308s worth buying?

[remington jim]

REM 350 mag came out in the mid 60’s
Savage 99c
Rotary mag detachable
Striker fired
Enclosed hammer - no dirt
Lever cams the rear of the bolt up against a large breechblock for serious strength/ repeatability.
Ignore the pretty/flashy , try one /carry one once .

Except there was never a 350 REM Mag in a Savage 99 C rifle !

 

[Rman]

The best part of a 308 is a 243!

R.

 

[Rman]

Except there was never a 350 REM Mag in a Savage 99 C rifle !

Really want a 99C in a takedown… they didn’t make those either. : (

R.

 

[thewoodsrunner]

Some might say a .308 is boring but I like it. If I’m walking/ dogging in the deer woods I carry a savage hog hunter in .308. I like the iron sights.

My fave gun in the same circumstances is a Remington 760 Gamemaster carbine in .308, chosen for some of the same reasons no doubt. Light, short, and in the case of the pump, really fast to cycle.

 

[Bigpimpin]

30-06 is more versatile IMO

 

[remington jim]

30-06 is more versatile IMO

The Most Versatile Rifle Cartridges

Cartridge	Primary Strengths	What It Can Hunt
.30-06 Springfield	Exceptional bullet weight range (110 to 220+ grains); massive track record.	Everything in North America (Whitetail, Elk, Moose, Bear).
.308 Winchester	Short action, highly efficient, massive military/surplus availability, very accurate.	Deer, Pronghorn, Feral Hogs, and Elk at moderate ranges.

 

[SuperCub]

30-06 is more versatile IMO

Yes, but not by a large margin. The 30-06 will do better with 180s but then the 308 is no slouch with 165s.

 

[DGY]

The Most Versatile Rifle Cartridges

Cartridge	Primary Strengths	What It Can Hunt
.30-06 Springfield	Exceptional bullet weight range (110 to 220+ grains); massive track record.	Everything in North America (Whitetail, Elk, Moose, Bear).
.308 Winchester	Short action, highly efficient, massive military/surplus availability, very accurate.	Deer, Pronghorn, Feral Hogs, and Elk at moderate ranges.

I have friends that hunt moose, Yukon moose with a 308 and do t have any issues.

 

[remington jim]

I have friends that hunt moose, Yukon moose with a 308 and do t have any issues.

Absolutely That quote was from the Web defining “ VERSATILE “

 

[leveractionjunkie]

I would almost argue that the 308Win is almost to the point of excessive when compared to newer chamberings with faster barrel twists and long/heavy for caliber bullets. A person can get more than enough performance from lower recoiling rounds and thereby shoot better than with the 308.

The bullet kills. The cartridge is irrelevant really. Therefore a cartridge that delivers the required velocity for the chosen bullets expansion threshold at the desired or maximum required range is the cartridge to be selected. You could choose a bullet that makes your 308Win beyond excessively destructive on game. Or you could select a bullet that doesn't damage enough tissue and leaves you believing that you need a 300Weatherby or 338Win. I am completely convinced that more shots on game that lead to people denigrating one caliber as too small or "not enough" come down to the wrong bullet, the wrong bullet in the wrong place, or some combination thereof.

The easiest way to control these issues is to select an appropriate bullet and to shoot, and shoot a lot with purposed practice. Smaller calibers make this easier and cheaper.

Aside from all that, yes. The 308Win wit the appropriate bullet will completely fill all of a hunters needs to beyond ranges 98% of us should be shooting. Myself included

 

[Joel]

I would almost argue that the 308Win is almost to the point of excessive when compared to newer chamberings with faster barrel twists and long/heavy for caliber bullets. A person can get more than enough performance from lower recoiling rounds and thereby shoot better than with the 308.

The bullet kills. The cartridge is irrelevant really. Therefore a cartridge that delivers the required velocity for the chosen bullets expansion threshold at the desired or maximum required range is the cartridge to be selected. You could choose a bullet that makes your 308Win beyond excessively destructive on game. Or you could select a bullet that doesn't damage enough tissue and leaves you believing that you need a 300Weatherby or 338Win. I am completely convinced that more shots on game that lead to people denigrating one caliber as too small or "not enough" come down to the wrong bullet, the wrong bullet in the wrong place, or some combination thereof.

The easiest way to control these issues is to select an appropriate bullet and to shoot, and shoot a lot with purposed practice. Smaller calibers make this easier and cheaper.

Aside from all that, yes. The 308Win wit the appropriate bullet will completely fill all of a hunters needs to beyond ranges 98% of us should be shooting. Myself included

Yeah I think so too.

