What does a .308 do that a 5.56 cannot?
Now that I have your attention... :p
Seriously, from a civilian defensive standpoint that is?
I know that the .308 bucks the wind better, I know it will generally penetrate better, it should have better terminal effects than the 5.56 over a greater effective range.
But does that really impact general civilian usage?
Please list out what you consider the advantages that the .308 brings to the table from the standpoint of civilian usage, not military.
Because I'm not part of a Marine Platoon anymore.
1. The 5.56 was developed for military use, when you have all of your armed buddies with you. Some of those buddies may be small and/or are women. In general, smaller people don't like shooting a full-power rifle. I am not small.
2. In a military battle, getting shot with a .22 will take you out of the fight. Killing the enemy isn't nessesary. It may be when it's just you vs. some thugs.
3. More power is better. A .380 is better than a .22lr, a 5.56 is better than a .380, a .308 is better than a 5.56, a 338 lapua is better than a .308. The .50bmg is better than a 338 lapua. Sadly, the 338 lapua and .50bmg costs 5 bucks a round. Otherwise I would buy one.
4. Unlike the military, I will not be supported with grenade launchers, machine guns, planes, tanks and ships. I need a gun that can shoot through light vehicles and body armor with just a single round. All by myself.
5. Any bullet weight in 308 can cleanly kill any animal in North America. That might come in handy if you get hungry in a survival situation or if a grizzly bear gets hungry for you. A 55 grain 5.56 bullet may not be enough.
I could give you a few more reasons I like an AR-10, but thats my top 5.
Thank you for reading my first post!
muskie69