Thread: Interesting view on the 308 v new calibres

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 berg243

only used a 308 for shooting paper targets at 200m in the army thats all they are good for.

fuck off

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.

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

Originally Posted by winaa

Yip I get the recoil thing, I don't have a 308 at the moment but had a one years ago and liked it, but then got caught up in the Latte version fad before the current 6.5's came out. Now I find myself wanting to go back to 30 cal not sure why.

Anyway the point of posting this was the other day we were at our range doing our monthly 300m club shoot and I noticed a guy watching us, I asked him if he wanted a go and he said nah nah I only got my 308 with me I came down to sight it in at 100- if I brought my Magnum i'd give it ago. I though to myself "really" he obviously didn't take notice of the 2 x 303's in the mix with the rest being 223's 243's and a 7-08. So I said to him that the 100m is free go for it.
That little conversion just got me thinking do people these day really think that a 308 is only good for a bush gun and you need 6 - 6.5 wizz bang or a magnum to hit a target at 300m ?

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 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

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.

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

KH

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

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

My veiw on 308 if you’re a hunter who shoots off the shelf factory ammunition only
And wants a basic off the shelf rifle to shoot on game 300 or less
Go for it fantastic caliber for that imo you can get ammunition almost anywhere farm supplies etc where you may not find other common calibers like 7mm-08 for example

That’s where it ends for me if you a reloader/target shooter long range hunter etc etc then there’s far better calibers out there than 308

The argument is used that full bore shooters use it at 1000 yards yes they do but alot of them are switching to better caliber rifles now
There are other calibers that just do it better

I always say its It’s abit like a car yes a 4 cilinder 2 ltr can do 160kmph but it struggles
Were as a v8 will sit there Comfortably
You add a super charger (high bc bullet) to that v8 it will do it ever better

If all you do is drive arround town and you just want a simple little car to get the job done then a little 2 ltr is fine

308 is here to stay and it has its place yes there are newer calibers that outperform it but weather the owner needs extra performance or weather they just want to “keep it simple”