If there were a classic, workhorse .308 bolt-action what would it be?

[boltman13]

A few observations and my $0.02 worth. I was at three different big box stores last Thursday, Cabelas, Sportsman's Warehouse, and Murdock's. By far the most available factory ammunition was 223 Rem., 6.5 Creedmoor, and 308 Win. All kinds, match, hunting, blasting. Many different bullet weights. If one doesn't hand load this would be a major consideration depending on what you are doing and where. I have extensive experience with all three rounds, mainly handloading for various competitions and hunting. My first 308 Win. was a 40X magazine rifle with a 24" bull barrel. It was very accurate. I shot XC High Power, and killed one antelope buck with a Nosler 165 gr. Ballistic Tip at a measured 267 yds. I eventually re-barreled it with a Hart 29" Heavy Palma in 6.5 Creedmoor and shot long range sling. I had a Remington 700 re-barreled in 308 and a F-Class stock to shoot F-TR. With Berger 185 gr. Hybrids it shot better than I could. After making Sharpshooter I stalled out and went completely over to F-Open and now both Remington's have 30+ inch heavy barrels one Bartline the other Brux in 6.5 Creedmoor. I made Expert and just missed making Master with these. I have taken a doe antelope with a 6.5 Creedmoor RAP and it is now my only hunting rifle. I have owned 2 Winchester Model 70's, one a pre 64 Featherweight in 243 which I didn't think was very lite and one with a last year Newhaven build in 300 WSM which had 4 one shot kills on elk, 3 bulls and one cow. I sold the pre-64 at a real good profit, and traded the 300 WSM for a target rifle. My experience with Model 70's both pre and post 64's is that they are fine hunting rifles and one in 308 Win. would handle any game I choose to hunt. My oldest grandson has decided he wants to start hunting elk like his younger brother. I am haunting local sources for a 308 Win. to share with him and eventually give him. I have looked at Tika T-3's, Begara's, Savage 10's and Axis's, and Ruger Americans. Locally there just are no Model 70's or Rem. 700's to even look at. Anyone have another suggestion?

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

@ boltman,..
For Elk / Moose, I'd look at, the 6.5 PRC or, .270 WSM with, 140 Bergers, clocking 3,100+ in the 6.5 and 3,200 FPS, in the .270 WSM both, are going around, 2,000 FPS at 800 Yards and WITHOUT, the Heavy Recoil of Bigger Rifles with, no Brake.
My SS, T-3, 24" Tikka, in .270 WSM weigh's 7 lbs, 10 Ounces,.. "All Up" and Kills Elk,.. "well" !
The .30-06 w/ 180's and 7 MM rem Mag.,.. w/ 160's are also, "Good" Choices

 

[joshb]

I recently picked up my first Ruger M77. It looks an awful lot like a Mauser to me.

 

[joshb]

A few observations and my $0.02 worth. I was at three different big box stores last Thursday, Cabelas, Sportsman's Warehouse, and Murdock's. By far the most available factory ammunition was 223 Rem., 6.5 Creedmoor, and 308 Win. All kinds, match, hunting, blasting. Many different bullet weights. If one doesn't hand load this would be a major consideration depending on what you are doing and where. I have extensive experience with all three rounds, mainly handloading for various competitions and hunting. My first 308 Win. was a 40X magazine rifle with a 24" bull barrel. It was very accurate. I shot XC High Power, and killed one antelope buck with a Nosler 165 gr. Ballistic Tip at a measured 267 yds. I eventually re-barreled it with a Hart 29" Heavy Palma in 6.5 Creedmoor and shot long range sling. I had a Remington 700 re-barreled in 308 and a F-Class stock to shoot F-TR. With Berger 185 gr. Hybrids it shot better than I could. After making Sharpshooter I stalled out and went completely over to F-Open and now both Remington's have 30+ inch heavy barrels one Bartline the other Brux in 6.5 Creedmoor. I made Expert and just missed making Master with these. I have taken a doe antelope with a 6.5 Creedmoor RAP and it is now my only hunting rifle. I have owned 2 Winchester Model 70's, one a pre 64 Featherweight in 243 which I didn't think was very lite and one with a last year Newhaven build in 300 WSM which had 4 one shot kills on elk, 3 bulls and one cow. I sold the pre-64 at a real good profit, and traded the 300 WSM for a target rifle. My experience with Model 70's both pre and post 64's is that they are fine hunting rifles and one in 308 Win. would handle any game I choose to hunt. My oldest grandson has decided he wants to start hunting elk like his younger brother. I am haunting local sources for a 308 Win. to share with him and eventually give him. I have looked at Tika T-3's, Begara's, Savage 10's and Axis's, and Ruger Americans. Locally there just are no Model 70's or Rem. 700's to even look at. Anyone have another suggestion?

