me a 308win rifle I wouldn't feel like I needed a lot more gun. I couldn't say that if I was handed a 6.5cm.
It's a "jack of all trades but master of none" timeless cartridge.
Wolf76
Well-Known Member
I rather like the 308. It's a very balanced cartridge.
In response to the original question, I'll say there's no free lunch. Every time you gain something, you also lose something. Example: A wider meplat has a pronounced positive effect on energy transfer. It also makes a bullet less aerodynamic. This example assumes all other variables are the same.
I cast no shade towards other cartridges.
In response to the original question, I'll say there's no free lunch. Every time you gain something, you also lose something. Example: A wider meplat has a pronounced positive effect on energy transfer. It also makes a bullet less aerodynamic. This example assumes all other variables are the same.
I cast no shade towards other cartridges.
Bob Wright
Well-Known Member
I guess there is nothing it excels at by today's standards. We have so many improvements in rifles, ammo and components. It still has a purpose for budget shooting for new shooters and cheap off the rack. It's just a bracket it falls into. And, as long as sales continues, will determine if it falls out of favor like a 30-40 Krag. It sure spawned a lot of other cartridges we enjoy today. I would certainly love to help squeeze every bit of performance out of a friends 308 if that's all he/she had.
I wouldn't buy one unless it was for a junior hunter on a tight budget in certain hunting scenarios. For practice, absolutely.
I wouldn't buy one unless it was for a junior hunter on a tight budget in certain hunting scenarios. For practice, absolutely.
CBH Australia
Well-Known Member
What does it excel at? Killing Pigs.
It's probably the most common cartridge choice for pig shooters in Australia.
Now you are considering a Tikka CTR. I brought one in 7mm-08, I find it great from the car, what you guys call a truck gun I think. The 7mm-08 is a great round and might have some Ballistic advantage over .,308 if you can utilise to its full capacity.
Buy that Tikka CTR before you miss out.
Now I really liked my Tikka 7mm-08, it's a fun thing and I've done some good shooting with it. I liked it so much I bought a second one. It's chambered for the common as muck .308
It's probably the most common cartridge choice for pig shooters in Australia.
Now you are considering a Tikka CTR. I brought one in 7mm-08, I find it great from the car, what you guys call a truck gun I think. The 7mm-08 is a great round and might have some Ballistic advantage over .,308 if you can utilise to its full capacity.
Buy that Tikka CTR before you miss out.
Now I really liked my Tikka 7mm-08, it's a fun thing and I've done some good shooting with it. I liked it so much I bought a second one. It's chambered for the common as muck .308
308 should be a a staple in everyone's collection. Imo
Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Another thing it excels at: not requiring special bullets at normal hunting ranges.
Everyone is so obsessed with high velocity…and ordinary bullets can fail at high velocity. The boring old .308 with 180 grain soft points like the ubiquitous Winchester super x power point will penetrate like nobody's business, no bonded or monometal needed. And for the majority of hunting ranges it shoots "flat enough".
Everyone is so obsessed with high velocity…and ordinary bullets can fail at high velocity. The boring old .308 with 180 grain soft points like the ubiquitous Winchester super x power point will penetrate like nobody's business, no bonded or monometal needed. And for the majority of hunting ranges it shoots "flat enough".
Excellent practice rifle
Easy to load for
Barrel life is long (over 1500 rounds in mine now and still going strong)
Good hunting round for everything we got in Texas
Easy to load for
Barrel life is long (over 1500 rounds in mine now and still going strong)
Good hunting round for everything we got in Texas
Rflshootr
Well-Known Member
It excels at versatility. If I had to choose only one rifle and get rid of the rest, it would be a 308 Win.Seems to me this thread, like all before it... is off topic.
The question was, Where does the 308win excel?
ex·cel
/ikˈsel/
verb
- be exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject.
The question wasn't any of the following:
Is the 308win fun?
Is the 308win nostalgic?
Can the 308win kill anything at all?
Can 308win's hit targets ever?
Does the 308win have any place in the world?
Does anyone need to justify owning and using a 308win?
There is only one area where a 308win actually excels in todays world, and that is due to how bad it is at virtually everything else. The fact that it can produce enough recoil to properly proof a firing position, coupled with its inferior exterior ballistic performance and long barrel life, makes it a fantastic training round. However, most people will not purchase a dedicated rifle exclusively for rifle handling training.
