Best combination target/hunting gun; 308 or 284 Win?

[VaniB]

I'm stuck trying to decide between a 284 Win, or a 308 Win. I've thought long and hard and am NOT interested in any other cartridge. It will have an LA action, a 26" brux sendero barrel, and a harrel muzzle brake. I intend to handload and try for sub 1/2" accuracy at 100 yard target shooting, but want it to serve for deer hunting too. I intend to shoot 140 to 162gr bullets out of the 284 with a 1-9 twist, and 155 to 168gr bullets out of the 308 with a 1-11 twist. (or maybe 1-12 twist ??). Scoped, I expect it to weigh about 9 lbs. For hunting, I know the both rifles will make a fine deer gun up to 300 yards or more, but was wondering if the 308 has the edge for elk too. (??)



Which of the two would you think will serve best in meeting my objectives as defined? And providing that the gun can cater to hunters as well as those who enjoy target shooting, which one do you think I might have an easier time of selling later?

 

[johnu]

Well, if its a hunting rifle, you can buy .308 ammo just about anywhere . . .

 

[jbpmidas]

+1 for availability of ammo on the .308! The 284 should have the energy advantage, but inside 300 yards, that probably won't mean much.

 

[ShootDots]

The advancements in hunting bullets today make MOST "non-magnum" calibers perform like the old magnums once did. If you limit your animal take too 300 yards MAX, either will do and you will NOT see the difference between the 2. Now I just burned out a .308 barrel. You are looking at a 1-11 or 1-12 twist barrel. I shot 168gr Berger B/T's with a 1-13 twist. BUT the 1-13 twist is too slow for any bullet with a higher B.C. or heavier in weight. The 1-12 is BY FAR the best twist for bullets up to AND including 185's. If you use a Tipped Triple Shock in any bullet weight below 175gr. you will have a SUPERB hunting rifle in .308. Now if you want to shoot targets, my 308 shot 168gr. Berger B/T's seated 7K INTO the lands with 44grs. of RL-15 and CCI- BR-2 primers. You could PROBABLY switch to a hunting bullet of similar weight and use the same powder load and you will be in business. Oh and by the way, before my .308 was shot out, it shot MANY groups (5 shots each) under 1/2" @ 300 yards. I hope this helps..

 

[Glenn Powell]

Make it a switch barrel and have the best of both worlds. I don't know much about 7mm's, but the 308 has a pretty large selection of bullets from varmints to elk to targets. Good luck, good hunting, and good times.

 

[MrMajestic]

Dang that's a tough one. I don't have a .284 but do a 7mm RSAM and several .308's. Not to much difference between the .284 and the RSAUM and since you specified reloading my vote would be for the .284. To match the BC in .308 with what you get in 7mm the weights go way up along with recoil and reduced velocity due to case capacity. Not a real big difference and I still love my .308's but still gotta go with the 7. JMHO.

 

[Nomad47]

What Mr M said makes a lot of sense. I couldn't have said it any better.

 

[Preacher]

What the last 2 said.....

 

[Will]

My vote goes for 308. Not much on North America you can't hunt with it ... and it is proven in Match. Maybe I'm biased because that is all I use (besides 22LR & 12 ga) but it works for me in all the rifles I use. Been that way for better than 30 years.

 

[DCRYDER]

This would be an easy choice for me....284!!!! Especially since you are using a LA. To match a .284 168 vlds BC with a 308 you would have to use a 210gr bullet. I have also learned that 7mm bullets just plain old outperform 30s after contact with a deer. Seems to me that 30s are "harder" and dont expand as much or as fast as the 7mm.

I am in the same boat as you but with the 6.5-284, 284 win, and 280AI. Too darned many good cartridges to choose from.

 

[VaniB]

This would be an easy choice for me....284!!!! Especially since you are using a LA. To match a .284 168 vlds BC with a 308 you would have to use a 210gr bullet. I have also learned that 7mm bullets just plain old outperform 30s after contact with a deer. Seems to me that 30s are "harder" and dont expand as much or as fast as the 7mm.

I am in the same boat as you but with the 6.5-284, 284 win, and 280AI. Too darned many good cartridges to choose from.

I enjoy knowing I will have superior ballistics and the extra oomph of the 284Win without getting into the bigger 7mm cartridges. But the reality is that while I know the power and numbers are there in the 284Win for long range shooting (when and if I want to try it), I mostly shoot target at 100 yards. I'm not sure if even with a Harrel's brake at the bench, I might not like that extra 8-10 grains of powder in the 284. The 308 ballistics are not bad for the shorter case.....with the differences in ballistics being miniscule between the both at 100 yards. BUT...am I over thinking this and needlessly considering the 308 over the 284 because of differences of blast and recoil that are small? .....Or, after 20-30 rounds of timed/slow fire, are the differnces NOT so small after all. (??)

