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

I don't know many folks who go out and choose a .308 for their deer rifle. As a matter of fact, I don't know anyone who deer hunts with one in my neck of the woods.

I have a .308 (only one I ever owned), but I have to admit it was the rifle more than the chambering. I have a late 60's Bofors full length stock Sako carbine. I fell in love with the rifle growing up and reading that John Wooters had one.

I have killed a bunch of deer with it and so have members of my family. It has now become more of a designated "treestand rifle" because it's so darn handy. I keep a .257 Roy for the open fields. Have a few other favorites that I cycle through, but these are my go-to guns right now.

That said, I wonder how the .308 Win ranks in sales every year?

It is a fine round

It's the only 30 cal I've ever owned but never felt under gunned by its big brother.Easily a 400+ yd killer just ask ET..I ranged this goat for him at 403yds on our Wyoming reunion hunt sponsored by eh76. Our own CF member Jeff aka "Nebraska" graciously loaned us his 700 for this adventure as I didn't have one in my inventory at that time.

After having traded many guns over the years I received a gift certificate at Dicks and decided to buy a stevens 200 back when they were going for around $200. Long story short Dicks agreed to price match so I was faced with choosing what I wanted it in. I realized I nor any of my friends had ever owned a 308 so that is what I decided on just to try somthing different.
I have to say it is a really great cartridge and I now have to wonder what took me so long. I would easily recommend it for a all around hunting chambering for NA game. It's easy to load for has plenty of reach and while I have only shot two deer with mine it really did the job on both of them to the point I wouldn't hesitate to use it on elk .

Easily one of the best cartridges.

My brother has killed a truck load of deer, elk, and hogs with the 308 150gr .

It's generic as all get out, but it shoots and kills as well (or better) as most rounds. It's such a generic round that I've got a standard load in full length sized brass, seated to the same length, that I run in 4 different rifles and it's an inch or under in all of them. It's just an easy round, no fluff, no drama.

My favorite .308 falls in line with the generic trend with black McMillan and black cerakote...not a looker, just a killer:

The quintessential hunting round.

Right now I am running 130 gr TTSX's over 48.0 grs of TAC. My son wants to use it for Black Bear in a few weeks from a stand. I said I can't wait to take a picture of him holding the Sako next to the Bear.

Try the 110's. Shoots flat as a laser at 3100 fps with 4895.

130's do well at 3100

Mine worked pretty well a couple of weeks ago. Montana with a 165gr. Acc. @ 85 yards.

I've been hunting with the .308 since 14, off and on. Right now have three, and my wife has one as well. We've used them in both North America and Africa for at least 10 species of big game up to around 700 pounds, and I wouldn't hesitate to hunt the rest of my life in Montana with a .308.

Hunted with one very often for years , my favotite hunting rifle is in a .308. Why not more popular , most people are stupid [bleep] when it comes to such

I own several 308 Winchesters and several 30-06's. The 308 is just like the 30-06 of 50 years ago; new powders and bullets have improved both.

I have a 308 and a 307. I like both.

In the 1960's I ran across W.D.M. Bell's article Small Bore Versus Big Bore n the December 1954 Rifleman. Bell wrote that if he could go to Africa again under the same conditions he would take a Winchester Model 70 in 308. Bell wanted solid bronze or monel bullets.
I enjoy hunting with and shooting with both of them.

I think that the 308 is probably the best hunting round that most Americans can actually use. It is close to the best all-around that there is.

Been playing with one for the first time this last year or so. Traded into a beat up JC Higgins 51-L, spent some time reinforcing the broken apart action area of the stock and mounted a 2.5-8 VXIII. Several loads will go an inch or so, some less. It's doing well enough I took it to Colorado last week for 1st rifle elk season with 165 Partitions. Unfortunately I saw more orange coats than elk.

A 308 Model 700 ADL is my Current Deer rifle. It is a 1965 rifle That is in a current ADL Synthetic stock with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8x36 in Weaver Rings. Just spent 11 days Packing it for deer with Pleasure. Light, Handy, Plenty of range and Power For Deer. Load is 125gr Ballistic Tip over 51.5gr of W748. Light recoil devastating terminal effect. What is not to like about the 308?

I grew up shooting the .308 because it was the caliber of choice for my father. His rifles was a Savage 99 and the .308 was chosen because it was the "best" round available in a lever gun. That rifle (and it's owner) were legendary in our part of the world.

My first rifle (a "family" gun obtained when I was 10) was a Mossberg 800 in.....308! I proceeded to reduce the whitetail population for the next few years until I could buy my own rifle.

