.308 Popularity...

thatmikeguy

thatmikeguy

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Help me out here. Maybe it's just me but it seems like the popularity of the .308 is high but mainly in the target community. When it comes to hunting, it seems as though the long actions (30-06/.270) are king. Are less and less people using .308 for hunting? Is the .308 seen as mainly an accurate target rifle? Or are the majority of .308 shooters hand loaders and that's why i find more 30-06 and .270 cases?
 
.308 and 30-06 are virtually the same ballistically. The 30-06 will have more available weights, which is a plus for hunters. Generally, the increased powder charge gives the 30-06/270/7mm etc a bit more distance.

Both the 308/30-06 can be used at the range or in the field, and you can find ammo anywhere for them at a reasonable price.

Both military calibre's and both cut from the same cloth. I think it comes down to personal preference.
 
I think the .270 and .30-06 case capacity in general, lends itself to more handloader interest. As a hunter I prefered the .30-06 for versatility (large, medium game) The .308 being a clone of the 7.62 NATO is used for military and police sniper application; and therefore is of interest to target shooters. For me it was the possiblility of obtaining cheap surplus ammunition for target shooting. I don't reload, but may be forced to if the price of ammo continues to rise.
 
I've taken more big game with a .308 than any other cartridge and I've run into lots of guys who hunt with it. Probably not quite as popular as the .270 and 30-06, but very popular.
 
The short stroke and cycle of the 308 is a real plus in the Military world. More compact and faster. In hunting this is a moot point. As Datam says the larger case is more versitile for a hand loader. I also am a sucker for something new and exotic... and over powered... love the word magnum. Fact is I have hunted successfully with the 308 and never found that it has come up short... ever. But I still have a 300 win mag because...
 
I don't hunt too much any more, but .308 would now be my go to deer rifle. For larger animals I would go with to 7mm Rem Mag or bigger. Where I hunt most of my hunting shots are a couple hundred yards.
 
I don't wonder if its not related to the actual type of rifles available. 308's seem to be more available in tactical and precision type rifles not always best suited for hauling through the bush and 30-06 and 270 have a better selection of lighter hunting rifles. Just a thought based on a 'little' observation
 
I've shot deer with all 3 cartridges and I really could'nt report any difference in results. The .308 is an inherently accurate ctg and it's shorter length makes it suitable for lighter,shorter rifle actions. I like the .30-06 for heavier bullets,but the .308 does very well with 150 and 165gr hunting bullets. The .270 has a flatter trajectory which makes it useful for hunting in open country where shooting distances tend to be longer. All three ctgs lend themselves well to handloading.
 
Around here the .308 has an undeserved bad reputation amongst hunters.
I know a lot of guys who claim it's not capable of dropping a moose reliably, which is never firsthand experience. ( My sister-in-laws nephew knows a guy who shot a moose right through both lungs and it just walked away!!)
Another guy I hunt with has a Browning BLR and claimed they should have given him a pair of running shoes with the gun so he could chase the deer that ran away after he shot them.
I asked him what bullets he was using and he told me 180 Winchester Silvertips. I suggested 150 grain Corelokts and he said the first deer he shot never took a single step.
It's a fine round and very accurate and versatile. As well many of the rifles built for it(true short actions) are very light and handy.
The 308s biggest problem is a physically small case that leaves the uninformed with the impression that it's not a true big game rifle.
 
LloydM said:
I don't hunt too much any more, but .308 would now be my go to deer rifle. For larger animals I would go with to 7mm Rem Mag or bigger. Where I hunt most of my hunting shots are a couple hundred yards.
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I agree with your statement about the 308 as a deer gun 100%. But...
I hunted with a 7mm mag because all my friends were saying ya need the Magnum power for "Bigger" game. The 2 big animals I did shoot with the 7mm
did not stop on the spot. I think you must stay with the 30 cal projectile for the hitting power. The 7mm is just too small.... Sure it has a flat traj and distance... but just to itsybitsy. The 30 cal bullet like the 308 will do just fine on Moose without traveling at the speed of light. And in the right hands shots out to 500 yards can be attained just fine.
 
