The Shoot2hunt Podcast

[NSI]

Availability of inexpensive great consistent ammo, 50 state legality, and a barrel life so long that the gun’s stable period is virtually indefinite. All adds up to reliability.

-J

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus - Ryan said on the latest podcast that you said something along the lines of "everyone should have a 308 hunting rifle".

Given you've posted many times here before about recoil differences with smaller calibers, what's the reason for this? Availability? Being familiar with a classic? Learning wind with a "slow" cartridge ... or something else?

Everyone should have a well setup 308.

As @NSI stated:

1). Absolutely predictable and consistent. Set it up correctly, zero it, true it, and it remains the same for longer than most people’s lives.

2). Available everywhere. Excellent ammo is extremely common. It has the most consistent factory ammo of any cartridge, and it’s widely available- Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr SMK. You can take FGMM 168gr from 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and today, and all will be inside a 1.5” dot at 100 yards.

3). 50 state legal.

4). Terminally effective with several bullets/loads to 600’ish yards, and past 700 yards with a few.

5). Recoil is light enough that a trained shooter can use it very well in a moderate weight rifle.

5). Trace/splash is large enough to consistently spot past 900 yards.




The 308w does recoil more than optimum. However it is low enough that nearly anyone can learn to shoot it well with a suppressor or muzzle brake. It is boringly consistent and you don’t have to worry about barrel life and being “gentle”- it likes abuse. You don’t have to worry about zero changing due to barrel condition- never clean it, and the zero stays the same from 50’ish rounds to… near forever.
Through the entire 10k plus barrel life MV’s stay the same. Data stays the same. Zero stays the same.

A simple, correctly setup, bomb proof 308 is one rifle people should have, that they never futz with.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’ve had a Sako model 75 in .308 since 2004. High school graduation present from my Dad. I wish I had kept better track of round count, but it still has the original blued barrel. It has to have over 9,000 rounds through it and still puts 10 rounds in a 1” square from a “bench”.

 

[Formidilosus]

Left is MRC 308. Right is Tikka 308 with fixed 6x Mark 4.




Tikka 308 with 10x Mark 4, R700 with 6x Mark 4-





Left is Tikka 308 with SWFA 10x. Right is BAT 308 with March.



Top is HH 308 with Zeiss LRP S3, bottom is Tikka 308 with SWFA fixed 10x (starting to be a trend it seems).




Even Ryan secretly likes them-

 

[Bluumoon]

Left is MRC 308. Right is Tikka 308 with fixed 6x Mark 4.
View attachment 779284



Tikka 308 with 10x Mark 4, R700 with 6x Mark 4-
View attachment 779286

View attachment 779289


Left is Tikka 308 with SWFA 10x. Right is BAT 308 with March.
View attachment 779291


Top is HH 308 with Zeiss LRP S3, bottom is Tikka 308 with SWFA fixed 10x (starting to be a trend it seems).
View attachment 779292



Even Ryan secretly likes them-
View attachment 779294

Making me regret not choosing the master sporter for .308 over .22 Creed. Oh well, Tikka/KRG version will work.

I don’t see a consistent scope choice. Thinking mine will end up w an inherited NXS, leave at half power (double the reticle values?) and try to live w the 2nd focal plane.

 

[NSI]

Making me regret not choosing the master sporter for .308 over .22 Creed. Oh well, Tikka/KRG version will work.

I don’t see a consistent scope choice. Thinking mine will end up w an inherited NXS, leave at half power (double the reticle values?) and try to live w the 2nd focal plane.

My SWFA 10x will migrate to an RS-MRC-AICS in 308 eventually.

-J

 

[Castle Rock]

308 was a good choice when there weren’t many good choices available , I grew up in that era and don’t want to revisit
So many better options available today

 

[Castle Rock]

Everyone should have a well setup 308.

As @NSI stated:

1). Absolutely predictable and consistent. Set it up correctly, zero it, true it, and it remains the same for longer than most people’s lives.

2). Available everywhere. Excellent ammo is extremely common. It has the most consistent factory ammo of any cartridge, and it’s widely available- Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr SMK. You can take FGMM 168gr from 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and today, and all will be inside a 1.5” dot at 100 yards.

3). 50 state legal.

4). Terminally effective with several bullets/loads to 600’ish yards, and past 700 yards with a few.

5). Recoil is light enough that a trained shooter can use it very well in a moderate weight rifle.

5). Trace/splash is large enough to consistently spot past 900 yards.




