I'm thinking about getting a new gun.I was thinking about a 308 but don't know much about the caliber. Anyone have any info on it- how many yards is it good for and how does it compare to a 270?

the 7.62x51mm is a good deer gun.most of the ammo you can buy is good out to 300yd but is you were to compare a .308 to a 270 i would most deffently go with the 270.buy a shooters bible and or look up the mv or muzzel energy

7.62x51mm and 308 are not the same. Interchangeable, but not the same.

Guns cause crime, like flies cause garbage.

I don't know what or where your gonna hunt but I'd go with the .308, it's chambered in a wide variety of rifle types.

It's inherently more accurate than the .270, but there are many other factors involved in that regard.

If you reload there is a wider range of bullets available, and even if you don't there is a load of surplus ammo out there for practice and plinking.

And, skill with your rifle will matter more for hitting game at any distances than any extra velocity or muzzle energy.

"Lord, make me fast and accurate."

i have two guns chambered in the 308win. great round like said above out to 300yds. i perfer the 150gr. bullets to shoot great in those two rifles.
i think it is a good round for deer and bear ( blackies ) and ammo is available in almost every store you buy ammo at. but if you own a 270win already i would look into maybe a something a bit bigger.

As far as distance, that would depend upon the shooter and the rifle. On whitetails, I feel as comfortable at long distance with my .308 as I do one of my 7mm or 300 mags. As far as real world effectivness, you could throw the .308, 30-06, .270, etc. all in the same group. The .308 is an exceptionally accurate cartridge plus you have the advantage of very cheap surplus practice ammo.

I've used a 308 since 1988 and it is my caliber of choice for Maine. I'll go out on a limb, get blasted, but I think the 308 is the best choice for all northern New England hunting. Short action, every mom and pop store sells ammo, good bullet selection, less recoil than the 06, and it will kill anything that walks here in NE without a lot of fuzz. I hunt woods but if you hunt in clearcuts or fields it will also get the job done. Nearly every one I've shot has been accurate. Like Quilly I use either 150s or 165s in mine with nearly equal results.

I've killed everything from fox to moose with mine and don't have any complaints. If you need something bigger than go to a 300 or larger.

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I'd have to agree with otis, Quilly and Portage. The .308 is one of the best all-around cartridges we have, and it is good for just about all kinds of game short of brown bears. The ballistics are so close to the .30-06 that I will take the improved accuracy of the .308 every time.

I can't think of a better woods caliber, and it will reach out and touch 'em beyond 300 yards if you do your part. I've shot whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn and elk with one (a Ruger M77 RSI, except the pronghorn, which was taken with a custom rig) and I use mostly 165gr bullets. All animals were killed cleanly, and I couldn't have asked for better performance.

This was my dad's favorite round and as such, I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

I shoot both the 270 and 308 and have taken deer with both. The 270, 280, 7mm08, 308, 30-06 will all do the job. They have similar ballistics, with relatively minor differences. My favorite is the 308 for the short action and the fact that you can use some heavier bullets if you need to. Plus I find it a little easier to shoot off the bench. If you already have a gun in any of these calibers that you are comfortable with there is no real gain in switching. The short fat case of the 308 has proven more accurate, but most hunters aren't shooting in 600 yd matches where it really makes a difference. I use 150 grain psp's for eastern whitetails. For long range shooting on mule deer I would use a 165gr Swift Scirrocco if accurate in your gun. For Elk or Moose a 180 gr. premium partition.

I would use the 308 on anything in North America except the grizzly. I would use a 338 winmag for them.

Good luck and happy hunting!