Making 308 sexy again

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Terry Houin

Sensei of Things and Such
Staff member
FE Staff
Admittedly like most I filed away the .308 as a boomer cartridge that was fine but hadn’t peaked my interest in a long time.

Then all of a sudden I had several .308 rifles appear from the heavens for different projects and it got me thinking. Is the .308 a has been or has it payed a steady role out of the limelight like a silent professional?

In the next couple weeks I’ll be shooting and reviewing a secret rifle chambered in .308 and I'm planning to do a deep dive into current ammo options for precision, hunting, and special applications.

What say you? Is the .308 the sexy quite professional next to the hipster 6.5CM? Or is the 308 a dying has been holding onto former glory?IMG_4796.jpeg
 
No doubt, .308 is one of my favorite rounds, and the caliber I have the most rifles chambered in. I have 6.5, .300 Win Mag, .338 LM, 8.6 blackout, etc., but more often than not I reach for one of the .308s first. Reliable, and easy to buy anywhere, with plenty of range.
 
When I need a rifle that I know is going to shoot lights out at 500 yards or less, the .308 is my go to. My .308 was the first bolt action rifle I bought as an adult and I still have it. My dad has the same rifle and we have developed perfect hand-loads for each rifle. It seems that every other rifle I have (except maybe the 10/22) is finicky in one way or another. The .308 just shoots
 
Q Fix in .308 is on my short list for next year. As mentioned in The Pygmy intro, ubiquity and variety of ammo, and I can’t see past 570 yds anyways. :)
Looking at possibly trying a 12” barrel for my Fix with some custom 308 loads
 
I’m going to be the dissenter here. I have a custom REM 700 308win with a 22” hart barrel, jewel trigger, and McMillan stock. Loaded hot with Lapua brass and 168gr ELDM’s it does nothing on the range that my 6.5 creedmoor doesn’t do better or more comfortably. In the woods it doesn’t do anything that the 6.5 creedmoor/30-06/300WM etc don’t do better in one way or another.

In short barrels, you have to be careful about minimum expansion velocities for certain bullets.
Now, on the other hand. it’s available, it’s generally reliable, it works for 90% of all hunting situations. I guess I just find it boring.

It’s the girl from the farm next door. 5’5” B-cups, thin and not ugly, but just nothing to get excited about.
 
Built my best friends boy this little guy a few years back. Did switch barrels in 6br and 308. The 308 has been great for him as there is a ton of bullet weights available, it doesnt beat him up to shoot at the range and funny enough seems like everything the kid points it at dies. Ive been a fan of 308 for a long time, hard to beat the federal gmm with the 185 juggernauts. Are there better cartridges? Obviously yes, but a 308 can work just fine for most situations.
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IIRC, Dad gave me the .308 742 WoodsMaster in '82, I bought the AR-10T in '12, and have only been bumped fr the hunt by the .300WM or now it'll be the 35W. I look forward to seeing your project.
 
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