I never see the .307 Winchester mentioned on this site nor do I ever see one for sale in the EE? I have run into a few guys on moose hunts with these in a model 94 Winchester. How come the cartridge never caught on? Is it too close to the .303?
Why no .307 winchester love?
- Thread starter davemccarthy707
- Start date
It was an attempt to duplicate 308 Win performance that never caught on.
Not sure why, perhaps the recoil/muzzle blast was uncomfortable in a 94, perhaps the lack of ammo choices.
I'd have to say that either sales were quite low on the rifles or folks that bought them don't shoot them often (or both) as no one currently loads the 307 commercially.
Like many other cartridges the 307 Win tried to fill a hole where there was none.
the 307 is popular in countries where a military caliber is outlawed. here in north america, we have too many choices in 30 caliber for it to have ever been popular. it was an attempt to make the model 94 have more range and power. introduced around 1980 i think with the 356 win and the new model 94 angle eject. it does what was intended, making the model 94 a viable 250-300 yard rifle. however there are many short handy semi auto's in 308 that offer the same thing as the m-94/307 package. i have a m-94 307 and a bolt action 308 mauser. accuracy for the bolt exceeds the m-94 and with pointed bullets offers more range yet. speed of reload is greater for the semi's and accuracy is comparable to the m-94. so unless you are a devoted lever action fan, there are just better choices out there. mine was given to me or i would not own one.
Way back I had one. I wish I still had it. I scoped it and it was not as handy as a 30-30 open sight gun. It was also almost as heavy as my 270, so guess which one I used more... the 270. I would get another in a heartbeat if I had the cash and the deal was right.
a great deal of it is that you CAN'T get the ammo for it now at the local "box" store- but the blr- in 308- that they got in spades- and the "average" guy looking for a gun still falls for the highly polished wood and the deep blue that BROWNING puts up- in order for our "tire" to have those in stock, there must be a HECK OF A MARKUP
that and the tube mag with all it's inherent "dangerous" qualities which means you can;t use pointy bullets-which is where the 30 cal shines- a "pointy bullet " really makes the difference-aside from VELOCITY, it offers no advantages over the 30-30 , which is still the "queen" of levers- of course, those of us that know better shoot savage 99s,blrs or maybe the odd finnwolf
that and the tube mag with all it's inherent "dangerous" qualities which means you can;t use pointy bullets-which is where the 30 cal shines- a "pointy bullet " really makes the difference-aside from VELOCITY, it offers no advantages over the 30-30 , which is still the "queen" of levers- of course, those of us that know better shoot savage 99s,blrs or maybe the odd finnwolf
Another problem was that Winchester loaded factory ammo at reduced velocities, so the .307 never came close to the preformance of the .308. I think if they reintroduced the factory ammo loaded to the nuts with the new flex-tip bullets, they might breathe new life into it, but I seriously doubt it would ever truly make a comeback. Just look at the roaring success that the .308 Marlin Express has enjoyed (basically the same cartridge loaded to higher pressure).
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
I hear that a lot. In fact, Win 94 fans asked for a Model 94 rifle with power more like a model 86 or a Savage 99 for decades. By the time the marketing types at Winchester saw how their sales had slipped and got around to answering the question, bolt rifles had taken over. It was just too little too late.
There seems to be a bit of a resurgence in traditional lever sales, so I hope the .308 ans .338 Marlin fare better.
But again, bolt-gun fanciers will say that they too are answers to unasked questions...
The first successful deer hunt I was ever on was made a success by a .307
It's hard to argue with those results! I've always liked this round, but I agree that because there are so many options similar to this caliber, there are better choices.
It's hard to argue with those results! I've always liked this round, but I agree that because there are so many options similar to this caliber, there are better choices.
with the leverevolution flex tip bullet now available to handloaders, i think a lot of .307's are gonna dragged out of the back of the gun safe. i'd take one for the right price, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a lever carbine.
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
Kevin,
If you believe it (and I do) the Hornady and Marlin people intended to chamber the .307 as a Leverevolution round, but because of the long ogive, the bullet could not be seated deep enough to get top velocity and still meet max COL. That was the biggest reason they pushed the shoulder back a tenth of an inch and created the .308 Marlin. So I doubt we'll see factory .307 pointy stuff, but perhaps handloaders could use it.
Buy a BLR or Savage 99 in .308 instead. You be happier in the long run.Reviving this thread. I am now officially looking for one.
1. Better ballistics, esp with pointy bullets
2. More factory ammo, cheaper, everywhere.
3. BLRs & 99s are easier to find.
4. The 307 offers nothing over the .308. NOTHING!
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