Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Did Jack O'Connor ever comment on the .308 Winchester?

Never really seen anything about it.

Yeah, I believe he said it packs a punch for a "small" cartridge.Someone on this site posted it before

In the books I have read I remember he mentions the M14 in
7.62MM while it was in the R&D stage, and he makes a little
mention of the 358WIN. I havent read all of his books, but
Im sure of the other guys here will input soon.

He praised the 300 Savage. The difference between it and the 308 Winchester is only 100 fps with the same bullets

In his book, "Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns" (Copyright 1961), O'Connor says (page 79) "The .308 is a right hot little cartridge, but I had no extraction difficulties" (in the Model 88).

He refers (page 204) as the 308 as being suitable for deer in the East, be does not mention it in his discussion of deer in the West.

There is little mention of the 308 otherwise. You have to keep in mind that developments in powders and bullets have made the 308 (and other cartridges) better than they were 50-60 years ago.

"Big stick in a small bundle" I believe he wrote once about the 358. He seemed to like the M-88 however, he wrote about Winchester products most of the time. I do not recall what, if anything he wrote about the 284.

IIRC he talks a bit about it in an article entitled "Post War Mild Cartridges", or something like that.

Yeah, he said it was crap...

Did he really? Can't remember...


You can bet, if he liked it, it woulda had its own chapter.

I believe in one of his books JOC pointed out that the '06 could always achieve a higher velocity than the 308. He then went on to say something like:
Besides being suitable for use in short actions, the 30-06 is superior in every way to the 308.

I'm sure he probably mentioned it like others have said but with a 30/06 in hand, well it takes a back seat. Need a stirring the pot smilie.

How did he rate Holiday Inn Express ?

I like the way you stir it raybass

He said the .308 was even more gay than the .270 WCF.

The weird thing is I wouldn't mind a 300 savage in the collection. Couldn't poke a 308 down my throat for nuthin'.

I actually built a .300 Savage on a Model 70 short-action classic stainless. It was originally a .22/250 FWT that I couldn't get to shoot. I had Hart's put a #4 contour, 1-10" twist barrel on it and I put it in a semi-custom walnut stock with a built-in aluminum bedding block.

I haven't messed with it much but working up a load is on the to-do list, as is shooting a nice, white-tail buck.

The 300 savage is a sweetheart buddy..

I think I remember an article about the Savage 99 in which he mentioned the .308. I don't think he criticized it, but wrote more about the .358 Win. and .300 Savage.

I think the 308 was a very good idea for what it was designed to do. As a fighting cartridge, enough power and less recoil and the ability to carry a few more rounds.

Don't care if he 'rated it' or not.

O'Connor never seemed to write about 'good' or 'bad' anyway. Point was to discern how he felt it fit into the pantheon of cartridges he'd already tried. E.G. Was it an alternative to the 7x57 as regards recoil?

Found a 1970 book 'The Hunting Rifle' on my shelf. He's got a section on 'Post War "Mild" Cartridges' and the .308 is mentioned. The pics at the middle of the book have two of him shooting a Winchester Model 100 in .308. Not sure if it was his rifle or not. He states that the .30-06 is always a little more powerful than the .308 so he's take the latter in bolt action rifles. He also states that the .308 is superb in semi-autos.

Tells a story in another chapter about a hunter with decades of woods experience (him) who would probably choose a Marlin lever or Remington pump in .35 Remington, or a Winchester 88 or Savage 99 in .308 Winchester. JOC reckoned that the .308, .300 Savage, and .30-06 with 180 grain bullets, and the .270 and .280 with 150 grain bullets made pretty good woods cartridges that could also handle open country.