I feel there's a satisfaction in owning that Corvette that you know does 190MPH and 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.......even if you don't plan to much use it that way. While I kind of look forward to the 284Win, I don't want to discover that the extra 8-10 grains will cause regrets via added recoil.

 

[jbpmidas]

I have both, well, my 284 is a Shehane. The 284's recoil is not much greater than the 308. My match 308 load is a 185 Hybrid at 2660. I am still in load development for the Shehane, but my fireforming load is a 162 A-Max at 2704. Th recoil on that load is less than the 308. The match load I am working on is a 180 VLD at an estimated 2800 (I haven't gotten to the chrono stage yet). That load gives a push, but it's still less than the .30-06 I used to shoot.

 

[VaniB]

........ I am still in load development for the Shehane, but my fireforming load is a 162 A-Max at 2704. Th recoil on that load is less than the 308. ......

Interesting. For the straight 284 in a 26" barrel that I intend to do (should I choose it over a 308 rifle) your numbers are exactly where I'm planning on being. I'm planning on the 162 Amax being at 2,700 FPS for the low, and 2,800 FPS as the possible high. Wherever I get sub 1/2" accuracy is where I will leave it. However, I'm planning on trying to keep the proposed scoped 284 or 308 rifle at about 9lbs. I suppose your rifles are heavier, so I can expect mine will kick a bit more.

But then again, mine will have a brake, and yours probably does not have an MB.

 

[XTR]

I'd build a 308 on a short action. A 308 in a long action is pretty much a wasted inch in just about any application that I can think of; that said, as a hunting rifle for shooting inside 300 yds the 308 will do everything the 284 will do, but it does it with less powder cheaper components and more barrel life and tons of off the shelf ammo in a pinch.

 

[coreydelong]

A .284 in match trim would probably need a 31" finished barrel. That's what most guys in my club use, and it's what Carl Bernosky recommended when I have one chambered by him.

A 31" barrel does not fit too many hunting venues though..... I vote switch barrel.

.308 for hunting and .284 for match work.

 

[jbpmidas]

........ I am still in load development for the Shehane, but my fireforming load is a 162 A-Max at 2704. Th recoil on that load is less than the 308. ......

Interesting. For the straight 284 in a 26" barrel that I intend to do (should I choose it over a 308 rifle) your numbers are exactly where I'm planning on being. I'm planning on the 162 Amax being at 2,700 FPS for the low, and 2,800 FPS as the possible high. Wherever I get sub 1/2" accuracy is where I will leave it. However, I'm planning on trying to keep the proposed scoped 284 or 308 rifle at about 9lbs. I suppose your rifles are heavier, so I can expect mine will kick a bit more.

But then again, mine will have a brake, and yours probably does not have an MB.

My match 308 and 284 both weigh the same, so you 9lb gun would recoil the same in 308 or 284. With muzzle brake, recoil shouldn't be your concern. The 162 between 27-2800 does not recoil much anyway. Your concerns should be ballistics and ammo/component availability. Hunting under 300 yards, the 284 probably has no great ballistic advantage unless you push it hard. 400 and beyond, I believe there's no question the 284 is the superior ballistic choice.

 

[rvn1968]

308 Hands down.Every store has ammo and it has been proven at short(my m14) and very long range. Did you ever here of Carlos Hathcock ? A man has a smaller kill zone than a deer. If your lucky you might see that record elk at long range.The killer is to find a place to practice at long range in all conditions.Here in CT all of the farms,that I used to practice on woodchucks,are being turned into developments.Good Luck Tom

 

[Steve Blair]

308 Hands down.Every store has ammo and it has been proven at short(my m14) and very long range. Did you ever here of Carlos Hathcock ? A man has a smaller kill zone than a deer. If your lucky you might see that record elk at long range.The killer is to find a place to practice at long range in all conditions.Here in CT all of the farms,that I used to practice on woodchucks,are being turned into developments.Good Luck Tom

[br]
I believe that Hathcock mostly used a .30-'06 Winchester Model 70.

 

[VaniB]

I just have to say that I'm a bit surprised how some of the comments sound better geared for stock factory rifles. No criticism intended as much as I'm simply a bit surprised how the "availability of 308 Winchester ammo" is being mentioned as a condsideration on a forum mostly populated by accuracy afficianados with defined goals. Long or short action, (but as mentioned; it will be LA) I think the majority of the folks on these forums own and shoot custom barrels that are usually custom reamed for special purpose long length cartridges.....and often with tight necks to boot.

Consdering whether standard boxed factory 308 ammo is available at the local store is not an option....nor a deciding factor.

 

[jbpmidas]

With no ammo consideration, I'd go 284. Ballistically, the 308 is not its equal!