Gunbroker, tho prices are a bit high these days. If you keep looking, some reasonable deals can be found.

 

[ronsatspokane]

Those modern Sako's with occasional ejection issues people bitch about? I would call them post-Sako Sako's!

The world is filled with philistines.

 

[David Milisock]

On the bolt-action side, over the years acquired a couple of .30-06s and couple of .243s. I renew my interest in centerfire rifles every few years and the apparently miraculous .308 has a growing appeal. One of my .30-06s has never had a round through it and the other only a handful. Starting to do more hunting, but with gettn’ up there it’s clear I ain’t gonna’ be going out west hunting and the .243s are fine for anything around me.

Crossing my mind to pick up a .308 bolt, not for practical reasons but just to say I finally got one and can use that cartridge (like for example if a case of .308 parachuted out of the sky - I keep hoping). So the question is, with what I've described, would there be any practical reason to own a .308, other than just to satisfy the romantic appeal? Could it do something for me what I already got can’t? And if so, would you trade one of the .30-06s or just buy outright? Never traded in anything, do you get a fair value?

Is there some classic workhorse (but not outrageously priced) .308 bolt-action that is the must-have even if just to hang on the wall and say “Ain’t it beautiful”? Personal opinions and thoughts appreciated - thanks

If you have an 06 why bother with a 308?

 

[Myshootinstinks]

Older Sako l579. Does it need to be a bolt action? A late '50s-early '60s Savage 99. A pre 64 M70 is nice but the same long action a 30-06.

 

[drop_point]

Looking at, Bullet "Drop" Ballistics, the 6.5 Creed with, any of, the HIGH BC, 140 - 142 -143-147 grain bullets,.. BEATS, the .308 Win @ Past,.. 600 Yards !
And the Tikka T-3, SS,.. BEATs all, the other, Sub $1,000. factory Rifles for, Accuracy,.. usually.
But that's just,.. MY opinion for, a "Work Horse Rifle" with, the 7 MM-08 TIKKA,.. coming in at, a Close 2ND !
Give me a Few Minutes to, get my, Flame Retardant suit on guys ,.. LOL !
PS;.. My New 6.5 Creed. 24" TIKKA, puts 3, Hornady 143 ELD-X's Totally covered by, a Nickel at, 100 Yds and on, one of, My "Good Days", IT can put 3 into, under a Dime and IT'S now, my New, Fun, "Work Horse" Rifle

Are you hunting past 600 yards with a factory Tikka? If not, then irrelevant! My Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor wouldn't go past 2610 fps with 140s no matter how hard I tried to make it, but my 22" .308 would make 175s run 2710. Even past 600, not much difference in performance.

 

[Tesoro]

Was never a hunting cartridge despite being one of the most common hunting cartridges on the planet?

Had to look it up. Learned something. I always thought the 7.62 came first and the 308 commerical spun off it for hunting market. Other way around by 2 years!

 

[FNSafari]

How does your 6.5 creedless do with 200 gr. Nosler Partitions? No flame suit required this is for fun.

I'd ask the same question about the .30 cal 220 Nosler partition. I am a fan of the semi-roundnose design that nosler used to make in the 200 but now only in the 220. That's what they used to call it, but we all know that no competent rifleman would buy anything with "roundnose" in its description, hence the name change to simi-spitzer. Marketing departments, blah!

 

[drop_point]

Had to look it up. Learned something. I always thought the 7.62 came first and the 308 commerical spun off it for hunting market. Other way around by 2 years!

Yup, Winchester sent it to SAMMI and made Winchester 70s in .308 Win before Frankfort Arsenal was finished with it. You may say it was "co-developed" or "parallel-developed" with the 7.62 NATO.

 

[Tesoro]

Yup, Winchester sent it to SAMMI and made Winchester 70s in .308 Win before Frankfort Arsenal was finished with it. You may say it was "co-developed" or "parallel-developed" with the 7.62 NATO.

Yes the 308 winchester was introduced as a hunting cartridge before the army got their act together. I shoot an '06 with 178 eld-x. A modern 308 rifle with a faster twist and right powder would be right along side the '06 with that load but in a more compact package. Plus you can buy cheap plinking rounds galore unlike the '06.

 

[Doug Bogg]

If you have an 06 why bother with a 308?

@ebb @K22 @Rset @MQ1

Thanks everyone for replies - all comments educational and appreciated. This is one great forum and your insights demonstrate what I need is nothing except more ammo for what I’ve already got. As several of you have wisely written a .30-06 can perform like a .308 if desired. I asked and you guys generously answered - thanks.

