What? No 308?

[hunter24605]

It occured to me this morning that somehow I do not own a .308 Win. I had one in a M70 Fwt for a while that I gifted to a son in law. I've danced all around it, I have 243, 7mm-08, and 338 Fed. This dearth must be remedied..It's like a stamp collector without an Elvis..I'm seriously looking at a Bergara B-14 HMR..I like the few I've shot, and frankly my skills are not such that I'd be benefited by one of the "top shelf" precision rifles......So all you enablers chim in.

 

[Guy Miner]

Gosh, a good 308 is a wonderful rifle to own & use! And you can have it just about any way you want it: bolt action, lever action, semi-auto... I wonder if Remington still makes that slide-action/pump rifle in 308 Win...

Reasonable recoil, great accuracy, "good enough" power for most situations.

Heck, check into the various "scout rifles" offered anymore. They look fun and worthwhile.

Guy

 

[Thebear_78]

I guess it depends on what your looking for. Something light and short for hunting or something more suited for targets and steel. I think the 308 is like the 10/22. Everyone should have a couple around the house


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[hunter24605]

I guess it depends on what your looking for. Something light and short for hunting or something more suited for targets and steel. I think the 308 is like the 10/22. Everyone should have a couple around the house


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The combination of a bench shooter and being nimble and short is what turned me on to the Bergara. Although it's a little heavy at 9 pounds. But being a stand hunter, this isn't a big deal to me.

 

[Anonymous]

While I've largely left the .308 for the 6.5CM in the last couple of years, I'm happy to report that I've had a very long association with it.

I have to admit that, God forbid, I were ever limited to a single rifle cartridge...it'd be a .308WIN.

 

[TackDriver284]

Guy is right, a .308 is a great rifle to own, and I owned one before I sold it to own another one made by GA Precision. I love its accuracy and its wide choice of different bullets to choose to handload makes it great.

 

[coop22250]

I own a 308 model 7. It is my favorite round. Easy to load, easy to shoot, easy to find good bullets or ammo if you don’t load. 12 years everything but one mountain goat and one bear was taken with my 308.

If I ever move back south again I’ll wear this one out in the next 40 years. I stepped up to a bit faster round in AK for bigger bears, but 308 will always be my favorite. I hate 30-06 for some unexplainable and undefinable reason even though I know they outperform 308, just like shorties.

 

[DrMike]

Fascinatingly enough, I've worked up loads in .308 for many people, and never owned one myself. On several occasions, I determined that I would remedy that deficit, and somehow never did so. I've looked longingly at Featherweights chambered in the round on several occasions, but I always seemed to be turned aside to something else at the last moment. The last time I almost pulled the trigger on picking up a .308, I would up with a .358 Norma Magnum! Funny how easy it is to be chasing one thing and wind up with another.

 

[mjcmichigan]

Savage 99F in 308. You’ll be very happy.

Working mans gun that can shoot lights out.


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[Anonymous]

Fascinatingly enough, I've worked up loads in .308 for many people, and never owned one myself. .

DrMike- you should rectify that immediately! In something swanky...like a Kimber 84M, a Superamerica perhaps with good walnut and polished blue or one of Barrett's new 5 pound wonder rifles at 5 pounds even.

I really like the 84M action, the designer started with a .308 cartridge and designed the smallest, trimmest M70 type action that would house it. The Barrett is on Forbes' 20B action...which is basically the same idea with a 700 type.

 

[DrMike]

Fascinatingly enough, I've worked up loads in .308 for many people, and never owned one myself. .

DrMike- you should rectify that immediately! In something swanky...like a Kimber 84M, a Superamerica perhaps with good walnut and polished blue or one of Barrett's new 5 pound wonder rifles at 5 pounds even.

I really like the 84M action, the designer started with a .308 cartridge and designed the smallest, trimmest M70 type action that would house it. The Barrett is on Forbes' 20B action...which is basically the same idea with a 700 type.

That would be tempting, to be sure. Truthfully, I'd likely spring for that Featherweight, though I suspect that I'd be distracted by some other pretty bauble before I could get my hands on the .308.

 

[Blkram]

Interestingly I have probably owned more bolt action (Rem 700) and lever action (BLR and Model 88's) rifles chambered to 308 Win than any other single cartridge, but do not own a single one today.

Yes, I have harvested a few big game with the 308 (for example, my first whitetail buck, and a whitetail doe with my friend's Dad's BLR, moose with a Model 88, ). But over the past 20 years, most 308's I have bought has been purchased to use the action for a custom build or to rebarrel to another cartidge/caliber. My first custom rifle was a Rem 700 LH in 308 that was completely redone into my 300 WSM. And two Model 88's in 308 are now a 338 Federal and a 7mm-08.

While I may not "hate" the 308 (or the 30-06), they just have never done anything for me. Yes, great cartridges that do a lot of things well, just have never been exactly what I wanted or was looking for.


As a stand rifle, the Ruger Scout Rifle may be an option for you.
The Anniversary edition of the Ruger No.1 is a great looking rifle chambered to the 308. While sitting in your stand, you can admire its very nice wood.

 

[rjm158]

Tikka T-3. No frills, superb accuracy,light weight, adjustable trigger, floated barrel, etc. Several different versions available but for a hunting rifle I like the blued synthetic. I have a 260 in a Forest and it has a nice, but not extravagant, walnut stock if that's more to your taste.

I own more 308's than any other catridge but none are more accurate than my Tikkas.

Juast my .02.

Ron

 

[JD338]

As already mentioned, the 308 Win is pretty versital
and tough to beat for a majority of the hunting in NA.
I agree with the others that you should fill the void in your collection and get a 308 Win post haste.
Than you might want to consider adding a 260 Rem and a 358 Win to complete your collection!

JD338

 

[hunter24605]

There will certainly be one in the safe very soon. I'm just going to lurk the gun shops and handle as many different makes, models, and configurations as I can and see what "speaks" to me.

 

[coop22250]

The best part is the 6.5 is so hot, there are some good deals on 308 right now if they’ve been on the shelf a bit


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[wvbuckbuster]

My first deer was killed with a .308 then owned couple afterwards but stayed with the .30-06 Bought a Savage Mod 10 PCH this summer in .308 to shoot in my clubs 300 yd bench shoots. I like it, groups better than I can hold and could take it to my stand if I want to( 2019 bucket list) A good round that filled a need. Dan.

 

[maverick2]

Savage 99F in 308. You’ll be very happy.

Working mans gun that can shoot lights out.


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I second this! By far my favorite rifle to shoot, whether hunting or target practice. You're not likely to find one that shoots 1/2 MOA, but it's a ball to practice fast follow-up shots with... Currently have two in the gunsafe and am about to welcome a third.

 

[taylorce1]

I've been thoroughly impressed with the Howa .308 I bought my daughter last year. It is basically the old Alpine rifle, and the rifle weighs right at 7lbs scoped. She took four deer with it this year, and now she's smitten as well.

This is the first .308 in our household as well, and probably will not be the last. I just never bought one because I have the .300 Savage and .30-06. I reload when I get the time, but these last few years have not allotted me much time at the bench and ammo availability is a lot better for the .308 than most other cartridges.

 

[truck driver]

For a factory rifle for both target and hunting though I don't own one I would look to the Tika The T3 has a good reputation for a new rifle and a good used M70 Classic for hunting would be my second choice depending on how much I wanted to spend.