I think I know where your getting at....
The fact is, if our wives knew what the .308 was capabable of,and our wifes found outwe just purchased, a .308 or a 30-06, most of us would be one gun owners.
Its not underrated.Everybody knows thats its the most accuate cal on the market, and is on par with the 30-06 where velocity is concerned.
Like the 30-06 the .308 is a cal of gun that can that a one gunowner can due all his hunting with......
Now a days people own mulitiple number of guns, each cal of gun is specific for each hunting or target shooting task at hand.
To justify purchasing these guns, many of us have to expalin this expense to our wives..
To cover our tracks, we purposely seek out other calibers of guns cause I'm sure if they found out a .308 was in the house, all gun collecting would cease immediatly..
And us guys would be forced to spend our gun collecting money eating cheese and drinking wine and being forced to look and talk with the opposite sex[:'(].Whom I do really and truly love dearly, but ceratinly wouldn't miss her as much as I'd miss staring at my gun collection......
I'mone of the few lucky ones,,my wifes (blonde) when it comes to guns,she doesn't know that my 30-06 is good for all N.American hunting..
If she did, I be a one gun owner.[]
So when I come home with a .338 (it just collects dust) I told her it was for elk hunting..She doesn't know any better..
Came home with a .311 imperial mag(collects dust), told her it was for cross canyon shooting....Clueless.
Buying another soon a Kimber(not sure what cal but always thinking about the .308)), she thinks its for hunting deer in Alpine.
Honestly I'm being serious, thats probably why alot of hunters look past them,
Cause if their wives found out they purchased a .308, or 3006 they'd be one gun owners also........