Is the 308 the best rifle for all purposes

[ejg]

Not sure if it changed recently however, our 1000yd benchrest smallest Group was 4.5" with a snazzy 7mm from an F-Open rifle, exactly the same as the 4.5" group shot with a 308 from a 4lb lighter FTR rifle. In hunting rifles I found the 308 to be the easiest cartridge to get to shoot well.
There are stronger, faster, bigger and smaller cartridges out there but very few that are so easy to get to shoot.
edi

 

[Paul at Fechan]

.308 is like a 3.0l V8, loads of power but when tuned moderately last a long long time if looked after!

 

[The deer man]

If NATO had adopted the 7mm-08 then we'd all be saying, that is the best stalking calibre, with easy access to ammo and the 308 was the oddball.

Difference on game - None
Accuracy - 7mm-08 (hence silhouette shooters moved to it and away from 308) but only just by a nats hair
Smoothness to shoot - 7mm-08 (especially for beginners)
Own either - Yes, but I would want both

In a reply to a comment earlier on availability of 7mm-08 ammo - it is readily available in the UK in Federal, Remington, Hornady and PRVI. All our local gunshops now stock it as standard. If you can't get it, well get organised, stop whinging and order it!

 

[Chasey]

It depends where you live and what you shoot.

Biggest thing I am going to shoot is a Fallow so for me a 308 is unnessary and a 243 will do fine.

243 is MUCH nicer to use and balistics are good even with 100g bullits

I went stalking the other day and we could have shot roe, fallow, muntjac or possably Sika on the day. I really dont want to shoot a 20kg Muntjac or a 50kg roe with a 308

If I lived further north id probably want a 270 for the reds in preferance to a 308

But hey rifels are not expensive so id probably buy both

ATB

Chasey

 

[Erik Hamburger]

Hi

Just finished reading a American article on the 308. They were stating for a one gun man that this could be the best round as you can load from 50 to 180 gram loads, making it suitable for foxes through to Red.

Any comments

One of the best 'all round' rifles is the Steyr Scout, and it is designed for use with a .308W cartridge.
That says a lot on favour of the .308W.

 

[tackb]

One of the best 'all round' rifles is the Steyr Scout, and it is designed for use with a .308W cartridge.
That says a lot on favour of the .308W.

the scout is an excellent idea but the one I had wouldn't shoot for toffee !

 

[8885]

I will not be parting with my 308 to quick.

 

[Chasey]

Last year I did intro to deer stalking with Richard Whitley

We went to the range and I pointed out I hadent shot large calaber for over 10 years so I was probably a little rusty but i had done a lot of competition shooting back in the day on 303.

I proceded to blow a small hole in his target 1" high above the bulseye with three buillit holes touching at 100 yards useing a 243

He then gave me a 308. Dispite the modorator he sugested we wear ear protection for this one.

First shot was bang in the cross of the bulseye

Second was 30mm wide third was 30mm low

He smiled and said. You flinched because the recoile on the first shot took you by surprise & put you off the folowing shots. He said he could see me tensing before I pulled the triger

When we went stalking later that day I asked to take the 243

If I had to use a 308 i would, but only if i really had too

ATB

Chasey

 

[provarmint]

Those that say. 308 is overkill and too much rifle for the smaller deer are talking Bull###t.

 

[Chasey]

Those that say. 308 is overkill and too much rifle for the smaller deer are talking Bull###t.

Do you think theres equal meet dammage from a 303 when compared to a 243?

I personaly dont know and its a genuine question.

I would have thaught hitting a muntie with a 308 in the boiler room would do considerably more damage than a 243?

ATB

Chasey

 

[Woodsmoke]

Those that say. 308 is overkill and too much rifle for the smaller deer are talking Bull

Oh, I don't know. I took a roe a week or so ago with a high shoulder shot using my .270 & a factory 130gr at 180 yards or so & ended up losing practically both shoulders. If I'd taken it with a neck shot I'd have lost nothing, but I deemed it not worth the risk at the time. Last weekend of the season I took a hind with exactly the same shot & there was so little meat damage it wasn't worth mentioning. If the .308 behaves similarly on smaller deer I'd say unless you were desperate for a beast anything other than a neck shot isn't worth considering

 

[provarmint]

Do you think theres equal meet dammage from a 303 when compared to a 243?

