Talk me out of a 308

[Baron23]

Not me...yeah, I have a 6.5 CM with MTU and chassis for the range at weighs in at like 22 lbs or so.

But, I also have a Rem 5R in .308 that, while a tad on the heavy side for hunting, I use for white tails (yeah, at 68 its a box blind and I ain't walking any mountains for Elk haha) while also very good at the range.

Main things we did was put a Jewell trigger in it and skim bed the aluminum bedding block in the HS stock.

Shoots very well.

 

[vonb]

I have at one time or another had .243, .260, 6.5 CM and .308. No matter how much flatter, faster, more accurate the smaller calibers are, I have a sweet spot for the .308. Shooting a .308 at 1,000 yards separates folks that can make wind calls from those that cannot. The smaller calibers are more forgiving and help with that. As a hunting round under 600 yards, it works and with authority. The .243 may not offer a complete pass through where the .308 most likely will. Recoil with the .308 is considerably more on the bench. After a 3 relay F/TR match, I'm fatigued from recoil. With all of that said, I'll always have a .308.

 

[cw308]

Building a rifle for mostly target shooting out to 600 yards , finding the right load once your build is complete . I'm sure your reloading , mow is a tuff time for supplies . As I posted before, I all in for a 308 , I found the most helpful in tightening the group after finding the right load was changing the trigger to a Jewell set at 10 ounces. My be too light for the occasional hunt . My Remaining. Started out as a Remington 700 LTR , changed to the full size stock that's on the 700P and a Jewell trigger. After 4000+ through the barrel I had it completely blueprinted , bedded , barrel is a Rock Creek M24 5R 11:27 trist 20" . Ranges in my area are 200 yard max. So that all I shoot . Rear bag off a bypod I'm getting average 1/2" ten shot groups , shoot 3 ten shot groups every range trip. Never went long and I'm sure it would take another load , at my distance I shoot a very mild load 40.5 IMR 4064 under a 168gr Sierra MK , works great at 200 yards.

 

[Ray123]

I have a savage 110 24" in 308. I also have a 26" 6.5 creed savage lrp. My creedmoor drops 20% less than my 308 at a grand and has 25% less wind deflection. The 7mm-08 can perform similarly ballistically to the 6.5 creedmoor. If you want to shoot at elk the 7mm-08 will be as flat and wind cheating as a 6.5 creed with match grade hunting bullets but will have more energy and better barrel life. The 7mm-08 will deliver more energy on target at all ranges than a 308 and has excelent barrel life.

I would seriously consider a 7mm-08 if you want a cartridge ballistically superior to 308, with more energy than 308, fits in a mag easier than 308, and has similar barrel life to 308. Id say it checks more boxes than any other 473 bolt face short action cartridge that you can mag feed.

reloader 16 and staball 6.5 can both drive a 150 grain bullet at 2800 fps out of a 22" barrel. Or a 160 grain at 2700 and 2750 respectively.

I have 2 rifles in 6 5 Creedmoor and 6 in 308 in many configurations...they will all kill if you have good bullet placement. But it depends on how you configure your 308. The long heavy 30" barrel runs over 3600 ft lbs of muzzle energy with 200 gr .715 BC G1 or .360 G7 bullets at 2856 fps average. 7.4 mil to 1000 yds. But that's not for hunting. My 7.75 lb 22" 9 twist Bartlein will run the same 200 gr .715 mk bullet at 2740 fps with 5 shots into less than a half inch, with good trajectory and wind drift and more energy on target. But it really is a personal choice. They all get the job done with good bullet placement. I never worried about drop or wind deflection in all the years I hunted . I used cheap cup and core factory 2nds on deer in 338 mag, 200gr to 275 gr even 250 rd nose. Use a 7 mag on elk but wanted a larger exit wound, so the old 338 win mag was used on every game animal, large and small, down to ground Squirrel, and shoot the heads off camp meat. Cheap 2 to 7X Leupold set on 2X, so I can kill em on the run in the brush or pole thickets where I find the game. One kill (dumb deer) at about 600yds and all the rest 150 yds or less, most inside 100 yards, and on the move. Maybe it's not the cartridge but the hunter, and his style of hunting. Muzzle loader, bow, shotgun, or 45-70. I tried those and always come back to the 338 or model 7 350RM modified by me with 250 grs at 2630 fps in a 20" barrel...2nd focal plane low power variable.