Is the .308 really the dogs ********?

trigwig78

Member
I have been looking at getting a bigger rifle on my ticket and considered lots of different calibres but everything keeps coming back to the .308. Is it really as good as the majority say?
I want a cheap, accurate, to 200metres, light weight rifle and it sounds like this maybe the way forward.
I have a 6.5x55 which I am keeping, is the .308 far enough away from the swede to be worth it. I will be shooting it without a mod will it be manageable in the recoil dept.
Are there many cheap second hand rifes out there.
 
is there something wrong with your 6.5x55? or do you just fancy a change? there's been numerous threads about .308 and alternatives, with everyone having their own opinion, and most of those opinions perfectly valid. to my mind the advantage of .308 is its economy in use, the ammo is cheap and there is plenty of choice, without a mod the recoil will be down to the stock and how you react to recoil,it doesn't bother me, but it does bother some folk YMMV
 
is there something wrong with your 6.5x55? or do you just fancy a change? ..

I like .308's but I'm not sure of the benefit of moving from 6.5 x 55 to .308 Win? If I was looking for a 'bigger' rifle, then perhaps .270 Win, one of the many 7mm magnums, or a .30-06 might fit the bill, but I'm not. The only other comment I would make is do use a moderator. Their time has surely come when my Dad after shooting deer for 70+ years and as deaf as a post, asks for a rifle with a moderator. Regards JCS
 
I thought the .308 is sufficiently bigger than the 6.5 that I have both.

I wouldn't dream of shooting it unmoderated - why do you want to?

(shed loads of 2nd hand .308's out there)
 
the 308 im sure is a nice gun but if it was me id have a 30/06 which i have fired and is very acurate with more thump it was a light waight gun recoil no problem and my own choise is 7mm rem mag why acurate as hell fast flat and when you hit a deer with it its down on the spot :eek: recoil with a sound moderator is minimal no more than my 243 dont beleve all the hiyp about recoil its bull amo from 100g to 178g great bc stuning performance all the way out to 1000yards 308 every man and his dog has one 7mm rem mag every one in usa has one so they have to be good :doh:
 
the 308 im sure is a nice gun but if it was me id have a 30/06 which i have fired and is very acurate with more thump it was a light waight gun recoil no problem and my own choise is 7mm rem mag why acurate as hell fast flat and when you hit a deer with it its down on the spot :eek: recoil with a sound moderator is minimal no more than my 243 dont beleve all the hiyp about recoil its bull amo from 100g to 178g great bc stuning performance all the way out to 1000yards 308 every man and his dog has one 7mm rem mag every one in usa has one so they have to be good :doh:
Devils Advocate time :evil: they will all knock deer down, but how many of them can be shot at £25-35x100 with milsurp ammo on the range ? :p and do you need the extra powder capacity of a 30-06 or magnum for a 200m rifle?

+another one on use a mod, it kills the perceived recoil and saves your hearing, and there a several very good mods out there that won't over extend the rifle
 
Personally

Small gun =6.5mm
Middle gun = .308
Big gun == 7mm RM

Covers all bases

Simples!!

As everyone has said, they will all do the job but if you want something that is cheap to shoot, easy to get factory fodder for then you wont go far wrong with a 308. My other choice would be a 270
 
I love 308. My favorite hunting rifle is a 308, but if it was a 6.5x55 I'd like it better and use it for everything from prairiedogs to Elk.~Muir
 
In terms of performance on deer and ballistics at stalking ranges there is pretty much sod all between the common deer legal calibers and cartridges. Shoot 10 deer with the 308 and they will all die different, same as if you shot them with 10 different deer legal cartridges.

On that basis I think a lot of it comes down to ease and cost of ownership - some will burn barrels, or some ammo will cost a fortune, or some you will have to reload for, or some you will spend half your life looking for components or fireforming brass.

With the 308 I can buy ammo in a filling station in the Outer Hebrides and when I go in the man offers me the choice of several different makes and bullet weights. Reloading components are readily available, surplus ammo is available for inexpensive target shooting and practise, almost any rifle anyone could want is chambered in it and 2nd hand rifles are readily available. It doesn't burn barrels and that I can find no one has ever burnt out a barrel on a Blser R93, which is what I have, in 308. It is generally considered accurate and easy to load for and there are people who do shoot it well out to 1,000 yards and beyond so inside that range any limitations in accuracy or ability to kill are your own.

Personally I'd love a 300H&H for some reason, would I ever buy one? No way, I couldn't be bothered with the hassle as I want to spend my time out stalking and not sitting at home searching the internet for brass. Did I mention that there is a filling station in the Outer Hebrides where I can have my choice of ammo for the 308? It is the easy life every time for me :)
 
If you are keeping the 6.5 x 55 I would think a 30.06 would be better than a 308 because it handles heavier bullets. The other option would be just get a 7 x 64 as a single rifle which bridges the gap between a 6.5 x 55 and a 308 rather better than a 270. Just my 2p worth.

David.

P.S. Everybody sensible would like a 300 H & H as it is the "true gentleman's rifle" which lets me out!!!
 
I have the .308, friends have the 6.5x55, they all kill well and I think its down to individual choice and confidence.

I do believe the .308 has the edge but thats me :D
 
I have a Swiss Arms SHR 970 .308 cannot fault the rifle it has given me clover leaf of 10mm with home loads at 100yds
Top calibre & rifle, would not use it with out a mod
 
The .308 Winchester is an excellent cartridge of that there is no doubt ;).

You have started on the trip of searching for your answer so just identify what you need the rifle/cartridge combination to do, what you would like it to do and then sit back and think if your being realistic in your desires. As we have no way of knowing what you have planned for your new acquisition it's hard to give the best advice.

As already pointed out the .308 makes an excellent range rifle for practice and testing. So please let us know what you decide upon in the end.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I think that I will hold steady for now. I will always keep my ear to the ground for a cheap 308. I find this rifle stuff so frustrating I have had .270 and couldn't get on with it and got the 6.5 and adore the swiss. Suppose always thinking grass is greener but you can only shoot one rifle at a time.
 
Firstly make sure that any rifle you get FITS you!

If it does not then you will never really shoot it as well as you should be able to.
 
I've always found .308 very accurate and it comes into it's own 'on the hill', can be a bit of overkill on smaller deer e.g. muntjac but better overkill than underkill!
 
there is verry little difference between 308 and 6.5x55 in performance. but the 6.5x55 is better in handling lighter bullets for vermin. and has a flatter trijectory than the 308.
 
Back
Top