My choice was the .30-06, which I believed (I was young) to be a step up from the .308.....which I KNEW worked wonderfully on deer/hogs. In truth, there was not a shot taken with that .30-06 (and some 200+ kills) that I couldn't have made with a .308.....and I'd have never have known the difference. The .30-06 is often suggested as the perfect single cartridge for taking all North American game....and it is. However, I suggest that this same statement could easily apply to the .308 as well.

The .308 is perhaps the "best" whitetail round ever invented. It has enough velocity to shoot flat out to 400+ yards. Yet it doesn't have so much velocity as to require "special" bullets at close range and keeps recoil at a mild level. It hits hard, kills quickly and leaves a great blood trail.....unlike other smaller bore cartridges. The .308 is perhaps the most inherently accurate (and yes I do believe some rounds ARE inherently accurate) rounds ever designed.

All of this is true, but what makes the .308 the "best" is that it is short enough to be chambered in any action type one wishes. Bolt, single shot, pump, semi-auto or lever guns all are chambered in the .308. It is short enough to work in them all and even save a few ounces in weight in a short-action rifle for those who think this is important. The same cannot be said of the .30-06....or any magnum length round.

I now own many, many rifles, but the .308 keeps showing up due to the rifles it's chambered in (and it's known effectiveness). Some come and go, but at present I own a Ruger Mannlicher carbine in .308 (short and light), a Winchester 100 and a Savage 99.

There is the REAL reason the .308 is the "perfect" deer cartridge.......it fits in the Savage 99 and the .30-06 doesn't!

You don't say where your neck of the woods is, but, I still see plenty of them in PA where many hunt both deer and bear.

The .308 just works, no fuss, no muss. A 165 grain Hornady puts a solid hole through deer and they fall over with little meat damage.

When I started hunting, my favorite uncle used a Remington 600 Mohawk in .308. I started with a .243; but, when Remington brought out the Model Sevens in .308 30 years ago, I bought one of the first ones with my high school graduation money. My father quickly bought one to match it. The guns are short, light and extremely handy in blinds and brush and have impressive accuracy.

The .308 is a Rifle Looney's curse however! That .308 has kept me from buying a lot of new rifles in fad calibers because I know when deer season rolls around, I couldn't stand to leave the little .308 behind!

I've got a couple 308s, excellent all-arounders. I enjoy shooting them long distance at inanimate objects, but would have no hesitation using them on any local big game species.

Bullets are out there for most any application. Here are some I use,






The rifles,

Very nice rigs and recipes Shane.
Shot the 308 a lot and if l had to one gun it here in NA l would not hesitate to go with it.
So versatile and capable of fantastic accuracy.
Just a great round.

Simply gets it done, what more do you want. Sub MOA always in my rifle, loves the 155 Scenar over Varget.

Long before I started reading internet rifle and hunting forums, I was a 308 user. I know now that my Sako, with a Leupold 2x7, shooting POS cup and core bullets is a great handicap but I was happily killing stuff pretty dead with it.

And it easily kills stuff bigger than deer if you do your part.

I've done well with the 308 over the past 40 years including Africa three time and 28 animals up to 800lbs. I could be very happy with only a 308 in my future.

Lots of love here. After all, it's just a rimless 303 British!

I have always loved the cartridge. Didn't own one til I was 18 y.o., but there were a couple of friends and family members that had them.
Always seemed to me that the .308 was far less popular in places like Colorado and Wyoming when I was growing up. But I grew up in the era of the 7 EM-EM, as guys referred to the 7RM.

Should have kept that first 788 that I bought at a hardware store just outside the gate at Ft. McClellan.
Not that there are any flies on the M77 tang safety that I had rebarreled to .308 at Ft. Bragg...
The guy I sold the 788 to still has it... I do believe that it is his only centerfire rifle...

I have 3 and started my son off with a 308. Easy to make shoot great and a 125 NAB over Varget will hit 3200fps accurate! My son dropped his first antelope this year at just shy of 300-yards.

If I ever decided to hang around with only two cartridges one would be a .308W. The other a .22-250.

I started shooting the .308 Win (AKA 7.62X51) with the M-14 rifle, and did a flock of target shooting with a custom M-1 rebarrelled to .308. This rifle was weighted to 12#, and the first .308 I owned surprised me that the cartridge had recoil, Hey this Tikka Battue recoils. Since then I have acquired several others including a Win M-88 with a short stock for grandkids. My favorite now is my Steyr Scout, and I have used that rifle on multiple safaris. It would be Good Enuf for most things do if I did not enjoy shooting rifles in general. Still like my NULA M24 in '06 (copy of JB's spec).

You can mostly make about any load and it will work in this cartridge...

jim

A bull from last week. He didn't care for the 308 but was blind in one eye so that may have had something to do with it.