.308 popularity...

dizzy said:
I don't wonder if its not related to the actual type of rifles available. 308's seem to be more available in tactical and precision type rifles not always best suited for hauling through the bush and 30-06 and 270 have a better selection of lighter hunting rifles. Just a thought based on a 'little' observation
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I definitely agree. when i was searching for a 308 i found far more selection in the 30-06 and 270 chamberings. I like target rifles but i don't want to carry one in the bush. I am also a fan of .30 caliber bullets. Other bullets just seem too small and they must pushed faster to attain the same energy.
 
Mike Webb said:
Around here the .308 has an undeserved bad reputation amongst hunters.
I know a lot of guys who claim it's not capable of dropping a moose reliably, which is never firsthand experience. ( My sister-in-laws nephew knows a guy who shot a moose right through both lungs and it just walked away!!)
Another guy I hunt with has a Browning BLR and claimed they should have given him a pair of running shoes with the gun so he could chase the deer that ran away after he shot them.
I asked him what bullets he was using and he told me 180 Winchester Silvertips. I suggested 150 grain Corelokts and he said the first deer he shot never took a single step.
It's a fine round and very accurate and versatile. As well many of the rifles built for it(true short actions) are very light and handy.
The 308s biggest problem is a physically small case that leaves the uninformed with the impression that it's not a true big game rifle.
Click to expand...


I've clobbered at least 2 dozen deer, during ten years of my South Saskatchewanian past, using mostly a bolt action 308.

Using 150 grain Silvertips, and when one year I had to make do with 150 Core-Lokts, every single deer was a bang-flop, from 200 yards, down to 3 feet range.
One deer season, I experimented with reloaded brass & Hornady 165 spire point Interlocks, but when it tumbled, holy mackerel, I lost some venison ribs!
Meanwhile a friend in Cold Lake swore by this same load for moose, using his 308 Mauser.
 
I have no issue with the .308 Win as a hunting round. Lord knows it's accurate enough. But like all centerfire ctgs from .243 cal on up the primary key is shot placement....

2007-10-27_091302_1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
Some guys tell me that 308 is not enough for moose(i disagree). then the same guy tells me his buddy killed a bear with a 22-250 by shooting it in the throat. i do think shot placement and bullet selection are very important.
my buddy has a .303 and was complaining because he could'nt hit anything. when i asked him if he sighted in or practiced ever he said no. so we went out and sighted in and after that he could hit his target at 200 yards. Now, with a good bullet, i bet he could kill a moose with that old gun.
 
In my opinion I find the .308 round a great hunting round. There are much more in the ballistic developments in the past 15 years due to military required applications than in years past. Being a NATO round definitely helps keep the costs for munitions lower and readily available. It is big enough to get the job done.

On other notes I also have several other calibers; .270, 7mm Rem Mag, and 300 Win Mag. I find a good all around caliber is the .270 you can hunt and kill any large game animal in north america with confidence. If i was hunting say moose or elk with a .308 I would be very big on my shot placement whereas the .270 or larger caliber would be slightly more forgiving.

Slightly overkill for whitetail or black bear would be the larger 7mm/300 win mag calibers. Though I have a couple to round out my collection I find they drop eastern whitetail like a stone, you don't have to trail anything. On Elk I have found very similar effects. The only thing I don't like with these calibers is that the munition itself is expensive compared to the smaller calibers. I prefer to shoot the animals in the center of the spatula as it gives me a instant audible recognition that I hit good, it devastates the animal usually quick instant kill. The actions on the larger caliber for the most part are quite heavy, so depending on what type of hunt and territory you are in all these factors play a part in your decision.

With that, good luck and good hunting. Let us know how you make out.
Cheers,

Jake
 
I've been using it for Whitetail and its a good cartridge for them. Can't comment on other uses, but its no slouch when you look at the ballistics. Great wide range of powders and bullets available for it as well, nor will there ever be a shortage of brass or on the shelf ammo.
 
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