Which is more accurate at 350 yards (all else being equal, real world conditions)
- Thread starter Way She Goes
- Start date
- Location
- Northern Ontario, Canada
No contest at all! .308 hands down.
- Location
- big sky country
Nor so fast EightSeven. Both are more than capable.
If you want a clue, look at the high power matches in the U.S.. They shoot out to 600 yards and the .223/5.56 AR-15 is used far more often and wins far more matches than the .308/7.62 M1A.
Personally I'd go with the .223.
If you want a clue, look at the high power matches in the U.S.. They shoot out to 600 yards and the .223/5.56 AR-15 is used far more often and wins far more matches than the .308/7.62 M1A.
Personally I'd go with the .223.
All things being equal, I'd favour the .308 because it will buck the wind a little better. Otherwise, I think it comes down to the shooter.
Way She Goes
Regular
Your comparing two different guns though. All has to be equal!
For semi-automatic weapon accuracy I vote for the .223 cailiber because of more modern engineering into the weapon itself. If you buy one box of every generic factory ammo for each cailber and shoot the best one... I figure .223 has it, by a slim amount.
If I was to pick on overall performance as a complete system, or if we add the modern target grade (or better) bolt action into it, then the .308 would have my vote.
If I was to pick on overall performance as a complete system, or if we add the modern target grade (or better) bolt action into it, then the .308 would have my vote.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
What weighs more ?A ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?
ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, the .308 will win hands-down. Better bucking of the wind will make a big difference with ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL.
People making 'different rifle' comparisons - FAIL.
From the OP's title: (all else being equal, real world conditions)
-M
People making 'different rifle' comparisons - FAIL.
From the OP's title: (all else being equal, real world conditions)
-M
ultimate_monkey
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- victoria BC
the shooter will make more of a differance then the caliber at 350yds, both will suffer from drop and both will suffer from wind drift to different amount of course . HOWEVER if you know your rifle and load (weather it be hand loads or high end off the shelf purchase) both can be easily compensated for and both can be very accurate calibers..
this is apples to oranges, how ever in the end they are both delicious
this is apples to oranges, how ever in the end they are both delicious
Identical rifles in vises on the bench?? Too close to call. What most "gear junkies" fail to realize or admit is that tools don't make the mechanic. The difference, apart from BR and to some extent the prone position, is the shooter. Stand on your feet and now shoot. 99.9% of shooters cannot out shoot a $500 factory rifle. 223 ammo is cheaper and recoil is less, but ARs are restricted.... I will begin another thread on this.
.308 and .223 are almost ballistically identical. I have shot accurately at 1000yds with both .308 and .223. The only difference is that .223 is cheaper to shoot.
those of you who are offering up anecdotal evidence and half cocked theories need to read Applied Ballistics For Long Range Shooting by Briyn Litz.
No, it doesn't.
those of you who are offering up anecdotal evidence and half cocked theories need to read Applied Ballistics For Long Range Shooting by Briyn Litz.
With factory ammo the .308 might have a slight advantage over a .223. However if handloads or match ammo were thrown in the equation a .223 shooting 80 gr bullets will shoot as good or slightly better than a .308 shooting 155 gr bullets even out to 1000 yards.
Like others have already said, at any distance it is usaully the shooting not the rifle or caliber.
Like others have already said, at any distance it is usaully the shooting not the rifle or caliber.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Either, neither, pick one.
You are adding so many variables to a single question that any answer is PRECISELY correct or wrong.
What exactly is "off the shelf ammo"? Which of the 100 or so types are you comparing?
If you could actually get identical types of factory ammo using the best bullets built to the SAAMI specs, shot in a rifles that will shoot this ammo at the best levels of performance...
YOU WOULD GET IDENTICAL PERFORMANCE AT ANY DISTANCE.
All is not even but these two are about as ballistically identical as any common combo can ever get.
Jerry
I'd say the gun shooting the more efficiently shaped bullets (more aerodynamically stable) would be the winner. This affects the wind deflection more than the weight of the bullet. I put my money on the .223 with the 80 gr bergers or those new 90 grainers with a 1-7 twist. Most .308's have a 1-12 twist cause they tend to use the 150-155 grain bullets most often. These 150's are rarely more sleek than a long for caliber .223 bullets.
In all reasonable conditions, both will be equally accurate, as long as the shooter does his part and has tuned the ammo the rifle.
In terms of effect on a target that is not paper, that is a whole different story, 308 kicks the crap out of .223 in terms of power at that range. That said, both will take out a target.
In terms of effect on a target that is not paper, that is a whole different story, 308 kicks the crap out of .223 in terms of power at that range. That said, both will take out a target.
I vote 308. I think that unless you are talking about match grade ammo, there is a discrepency between the standards to which plain vanilla 223 and 308 hunting ammo are produced. If you are talking match grade ammo, which I don't think the question was about, then 223 really closes the gap. I think there is vast willingness to accept mediocre quality control 223 ammo for some reason.
