Is the .308 dead?
 

I went to paducah Gander mountain today....I say a whole world of various 7mms and 270s and 30-06. I saw ONE offering of 308 in the 150 powerpoint bullets. What in the world...do hunters consider the 308 out-dated or what?

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I know .308's don't sell very well here in the west. Too bad - there is so little difference between it and the 30/06 - particularly with factory ammunition. I guess when you hold the two up side-by-side, the .308 looks like George Bush standing next to Arnold Swartzenegger. I shot an elk last year with my .308 just so I could say I used it for something other than punching holes in paper. It worked just fine. The fact that this cartridge is the king of the sniper rifle calibers is no small coincidence.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

couldn't agree more...AND if you handload (which may explain the lack of factory ammo) its soooo versitale and easily outshines factory 30-06. I was just so suprised

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

It all depends where you go .
Some gun shops sell lots of different 308 loads others don't .
Some of it is what the shops push in the way of rifles.
Where I shop he stocks 1 270 load , 2 or 3 30-06 but lot more of 7-08 and 308.
But he stocks mainly 7-08 and 308 rifles.
His thing is ordering exactly what you want.

Johnch

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I feed three .308's and havn't bought a round in years.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I'm also a big fan of the 308 and thankfully, seems to be still a popular round around here. Most local shops still carry several different offerings for it.
Not get off-subject Soliarch, but how is the new Gander Mountain in Paducah? I live in Richmond(Madison County) and have been wanting to make the drive out there to see it, but didn't know if it was worth the time or not? Just curious. Thanks.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

Sorry to say the 308 does not easily outshine the 06, and the 308 is no longer the king of the hill in sniper rifles, the 300 win mag is the preferred rd for our military's snipers and has been for quite a while now.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I'm the only guy in my club that doesn't have and use a 308. It's still pretty popular in our circles hunting in South Arkansas and East Texas.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I think in certain areas it may not be as popular but you couldn't tell it where I live. They are very popular.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

My fav caliber of all time. Anybody can shoot, anybody can reload it. Doesn't get much better. Pretty popular in SouthEast whitetail country.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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?

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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)

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.:)

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

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

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

.308's are still fairly popular out here. I own one in a BLR and have used it on moose and elk without any problems. They are regularily seen in the hands of people bear hunting blackies over bait. Generally will see the faster/flatter whiz bangs out on the prairies. Even I caved in a bit and picked up a 270WSM after I hunted whitetails over crop fields this last season and passed up on a Booner first day out because I just didn't feel comfortable taking such a long shot with my short barrelled lever gun.

As far as snipers are concerned I can speak from some experience that .308's at least in my neck of the woods are still favoured. When range becomes an issue in more rural settings or if facing off against similarily armed offenders. The growing trend is to head up to the .338 Lapua Mag or even the .50cal.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

Think .308 is hard to find in a store, try finding 6.5 swedish. 3 or 4 years ago I had no problem finding it, now that the 260 remington has become much more popular over the last couple of years, its the only 6.5 mm on the shelves. I even asked a shop owner once if they stocked 6.5 swedish anymore, he told me no, its become obsolete now that remington has started selling rifle in 260 remington. So began my hatred of the 260 remington and my vow to never go to that idiot's shop again.[8D]

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

Briman, funny how everywhere is different. I handload for my 2 swedes, but if I didn't the Canadian Tire store around the corner stocks one type of 140 grainers if I was in a pinch.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

As Mark Twain once said, "the news of the .308's death have been greatly exagerated!" I love my .308, and it will still be a top ten seller, when the smoke of the WSM's, and Ultra's, blows over!

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

Its popular here in the prairies. Even Pamida in Podunk, IA carries the ammo. But I have found that even tho the ammo sells, it is hard to find a new rifle on the shelf in that caliber.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

Its sales have fallen off where I live. The 300 WSM has cut in to its nitch. I have a couple 308 rifles would never be without at least one. I have a Browning A-Bolt and the new 700 Classic in 308. I have worn out several shooting silhouettes.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I have had at least one .308 in the safe ever since I bought my first one years ago.
I reload but ammo is not a problem to find around here. Its everywhere.
Rifles are a differant story. I've noticed there are fewer and fewer offerings by the manufacturers.

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

308 JUST RULES! the 300 win mag is a barrel burner. not a good life expectancy from the facts ive seen. it is a flat shooter i guess though:eek:

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

I would have to say that the 308 is alive and well in Maine. I was up at my camp and had to stop by the local hardware store and the 308 was tied with the 30-06 for boxes of ammo only behind the 30-30. Also in the Big Buck of Maine contest the the 308 and 30-06 are neck and neck most years for first place

RE: Is the .308 dead?
 

In my part of the country the 308, 30:06 and 270 are probably the most used calibers.