I personaly dont know and its a genuine question.

I would have thaught hitting a muntie with a 308 in the boiler room would do considerably more damage than a 243?

ATB

Chasey

The heavier round at a more sedate pace (2600 ish fps) will have more knockdown effect and less damage, depending on bullet choice, I've seen both.

 

[provarmint]

Oh, I don't know. I took a roe a week or so ago with a high shoulder shot using my .270 & a factory 130gr at 180 yards or so & ended up losing practically both shoulders. If I'd taken it with a neck shot I'd have lost nothing, but I deemed it not worth the risk at the time. Last weekend of the season I took a hind with exactly the same shot & there was so little meat damage it wasn't worth mentioning. If the .308 behaves similarly on smaller deer I'd say unless you were desperate for a beast anything other than a neck shot isn't worth considering

At a guess that. 270 is sending those 130's at 3000 +fps, see my last post.

 

[Mungo]

My (admittedly fairly limited) experience of shooting roe with both .243 and .308 is that there is relatively little difference in meat damage, especially if you miss the shoulder.

In fact, on balance, I'd say that .308 150gr tended to produce less mess than .243 100gr - though the difference is marginal.

Hit the shoulder, and all bets are off.

 

[MARCBO]

My (admittedly fairly limited) experience of shooting roe with both .243 and .308 is that there is relatively little difference in meat damage, especially if you miss the shoulder.

In fact, on balance, I'd say that .308 150gr tended to produce less mess than .243 100gr - though the difference is marginal.

Hit the shoulder, and all bets are off.

Why would one shoot at the shoulder?

SS

 

[Vipa]

Exhaustive military tests have shown that (within infantryman sized cartridges) projectile diameter has no bearing on the amount of terminal damage done (granted this was with FMJ.) This has been known since soldiers were using muskets and balls... the determining factor in terminal performance is weight... so... throw the same weight projectile out of 2 rifles of differing calibre and the damage at the other end will be the same.. The problem lies in the fact that, with smaller calibres, the only way of increasing bullet weight is by increasing length thus reducing case capacity and potential charge weight (you can only go so fast with the powder burn rate..)

Anyhoo... if you are saying 308 does more meat damage than say 243, then I challenge that it is the weight of the bullet making the difference, not the cross sectional size... so... throw a lighter projectile out of a 308 and it will do the same damage as the equivalent 243 etc...

In my experience though, it has been the other way round... I had more damage when I was using 125gn Nosler Partitions out of my 6.5x55 than I did with 140s or 150s out of my 308..

 

[tackb]

In my admittedly rather limited experience it's impact velocity that dictates a lot of damage , fragile bullets at long range perform like bonded bullets up close , pick a bullet to suit your stalking and if you go outside your normal limits just accept that there will be potentially more damage , after all said and done you are relying on damage to the beast from the bullet to kill it.

of all my rifles(too many apparently but what does she know!) it's my 308 that I know best and it would be the last to leave, I've shot more game with it and won more comps with it than all of my other rifles put together.

 

[MARCBO]

In my admittedly rather limited experience it's impact velocity that dictates a lot of damage , fragile bullets at long range perform like bonded bullets up close , pick a bullet to suit your stalking and if you go outside your normal limits just accept that there will be potentially more damage , after all said and done you are relying on damage to the beast from the bullet to kill it.

of all my rifles(too many apparently but what does she know!) it's my 308 that I know best and it would be the last to leave, I've shot more game with it and won more comps with it than all of my other rifles put together.

There we be. The 243 is dead, long live the King, the 308!

SS

 

[tackb]

There we be. The 243 is dead, long live the King, the 308!

SS

the 243 is not dead and it's a fine calibre

am I the only one tiring of marcbo's rhetoric ?

 

[Mungo]

Why would one shoot at the shoulder?

I have to admit that the majority of times when I've hit a shoulder have been by accident. Either I've pulled the shot and it's gone forward of the intended point of impact, or I've misjudged the angle on a quartering animal and its gone through the offside shoulder on the way out.

However, I do deliberatly aim for the shoulder when I don't want them to run at all: last light, thick cover or near a boundary. I'm happy with doing so, and it works for me.