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Why 308 is the Best for Hunting | Comparing .308 vs .223 and .30-06

The 308 Winchester is the ammunition of military origin: it is the civilian version of 7.62 × 51 NATO. Adopted in 1951 by the US Army, this ammunition was designed to find a common substitute, intermediate power, at 30-06 Sprg and 30M1. This new ammunition, calibre.30 (nominal 7.62), also had to be fired in guns in the private weapon of the soldier, in the concept of the assault rifle.

As a result, the new ammunition was designed to be accurate, 12mm shorter than the old .30-06. The military kinship has made the 308 win the most used calibre by firing weapons: Regulatory calibre, it is used for all weapons of long-range fire by the military and the police. By way of discharge, all the manufacturers offered their firearms chambered in this calibre.

The configuration of its socket allows using more powders for its loading, so use short barrels without performance losses. Also, its shorter sleeve allows the use of shorter heads than those for standard sockets. These features make it possible to make light rifles chambered in a calibre whose diameter corresponds to the Hunting of large animals.

The performance of the 308 Win distinguishes it from .30-06 (and 7 × 64): for an identical ball, the 308 Win makes 4% to 7% speed, bringing the proportion of energy loss from the order of 7% to 14%. By flow, the shot of the 308Win will bring a reduced decline.

For comparison, the performance, speed and energy of the 308Win are slightly higher than those of the 8x57JRS, whose wide diffusion in the swinging arms proves that it is not necessary to send a ball at 900m / s for it is effective.

There are a lot of rifles, but the 308Win stands out. Competitive standard cartridges very implanted, it is little used by hunters, rarely beaten, rather on the lookout. However, it must be considered that it has sufficient power for its use on all lands and all game of our regions.

One reason for increasing the popularity of the 308 maybe the ban on lead-containing bullets. At equal weight a copper ball is longer than that containing lead which may not be suitable for all guns: to keep projectile lengths reasonable, it will be necessary to lighten the projectiles. Then, their speed will become more important: the ball of 9.7 g in a .30-06 has a speed located around 900m / s, like a .300WM with a ball of 11,7g. It will cause the same damage in venison, hence the use of ammunition whose bullet is endowed with more reasonable speed, like the 308Win.

The advantages of the 308Win are that it has sufficient performance to be used for hunting all our large animals, its retreat is moderate, and the weapons that pull it can be lightened. Although losing a little energy, the use of a ball of 9.7g (150gr) will be recommended for those who want to improve their shooting comfort, as well as get a trajectory a little tenser.

308 Balistic Results

RangeDrop (inches)EnergyVelocityTime (millisec.)
0-1.4936264828200
1000.007522482598111
200-3.657618972387232
300-13.44561590  2185  363
400-30.540113231993507
500-56.414610931812665

308 is the Best for Accurate Medium-Range Hunting

If you are looking for a rifle designed for medium to long-range shooting, the 308 Winchester is standout ammunition. The 915-meter effective range this rifle possesses in addition to the constant desire of the US army to utilise an 800 meters maximum effective range makes it unique. In essence, this translates to the 308 hitting of the target accurately when one makes use of the right bullet and pull the trigger at the appropriate time. It is for this reason; this rifle is considered the best choice for Hunting.

Comparing 308 with the .223 Rem. and .30-06

A lot of people have attested that the .308 is the best rifle for medium and long-range Hunting. Although manufacturers have hyped a lot of cartridges, a huge chunk has failed to meet the expectation of people, while the others have exceeded expectations. In place of this, this section will review why the .308 Winchester when put in contrast with .223 Remington and .30-06 Springfield.

Hunting

In the hunting world at the moment, there is a great debate amongst hunters on which ammo is the best for hunting among the .223 Remington, the .30-06 and .308. Although the three ammo possesses their pros and cons, there is still one which stands out amongst the three. Hence, the question arises, which is better among the three?

In terms of competitive Hunting and shooting, the Winchester .308 stands feet above others. The .308 Winchester is designed for hunting medium and large-sized animals such as bears, elephants, deer, elk and a host of others.

With this peculiar feature of the .308 in mind, when it is compared with the .223, it stands shoulders over it in terms of the capacity. In a lot of regions, the .233 Remington is illegal for Hunting of games. It is best used for hunting small animals rather than medium and big games.

Stopping Power

When compared side by side with the .308Winster, the .223 has a light and small bullet diameter, i.e. .378 in contrast to the heavy and large bullet diameter of the .308 Winchester. The .223 Remington has a lower stopping power when compared with others, thus positioning the .308 as the ideal ammunition for personal usage, i.e. self-defense.

