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Member
Hello, I was thinking about getting a bolt action 308 for my next gun purchase. I was wondering what some of you guys think of the 308 round in general and what are the advantages of the 308 over some of the other rounds. A friend of mine said he did not like the ballistics of the 308 but I have heard nothing but good things about the 308 myself. Any info is appreciated.
Member
Lots of bullet selection in weight, style and price point, works with a lot of powder, doesn't use a ton of powder to reload, shoots flat enough to be fun for newbies but also enough punch to reach out to 1,000 yds, kills things dead, doesn't kick much, ammo is readily available and mostly it has a long and storied military career and therefore a bunch of cool points.
Member
I'll add readily available match ammo for non reloaders as a big plus.
Senior Member
It’s the best possible choice for a guy who is new to this game. Its time tested and there is a lot of information for you to take in. A great amount of fair priced commercial match ammunition doesn’t hurt its case.Originally Posted by jdm
The fact that your buddy does not like the ballistics is inconsequential to your decision. You are not buying it for him and you’re buying it to learn.
"After I shot myself, my training took over and I called my parents..." Texas Grebner
"Take me with a grain of salt, my sarcasm does not relate well over the internet"
Jonathan Morehouse
Member
Very well said.
Moderator
I use and prefer the .308 Winchester cartridge. It meets my needs for my intended targets, is commonly available, comes in a variety of loadings, and can be very cost effective when I need to be price conscious.
Your friend may have a specialized performance need, or he may be one who is easily impressed by the industry's cartridge-of-the-month, and the gun press that goes with it. The overwhelming majority of folks will be well served by the .308 Winchester.
2012 National Zumba Endurance Champion
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Member
Things to like about the .308 are the relative affordability of match ammunition and availability of inexpensive surplus ammunition. You'll also get longer barrel life than the ballistically superior options. It's a great choice if you're shooting for fun, particularly if you don't reload.
The problem comes if you shoot competitively, as you'll be up against folks running .260 Remingtons, .300 Win Mags, and the like. You'll have to make better wind & range calls than them to place your shots as accurately since their rounds shoot flatter and buck the wind better.
—Andreas
Senior Member
Excellent advice thus far. The 308 is a true all-around cartridge. It's safe to say that today's powders and bullets let it do what the 30/06 was doing 20 years ago. You can put it in a light sporter and hunt all of North America and most of the rest of the world with it. Or you can put it in a heavy precision rifle and win matches or shoot bad guys at long range with it.
As you compare it to other cartridges, remember that the territory between the 6.5 Swede and the 375 H&H is rich in shades of gray. Most cartridges in that very broad swath can do one thing (like hitting at long range or dropping a large animal up close) better than the 308. But the 308 isn't far behind them, and very few other cartridges can do as many things as well as it does with as little fuss. About the only real contenders it has for all-around usefulness are the 7-08, the 270 Winchester, the 280 Remington, and the 30/06, and the main reasons to pick one of those over another are logistical.
I bought a custom Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in 308 a few years ago, and it really opened my eyes. In less than a year, I had sold several 30/06s, two 270's, two 35 Whelens, and two 338/06's. The only way my 308 disappoints me is with milsurp 7.62 ammo. I had hoped to use cheap FMJ for practice, but my rifle has a fairly tight chamber and the milsurp ammo won't always chamber. Also, most milsurp shoots about 4 MOA even though my rifle is superbly accurate with good ammo. After a bunch of testing, I found that PMC 7.62 147-grain FMJ shoots a solid 1.5 MOA. I use that to practice offhand and fast shooting, and use 150- or 165-grain handloads for everything else.
Get a 308 and don't look back. The fact that your buddy doesn't like it says more about him that it does about the 308.
Okie John
Senior Member
IMO, everyone should have at least one .308
Ammo is plentiful, the ballistics are a known entity, and it is a very good do-all cartridge.
Yeah, there are other cartridges that do this job or that job better- but you have to work out the price vs benefit. Sure, a 300 WM is going to get you out to a longer range with less fuss, but you pay for it with each shot in both recoil and price. A 7mm or 6.5 variant can get you a flatter trajectory and with less recoil, but at the cost of burning up barrels at a faster rate and smaller selection of ammo out there.
Just get the 308 and shoot the piss out of it. After you've sufficiently worn out the barrel, you'll know what direction you want to go- and it's not terribly difficult to rechamber a 308 bolt gun for something else down the line.
Senior Member
This. The body of knowledge that surrounds the 308 is freaking immense. Chances are that any problem you'll run into has already been solved and the information you need will be easy to find.
Okie John
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