Why doesnt Savage make ...

[wbm]

I do kinda wonder why Savage did not add the 6.5x55 swede

Sales!

With all the marketing hype about the 260, 6.5x47, 6.5 Creedmoor etc. I think people think they are better than the Swede or that the Swede is some sort of antiquated relic of the past. Several years ago Col. Boddington wrote a piece "Cartridges We Can Live Without." and informed us all that the Swede was not worthy of our consideration. He didn't include the .308 in his list. Wonder why?

[12fv 308]

I bought a 12fv-.308 a few years ago. I love it for what I do with it. Target. But after I replaced the stock I have a bit of money in a stock rifle. If you want the FV and I say go for it, it might better to look at ones with better stocks. But sometimes wonder if should build a .243 or 22-250 for target, just to save money on powder etc...

[theOutlaw]

It sounds more like you feel as if you been "wronged" by the .308 at sometime in your life. ;D Every cartridge can be "trumped" by several others in some way, shape or form. It just depends what your personal prorities are. I don't shoot a .308 but I'd feel darn foolish to tell anyone it was a poor cartridge. As far as being anemic as a hunting round, that again goes back to your personal tastes. If you think you can't kill anything effectively with anything less than a 378 weatherby then yes, the .308 is anemic.


i agree. im sensing alot of anger toward this cartridge, which seems unwarrented. the .308 is an excellent round and i have scored several of my farthest kills with one of mine. yes, there may be 'better' rounds out there, but who is to say that all the qualities of 'better' rounds are actually better? just think, out of my 18-inch bolt guns, i get 2650fps with a 168grn match bullet, which has been the bane of many a beast. (yes, i use match bullets for hunting. say what you will, but im a politically incorrect trophy hunter who likes to shoot small things a long way off and proud of it. find me at longrangehunting.com username Josh Wayner). it is part of the game to hit precisly, and to do that you need to know your rifle, no matter what caliber. without practice, your 6.5 supercartridge is nothing better than a rock in a sock.
rifles chambered for this round can fire all sorts of ammo in emergency situations, from military FMJs to softpoints; the 308 is extremely common. it is advantageous to use a round for which there is lots of knowledge already.

[Appleseed]

There are some who like "Pumpkin Rollers" and some who don't.


Hey Bill, how about that 12fv .243 barrel I sold you? Does it still shoot those little bitty holes? I sold a .308 Tikka and replaced it with that .243. Now I'm down to the .22's.

A 12FV can surprise you regardless of caliber. I got mine for less than $450 otd about 6 years ago. Lots of aftermarket options when you find a good shooting barrel/action. Don't knock any of the cheapo fv's. Lot's of caliber choices when you get ready to re-barrel.

[handirifle]

Actually, in factory ammo, some can be more "inherantly accurate" than others. A case with a shorter neck can be more prone to bullet runout than one with a longer neck. The longer case neck is also less subject to knocking a well seated, low runout, bullet, out of that "perfect" alignment, when being hurridly chambered in a hunting rifle.

It's also been PROVEN, certain case shapes and designs offer a more effecient powder burn than other cases. that results in more consistant pressure curves and velocities, resulting on greater accuracy.

I really doubt there is much on this continent (or many others) the 308 will not topple with a properly placed, well designed bullet. Is it the best? Maybe not, but it's far from overrated or underpowered.

I would not want to be inline of a 165gr bullet fired from one, even at 1100yds. You'll still be dead.

[okie2]

Here is all I need to say about the 308
http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu340/OKIE2-photos/my%20guns/308Savage10shots.jpg

[Mr. YACYAS]

Here is all I need to say about the 308
http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu340/OKIE2-photos/my%20guns/308Savage10shots.jpg


Assuming a hundred yards?

