Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why isn't the 308 more popular?

That's sweet!!

Truth is, if I were gonna just flush everything, or almost everything, and buy all new rifles... I think I'd keep my .325 Montana, get a Montana in .308, and just be done with the whole shebang as far as hunting...

Except, I might have to go 7mm-08 or 338 Fed <g>....

Your never too old to learn I guess...Hell I thoght the .308 was one of the most popular cartridges in the world...I guess the internet is the exception, but everyone else knows I'm right!

Thanks, Jeff.
I did flush everything. Now down to a .223, .308, .338-06.
Funny thing is, I don't feel like I lack anything. (Though I would like to get a #1 RSI in 7X57 and a new FWT in .30-06 and a Cooper JSR in .22 mag and Sako .222 and a ........! )

Thats a good looking 700 Teeder... Who did the stock?


For the record, I could live the rest of my days with a Kimber 84 in 308, and another one in 260. If I planned on Africa, or big bad Bears in AK then I'd add a 375 H&H.

Since I got my Montana in 308 I've wondered what I'm doing with all the others except the 375HH. But I haven't sold any of them either.

That actually makes a LOT of sense. A guy with a good .308 or .30-06 is set for most game.

Then he'd need a varmint rifle and a big rifle for real big, nasty stuff if he wanted to go for that... But for most, the .308/.30-06 would do just fine.

Regards, Guy

Thanks.
That's a TI stock.

Speed IS treasured by bowhunters, FOR FLATTER TRAJECTORY, for easier range estimation. An arrow kills by cutting holes in lungs and cutting blood vessels. A faster arrow will just cut faster, not more.

A 358 win. or a 35 whelen, neither are speed demons, kill pretty darn quick. Several people on here can attest to that. One of the fastest deer kills I've witnessed was with a 308. One shoulder and a hole in the lungs, deer made one jump and died.
Just how much faster could a 300 mag have killed that deer?

At my range the 308 is very popular, especially from the long range bench areas.
I have seen many 308 rifles from various shooters put up 300 yard 1 1/2" groups.

For anyone to say that the .308W is no longer popular or not as popular as it once was is futile. There may be new cartridges that you read about in the rags, but I can't imagine a rifle Manufacturer not selling just as many in .308 today as they historically have. The .308 is a beautiful killing machine as are many others...

The local shop has a slightly used Montana in .308 for 800.00 and I'll be checking it out later today........


CLB

And riflemen use speed for what purpose???

makes no difference if you are a rifleman, or an archer, or both... speed is essential to the process....

this thread is not about what kills game, per se, it is about why the .308 is not more popular than it is...
Re: Why isn't the 308 more popular?

the .308 could only be more interesting if, with normal bullet weights, it gained speed without adding more recoil...

the .300 short magnums are a prime example of what grabs most peoples attention... the hype about their speed, accuracy, and lack of recoil exceeded the expectations of most...it's hard to argue with the market share that they've grabbed though, or the fact that 60-80 per cent of new big game rifles on the shelf at the store are chambered for them...

no where in this thread will anyone find any claim by me that the .308 winchester, or a yew self bow, for that matter, lacks killing potential...

a really fast .30 though, or a 300+ fps compound grabs the attention of most, and is more interesting, to boot.....

While I�m not a gun writer I do have an opinion�

While the .308 is a great round� and I do have one in a AR10, when I was making my original choice I chose the 30-06� because I believed it to have just a little more potential than the. 308.

That said a short action was not a consideration and while I heard the accuracy of a .308 was better than a 30-06� I figured I would not notice the difference.

To Sum it up it�s not that the 308 is not popular� it just competes with the most popular 30 cal in the world.

For what it's worth...

Readers' Choice:
The Most Popular Centerfire Rifle Cartridges
(Based on Page Views)

Urchin Web Stats





1. .308 Winchester - The .308 is one of the best selling cartridges in North America and the world (#5 on most lists), so it is no surprise that it interests many readers. It is the premier all-around cartridge for short action rifles.

2. .270 Winchester - The thousands of page views garnered by my article "The Great .270 Winchester" shows that interest in this classic all-around cartridge remains high. It is #3 on most North American sales lists, and it is popular all over the world. The .270 has been the standard of comparison for long range hunting cartridges for three quarters of a century, and it may be the best balanced all-around + long range hunting cartridge ever devised.

3. .30-06 Springfield - In sales, this is the most popular hunting cartridge in North America, and it is one of the elite worldwide cartridges. Many experts regard it as the best all-around hunting cartridge in the world. The .30-06 is in use on every continent where big game is hunted, so it is no surprise that its article gets a lot of page views.