I often hunt with an 88 in 308 cuz I want to. It is crazy accurate and just got a new VX2 installed:



I often shoot competition with a 308 because I'm required/forced to. MUCH better choices for true LR work. Like my 260 or 7mmRM. After 800yds, the 308 is pretty much a brick. I still run 175gr SMKs because they are 1/4 MOA accurate in the gun. If Ionly had 1 LR rifle and were forced to run a 308 further, I'd run Scenars......

i hate the 308, that is why i have five rifles chambered in 308

I've used the .308 since '74. Every once in a while I pick up one of my 30-06 , 7mm mag , 300 sav. ,etc. and i always go back to the .308. Hard hitting and easy on the shoulder. I've taken big whitetails and 900 lb moose --- whats not to love ?

I'll take em as a public service so you are no longer shamed

It's what the 7-08 was intended to be.

That should be good for another 5 pages.

With those heavy bullets will the 308 kill like a 358 win?

Love my ugly little Ruger GSR in .308. Mine will put 5 shots of Remington 150gr Corelock Ammo into a 1/2" group at 100 yards off sandbags. It has already accounted for too many feral hogs to count, and will be even more fun when my Suppressor Stamp comes in.

Love the 308 Win. My favorite caliber hands down.

The 308 is UBER.

Dead is dead.

I 'm no expert, but I would think the 358 would deliver more shock at closer distances, and the 308 with high BC heavies would deliver more energy downrange, and make a significant reduction in wind drift.

If I owned a rifle in any other caliber than 223, it'd be an autoloader in 308, probably a Remington. The milsurp rapidfire practice, at realisting offhand ranges, means more than any bs "advantage" that the other calibers offer (ballistically) A lot more. So do the fast repeat shots. animals sometimes move just at the shot, and then you have a fleeing cripple, and no, the bolt action is not fast enough. Ditto for dog packs, or human predators.

I missed your point.

Hi,

Very recently I recovered my BRNO ZKK 601 in .308 W !!! I bought it in 1978 and must to sell it in 1983. I was building my home back then...
And, unexpectedly, I could buy it, again a few month ago!!!

It is one of the last that came with that great peep sight in the rear bridge, plus the front sling swivel in the barrel. It shoots great!! With almost any factory or reloaded round.
I am happy with this one old friend returning home!

http://s741.photobucket.com/user/P57H/media/BRNO%20ZKK%20601%20%20308%20W/P2040202.jpg.html
http://s741.photobucket.com/user/P57H/media/BRNO%20ZKK%20601%20%20308%20W/P2040203.jpg.html
http://s741.photobucket.com/user/P57H/media/BRNO%20ZKK%20601%20%20308%20W/P2040204.jpg.html
http://s741.photobucket.com/user/P57H/media/BRNO%20ZKK%20601%20%20308%20W/P2040205.jpg.html
http://s741.photobucket.com/user/P57H/media/BRNO%20ZKK%20601%20%20308%20W/P2040207.jpg.html

^^ Nick looking rifle!

Various 308's have killed the vast majority of my big game animals since 1968, and I would agree with everything positive that has already been said about the 308 on this thread.

It offers a combination of accuracy, versatility, shootability, and lethality that few rounds, if any, can match. And ... it's incredibly unfussy to handload.

The only knock against it is that it's none too sexy, in looks or paper ballistics. But ... it works. It's like golf - you drive for show and putt for dough.

Somebody get squesh a drool bucket.

mike r

No love
No hate
No interest

I'm a 30-06 reactionary.

In truth the most accurate combination gun I've owned was an Italian made BBF in 12/308. It shot like a good bolt gun, and I credit the 308 chambering.

This is true.

The .308 is inherently accurate; has an extremely wide range of factory ammo, loading data and bullets available at decent prices; can be found in virtually every rifle manufacturer's catalog and every gun shop; has the advantage of lighter short actions and lighter ammo loads in the field; is widely available in military surplus; and can reliably be used to take down virtually every animal in NA.

If I didn't have my .30-06, I'd want a .308... or a .270.

This is the only bolt that I have in .308 for the ultimate in accuracy. The rest are military auto-loaders.

SD

The forend seems a bit too long...

Why would I have a .308, when I can buy .30-06's, then load them to .300 Savage velocities?

Even so, the rifle with which I've waylaid the most critters was a .308 that Ready loaned me for a cull hunt. 150 TSX's at 2,800 + change make a lot of sense, especially for someone like me who'll likely never press the trigger at any animal > 250 yards away.

But, "Love"? That's a strong word.

FC

Beautiful Rifle!

I can see why you wanted it back.