[okie2]

you are right this was done on a very calm day no wind at all.
It really surprised me too is the reason I kept shooting the same target.
the rifle used was a Savage model 12 single shot 26" stainless fluted barrel

[macon]

savage makes a 6mm br thats pretty nifty on the long range and also the big dog 6.5x284

[chevydude]

The .308 is a great caliber you can get ammo for it anywhere in a pinch if you need to. Everybody likes there own thing. I will deffinately allways have one in case the world goes to hell in a handbasket just because of the surplus military ammo. My longest kill which wasn't long at all compared to most was on a 142inch 8 point buck at 240yards with a .308 But there are several calibers sitting next to my 308 in the closet and under the bed 17hmr,223,243,7mm-08,dirty-30.

[psharon97]

Some would say that the 22lr is very anemic for deer hunting. That never stopped my grandad from using the cartridge though when he was a kid to take deer down. Shot placement is far more important than caliber choice imo.

[nomosendero]

Some would say that the 22lr is very anemic for deer hunting. That never stopped my grandad from using the cartridge though when he was a kid to take deer down. Shot placement is far more important than caliber choice imo.


OK & ?

[Captain Finlander]

I suppose if you love the 308 cartridge you would assume anyone who doesn't must hate it. That is not true, only an assumptions fueled by lust. ;)

The 308 was created in 1951, Nato adopted it in 1954 but Winchester introduced its very slightly different version in 1952 in their m70 and m88 rifles which has become a very successful commercial cartridge without any help from the military. Back in 1952 there was not much to choose from in cartridges so the 308 offered a tremendous bump over the 300 savage, milder kick over the 06 and because hunters were not velocity driven like they are today the cartridge was warmly accepted. The cartridge is still hotly contested today because it does offer some desired benefits but has been grossly outclassed in many others. Because we have such a selection today the cartridge shouldn't still have the same attraction that it does but will always have the virtue of being the parent case and enjoy the popularity benefits of being the older sibling.

The only benefit over the 30-06 the military received was a higher rate of fire in their automatic weapons and the fact that the military was so happy with their 06 they continued to use it up to the 1960's. The US didn't adopt the 308 until 1957 for the new m60 machine gun then adapted the cartridge for the m14 in 1959. The m14 had a very short service life and was essentially mothballed in favor of the .223 and m16 within only a few years. If it weren't for the m60 I doubt the US military would have adopted the 308 at all. Naturally the first sniping systems were going to use the 308 because it was what was available at the time but modern sniping systems have been adopting other cartridges for decades. The 300 win mag was first used in the 80's to extend the effective range over the 308 and now we have the 338 Lapua and soon the 6.8 SPC may be replacing the 223. So the military is only using it out of necessity not by choice.

[BradB]

The 6.8spc will extend the range over the 300 win? HUH? ??? The 6.8spc is even more "anemic" than the .308 ;D
Since the 6.8 is based off the 30 rem, I don't think there's anything revolutionary going on there.

[nomosendero]

And of course now we have lots of 308 military Sniper rifles being converted to 300WM.

[Mr. YACYAS]

And of course now we have lots of 308 military Sniper rifles being converted to 300WM.


O really? Which ones?

[Stephenthesuave]

And of course now we have lots of 308 military Sniper rifles being converted to 300WM.


O really? Which ones?


The army is rebarreling some of our m24s.

[okie2]

What caliber were the m24's before changing to 300 mag?

[nomosendero]

What caliber were the m24's before changing to 300 mag?


M24 308 http://www.snipercentral.com/m24.htm

Many are being converted to 300WM http://www.tactical-life.com/online/news/m24-sniper-rifle-fixes-in-the-works-300-win-mag-new-scope-and-stock/?right=related

http://seanlinnane.blogspot.com/2010/05/army-snipers-go-to-300-win-mag.html

[mini14gb]

I'm perplexed at a couple of post that show such disdain for the .308. Calling it anemic as a hunting cartridge is just plain nuts, you may as well be calling the 30-06 irrelevant. The .308 has accounted for every major North American big game animal and was being used to kill the biggest Alaskan bears long long before the magnum freaks reared their heads. I have no problem with magnums per se and if folks want to use magnums and I'm glad that other cartridges are available but the .308 and 30-06 are capable killers in the extreme.