love for the lowly boring .308

308/30-06 are really the jack of all trades calibers. Great at nothing but good for anything.

Go smaller, you get less recoil and/or flatter trajectory but lose knock down power.
Go bigger, you pound your shoulder and the price goes up.
 
I love the 308 too. Have a finnlight in 308 and am getting 3170fps with the 130ttsx and it shoots great. For anything 308 can't handle I use 375 ruger. Might swap the finnlight for another finnlight in 6.5x55 for no particular reason.
 
I'm currently the proud owner of 7 different rifles chambered in .308/7.62 NATO.
Everything from 1895 Spanish Cavalry Carbine to Nork M-305 to Browning A-Bolt Target model.

Love them all, shoot them all regularly.
 
For me, I grew up with the 308, my dad being a southpaw picked up a Win 88 in the early 70's. I eventually got my hands on it. It's probably one of my favorites right along with the 30-30.
I have other hunting rifles such as a 280 Rem and a 300 Win mag but I have more rifles chambered in 308.
When I bought a heavy bbl target rifle every one said get a 260. But nope. I'm stubborn and stick with the tried and true.
 
I went through a bit of a phase a few years back that saw me buy a new rifle, hunt with it for a season, and then buy a whole new rig for the next season. Tried as many brands of rifle as I could and tried to use a new calibre every year. I managed to shoot game with .243, .30-06, .270, .45-70, .30-30, .303, 8x57JS, 7.62x54R and lastly .308. Some I liked more than others (never did care for the .30-06, for no appreciable reason that I could discern), but the .308 has a hold on me that none of the others have. Such an incredible mesh of function and utility, available every place I go and a short action too boot! Gonna be a long love affair with this calibre.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys.

Was seeing a bunch of .308 bashing lately and I can understand and even agree with many of the reasons people were knocking it so figured it was time to bring some .308 appreciation to the fold.
 
6MT said:
450 rounds and a shot out barrel by a friend, convinces me that my choice of .308 beats his obscure calibre choice.
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.... and I think this is the most often overlooked aspect of the .308. Its a hard working long lasting tool.
 
ocanuck said:
308/30-06 are really the jack of all trades calibers. Great at nothing but good for anything.

Go smaller, you get less recoil and/or flatter trajectory but lose knock down power.
Go bigger, you pound your shoulder and the price goes up.
Click to expand...

Pretty much lays it out, well said.
 
bobdbldr said:
Something to be said for having most of your firearms in the same caliber,, easy peasy reloading and stocking up for the invasion!
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Exactly. One thing I often say about the commonality of the .308 ..... "for certain situations QUANTITY of ammo will almost always trump quality of ammo".
 
Anyone who thinks a .308 is boring is right. Must be frustrating to know you can hit the target everytime lol. Obviously these guys don't shoot at a mile or likely over 1000 yards. Don't know why you would need killing part beyond th effective range of a 308 anyways. Not to say I don't have and enjoy many Calibers from .22 to 50bmg, but if you can't do it with a .308, Maybe reconsider if it should be done.
 
I'm with Dave on this. I have had several and find it to be mediocre. There is always something I have that is flatter or handles a lighter bullet well or handles the heavy bullet well. It just doesn't have enough going for it that I've ever wanted to hang onto one.

Neil
 
kamlooky said:
Davie me laddie...........yer man card took a hit.
cou:
Tizz nawt a .308NM still a tree-oh-ate, butt in n'uther form?
:nest:
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Looky; My man card is in great shape, thanks.
And yes, if you take that so-so 308 and hang the title Norma Magnum behind it, you have
my all-time favorite 30 cal chambering.

Obviously some difference when I can drive a 180 grain bullet
from the 308 NM as fast as one can drive a 130 from the 308 Win. :)

But, for all those who love the 308 Win. The more power to you all. Enjoy!!

Cheers, Dave.
 
Not my favorite chambering but there's not much not to like - except mine is in a long action.
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My first rifle is .308 , I shot my first bear with it. I have accumulated hundreds of brass for reloading. A few years later, I moved away from 308 and fell in love with 9.3x62 for its anchor power. My next rifle will be 416 rigby. Bigger is better
 
Throttle_monkey1 said:
I love the 308 too. Have a finnlight in 308 and am getting 3170fps with the 130ttsx and it shoots great. For anything 308 can't handle I use 375 ruger. Might swap the finnlight for another finnlight in 6.5x55 for no particular reason.
Click to expand...

3170 from a .308 is impressive ! Care to share the details of this load ?
 
elker said:
My first rifle is .308 , I shot my first bear with it. I have accumulated hundreds of brass for reloading. A few years later, I moved away from 308 and fell in love with 9.3x62 for its anchor power. My next rifle will be 416 rigby. Bigger is better
Click to expand...

Very versatile round, my marmott load with my Nemesis out of a 20 inch barrel clocked south of 3200 fps with Hornady V-MAX 110 gr and BL-C2 while keeping a sub MOA performance, this load is extremly fun to shoot 0-400 metres with minimal holdover... JP.
 
For me, it's not that the 308 is boring, I do own and reload for two rifles in 308, but when your walking around grizzly country here in the west,
I tend to feel a little more confident with a 30-06 loaded up with a good 180 grain.

While a 308 with the right bullet might be capable for any game in North America, most would consider it marginal for Elk, Moose, and especially Grizzly.

However, the 308's best offspring, for me, is the 358. Now there's a great cartridge.
 
The Outsider said:
For me, it's not that the 308 is boring, I do own and reload for two rifles in 308, but when your walking around grizzly country here in the west,
I tend to feel a little more confident with a 30-06 loaded up with a good 180 grain.

While a 308 with the right bullet might be capable for any game in North America, most would consider it marginal for Elk, Moose, and especially Grizzly.

However, the 308's best offspring, for me, is the 358. Now there's a great cartridge.
Click to expand...

The .358 is "great" but the .308 is "marginal..."


Hmmmm...
 
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