280 Rem vs 308 Win

[Guy Miner]

All kidding aside (well mostly anyway, this thread is full of kidding!) the reasons I stick with my .308 are:

One of my rifles, a Browning BLR, is a nice short-action lever rifle - I've tried the long receiver version of it and it just doesn't handle well for me. A lever gun is all about handling as far as I'm concerned. So, short action it is. The .308 makes a good all-around cartridge for that rifle. Mostly my oldest son uses that rifle anymore. Thinks it's his.

The other rifle, a short-action Rem 700, is used for three separate tasks: hunting, target competition, and as a police duty rifle. Actually the hunting can be broken down into both varmint and big game as I've hunted critters from ground squirrel to bear with the same rifle. It's worked well as a hunting rifle.

The .308 Win does real well for target shooting competition and remains popular for that purpose, yet I've never seen a .280 Rem at a match. All sorts of other cartridges, but no .280's. Doggone .308 is ridiculously easy to achieve accuracy with. Also, I typically get about a 5,000 round barrel life, and have been through several barrels.

My rifle has to shoot the issue ammo, .308 Win. That really limits it.

So, although the ballistics obviously favor the .280 Rem, there's still a very legitimate home for the .308 Win in my gun safe.

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

If I had a .308, I wouldn't jettison it just to buy a .280 (unless the .280 was a CRF Winchester Featherweight). Either will perform more than adequately for most of the game we hunt in North America. Either can be made to produce great accuracy.

 

[Wis65x55]

I would go for a Browning BLR 308 for thich timber and brush and short range shots.
When their is potential for longer shots I will reach for the gentlemen’s 7mm mag.
Keith

 

[clearwater]

I thought the 30 cal special was a necked up 7x57 case? The 30-06 and 308 are just copies
of the mauser round anyway.

 

[Guy Miner]

"I would go for a Browning BLR 308 for thich timber and brush and short range shots."

Keith - that's exactly why Dad got this BLR back in the late 1970's, early 1980's - for hunting wild hogs in California. He made a great snap-shot on one hog his first trip with the rifle. It's a fast handling rascal, and reasonably accurate.

A buddy had one re-bored to .358 Win, making it even more useful on big game and has used it extensively on elk.

 

[SJB358]

"I would go for a Browning BLR 308 for thich timber and brush and short range shots."

Keith - that's exactly why Dad got this BLR back in the late 1970's, early 1980's - for hunting wild hogs in California. He made a great snap-shot on one hog his first trip with the rifle. It's a fast handling rascal, and reasonably accurate.

A buddy had one re-bored to .358 Win, making it even more useful on big game and has used it extensively on elk.

The Browning BLR 358 is in a league of its own. Loaded up properly it is a hammer and has some reach as well. I am very impressed with the 225 PT's in this rifle. Gotta get it boxed up to send to the smith for a little trigger work, but once it is done, look out. It is going to be hard to put down. I clamor alot about the Whelen, but the little 358 is really alot of HP in a small package.