Why is 308 so popular for Precision?
- Thread starter SigSavage
- Start date
168bergersapper
Regular
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- Vancouver Island
A lighter bullet will generate more velocity at the muzzle yes but a heavier bullet retains its velocity
to a greater distance thus a heavier bullet will carry itself further while remaining supersonic whereas the lighter will shift into the transonic range and could loose stability.
Heavier bullets also have a higher ballistic coefficient making them less susceptible to the effects of wind.
There are a lot of heavier options out there for .30 cal. So with a rifle chambered in .308 with a 1:10 twist barrel a 175-185grn bullet is going to perform very well out to 1000yds. At least this is what I've found in the couple years I've been shooting LR with my .308.
Some people don't have a choice, and other people took their cues from the people who didn't have a choice. Some will stay with it due to past history or habit. If the .308 and .223 weren't protected by their own category in F-Class there would be very few used. At least it doesn't suck as bad as a .223.
I don't buy the .308 as a training aid theory. If you make something suck bad enough it becomes an advantage? Why not use a 22 LR then?
I don't buy the .308 as a training aid theory. If you make something suck bad enough it becomes an advantage? Why not use a 22 LR then?
There's a huge selection of barrels, actions (less critical), components and ammunition for .308. Run out of ammo? Run to the store. Borrow from someone else. 308 is a best-of-all-worlds, jack of all trades caliber that can do it all but nothing better than every other caliber. On balance it does do most things more then acceptable. That's pretty much it.
People who don't want to shoot .308 or .223 in FTR can just go in the F-Open class usually, about as many shooters in each when it comes to the larger matches. Sure the 308 is a bit ballistically impaired compared to some other calibers but that just adds to the fun. When the top TR guys shooting 155's are hitting almost just as many 1/2moa V's as the F-class guys even at 900-1000yards, it quickly makes a person realize that caliber and fancy stuff only goes so far.
.22lr is the best for training, mostly in TR/match rifle, no question there. Its shows every issue with technique and is cost effective.
I will certainly agree that there are flatter hotter cartridges out there but when you attend enough long range matches you tend to identify certain trends on the score board.
The most important trend is that when comparing scores there is often very little difference from any given "hot" caliber compared to the 308. You will find that when conditions are relatively mild the scores are pretty much identical regardless of how flat shooting one may be and it is not uncommon for the 308 to be the winner even out to 1000 yards in moderate coonditions.
Accuracy is not so much about trajectory as it is about consistency over a wide range of temperature conditions.
Many of the more racey rounds can be twitchy and have very short barrel life.
The 308 for all it's "faults" pushes a decent BC at decent velocities. It gives good barrel life and is commonly available throughout the world.
The super fast high BC stuff is hard to shoot accurately and do it consistently over hundreds of rounds. The 308 is just a low maintenance get er dun kinda round that's easy to tune.
The hotter stuff really pulls ahead over the 308 at extended distances when the wind gets over about 10 MPH. When you think about that, how often is the wind higher than 10 MPH and you happen to be shooting past about 600 yards? This is also assuming the shooter knows what he's doing, because if he doesn't the hottest flattest caliber in the world would not make the shot for you.
The most important trend is that when comparing scores there is often very little difference from any given "hot" caliber compared to the 308. You will find that when conditions are relatively mild the scores are pretty much identical regardless of how flat shooting one may be and it is not uncommon for the 308 to be the winner even out to 1000 yards in moderate coonditions.
Accuracy is not so much about trajectory as it is about consistency over a wide range of temperature conditions.
Many of the more racey rounds can be twitchy and have very short barrel life.
The 308 for all it's "faults" pushes a decent BC at decent velocities. It gives good barrel life and is commonly available throughout the world.
The super fast high BC stuff is hard to shoot accurately and do it consistently over hundreds of rounds. The 308 is just a low maintenance get er dun kinda round that's easy to tune.
The hotter stuff really pulls ahead over the 308 at extended distances when the wind gets over about 10 MPH. When you think about that, how often is the wind higher than 10 MPH and you happen to be shooting past about 600 yards? This is also assuming the shooter knows what he's doing, because if he doesn't the hottest flattest caliber in the world would not make the shot for you.
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While a heavier bullet will retain velocity better, it takes a long arse distance to make up for the difference in initial velocity. Obviously this distance varies, but it is typically at least a few hundred yards. For instance, Federal Premium Fusion factory ammo comes in 3 weights, 150 165 and 180 grain. At 400 yards(and the muzzle, obviously), the 150 is the fastest, the 165 second, and the 180 third. By 500 yards, the 180 is faster than the 165, but the 150 is still the fastest.
Where the weight really matters is the wind. All things being equal, a lighter bullet will have more wind drift. In a perfect world, you can account for distance, elevation change, temperature, ect ect and know exactly where you need to set your scope elevation-wise to hit your mark regardless of bullet weight, but you'll never be able to perfectly predict the cross winds over 500+ yards. The heavier bullet allows for more error in wind estimates while still hitting your target.