4. .45-70 Government - The interest shown in this cartridge by the readers of Guns & Shooting Online came as quite a surprise. My article "The Good Old .45-70" must have been well named, as it has gotten a great many page hits. The .45-70 is, indeed, a very good old cartridge, and the most popular big bore in North America.

5. .30-30 Winchester - The .30-30 is one of the top selling rifle cartridges in North America (#1 to #4 on the sales lists, depending on which list you read). Interest in the cartridge remains high, probably partly due to its romantic association with the Old West, and partly because it is one of the best 200 yard deer and medium game cartridges ever designed.

6. 7mm Remington Magnum - The 7mm Rem. Mag. is the most popular belted cartridge in North America, number 7 on most ammunition sales lists. It is a fine all-around cartridge, deserving of its world-wide popularity. So it is not surprising that my article "Long Range Power: The 7mm Remington Magnum" regularly gets thousands of page views.

7. .223 Remington - This cartridge owes its popularity to its adoption by the USA and NATO as a standard military round. But it is also a fine, accurate, varmint cartridge and a pleasure to shoot at the range. Ammunition is widely distributed and inexpensive. The .223 (5.56mm NATO) is #2 on most sales lists and the top selling .22 centerfire rifle cartridge in the world.

8. .270 WSM - The .270 WSM has apparently taken the lead in the short magnum sweepstakes, at least among the readers of Guns and Shooting Online. This is not a surprise, as it is probably the most useful of the breed, and the only one that isn't simply a duplicate of another cartridge.

9. .300 Win. Mag. - The world's most popular .300 Magnum is the Winchester version, which is in the top 10 on most sales lists. This popularity is evidenced by the strong interest shown in this cartridge by Guns and Shooting Online readers.

10. .243 Winchester - The .243 is one of the lightest recoiling, long range, medium game cartridges in the world. It is also a capable varmint cartridge. The .243 is a very popular cartridge worldwide (number 6 on most lists in North America). It deserves the interest that its article receives.

I guess I am kind of surprised that any of the short magnums made the list. Although I have a 300WSM and I like the rifle, continued popularity in the face of rising ammunition prices is quite surprising. (When he can find them)Bubba can still go buy a box of inexpensive Rem Core lock 30-06 shells from WalMart and kill any deer he can hit with them. The 300WSM and 270WSM shells sure seem to be a lot more expensive.

I absolutely love the 308. After that the 260.


Barrel life on the 308 and 06 are what gets my attention. And efficiency.

Once you step off the 308 and 06 table land of ballistical numbers and off the cliff to the bigger boomers, it is the law of diminishing returns that takes over. At least for the stuff I hunt anyhow.

Sure would like a 45/70 someday though!

The things Montana Marine is doing with his 30/06's is impressive.

Yes indeed! I think the 260 is the single most amazing round in the entire world for small arms.

When the 7-08 was introduced, I believe it hurt the .308 cartridge. Why buy a >308 when a 7mm-8 has less recoil, and the ballistics are better? .308 will always be around for the old-timers that love it, but will not be as popular like it use to be. IMO

WHY?

Because people think they need MORE power like to be able to kill an elk @ 1000 yards, you know, just in case...

good bullet construction and good shot placement will do it more often than not

a 308 win is all i own and aside from Grizz on this continent, i dont feel undergunned

OoohWe my Sauer LightWeight .308 shoots BUGHOLES.............it is indeed so popular to me during the rifle season I can't leave it behind she's always in the SKB double!

I shot my first big game animal with a 308. It was a caribou when I was 10 years old. I have shot a lot of moose and caribou with them since. I shot one black bear as well and he went down quickly.

My father is a shorter, stocky guy and I guess he gravitated to the 308 Win. We never were tempted by 30/06 and went to 300 Win Mag after it was popularized in Alaska in the 1980's. The 308 draws no flies and has no problems; and does well in any situation.

Many classic setups have been made in the 308 and they continue.
People have mentioned the 788 in 308 and the Savage 99 in 308.
The Remington 660 was a classic in 308. Kimber Little Sky in 308 is a contemporary classic. Winchester made both the 88 and the 100 in 308. Browning has the BLR in 308 for a long time. Ruger had that model 77 international with a full length stock and now has those short barreled frontiers. Those Tikkas are nice in 308. Weatherby has the Vanguard Varmit special in 308 and its a winner as well. Recently that new Remington SPS tactical with the cool fluted barrel is handy nice and very accurate. A great sheep rifle.

It appears that the 308 has always found a market for the handy guns that work in the woods or on the farm.

Sincerely,
Thomas