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time to retire the .308??

nobody13

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 31, 2011
129
0
48
Montana
With the newer rounds produced outperforming the old workhorse by a good margin, who thinks its time to list her in the vintage section? Why not catch up with the times, afterall, banging steel doesn't require a lot of kinetic energy right? For those that have to deal with two way ranges, well.....different topic entirely.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Uh Oh, what would I do with all my ammo if I retired my .308?
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

The 7mm delivers more kenetic energy with the same amount of powder and half the wind drift. No downsides.

And you could re-use all your brass.

Good luck,
Merritt
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

depends on if you reload. Someone raises this question every now and then, in some form or another. Generaly speaking, most agree a 308 should be apart of ones arsenal.

In terms of competition, everyone is always looking for a piece of equipment that will help them perform better. There are now several cartridges that both "fly" better than the ole 308 and produce good barrel life, have a wide range of quality components for reloading, very good inherent accuracy, etc. One just has to look at the leader board on basically any tactical competition, the 308 is usually nowhere to be found. So, in regards to competitive tactical shooting, yes there are several "better" rounds and if you want to be a contender, you have a better chance with a 243, or 6.5 variant.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Please send me outdated components, parts, rifles, etc etc : )

My 260 does fly a good bit better though....
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jpspeeddemon</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> yes there are several "better" rounds and if you want to be a contender </div></div>

I do reload and I actually have 7mm dies but don't have a 7mm. I bought the cart before my horse. What are the better rounds you speak of?
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

better than a 308 in terms of exterior balistics:

243 win, 243 ai, 260rem, 6.5x47, 6.5creedmore.
Sorry i forgot to mention the 7mm rounds
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

7-08 my 162BTHP hornadys leave at 2780fps. Only 6.2min of wind at 1000yards and is still at 1000fps at the 1 mile mark and still stable at that range. Doing it all on 47.2g of H4350.

ONce through the full size resizer and your 308 brass is 7-08 brass.

Good luck,
Merritt
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

While there are cartridges that may edge out the .308 is some stats I still think that the .308 is the best all around round.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

"Time to retire the .308???"
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Re: time to retire the .308??

I would love to have a 7mm-08 in an AR10, but as far as I know it's always a custom to go that route.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Amusing thread.

Have you ever noticed all those golfers that buy the newest gizmo clubs and balls?
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diablo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Amusing thread.

Have you ever noticed all those golfers that buy the newest gizmo clubs and balls?

</div></div>

And yet, their game never improves!

Better to retire the .223/5.56 and either convert the military to 7.62NATO or adopt a new around. I would go with either the 6.5 LAPUA, the 6.5 Grendel, or the 6.5 Creedmore. Probably the 6.5 LAPUA.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Nobody is mentioning the good ol 6.5x55? Since the time of 6.5x55 we have made a lot of backward progresses!
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

I shoot mid-range F-class a lot: 223, 243, & 308. It is amazing how accurate the 308 is with very little fuss or muss. The most accurate cartridge from 300-600 is considered the 6mmBR and the lowly 308 competes very well with it indeed. I have not had the same experience with my 243WIN(over several barrels). It is way more finicky and requires a lot of work to find a good load. Now, if you are looking for a super-accurate round out to 1K and easy to load for: the 6BRX is one of the best....needs a bit of work to feed from a magazine though.
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Re: time to retire the .308??

I still have alot of love for my .30-06. People can say what they want, but she gets the job done & then some.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Killer Spade 13</div><div class="ubbcode-body">And put the 30-06 in a museum, perhaps ???? </div></div>
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cpt. obvious</div><div class="ubbcode-body">While there are cartridges that may edge out the .308 is some stats I still think that the .308 is the best all around round.

</div></div>

+1 well said
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

I have a pantload of .308s. I know there are niche cartridges that would do this or that better, but for what I do, the .308 is more than enough.

Lots of bullets, powders and brass to chose from. No neck turning or fuss for .5moa ammo. Load it, shoot it and smile really big.

I must be a lazy dinosaur.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Sweden adopted the 8x58 RD in 1889, the 6,5x55 in 1894, the modern sniper 6,5x55 cartridge in 1941 and the 7,62 Nato in 1965.
With the adoption of the 7,62 Nato the almost got all the way back to the ballistics of the 1889 cartridge.
So already when the 7,62 was adopted was it a step backwards, and that was 60 years ago.
Maybe it's time to correct mistakes......