I love so much i have 2.
One a Savage 110 and a Savage 99.
I shoot them sometimes but really like them when someone tells me they are not bothered by recoil.
They hurt more than a 300 short mag in a light stock.

Really like the BRNO.

plainsman, glad you said that. i shot a remington 798 mauser in 308 that whipped my ass. i can handle a 270WSM and similar with no issues but something about that 308 was just unpleasant. maybe just the shape of the stock or something.

oh. and uh...i don't own a 270wsm. that's my dad. no gay here lol

I've owned 3 of them and seen quite a few more in action. Haven't seen one yet that wasn't a shooter with just about anything you wanted to feed it.

its a good cartridge, I have two of them.

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

.308, ive got three of em:

Remington 700P
Savage 10PC
Ruger Merican Shawty

the 700 shoots the best, the shawty carries the best, but none of em shoot poorly. I haven't found an easier cartridge to handload for.

RC. I don't quite load down to 2500 but my 308 loads are just on the warm side of 2700. Like ruger 438 that's one of my first loads and it shoots about a inch so I also being lazy and having plenty of the components I used I quit there. There are several reasons I don't like to load to absolute max. One I find most C&C bullets work best started at around 2700-2800 fps. A real speed of 2700 fps isn't all that slow compared to true factory load performance of rounds like the 270 and or 30-06. The trajectory is usually flat enough to allow a dead on poa @ 300yds using a + 2-3" zero at 100 yds. Finally it is much easier on your brass. So I don't see much need to push it.

If I was limited to one centre fire rifle cartridge for all my shooting, it would be a .308. Used only a .308 during my "formative" years as a hunter, and will always have at least one on hand. My current .308 is a an old Sako Forester. Have also owned and hunted with a Brno ZKK, Rem 700, Savage 110, Savage 99, and a Valmet .308/12 combination gun. They all worked well and shot accurately.

My 308 it is a great shooter. I use it for Elk, bear and other larger animals. My 25-06 is my main stay for deer and antelope

I've used a 308 since the early 70's and still like it more than any other cartridge I've owned. I haven't loaded it much in recent years, but can understand a light load. To me it isn't about reducing recoil, it's about reducing the damage done to a deer when shot at close range. I don't need a hot load to kill a deer cleanly at 30 yards and a load that approximates a 30/30 would work just fine for much of my hunting.

My experience with the .308 has been that it seems to have a lot of bark, for its bite. Kind of like these fellas:







I, too, had a Savage 99 in .308, and it had even been retrofitted with a decent recoil pad. Still, I was surprised by the jab that sucker gave me when I mushed the trigger. A 700 MR, similarly chambered, was little problem from a recoil standpoint, but I still noticed that the cartridge made sure it was heard.

My other experience with the cartridge was last year when Ready had me slummin' a Blaser R8 with a Zeiss Victory 'round the GDR. That stock was much better at directing the recoil to where I best tolerated it, and the extra weight obviously helped, too. We also wore hearing protection, so I wasn't bothered by the report.

On the other hand, I picked up a 722 in .300 Savage here, and that thing is more fun than a bucketful of bouncy blondes. It barely whispers when it goes off, and I have to tell my shoulder that I just fired a shot. And yet it sends 130 TSX's awfully close to 3K fps, and they will neatly snap the neck of a hog. I find it provides a goodly amount of killing for the jab & bang.

For me, If I've gotta eat more recoil & endure more muzzle blast, I'll step up to a .300 WM. But for most of my hunting, thankfully, I don't have to.

FC

Nice rifle.

BMT

Only 308 I have left. Ruger with a Lilja factory contour barrel at 21�, NECG sights, Mcmillan stock, Nightforce 2-10, Warne QD 30MM rings. Throated for 155 scenars fed from the magazine. One of my do it all rifles.

My Model 7 in 308 is my go too rifle, always seems to be the one I grab to hunt with. Light, short and relatively low recoil. Hard to beat the 308 for all around performance! I've killed deer and bear with no problem, just need to do my part with shot placement the 308 does the rest.

I love the .308. I've never used a cartridge that is as easy to get an accurate load for. The lone shot is a sighter shot at 25 yards. The other 5 are after I made an adjustment and moved back to 100. The group was shot off a bipod from the prone in the bed of my truck. It went .358".

John

@Hondo64d, that's some great shooting! Do you mind sharing the reloading info?

44.5gr R15 behind 155gr Lapua Scenars in '82 LCNM brass, Tula LRM primer. Clocks about 2865fps. Lapua Brass uses about .5gr more powder with same results.

John

That one appears to be about all a boy would ever need. Nice rig.

It worked very nicely........

A whole lotta love for the .308 here . . .



Only 1 so far. I could see doing a Kimber Montana.