There is no arguing the 308win's place in history. Just as there is no arguing its place in todays discipline. Outside of the specific training requirements laid out in the preceding paragraph, other more modern cartridges can do better at virtually every application.
Terminal performance, accuracy/precision, recoil, exterior ballistic performance, barrel life, etc. Other cartridges can best the 308win in virtually every category, individually and collectively, and be better at their respective jobs. There is only one configuration which can bring a 308win into the modern times... and it's Palma. Long barrels, (like 30-34") with 155gr slippery bullets. Modern components provides the ability for that combination to push velocities high enough with a bullet that has just enough BC to make things favorable.
About 7-8 years ago... a week didn't go by where I didn't talk to someone extremely disappointed in their 308 after trying to use it in a situation where a different cartridge would clearly outclass it. That call is very rare these days, thanks to people waking up to the facts of ballistic reality. Still though, every so often... the phone rings and I'm met with all manner of regret as someone is now $5,000-$6,000 deep in a custom 308... and almost no one in the world wants it. Certainly not the owner.
The bad advice of others, brings more people under my mentorship than any of my own efforts.
I still have a 308win, for nostalgia and training sake. When I have a guy show up for training with a .22-250 or .204 ruger, and I need them shooting something where they can actually see the fruits of their labor behind the rifle, it often comes out. That's what the 308win excels at in todays world... and it's almost the only thing. With my reputation riding on people being successful with what I recommend now, I could not, and would not EVER, in good conscience recommend a 308win for virtually anything other than the very specific aforementioned task of a dedicated training rifle.
Conversely, if you're sitting there just itching to get a 308win... why would you let anyone stop you? I look back on my time with the 308win fondly. No other cartridge taught me as many things. Granted it was long ago, but I worked out the bulk of my knowledge in this discipline on that cartridge over roughly a 5 year period.
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DCBenn88
Member
I recently got rid of my 308 Win. because I already have a 30-06 that does quite a bit more. I'm pushing 181gr Hammer Hunters close to 3000 fps with 1/4-3/8" groups you might get 2700 out of a 308 if you're lucky. If you reload I would say that you don't use as much powder as most cartridges in the 30 cal. range, which helps with barrel life. Same goes with the Creedmor it's basically the .308 of the 6.5mm cartridges.
This is where I'm coming from also. I'd prefer the 7mm-08 based on the .308 case. Lots of bullet weights and just a bit less recoil.
I'd also look into A Howa rifle, I own two in .308 and they are sweet. Can't beat the value for the money either.
The biggest plus I see is the availability of ammo since it was/is a military caliber. Depending on where you live, any ammo store will mist likely have .308.
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Everyone needs a 308 or 3 or 4 308s. I haven't hunted much with a 308, only killing two mulies. Couldn't really ask for better results. However I have a gazillion rounds down range while shooting for the NG, in fact my best 1000 yard matches were with a M1A at 29 Palms. Also went to sniper school using the M21. The 308 with proper loaded ammo is a shooter.
When this current ammo drought hit I bought 2500 primed military brass. Had the bullets so I figured I could keep shooting, then it occurred to me I could buy a cheap bolt gun cheaper then I could rebarrel my target rifles. So I bought a Browning AB3. Found out that sucker, right out of the box shoot as well as my target rifles. Had to go out and buy a couple more AB3 in different calibers, all are great shooters.
Anyway everyone needs some 308s.
When this current ammo drought hit I bought 2500 primed military brass. Had the bullets so I figured I could keep shooting, then it occurred to me I could buy a cheap bolt gun cheaper then I could rebarrel my target rifles. So I bought a Browning AB3. Found out that sucker, right out of the box shoot as well as my target rifles. Had to go out and buy a couple more AB3 in different calibers, all are great shooters.
Anyway everyone needs some 308s.
med358-boise
Well-Known Member
The 308 excells everywhere.
Here are the factory specs showing the comparison with the new wonder child. If your a handloader, the 308 really shines with CFE-223. I have consistently achievedsub moa loads @ ~2810 fps in 3 different 308 wins with 22 inch bbls.
I would take a 308 win over 6.5 creed for hunting every day.
Here are the factory specs showing the comparison with the new wonder child. If your a handloader, the 308 really shines with CFE-223. I have consistently achievedsub moa loads @ ~2810 fps in 3 different 308 wins with 22 inch bbls.
I would take a 308 win over 6.5 creed for hunting every day.