Håkan
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

How about getting all these contenders to where the .308/ 30-06 has gotten to by employing them in the same manners? We can exclude Mil/LE apps, but as far as shooting, competing, studying, and putting miles on these other cartriges, I see nothing wrong with making others a viable choice. How about, instead of considering "retirement" we make it just another choice. Its funny, I look at this like cars. You can get the newest, computer controlled, all wheel drive, independent rear, double wishbone suspension, it will ride fast, turn hard, and wipe your ass. But is there is one constant, someone will always be rebuilding a Cuda, Chevelle, Camaro, Vette, Mustang....why? Because they are classics that will always have a place. New is good, see if it survives. I know which ones already did.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

There is always room for more as you'll be able to do things a bit easier, even reach out further with other rounds. But retire the .308? Not a chance. Just get another SA built. There are some berger bullets that give the .308 a bit more in the ballistics coupled with MR-2000 powder if results prove like SBS's and your SD and ES are good enough, well it very well could extend the range of the .308.

Desertrat beat me too it.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nobody13</div><div class="ubbcode-body">With the newer rounds produced outperforming the old workhorse by a good margin, who thinks its time to list her in the vintage section? Why not catch up with the times, afterall, banging steel doesn't require a lot of kinetic energy right? For those that have to deal with two way ranges, well.....different topic entirely. </div></div>

I have one 308 left. It's a family heirloom,custom SAKO finnwolf that's unfired. It's going to remain that way til my firstborn inherits it.

The others went the way of the other dinosaurs. The newer descendants don't live as long but are superior in many other ways.Smaller,lighter,faster,able to kill their prey with a higher success rate.
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Re: time to retire the .308??

When the SHTF see how easy it will be to find 260,338,6mm,7mm ammo.There will always be lots of 308 and 223 ammo everywhere!
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

seeing as the .22lr, .223, .308, and .3006 are probably the most engineered ever rounds, most mass produced, most chambered, most scrutinized, most benchmarked, most used used, most reloaded, most components, most liked, most usefull, most simple, most recoil managed by a large cross section of the populous (except maybe for the .3006 of course), readily available, most affordable, very accurate, short action = shorter / lighter (usually), etc. etc. etc. <span style="font-weight: bold">why would it even be a topic?</span> they be still around when we use the bumps in the ground where the pyramids were for backstops.

there will still be vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream long after the specialty flavors of the month are gone (no offense or disrespect to the .338, 300win mag, .300 ultra mag and other ultra mag family, .358, 6MM family of loads, .260, .280, 7mm family of loads, certainly not flavors of the month, but you know what i mean).

might as well retire the 12 ga, 30/30, and .45 acp too.

taxes, death, and the .308
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

.308 has many advantages to keep it around:


-logistics, mass production and wide availability

-can be run suppressed very easily and you can develop sub-sonic loads for it easily

-barrel life of as much as 10k rounds, some guys will even get more

-if score shooting, the larger diameter has an advantage

-plenty of energy for hunting and moderate ranges, though higher-BC projectiles retain more at extended range

Yep, the .308 does give up in exterior ballistics to some degree, but it isn't a night and day difference. Berger's new projectiles could easily breathe new life into the .308 Win. A good shooter with a .308 will beat a mediocre shooter with a .260 every day of the week.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

My .02 is that its one of the best rounds for semi auto or auto.

I love my AR 10. That was the first rifle I ever purchased and its amazingly accurate for such a short barreled gun that can follow up so quickly.

Everyone has their own opinion though and sometimes I'm envious of some guy with a light weight .223 with big mags and all that cool stuff. Especially knowing that it costs nothing if your just shooting to make noise.

In the end it piles up to personal preferences, or the fact .308 is everywhere. Lamborghini and Ferrari perform better than a mustang or corvette, or an m3 for that matter. However you can get pretty Damn close for a lot less and the parts are everywhere.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nevada Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">When the SHTF see how easy it will be to find 260,338,6mm,7mm ammo.There will always be lots of 308 and 223 ammo everywhere! </div></div>

There's <span style="font-weight: bold">plenty</span> of reasons to own a cartridge currently used by the military (availability & low cost of ammo & reloading components, for example), but ammo availability in a SHTF situation has got to be one of the dumbest reasons for choosing to have a 308 in a long-range precision rifle.

I seriously doubt standard 7.62 ball ammo for a would shoot worth a damn in the average rifle beyond a couple hundred yards, and M118LR availability ain't exactly going to be staggering.

A trip to the local Wally World or sporting goods store shows PLENTY of commercial 243, 270, 30-06 and 7mmRM hunting ammunition available in addition to 308. 7mm-08 is just a little less available than the above, while pretty much anything 6.5mm can be difficult to find outside of a dedicated gun store or Cableas/Bass Pro/Sportsmans' big box store.

I personally have ZERO desire or need for a 308, but more power to those who do.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

My Savage 308 has been such a damned fine rifle, there is no chance of me ditching it or retiring it. I've tried to replace it with something more expensive/better twice now, and that 308 just won't be outdone!

Now, I'm building one of them "new-fangled" 7mm's, but it's not replacing my 308. In fact, it's gonna have to be really, really great to earn the right to even sit NEXT to my 308 in the safe.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

.308 works ( have 6 of them ) but the platforms have gotten too heavy, if you are going to lug around a 17 LB deticated .308 rifle (my AIAW) might as well have a Cal. that can do more. My solution was a DTA SRS.

