Thread: Interesting view on the 308 v new calibres

Does what I want it to do pretty good and that's put meat on my plate. Personally I don't see the point of spending more money on another fang dangle new cal for the same outcome. But that's just me. I respect other people's reasons for changing from the 308win however. Each to their own.

Graham Henry wrote an article for rod n rifle some 20 plus years ago...maybe even 25...why not the .308.....dig it out as its still as relevant today as when it was written.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Graham Henry wrote an article for rod n rifle some 20 plus years ago...maybe even 25...why not the .308.....dig it out as its still as relevant today as when it was written.

I remember reading a treatsie on british firearm development about the transition from big bores, 45 etc to smaller cals. The french started it with the 8mm lebel but the english (and americans) experimented with everything from .243 to .35 and reached the conclusion that .3 or thereabouts gave the best performance over the widest range of conditions.
They lacked the advantages of modern powders and case design but these really only add incrementally to the performance of what obviously is a pretty damn good diameter round.

My primary deer rifle for the past 10+ years has been a 308. It’s gone through some different incarnations (un-suppressed, suppressed, different scopes, different stocks) but it’s always performed consistently in different environments, whether it be bush hunting for reds, or chasing fallow or sika in open country. I’ve given some vague thought to re-barreling it to a 6.5 CM or 6.5x47 as I think they are the sweet spot for good ballistics with low recoil, but concluded that I’m wasting my time as the 308 is perfectly fine for my purposes. I shoot at ranges under 300yd so high BC isn’t that critical, and the 308 delivers considerably more energy than the 6.5s at the ranges I shoot at. In terms of recoil a light 308 with no suppressor is pretty lively. Mine weighs 7.25lb but with a suppressor and limbsaver it’s very manageable; and I normally hover around 70kg...

My 308 shoots 3 rounds touching with power shok 150gr or Hornady 165gr interlock factory.

It does better with hand loads and for a series 1 vanguard that gets a bit of abuse if I do miss it sure as hell ain't the rifle.

A part of the reason I'm putting a vx5 on aside from the $$ is to trigger the hell out of the 6.5 owners at our LR shoots when I beat them with a measly 308

The 308 owes its ongoing popularity to:
Nato standard cartridge
Required in many shooting competition rules
Large existing market, knowledge base, production facilities and economies of scale.

Any cartridge that's even slightly inferior to the 308 (303, 8x57, 30/30) is one a one way trip to history, unless it has some decisive compensating feature (300 AAC, 358 federal, 44 Mag)

Therefore almost every other hunting and target cartridge in common use today is in some way better than the 308. (270, 6.5Cr,300WSM etc etc)

In my opinion, the 308 is a baseline benchmark everyone feels familiar with and its just a question how much better any other cartridge is by comparison, for whatever special niche or all round useage.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

The 308 owes its ongoing popularity to:
Nato standard cartridge
Required in many shooting competition rules
Large existing market, knowledge base, production facilities and economies of scale.

Any cartridge that's even slightly inferior to the 308 (303, 8x57, 30/30) is one a one way trip to history, unless it has some decisive compensating feature (300 AAC, 358 federal, 44 Mag)

Therefore almost every other hunting and target cartridge in common use today is in some way better than the 308. (270, 6.5Cr,300WSM etc etc)

In my opinion, the 308 is a baseline benchmark everyone feels familiar with and its just a question how much better any other cartridge is by comparison, for whatever special niche or all round useage.

Everything is a trade-off. There is no "better" without giving something up in other areas. I think you worded it correctly when you said "is in some way better", as when all factors are considered im unaware of anything that is better all-round.

eg the cartridges you mention, all have pro's as well as cons vs the .308

.270 - reduced barrel life, long action, minimal efficient high-bc pills available.
The .300WSM is in a different class being a magnum cambering. Substantially increased ammo ammo costs, reduced barrel life, more recoil, reduced ammo availability, comparatively low capacity magazines etc.
With the 6.5cm - less barrel life, less energy out to ethical hunting ranges. At the point that a 6.5cm has more energy than a .308 you should probably be using a larger caliber anyway (600+ m), and to 600m there is very little meaningful difference in drop or windage when a fair comparison is run (most writers pit the 6.5cm with highly efficient ELD type bullets vs frumpy soft point flat base projectiles for a non-fair comparison). In fact last time i shot 700m with .308 I needed about 1.5mil less elevation than a 6.5cm that was next to me.


IMO when all factors are considered and fair ballistic comparisons are run, the .308 still has a lot to offer against any cambering.
Ill be shooting .308 out to about 1050m this weekend assuming the weather is OK.

308 Hahahahaha - just a passing fad, fashions change (but best of all they sell new rifles to all sorts)

Originally Posted by Tentman

308 Hahahahaha - just a passing fad, fashions change (but best of all they sell new rifles to all sorts)

KH

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

KH

OOhhhhhhhhhhh eeeerrrrrrr.............What was it and what caused it?

Originally Posted by Kiwi Sapper

OOhhhhhhhhhhh eeeerrrrrrr.............What was it and what caused it?

Just, pulling tentmans chain as it's a mouser action Mauser by interpretation
The older ones were not super strong as the tentman knows quite well.
Nothing to do with 308, like his comment.
KH

Originally Posted by Tentman

308 Hahahahaha - just a passing fad, fashions change (but best of all they sell new rifles to all sorts)

KH

Maybe the recoil factor is guys using short barrel 308s . My 24 inch REM 308 using 165gr Hornady i dont even have a recoil pad on the end of my HS Presion stock and dont feel a thing.
Maybe if firing enough rounds i feel it at a range but if i had a limpsaver on it i could fire it all day for a week and be no problem.
Hunting with it shooting a animal is no difference than using a .22, never even notice any recoil at all and havnt even got any type of recoil pad on it. PS Dont use a suppresser either.
Still, like my 243 better , its still the King and no recoil with that also

years ago when I was about 17 an acquaintance of my mums cousin was talking up his little Spanish rifle. Had a nick-name for it but something like the mule. It was meant to kick somewhat.
Once I got to finally have a go I found it was a little K98 308 cavalry carbine. Still had the saddle ring on it I think.
Anyhoo I did think it might kick a bit being so small and light. NUP
I'd been doing a bit with the shotgun, clay targets and ducks for the last couple of years so maybe I was a bit more used to recoil.
I distinctly remember thinking after the first shot that the SXS shotty I was using kicked more. I had a Remington Woodsmaster 243 at the time and I don't reckon it kicked much more than that. I did think that it was odd
He happily asked me "it boots a bit doesn't it" and I basically replied with a half hearted yes so I didn't make him sound like a softy.
It was a neat little gun and I'd love to have one, one day. Even in 7x57. What a great little bush gun

Then there is Todd Hodnett shooting 308s out to mile and getting on the steel.
Probably some footage on YouTube.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk