Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is there any LOVE for the .308?

You left out the part about you being a convicted felon and can't own a gun period

Because they don't make 5 lb 30-06's.

A 30-06 has been my go to rifle for 40 years so I can't say a bad thing about it. But after buying my 1st 308 several years ago none have been taken anywhere but the range.

I can easily match factory 30-06 speeds, and beat 30-06 speeds from the 1950's by 200 fps with my 308. Yea, I can still load 30-06 faster, but if a 30-06 in the 1950's was adequate, a 308 in 2014 is.

Recoil from my 5 lb Kimber is almost exactly the same as my 30-06's weighing almost 2 lbs more. The standard weight 308 has about 25% less recoil.

Have killed only one deer with a .308 Weatherby Ultra LW that I shoulda bought after the T&E. I did buy a T&E M1A Scout Squad that was extremely accurate but sold it to help buy my daughter's first car; my buddy's son now has it rigged like the DMR he toted in Iraq. He won't sell it back!

I also paid for a Remington LTR w 1st year XMark Pro. Can't remember it being over .5 ever. Shoots Fed PowerShok 150s into the .3s. My youngest has zapped a buck an doe with it, but I've not had it in hand when I've had a chance.

Looking like I might get to make my first elk hunt next year in CO's 1st rifle season. Fixing to get some 155 Scenar, and pimp the rest of the rig up from plain black for my LR gun , and zoot the Frontier .358 for Black Timber areas.

ETA: the Roy UL was just as accurate as the LTR; kick myself frequently!

My sentiments exactly.

East of the Mississippi,and most hunting situations everywhere else the 308 is plenty,and then some .They arn't as popular as they once where around here,and neither is the 30-06,but that's not a poor reflection on these two great calibers.It's because folks always want something different.The gun makers come out with something new from time to time,and some people just have to have one.Just look at the beating the 270 gets nowdays.The same folks that give a cold shoulder to the 270 will brag on the 280,260,,and the 7mm-08.,They all do the same thing ,if a deer crawls off on you it aint the fault of the gun.

I like .308 when it is supplied in belts.

It IS a popular caliber for elk around here.

I like the 308win. The group of guys I hunted with back in Pennsylvania used mostly 270win, 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mad. They didn't think too highly of the 308win.

The young kids were started off with either 243win or 30-30.

I have one 308 WIN, and it is my favorite deer rifle. It is a Savage 99, and I download it to 300 Savage levels.

I have 9 30-06 rifles. Most of the time, I shoot them with a load that is slightly downloaded to 308 WIN levels.

The result in both cases is a fairly dramatic reduction in recoil. I am not adverse to recoil; I'm a walking landform. However, I figure that I need not put up with it when I don't have to. I also am hunting places only 800 feet or so above sea level with less than 200 feet of altitude. A little extra weight is not a problem.

For my taste, I prefer the 30-06 over the 308 for the simple reason that, when loaded to near-MAX levels, the 308 Win seems to have much sharper recoil than the slightly downloaded '06. It is a minor issue, however. I do not a whole lot of difference in the two beyond that.

Warmonger...

I've got 3 @ the moment. 1-M7 18" Barrel, Brown Kevlar stock; 1-M660 20",Original stock; & 1- Taconic Titanium Mauser,22", Kevlar stock. So loaded with Barnes 110's,130's,Nosler 125 BT's, Interlock 150's & Sierra 165 HPBT's, I've got my 243,270 & 308's covered.

308 & 150/155's...what's not to like?

44 grns Varget and 150 Hornady at 2675fps its roughly my poor mans 300 savage

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Nice rifle/scope/cartridge combo.

I do not understand why someone would buy a 308 and down load to 300 Savage velocities. Why not take advantage of the full potential of the cartridge. a 150 gr bullet can easily be loaded to 2900 fps, and a 165 to 2800, and both as accurate as the 2500-2600 fps loads I see some guys bragging about. Other having bad shoulders and avoiding the recoil I don't understand it. Someone please enlighten me.

Partly because I'm lazy and 44 grns Varget was the first load I tried and shot so well I figured why not stop there.

This is my simple- no fiddle with loads, scope knobs, or OCD cleaning- rifle. There are other rifles for that.

Thanks GuyM
Its really growing on me, I'm the kind of guy who is always turning my scope power up and down and over oiling rifles and fiddling with loads. This rifle is my therapy for that kind of behavior.
I'm getting tired and lazy in my old age.
Just use the thing.

The .308 is good for first load and stopping.



The .308 is perfect therapy for that.

The .308 is just easy. Easy to load for, easy on the shoulder, easy on feed, easy to kill stuff with.

I like to tinker as much as anybody, but if I had to start from scratch with no rifles, getting ammo over the counter with no plans on reloading, the .308 is THE choice....223 running close depending on the desired use.

I like it too, I have only two now, one is a Ruger international from when they first came out and a Ruger Ultralight also from when they first came out, they have taken a couple of deer and I found it to be nice with the short bolt throw and the way they handle.

I have three 308s. The next step up in power in my house is a 375.

BMT