The 308w does recoil more than optimum. However it is low enough that nearly anyone can learn to shoot it well with a suppressor or muzzle brake. It is boringly consistent and you don’t have to worry about barrel life and being “gentle”- it likes abuse. You don’t have to worry about zero changing due to barrel condition- never clean it, and the zero stays the same from 50’ish rounds to… near forever.
Through the entire 10k plus barrel life MV’s stay the same. Data stays the same. Zero stays the same.

A simple, correctly setup, bomb proof 308 is one rifle people should have, that they never futz with.

I would rather slam my dick in a drawer than hunt with a 308, sure a 168 matchking is the most tractable bullet in history but it is the proverbial knitting needle

 

[Telford29]

I just bought another tikka in 308. Had the savage ultralight and couldn’t stand running the bolt in it. So now it lives back in the safe. Went through the weatherby phase, the ultra mag phase, now I’m back full circle to the 308 win phase.

 

[Chris_in_Idaho]

2). Available everywhere. Excellent ammo is extremely common. It has the most consistent factory ammo of any cartridge, and it’s widely available- Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr and 175gr SMK. You can take FGMM 168gr from 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and today, and all will be inside a 1.5” dot at 100 yards.

Form, in your experience, what is a go-to 308 killing bullet that is consistent (like the FGMM), typically available everywhere, and not crazily expensive?

Even Ryan secretly likes them-
View attachment 779294

Well, it is short and fat.

 

[atmat]

Well, it is short and fat.

 

[Formidilosus]

Form, in your experience, what is a go-to 308 killing bullet that is consistent (like the FGMM), typically available everywhere, and not crazily expensive?

Hornady 178gr ELD-X, 168gr ELD-M.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

Hornady 178gr ELD-X, 168gr ELD-M.

Have you shot CZ rifles much? 550, 557 etc? I still regret selling my MTR in 308.

 

[Formidilosus]

Have you shot CZ rifles much? 550, 557 etc? I still regret selling my MTR in 308.

I have. Generally they were good.

 

[Tom-D]

The 308w does recoil more than optimum. However it is low enough that nearly anyone can learn to shoot it well with a suppressor or muzzle brake.

I have a question about this. I live in a place where i cannot have suppressors and i don’t really want to hunt with a brake as i do alot of stalking in thick country and dont want ear pro on all the time. Is there any point or benefits in using a brake with a blast diverter?

 

[Formidilosus]

I have a question about this. I live in a place where i cannot have suppressors and i don’t really want to hunt with a brake as i do alot of stalking in thick country and dont want ear pro on all the time. Is there any point or benefits in using a brake with a blast diverter?

Ehh. It helps, but any terrain, brush/trees, or obstacles in front of the muzzle will reflect the noise back at you. So, better than a normal brake, but doesn’t really solve the problem.

If I were to use a blast diverter with a brake, I would choose a long one- like a suppressor length, and that will help greatly with blast at the shooter.


However, if you can’t use a suppressor and don’t want the noise and blast of a brake, then correct rifle stock design and weight are your friends.

 

[Formidilosus]

I don’t see a consistent scope choice. Thinking mine will end up w an inherited NXS, leave at half power (double the reticle values?) and try to live w the 2nd focal plane.

In general, the most common chosen scope for a 308 that just gets left as is and never modified is a fixed 10x scope. Next would be fixed 6’s. Simple, and nothing to mess with.

 

[Bluumoon]

In general, the most common chosen scope for a 308 that just gets left as is and never modified is a fixed 10x scope. Next would be fixed 6’s. Simple, and nothing to mess with.

Am I correct in thinking half power, ie 11 on a 5.5 -22, that I could double the values of the reticle?

 

[Formidilosus]

Am I correct in thinking half power, ie 11 on a 5.5 -22, that I could double the values of the reticle?

Yes, you could. But for all the same reasons I wouldn’t do that on any other gun, I wouldn’t do that here either.

A $300 SWFA 10x is a much better choice.

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

Ehh. It helps, but any terrain, brush/trees, or obstacles in front of the muzzle will reflect the noise back at you. So, better than a normal brake, but doesn’t really solve the problem.

If I were to use a blast diverter with a brake, I would choose a long one- like a suppressor length, and that will help greatly with blast at the shooter.


However, if you can’t use a suppressor and don’t want the noise and blast of a brake, then correct rifle stock design and weight are your friends.

What weight is optimal?