I'm pretty indifferent towards it. I have a bolt gun in .308 and a few in 30-06 and I favor the 30-06 over the .308 if I had to pick one over the other. I think the whole .30 caliber shhort magnum craze is probably putting a dent in .308 sales, but the .308 will be around a lot longer.

I know there are some .300 Win Mags being used as sniper rifles, but when you look at the whole gamut of military and police sniper rifles - I would bet there are more .308's in service than every other caliber combined.

Handloaded 308 are more than capable of factory '06 velocities and it can be loaded "down" much better than the '06. The .308 was originally adopted by NATO because it did everything the 30-06 did in a shorter case. The 300 is very popular, it has not "dethroned" the 308. Snipers are very conscience of overpenetration (yes that's actually a negative for them) and the .300, as you can imagine, has some issues there.

I hear alot of people on these forums be the "authority" for snipers and all this craziness. I wonder how many of these people sit and watch the discovery channel or actually partiticpate to know these answers?

bigcountry, any and all knowledge I have or pretend to have comes from another sniper forum...I'm no sniper, but some of the guys on those forums are.


This whole thing started just because I was so amazed that a large store would have about 6 boxes of ONE .308 offering. Especially in an area where the biggest game for 200 miles is whitetail deer. (and the occasional cougar, which the "authorities" won't admit to)

Soilarch, it was not aimed at you, I took your original post as a regular hunter guy question looking around your local hunting store and wondering where the 308 ammo is. You have to admit, anytime calibers are pulled out anymore, all the sudden everybody gets sniper crazy. I am not too enthused with snipers and their guns and all. I guess I am the minority. I mean I am glad thier are people out there that are willing/wanting to do the job to protect us. I am just not sitting at night reading about them, and knowing all the gear acroyms. And for people not in service I wonder about them who are. I guess not everyone is into motorcycles like me.

The 308 was NOT adopted because it "Did everything the 06 did " it was adopted because it saved powder(money) and was still enough to kill a man(average weight at time the 308 was adopted 150ish probably), NOT the same thing. See what the reloading manual says about 220 gr bullets in the 308 vs the 06. Some of mine only go up to 190s for the 308. All this doesnt mean the 308 isnt a good caliber.
as to the original post. I dont think that the 308 will ever go under in the east or south where shots generally arent as long and the animals are smaller(meaning deer instead of elk). under 200yds the 308 is a great killer, and if the shooter knows his gun, farther.

maybe the .308's sold out first and you were looking at what was left. just a thought. but around here they are in big demand. a very good rifle.

Locally the 308 is very popular. I'm one of the few hunters(most of us have quite a few rifles) that I know that doesn't have one in the gun cabinet. I don't have a 308 because I have a 7mm-08 that fills the spot when I would use a 308.

Around here the .308 is not very popular,not that it is not a capeble round.It mostly everyone mostly opts for the 30-06,270's and magnums.
In one of the 2 outdoor stores around here they have 2 offerings 150 gr cor-loks and 180 gr federal SP,not the cream of the crop rounds but will get anyone by in a pinch.

Now I myself is not a fan of the 308,blame it one my father or my first 30-06 what ever,I don't even like the other calibers made from the 308 case(7-08,243,260) but I like the necked down(280,25-06) versions of the 30-06 (or up 35 whelen,338-06).
Now the 308 has done somegood in it's life it kept a great gun going when it was dying out(Savage 99)and I'm sure if Savage reintoduce the 99 it would sell.Also the other part is the short mags are cutting in on the .308,alot of guys bought a 308 for it's carbine abblity in a light rifle,still would kill elk and moose.Now in todays market you can buy a short carbine magnum(Ruger's Frontier Rifle) and do what the .308 did but better.
As for snipers I don't know what they used and I hope I never find one pointing at me to find out.
Is the 308 dead by all means no,it will still be a good hunting round and be around for a long time.
BBJ