Recoil

Another weapon that easily comes into mention when on the hunting field is the .30-06 Springfield. Indeed it is true that the 30-06 features are greater than the other rifles being compared with; however, it is still not as efficient as the .308 Winchester for Hunting. What is the reason behind this?

This is based on the fact that during utilisation of 150-165 grain projectiles, the exact function will be carried out with reduced powder, which shows that it is cheaper, possess reduced recoil, and the sound will be lower than other weapons.

Length and Weight

 CartridgeCase Length (Inch)Max. Length (Inch)Rim Diameter (Inch)Case Capacity
 .3082.0152.81.47354.5gr H2O
 .2232.4943.34.47368gr H2O
 .30-061.762.26.37831.4gr H2O

Comparing the differences and similarities between the .308 and .30-06 is an entirely distinct process to comparing the .223 with the .308. The 308 and 30-06 are huge guns. However, it is worthy to note that the 308 is lighter than other guns.

It is obvious from the comparison that the weight of the 308 and 30-06 are quite similar; however, the outstanding difference is the length of these guns.

The biggest drawback of the 30-06 is the length of the Springfield. This rifle comes in a longer case, and this makes it hard to load bullets, and also, it inadvertently becomes heavier of the length.

Despite the fact that the difference between the .308 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield is quite minute, it will be alarming to say the two guns are the same as the minute difference goes a long way in determining the efficiency of the weapon. In line with this, the .308 after the summary of its human efficiency can be authoritatively said to be the more effective to hunters.

One thing the producers of the 308 have used to outclass the others is the production of a lighter version of the .308 Winchester. This naturally places them at a benefiting point when compared with other hunting guns.

Availability

When compared with other cartridges, it is easier to access the .308. Virtually all stores dealing in ammunition around the World have the cartridges in stock. Regardless of your destination, just be rest assured that you will find the cartridges for the .308 Winchester. In addition, if you finish the bullet in your weapon, you can replace or reload from any ammo producer.

Scope for .308 Winchester

This section is focused on the types of scopes that are ideal for your .308. However, before mentioning the compatible scopes, there is need to briefly highlight certain factors that determine the scope of your rifle. Below you will find wonderful information on the scope that is suitable for your .308.

From the above discussion, the major factor that determines the scope of your rifle is the size and weight. One thing you should determine before purchasing a scope is the size. The larger and heavier your scope, the more difficult it is to hunt, hence, it is unsurprising to see manufacturers striving hard to produce lighter scopes.

It is vital to take cognizance of the fact light is gathered better with a larger objective lens when compared with the smaller lenses; however one should not forget that the overall size is not the most important part of an objective lens but rather the quality of the glass inside.

Also, it is worthy to point out that .308 is ideally not compatible with a scope heavier than 8 pounds.

See list of the best scopes for your .308 Winchester:

  • Vortex Optics Viper HS-T 6-24×50 SFP Riflescopes
  • Leupold VX-2 3-9×40 Compact Riflescope
  • Nikon P-308 4-12×40 Riflescope, Matte, BDC 800
  • Trijicon ACOG 3.5×35 Riflescopes
  • Nikon M-308 4-16 x 42 Riflescope
  • NightForce SHV 5-20 x 56 Riflescope
  • Bushnell AR Optics 4.5-18×4 Riflescope
  • UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster Scope, AO, RGB Mil-dot, QD Rings

The versatility and power packed by this rifle is the reason behind the endearing nature of this weapon with people.

The feet per seconds FPS of this rifle is arguably the major reason people love this weapon. This is because when the .223 is attached with the ideal scope, it produces results that leave a lot of people stunned. Coupled with this, is the discovering of scope that is effective; which can lead to increase in the accuracy of the bullet. 

Below is a list of some of the ideal scopes that are suitable for this rifle:

  • ​​UTG 3-9X32 1″ BugBuster Scope, AO, RGB Mil-dot, QD Rings
  • Primary Arms 1-6×24 SFP Rifle (Gen III)
  • Vortex Optics Crossfire II Second Focal Plane, 1-inch Tube Riflescopes
  • Nikon 8496 P-223 Hunting Scope
  • Bushnell AR Optics Reticle Riflescope

Conclusion:

.308 is versatile and better than .223 and .30-06 for Hunting

From the above discussion and reviews, it becomes obvious why around the World; the .308 Winchester is commonly used during hunting expeditions. It was built to hunt medium and big animals, hence the unsurprising fondness for this gun among military personnel.

Aside from the design, the cost of purchasing this gun is also a key factor behind its popularity. The accuracy and high dependability of this gun make it one of the best hunting guns available in the market. Hunting becomes an easy task with the prowess of the reloader and the clean shot. As a hunter, one gun you should not do without is the .308; it is the ideal weapon of choice for Hunting and self and home defense.

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