.308 fans/owners?
 

Still trying to decide on the best rifle & chambering for my first deer rifle. My father-in-law just bought a 1 yr old Model 70 in .270 that he said I could use whenever I want. I still want a gun that I can call my own, however.

I hear a lot of talk about a lot of various rounds, but the .308 isn' t mentioned too often. Is anyone here a fan (or opponent) of the .308? I' ve been reading up, and many prefer it to the .30-06 (mostly in smaller size mountain rifles).

What are your opinions?

I don' t plan on too many long shots (300 yds is really pushing my limits). I' m trying to decide between the 7mm-08, .270, .308, and the 7mag. The .270 and .308 are standing out. The 7mag seems like too much gun for whitetail at 100-250 yds.

Thanks,
Gig ' Em

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

even though the 27owin is one of the best whitetail rounds out there for deer.
i am a big fan of the 30-06sprg and the 308win. if your shots can get out to 300yds easliy you might want to look at the 7mm-08rem. but the 308win will do just as you ask from it. as long as you pratice, practice, practice with it. i perfer the 308win also cause of the offerings of ammo selections out there as well also mom and pop stores carry more 308win rounds than the 7mm-08rem ammo.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I own 2- 308s, a Sako and a Remington 7600 pump. I can' t say enough good about the 308 as it has served me well for 24 years. Low recoil, accurate, easy to find ammo, and good selection of ammo if you don' t reload. I' ve killed everything from fox to moose with mine. Both of mine like 150 grain bullets but you can go up to 180s. I recently sold a 270 as it sat in my case.

However, if the truth be know, any of the calibers you mentioned most likely will work equally as well.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

Hunted with a 308 for more years than I care to admit.Has always been an excellant caliber and served me well.I like the short action mountain style rifles and savage 99' s and they both work well with the 308.Last few years I have switched to a 7mm-08 and love this caliber for deer also,course it comes from good lineage ;)

woods

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I' ve always had a .308 of some sort around. Right now 2 bolts a Rem 700 and a sporterized FR-8; plus one semi-auto a S.A. M1-A.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

The .308 has become a ho-hum round in the world of superduperultrashortmagnums which get all of the publicity in order to try to convince people that their new wondermagnum is a much better buy than a .308 for the average sportsman. The .308 really doesn' t need any publicity to get sales because its been time and match proven to have excellent accuracy, low recoil, easy to tune, reliable, and powerful enough for darn near anything you want to hunt.

I love my .308 and wouldn' t trade it for a 30-06 or anything else for that matter. I don' t think there is any advantage for the 7mm-08 over the .308 as its very similar in bullet size and ballistically. If I were to buy another .308 class rifle, it would be in .260 rem, since its similar to my second favorite cartridge the 6.5x55 Swedish.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

i love the 308 for deer...its a great little round and low recoil..and easy to find...and ive never seen one that didnt shoot good...i took my first deer with a 308...and after taken 3 other deer wit ha 30-06 the 308 hung with it and dropped it just as hard...the deer did a sideways flip in the air and its legs were on the opposite side from where they should have been and it never moved...bad little round...i think its a great deer getter...

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

You absolutely will not go wrong with either cartridge.I shoot a .270 but have always loved the .308 (probably from shooting with the military,but that don' t matter). The .308 has certainly proven itself over the years on a variety of game animals,and is a fine choice for deer up to 300 yards.I have found the .270 does not lack anything either when it comes to downing game.I' ve taken everything from 150 lb does to mature bull elk with this round,and more than a few moose have also been dropped by a friend of mine with his 270.Find a rifle that is right for you in either caliber and don' t look back! Good luck and good huntin' ...!!

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I have a Tikka chambered in .308 Win, and I absolutely love it. Its a tack driver and easy on the shoulder. If your mostly just hunting deer at ranges less than 300 yds., you could hardly go wrong with a 308. and you will never regret your decison. Good luck.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I' ve got a T/C Encore Pistol in .308 that' s capable of doing everything I would ask of it. Recently got the .308 rifle barrel and the stock components for it and this has since replaced my Ruger 77 30.06. The ' 06 is a great round in it' s own right, but the performance difference between the two is not enough to even debate.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

Another " Yeah" vote for the .308. I, too, was considering many of the options you listed. For me it was between the .308 and 7mm-08. I chose .308 because it has been used by many military and police snipers (which says something about its accuracy) and because of availability of ammo. I' m still getting comfortable with it and zeroing in my scope but I can tell it will be a lifelong friend. Go with the .308, you won' t be disappointed.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

Any of the calibers you mentioned will work. I don' t think the 7 mag is too much, but it will punch the shoulder more than the others you mentioned...so that may be a factor, if recoil shy. It certainly is acceptable(recoil) and will allow you more range and game options, if that is a concern. It also is not nessecary for a whitetail only gun, just preference and confidence.

Just buy what you want and you' ll be fine.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

When I first brought up the idea of buying a new rifle to a good budy of mine (who btw knows more about guns than I' ll ever know), his first thought was a .308. He mentioned that if I wanted to go with a .30 I should seriously consider the .308. He mentioned the military/police sniper usage and it' s reputation as an accurate, readily available round.