Really like AWAI but the weight, will got the AI switch barrel at some point
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">everyone must have a go-to .308 .......BOLTRIPPER</div></div>

It is thy Law!

Also to add, .308 is just plain simple to load for. 175gr SMKs, decent brass, match primers, varget...boom good to go. In most cases anyway.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

I am here to announce that I am opening an official .308 re-cycling service. Please send me all rifles, ammo, components, etc. I will even pay the shipping! After all, it's the least I can do to "save the Planet" LOL
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Don't retire your .308 just re-barrel it to a better round. Like was said up top. you never see a .308 at the top of the list at a match, at-least the kind I shoot. I have friends with better components than my rifles are made of that cant hang in the wind or out past 800 yards. I know brass is easy to get so whats the point???? Everyone uses Lapua brass these days. There isn't a whole lot of that floating around. if you wanted a .308 in an assault rifle with a mountain of surplus ammo for D-Day thats understandable but it makes no sense to me in a match grade bolt gun to waist a perfectly good match grade barrel by cutting a .308 chamber in it. The 6.5s and the 7mms are not a flavor of the week, they have been around a long time and they seem to have most of the records for small bore. So I think in my little pee brain. in a tactical bolt rifle it would be silly to chamber in .308. just my opinion...Why shoot a rifle that only retains 600 ft.pounds of energy @ 1000 yards??? I don't get it. And on top of that everyone that shoots to compete reloads. This may be hard to swallow but, there just don't seem to be one good reason to shoot a .308 in a Bolt gun. Even the Army and Marines have changed.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nevada Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">When the SHTF see how easy it will be to find 260,338,6mm,7mm ammo.There will always be lots of 308 and 223 ammo everywhere! </div></div>

Yes, to this.

Not exactly sure why this is a dumb reason to choose a .308 over any of the above mentioned calibers? I know it's something that I definitely take into consideration. i.e., how readily available is the ammunition and what's the lowest cost per round? Could go into any backwoods, mom 'n pop sporting goods shop and find some on the shelf? etc, etc.

I'm no zombie apocalypse fanatic, but it's something that I factor in.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AMM0</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nevada Hunter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">When the SHTF see how easy it will be to find 260,338,6mm,7mm ammo.There will always be lots of 308 and 223 ammo everywhere! </div></div>

Yes, to this.

Not exactly sure why this is a dumb reason to choose a .308 over any of the above mentioned calibers? I know it's something that I definitely take into consideration. i.e., how readily available is the ammunition and what's the lowest cost per round? Could go into any backwoods, mom 'n pop sporting goods shop and find some on the shelf? etc, etc.

I'm no zombie apocalypse fanatic, but it's something that I factor in.
</div></div>

Yep that has always been my consideration. I had a .357 revolver in Iraq but I could not find not find any rounds for the life of me for it. Even during economic collapses, like what happens in Argentina every few years, one can acquire ammo. However you just make it harder for yourself when you start dealing with specialty calibers. Plus IMHO it is always wise to shoot the same calibers as the local police, and military. Just my 2 cents..
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Give up the .308 Never. The only way I would retire my .308 would be to get better .308
But I love my 7mm rem mag too.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

I wouldn't say the 308 is ready to be catagorized as vintage. Just good old reliable classic. I love my .300 win mag but it will never replace my 308.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

I recently picked up an AI AW … in .308. Getting it in .260 Remington would have been nice, but I'm not in a position to load my own ammo. That made .308 a no-brainer.

—Andreas
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

I've got them all and the 308 is a very poor use of it's case capacity and COAL,as both terminal affects and downrange performance go.

None of which is subject to debate.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Living Large</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've got them all and the 308 is a very poor use of it's case capacity and COAL,as both terminal affects and downrange performance go.

None of which is subject to debate. </div></div>

If you say so, sonny.

I agree with BoltRipper about the .308.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Great...you and Bolt' feel to bump peters until you can trump a 2.815" OEM magfed COAL .625BC at 2700fps from a 22" spout.

I'll be waiting.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

Bet you listen to rap too.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diablo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bet you listen to rap too. </div></div>

Dumb Phuck...you are a clueless goddamned riot!

"Rap" this:

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Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diablo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bet you listen to rap too. </div></div>

Keep rappin' FanBoy.

You idiots crack me up!


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DAD_9681.jpg

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What do you do with all seven of the dollars you make an hour?!!?

Laffin!'
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diablo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bet you listen to rap too. </div></div>

Might this be an "awkward" silence?

Bless your heart.
 
Re: time to retire the .308??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">everyone must have a go-to .308 .......BOLTRIPPER</div></div>

The 30-06 is just the .308s daddy. You can say I have one, its just all growed up.