I think the 308 marketing budget or program is dead..

I think one factor might be the war effort, the components are getting more and more scarce, and the .308 is one of the cartridges used in the military for assault rifles, and sniper rifles.

The .308 is my gun of choice! It will be around long after all of us here are dead and buried! The marketing and popularity of the newer WSM's and magnumitis have pushed the popularity of many other cartridges like the .308 back a bit, but it will never kill them!
I would not say that the WSM's are "not needed." Some of them are great cartridges, and they have boosted sales for the gun industry! But, they are something that I could have lived without! After the "magnumitis" trend fades, some of the better WSM's will live, others will die but, the old standards will still be here too! The Anti's have a much better chance of taking all of our guns away, than of the .308, 30-06, and 30-30's dying!

I am sure there are those who prepared a eulogy for the 1911 and the .45 ACP when the gooberment misakenly "killed" it for the 9 MM.
You could hear the faint echos of "taps" for the 1911 when the "Glock" styles became popular! However, as the 1911 and .45 ACP approach their 100th birthday, the 1911 is the most copied gun in history, and sales have probably never been better!

P.S......
The .308 Winchester IS dead! Enlue of flowers, please send donations and supplies of .308 ammo to me! I will respectfully dispose of them for you!

I am also a fan of the 308, but I am also quite fond of my 300 WSM. I agree that the WSM's may not be "needed", but they were not created out of "need" but to boost gun and ammo sales revenues. There are MANY calibers that I don't see a point for, but I am sure that they are probably someone's favorite. We are still in America and have a freedom to choose and be different.

AMEN!!!!!!

.308 is certainly not dead. But I don't think there's anything you can't drop with a thurty aught six. The .300 and 7mm seem novelty to me. IIf it ain't broke - it don't need fixin'.)Aught six has been around longer than my last set of britches and is certainly time proven.

PA257, As a kitchen table dealer (FFL) I can tell you most of my customers fall into one of three different "schools of thought" when it comes to new gun purchases, as far as choice of caliber is concerned:

1) They want the latest and greatest---WSM, WSSM, UltraMag.

This type of buyer is motivated to buy something they have never owned before, or they want to go into a new direction, etc.

2) They want something tried and true, just like Dad or Uncle Joe, or GrandPappy used to have---30/30 .308 .30'06 and on and on.

This type of buyer knows what they want based on a proven track record.

3) They don't know what they want---???

That's when the 99 questions beginning with what are you going to use this for starts.


Consider this: The 45/70 cartridge was adopted as a official US-Army round shortly after the civil war. You can still find this cartridge, factory loads, at any gun shop or even wally world.

Don't lose any sleep over the .308 dying off anytime to soon.

I love the concept of the WSM / WSSM cartridges. The real problem is that no single firearm has been designed from the ground up to take advantage of their performance as of yet.

Just my $0.02

VTgao

The 308 Win. is alive and doing well. With all the new and wildcat calibers in the market the 308 is still a strong performer sharing the top with the 270, 30:06, 7mm and 300 win. There is no need for a magnum caliber on most North American game if you match the bullet to the game and shot placement is on the money. Fact is, Hornady just introduced an new 308 caliber called the 308 Marlinwith littleimprovement over the 308 Win. For dependability, accuracy in a short action the 308 is an excellent choice.
Good Hunting..