Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 8x57 vs .308

I have both, although my .308 is on permanent loan to my BIL apparently. Still, when I had it, the .308 stayed in the safe because I prefer the Mauser rifle that is chambered in 8x57. Truthfully, I have a safe full of guns and nine times out of ten the 8x57 follows me hunting. I like the rifle, I know where it shoots, and I know its limitations.

Functionally, on game, and at the distances that I hunt, there is no difference in the cartridges. If I was hunting a long ways from home and had to take one or the other, I would take the .308. Though only because of ammo availability. I have been in rural gas stations in ID and found 30-06, 308, and 243 ammo.

I own both and I have used both for about 40 years, although I have used the 308 more. That is not to say I like the 308 more, but I can't say I like it a lot less either. I usually go for a 30-06 or a 300 H&H in a bolt action but in autos I have shot more cases of 308 then I can count in my life.

The 8X57 has a lot less different bullets available to the US shooter unless he shoots imported bullets. (As has been notes already several times)

But if you are not adverse to using the imported European bullets there are probably far more 8MM .323" bullets available then you'd really ever need and they cover everything from varmints to deer sized game, to elk size, to target shooting and long range paper punching is NOT a problem with the 8X57, (if any shooter wants to use it for that)

I see the posts about the long heavy .308 bullets, but the truth is that the slight advantage of the 30 cals BCs shot from a 308 Winchester is probably equaled by the slightly faster velocity available from the 8X57 firing bullets of similar weights. If both cartridges were chambered in barrels and are installed in the same action, the bolt thrust at a given pressure and the strength of the action holding them both is the same, so with more volume of powder burning at the same pressure the 8X57 is usually out run the 308. But not by very much. From the standpoint of reality on targets or game I would say the difference is actually meaningless.

As of right now, the only bolt action 308 I own is a Mossberg MVP which is rather utilitarian, but it's very accurate and quite smooth (rare for many MVPs) My only 8X57 I have as of now is my full-stocked Mauser I made for myself a few years back, but I really like it a lot, and I have killed deer elk and antelope with is and just love the way it carries and handles and the accuracy is far better then is should be with just a military barrel (cut down and tapered)

Paper shooting is something I did for years and I was pretty good at it, but I have come to be bored with it, and these days I enjoy field shooting and hunting as much or more then ever, but I no longer shoot in target competitions, so if I were to loose my 308s I would be saddened , but not near as much as I would be if I lost my 8X57. I have also killed elk deer and antelope with my MVP too, but the MVP is a mass-produced rifle I can still buy, and the hand-made Mauser is more dear to me because of the time and labor I invested in making it.

So I think any honest comparison between the 308 and the 8X57 is and will always be a comparison of rifles and purposes the owner of those rifles have, but the 2 cartridges are close enough to overlap about 98%-99% for everything they will do. In other words, it's a matter which you LIKE more but that is usually going to be a matter of the actual rifle, less then the cartridge it's chambered for.

For the tie breaker and the win, when was the last time you bought hunting ammo at a rural gas station (excluding The Fort in Big Timber)?

It's been a while. Ever grab the wrong box of handloads when you were rushing off to a hunt? I haven't in the 25ish years since I did it last.

A non issue if one had enough ammo to start out with.

Ive used and reloaded for both of these for a long time. Here is my 10c not that anyone cares.

They have almost the same powder capacity and are both capable of and suitable for hunting anything anywhere except maybe the big 5 in Africa...and they've both been used many times for all of those even.

8x57 has more recoil and I've never had one that shot anywhere near as well as a 308. Maybe because there are not many great 8mm bullets around...but ive also not had 7x57s shoot as well as the 7-08s ive had so maybe its one of those unexplained things.

Either way...thats my take having hunted, loaded, and shot many a target with both

This reply is NOT directed at ANYONE ! !

This thread is from 2014 **

I have NOT read all of it ! !

WHY would anyone choose the 8X57 over a 308 or esp. 30-06 ?

Unless you just LIKE the round or Rifle. I have 1 Rifle that I really like
IN a cartridge that I don’t need but I like BOTH. I understand that.

Otherwise ? ? ?

Because.

Why Not?

Comparing 8 — 308

Ammo availability.

Ammo variety.

Brass Abailibikity

Those just off the cuff.

Jerry

Not to mention NUMEROUS rifles in 308/06.

Jerry

Do you have to be told that people post here, asking all sorts of questions? This one obviously doesn't agree with you. If it disturbs you, read, but do not post.

Those are all good reasons. Some of which I mentioned earlier today.

Another 5 year old tread resurrected.

I have read that when Germany switched to a pointed 0.323" bullet in place of a round nose 0.318" bullet, the U.S.Army Ordinance Corps was prompted to redesigned the 30-03 and its 220 grain round nose bullet as the 30-06 with a 150 grain pointed bullet.

I have long thought that if the U.S. had adopted the 7.65x53, or a slightly modified 7.62x53, in 1903 we could have skipped both the 30-06 and 7.62x51.

I wonder why so many fewer countries adopted the 7.65x53 than the 8x57 and 7x57.

I posted that on P 9.

I’m NOT trying to stir the pot NOR offend anyone.
Just my thots.

Jerry

REDUX

Whenever I travel more than a couple hours drive from home to hunt game, I always bring along a rifle in 270, 308, or 30-06.

Awhile back I was hunting deer near Wray, CO, and loaned my spare 30-06 to a guy from OH who showed up with a nice rifle in 6.5x55, but no ammo. He called around and couldn't find any 6.5x55 within a 4 hour drive and even if he had, he would have had to miss opening day while he zeroed his rifle with different ammo. I expected Cabela's in Sidney, NE, to have it, but they didn't on that day.

A fella would be really screwed if they forgot their ammo when hunting with me. I'm only a short 300 mile drive from home, but it's at least a 2 hour drive (not counting the jetboat ride) to the nearest store that might carry ammo. Point being, don't forget your ammo, regardless of what caliber you carry.

I was thinking about getting one of those to re-chamber to 8mm/06.

One dumb thing I didn't do.

I guess it is the basic nature of rifle loonies to spar and argue calibers ad infinitum. That's OK, just don't lose sight of the fact that bullet placement is 95% of the argument! Any reasonable rifle/cartridge/bullet combo will work.....if the nut behind it will place the dang payload where it needs to go!

So, rave on about your favorites!