Where does .308 Winchester excel?

[robtattoo]

If i wasnt sitting on a couple of thousand rounds of quality 150gn sp reloads, i wouldn't own one. Every time I've reached for it in the last 4 years or so, my hand has steered itself towards my .358 instead.
I finally sold my .308 bolt gun this year to fund the single least practical firearm I'll ever own: an M1a Scout Squad. Purely until my supply of ammo is gone or the novelty wears off.

It's an awesome jack of all trades cartridge & it's kinda hard to argue against if you were going to be a one gun guy (the....horror) but for me, it doesn't excel at any single practical thing.

 

[Newtosavage]

It does excel at providing free range brass.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Cheap and available factory ammo.

 

[Blowdowner]

When you got into hunting to be better at fighting commies.

 

[General RE LEE]

I won’t ever worry about having to replace the barrel on my Tikka 308 and it kills deer deader than a door nail. Reloading components and factory ammo are everywhere.

I bet Walgreens has a hush hush stash of 308 to sell if you ask the manager.

 

[Newtosavage]

I won’t ever worry about having to replace the barrel on my Tikka 308 and it kills deer deader than a door nail. Reloading components and factory ammo are everywhere.

I bet Walgreens has a hush hush stash of 308 to sell if you ask the manager.

I'd be disappointed if at least one Walgreens somewhere in Wyoming or North Dakota didn't!

 

[isocyanate]

Chasing the lands as your 6mm loudenboomer literally burns the steel out of the bore is a colossal pita.

168 Berger hybrids at 2650 for the absolute win.

 

[Leatherneck]

Don’t forget that it’s damn near impossible to burn out a .308 barrel. Probably go through 3 or 4 6.5prc tubes in one lifespan of a .308 tube.

Also, I've read the .308 does well with shorter barrels in terms of not losing as much velocity compared to other calibers.

 

[hunting1]

Mine excels at accuracy, nice, handy rifles, and it kills everything I aim at. With a safe full it is my favorite, no frills caliber. It just works every time for me.

 

[Jeff_Gibbons]

I believe 308's top the sales list for big game hunting calibers? It'll be interesting to see how that changes over time. My hunch is that it will be in the top 5 for next 50 years. The reasons have been noted well above.

 

[MountainSide]

I bought a rifle chambered in 308 over a decade ago because of the rifle it came in, a Kimber Montana. Multiple moose, black and brown bear, caribou, and sheep later, it is hard to argue that I NEED anything else. But, what's the fun in that?

 

[BlackLabel1200]

Great thread. Have 2 308’s. But was trying to convince myself that I needed a 7mm REM Mag. You guys have convinced me just to spend money on better glass.

 

[Bjones2571]

Cheap available ammo.

 

[nobody]

Late to the party, but I gotta say it…

.308? Isn’t that the one you load from the front?

JK, carry on gents.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

My Kimber Montana 308 has been an awesome rifle. I have a few different hand loads worked up for it that shoot great. It recently got cut back to 18” so I can shoot my silencer on it and it’s even more accurate than before it left. It’s about 5.5 lbs with the leupold 2.5-8 and talley light weight rings. (No silencer on it to get that 5.5 lbs).

 

[3325]

The .308 excels at anything the .30-06 excels at with the exemption of shooting 200 or 220 grain bullets.

 

[LightFoot]

It is great for almost anything out to 300 or 400 yards. (300 for elk-sized, 400 for deer-sized)


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[prm]

The 308 really has no major weaknesses for hunting and shooting in the lower 50. Sure, other cartridges do elements a little better, but if I could have only one rifle fir everything, it would be a .308 Win. I wish my Fieldcraft was a .308. Someday…

 

[Rich M]

A 308 is a nice all around rifle. Used to be the one folks used for 1000 yd competition til the new bullet designs came out.

I shot a 6.5 once, chassis gun and it was a 1 hole gun at 225 yds. Very nice. A similar 308 would do the same.

 

[Mike Islander]

No other cartridge comes close to the number of factory ammo choices. 174 on Midway USA right now. That's almost twice what you find for 6.5 CM.

Of those choices, you can cover any US game. 600 yards for everything except maybe brown bears, maybe even those.