A comment was made that it’s good to have lots of different rifles in different chamberings but I’m of the opposite school. I’d rather have the fewest different, of the most versatile cartridges, limiting the different types of ammo needed and so have a higher quantity of those. On the bolt-action front, anticipating continuing tuning and exploring the world of the .243

 

[Tesoro]

@ebb @K22 @Rset @MQ1

Thanks everyone for replies - all comments educational and appreciated. This is one great forum and your insights demonstrate what I need is nothing except more ammo for what I’ve already got. As several of you have wisely written a .30-06 can perform like a .308 if desired. I asked the question and you guys generously answered - thanks.

A comment was made that it’s good to have lots of different rifles in different chamberings but I’m of the opposite school. I’d rather have the fewest different, of the most versatile cartridges, limiting the different types of ammo needed and so have a higher quantity of those. On the bolt-action front, anticipating continuing tuning and exploring the world of the .243

I'm with you on this! I thinned my pack way down to only high end bolts/optics. 22lr, 223, 6br norma and 30-06. Have one slot left in safe for a 6.5!

 

[K22]

@ebb @K22 @Rset @MQ1

Thanks everyone for replies - all comments educational and appreciated. This is one great forum and your insights demonstrate what I need is nothing except more ammo for what I’ve already got. As several of you have wisely written a .30-06 can perform like a .308 if desired. I asked and you guys generously answered - thanks.

A comment was made that it’s good to have lots of different rifles in different chamberings but I’m of the opposite school. I’d rather have the fewest different, of the most versatile cartridges, limiting the different types of ammo needed and so have a higher quantity of those. On the bolt-action front, anticipating continuing tuning and exploring the world of the .243

When I first started and with limited resources, I began with a 243 Win. and it performed magnificently on deer, varmints and predators. I become very good with this one rifle mainly because I knew it well. It went to an even higher level once I started reloading.

After I obtained my first professional job, I went down "rabbit hole" trying a bunch of different calibers and rifles. While the journey was expensive and sometimes frustrating, it was somewhat fun.

However, as I got older, I discovered that they all performed fairly the same. The real difference or game changer was learning how to shoot and spending more practical shooting time at the range. By practical I mean practicing in the manner in which I intend to use the rifle. It paid huge dividends in the field.

So, I've come full circle. A few years ago, I began consolidating and changing my focus from acquiring more things to becoming a better marksman. I spend a fair amount of time practicing when I'm not hunting. This is fun for me. Learning to shoot really well with what you have can be rewarding.

 

[Doug Bogg]

Yes! - excellent summary - appreciate your insights

 

[Doug Casner]

I always thought that the U.S. switching to 7.62 over 30 cal. was a NATO deal. Shoot the same ammo as our allies. The old 30 cal. or 3006 won two world wars, fought to a draw in korea. Hard to improve on that. Doug

 

[joshb]

If you have an 06 why bother with a 308?

Because pulling that longer bolt is so much harder and slower!

 

[ronsatspokane]

I'm with you on this! I thinned my pack way down to only high end bolts/optics. 22lr, 223, 6br norma and 30-06. Have one slot left in safe for a 6.5!

I've thinned the herd a half a dozed times. Kicked myself in the arse for sending a couple of those down the road. Always seem to end up back where I started. But I've always enjoyed the process of getting back to the point I needed to thin.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Are you hunting past 600 yards with a factory Tikka? If not, then irrelevant! My Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor wouldn't go past 2610 fps with 140s no matter how hard I tried to make it, but my 22" .308 would make 175s run 2710. Even past 600, not much difference in performance.

I can run, the Horn 143 gr. ELD-X's over 2,700 FPS from my 24" Tikka with StaBall Powder and they Recoil,..
a LOT LESS than, a 175 grain, .308.
Nope, NO Plans to Hunt anything, but Deer, Antelope and Coyotes with, the 6.5 Creed ( 600- 700 Max range ).
I use, a .270 WSM with, 140 grain, Classic Hunter Berger's at, 3,185 FPS for, Elk / Moose ( That Bullet IS, still going over, 2,000 FPS at,.. 800 yds ). But, I Practice a LOT with, the LOWER Recoiling 6.5 on, Field Position shooting, SKIPPING over, the HARSHER Recoiling, .308 sorry but, that's just MY opinion, using my, 60+ Years of, Experience, WHY punish myself with, MORE,.. Recoil ??
When, My .270 WSM gets, "Burned Out", I'll probably go with, the Ballistically superior, 7 SAUM or 7 PRC ( Braked )
There's a reason WHY, the 6.5 Creedmoor, is so Popular,.. L R Accuracy and, LIGHT,.. RECOIL