.308 just for range?

[spenom]

I recently bought a .308 that will likely never see other than range use. Maybe a stand for deer, but it's way to heavy for a walking gun.

I spent this season lugging my savage 10 fcp around. It weighs in at 15+ pounds. A nice lite rifle would be nice. But it sure is awesome to hunt with the gun you take to the range and know inside and out. Granted after hiking for 7-10 km with it I hated it. Plus 2 days after hiking with it my shoulder would hurt enough that it was hard to get comfortable sleeping.

 

[firemachine69]

My current .308 is a Savage 10FLCP-K. Loaded up with scope, mount, and bipod, the damn thing weighs sixteen pounds. So yeah, paper-punching only. Just keep in mind, I reload .308 for the cost of factory .223... For some, that's not worth the price. But shooting a brake'd .308 is vanilla.

 

[Boomer]

3/4 of what I own are pure target rifles for no other purpose than shooting at the range. A dedicated range-only rifle is a great idea. I'm tired of people expecting perfect results from a gopher/moose/hunting/target combination. If 308 is what you want, get 308. Nothing wrong with it and easy to make work. There are more economical ways to go, but there are no shortage of bits for a 308

X2!

Accuracy is a byproduct of a combination of the internal dimensions of the rifle, and the quality and consistency of the ammunition. Given equal rifles and ammunition, you might find it easier to shoot well with a .223 than with a .308, but one cartridge is not intrinsically more accurate than the other, and very accurate shooting can be done with either one. My .308 target rifle is hands down the most accurate rifle I've ever owned, but that is because I had it built to be a very accurate rifle, not because it is chambered for any particular cartridge.

If the .308 is what floats your boat right now, that is the way to go. Recoil is mild compared to many other .30 caliber cartridges, and the cost to feed it is lower.

 

[redman]

But it sure is awesome to hunt with the gun you take to the range and know inside and out.

You are my freakin' hero.

Always wanted to do that...

To the OP, if you don't expect to hunt and are just betting on the off-chance that you will, I'd recommend .223 Win., and get a huting rifle if you need one down the road. Not worth the extra $$$ for factory/loading .308 if you only think you might be using it.