But 308 is a pretty wicked killer with 110gr and 130gr TTSX bullets pushed fast, so long as you're not looking for the extra range that something like a heavy 6.5mm ELDM offers. And recoil is very light to moderate

 

[boxhitch]

Are 308 rifles really as good as I glorify them out to be in my head? Folks try and say you need magnum caliber rifles to hunt big game but I honestly believe that a good ol 308 can take down any animal in north America efficiently. Am I mistaken? Should I be leaning towards the 7mm rem mag or a 30-06?

efficiently? anything dies when it is drowning in its own blood and it doesn't take much to pop a lung or 2
more power in a bullet allows for less-than-perfect shots though, better terminal ballistics can make a better kill shot out of something marginal
Not everyone can wait for the perfect shot

 

[rat-7]

I've hunted everything up to and including moose with a 30-06, my buddy's dad has hunted everything short of big bears, including big horn with a .270 and my F-i-L has hunted deer exclusively with a 308 for decades. Can't go wrong with any of them if you're doing your part. 95% of the stories I hear about someone shooting a deer with a 308 and the deer walking away involves someone who has fired the rifle less then 5 times that year.
.303 and 30-30 have harvested every harvestable animal that walks in this country for years and 308 is a might better than either of them. Plus there is the added bonus that 308 is the most widely sold caliber in almost every small town hardware shop in Canada so if you run out of or lose your shells there is a great probability that you can get more almost anywhere.

 

[Irons78]

I deeply regret selling my Tikka T3 Varmint in 308. As a reloader, you will have a vast range of bullet types and weights, as well as powders to choose from. And there's always lots of 308 brass at the range to pick up and re-porpoise. (Little Norm there)

 

[DGY]

Yeah I think so too.

But 308 is a pretty wicked killer with 110gr and 130gr TTSX bullets pushed fast, so long as you're not looking for the extra range that something like a heavy 6.5mm ELDM offers. And recoil is very light to moderate

You see I’m the opposite, I prefer heavy for caliber bullet my self, I just got a new to me 300 win mag and I had saved two boxes of 220gn nosler partition especially for that and man I’m sure that combo will go amazing on moose and bison to 200-300m.

 

[Joel]

You see I’m the opposite, I prefer heavy for caliber bullet my self, I just got a new to me 300 win mag and I had saved two boxes of 220gn nosler partition especially for that and man I’m sure that combo will go amazing on moose and bison to 200-300m.

Different roads to get to the same place Although I wouldn't try for bison with the 110 haha. If it was legal tho, the 130 absolutely. But hey, all roads lead to Rome, within reason!

 

[Rman]

Yeah I think so too.

But 308 is a pretty wicked killer with 110gr and 130gr TTSX bullets pushed fast, so long as you're not looking for the extra range that something like a heavy 6.5mm ELDM offers. And recoil is very light to moderate

130 grain bullets kill stuff when not only used in a 270?
Whoa!

R.

 

[thewoodsrunner]

You see I’m the opposite, I prefer heavy for caliber bullet my self, I just got a new to me 300 win mag and I had saved two boxes of 220gn nosler partition especially for that and man I’m sure that combo will go amazing on moose and bison to 200-300m.

Ditto. It is said the sweet velocity spot for hunting is centred over the 2400 FPS mark. Better perhaps to go heavier and slower than this than to go faster and lighter. 2400 FPS is plenty fast, remember in the 19th Century millions of bison were slaughtered with big bullets travelling in the low to mid teens velocities. Velocity above this sweet spot is not something you need an excess of at fair-chase, ethical ranges under most scenarios, it is primarily useful only for flattening the trajectory for long ranges. It comes with prices - increased recoil, increased odds of bullet fragmentation, decreased penetration, increased meat damage, increased odds of wounding. Many hunters do not understand this stuff, that better is not about faster. Proper penetration for the most efficient kills comes from a combination of suitable velocity and bullet construction combined with sectional density. To get good sectional density you need a heavy-for-calibre bullet.

Another advantage of the .308 as an aside is ammo availability for those who don't handload. During the various ammo availability crunches we've endured in recent decades, one calibre stood out for remaining on the shelves in fair abundance: the .308.

 

[SuperCub]

Ditto. It is said the sweet velocity spot for hunting is centred over the 2400 FPS mark. Better perhaps to go heavier and slower than this than to go faster and lighter.

Bullet weight vs velocity really depends on the bullet type being used.

A 30cal 130 C&C bullet zipping along at high speed would be foolish for big game whereas a 130gr TTSX or Partition would work fine. Conversely, a heavy TTSX at very low FPS might not properly expand where a heavy C&C at the same FPS might work perfectly.

 

[Desjard]

Did stinky coyote get banned or something? He's got a couple 308wins and kills with them and he hasn't posted in here yet....

I have a vanguard that shoots greats in 308win but it's heavy. I'm thinking of getting a tikka in 308 because I have a lot of 308 ammo but I want something lighter to carry.