I' ve heard nothing but echos since.

I' m going to look again at the Rugers that are available in .308 (most of them are) and compare them to the Browning that I really like. The first Ruger that I looked at had such a herky-jerky action that I' m starting to think that it may have been an anomaly.

Thanks, ya' ll!

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

how did the action feel on the brwoning? mine is slicker than snot and feels good.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

Excellent. I loved it.

The Browning, Win., and Remingtons all felt great.

The Ruger wasn' t as smooth, so I' m going back tomorrow to check it out further.

The only thing I don' t particularly like about the Browning is the safety. I prefer the 3 position on the Win. and Ruger.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I have a .308 Abolt and 30-06. They are pretty much interchangeable. I agree with everyone so far, the .308 is a great round, so is the .270. If you are buying a new .308 get one that has a 1 in 10 twist. Mine has 1 in 12 and it doesn' t like heavy bullets much. 1 in 10s should shoot 180s as good as the 30 -06....

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

ALL cartridges mentioned will work nicely. Ive never heard of a 308 having poor accuracy. I belive my dad once told me his first elk was killed using an old .308 rifle he has. good luck with whatever cartrdige u decide on.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I have been shooting the .308 Winchester for years! For an all around deer caliber, the .308 takes a back seat to no one!
As others have said there are many good calibers that will suit your purposes. The .308 is as good or better than any of them!
The pluses are : it has been around a long time and is well proven.
While guns will vary, the .308 caliber is a very accurate caliber.
It is a top ten seller, so ammo is available anywhere and being a military caliber there is always a lots of cheap surpluss ammo for practicing.
The .308 within reasonable ranges is capable of taking larger game than just deer.
It does all this and more, with managable recoil.
So, to each their own, but you cannot go wrong with the .308 Winchester!

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I compared the Browning and Ruger side-by-side, today. I still like the Browning.

I' m going to pick it up some time in the next couple of weeks. I figure I' ll pick up some surplus ammo and take it out for a spin.

Thanks for your help, guys. I' ll let everyone know how things turn out.

Gig ' Em!

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

My Dad' s all purpose rifle for everything up to and including moose and black bear is his Savage Mod. 99 in .308. That rifle/cartridge have brought down more game animals in his hands than I have seen in my lifetime.

Although I have never used the .308 for hunting purposes it is what my Main Battle Rifle is chambered in. Well known for accuracy and dropping power at longer ranges it is a superb proven round.

Now, as soon as I pick up a 5 round mag for my CETME I might just take it out hunting.:D

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

The .308 Winchester is an excellent cartridge. Plenty of power, minimal recoil, and moderate blast / noise. Opinions vary on rifles. I don' t like Ruger at all. Remington, Winchester, and Savage get the nod for me - wit h the Savage being the most accurate. I like the action of the Winchester the best though. I just wish they would make a left handed short action in .308 or 7mm/08 for guys like me.

Be careful with surplus ammo. The 7.62 x 51mm NATO and the .308 Winchester are NOT the same thing. The case dimensions are very very similar but just enough differnt to cause headspace issues in some rifles. The topic has been beat to death on many military surplus rifle forums and pages. Not to mention some of the milsurp ammo can be corrosive, so you best study up on how to deal with corrosive ammo.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I' ve had a .308 or two come my way through the years, and there isn' t much to say about them....but only because I' m speechless! I' m a .30-06 man by reputation, nothin beats one, but I' ll absolutely concede that the .308 winchester sure comes close, with less kick, less report, and a shorter action (ironically the only gun I have chambered in it now is a mauser with a firing pin travel of around an INCH!!! Kinda rough jackin rounds in a hurry.)

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

go with the 308. its great so many differnt rounds.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

i like the 308 caliber. i shot it for awhile and it can bring down a deer at 300 yards pretty good. i upgraded to the 30-06 because i wanted to get out there farther and it was not my rifle. the 308 is a perfect caliber for a first time hunter. i would say thats the way you wana go

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

Go with the .308....I have two of them one is a Remington 760 carbine and the other is a Tikka. Can' t say which one I like to shoot more, I love them both!

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RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

Briman said just what I was thinking. If you can,t kill a Deer or Elk with a 308 then you most likely can,t kill one with a 7mm300405383SOBMAG either. Great gun. Go for it.

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

either one is a great choice , i have a .270 win . in a browning lightning blr , and 2 .308' s in a winchester model 88 , and a remington 760 gamemaster , and they both work extremely well

which do you have the most experience with , that' s the one you should get :D:D:D

RE: .308 fans/owners?
 

I just got rid of a brand new 270 Browning A-bolt II , balck syn. stock

IWANT A 308 in the same gun. oh baby that thing felt good. That stock felt so good shouldered I had to check the length of pull to see if it was short or something. FELT NATURAL AND PERFECT! That little palm sweel and grip angle makes a hudge difference. I want to replace my old Savage 110 .308 with a A bolt in 308. Or a 308 handgun. :D

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