Evaluating the short-action .308 Winchester to the long-action, belted .300 Winchester Magnum will increase howls of “apples and oranges” from some readers. However we’re not tasting fruit right here. We’re making an attempt to grasp how two completely different cartridges propel the identical diameter bullets of the identical weight so as to interact targets or recreation animals. Each can be utilized for every situation, so let’s evaluate the .300 Win. Magazine. vs .308 Win.
300 Win Magazine vs 308 Historical past
Regardless of their dimension variations, each the little .308 Winchester and the massive .300 Winchester Magnum shoot bullets .308 inches in diameter. That is the all-American bore dimension—.30 caliber —made well-known by the .30-30 Winchester of 1894 adopted by the much more well-known .30-06 of 1906, the .300 Savage of 1920, and the .300 Weatherby Magnum of—shock—1944. Sure, the bigger, sooner, extra highly effective Weatherby Magnum beat the .300 Winchester to the magnum punch by a strong 19 years. However, the total magnum-length Weatherby was proprietary and costly whereas the Winchester was engineered to suit reasonably priced, standard-length-action rifles frequent within the U.S. Winchester allowed any and all ammo makers to load their new .300 magnum, too. The consequence was a right away success as American hunters scrambled to personal and hunt with considered one of these new, highly effective, manly rifles. (Hey, it was 1963. John Wayne was in his prime, and neither the Beatles nor the hippies had even proven up but.)
The .30-06 Springfield is central to this comparability as a result of it not solely falls between the .308 and .300 Win. Magazine. in energy, however is actually the dad or mum of the .308 Win. Whereas some historians insist Winchester engineers labored from the .300 Savage to make the .308, a cautious measurement of rim, head, and physique diameters exhibits a transparent connection to the .30-06. Arthur Savage most likely used the .30-06 when creating his .300 anyway.
Due to the frequent dimensions of the .308 Win. and .30-06, many seek advice from the .308 because the .30-06 Quick or, extra derisively, the “.30-Not-Six.” Such teasing raises a professional query: Why would Winchester construct a brand new searching cartridge that was weaker than the already extensively used and revered .30-06? Doesn’t cartridge growth push towards larger efficiency?
Nicely, sure. However efficiency shouldn’t be all the time about velocity and energy. The .308’s efficiency benefit is effectivity. As a result of its general size is a half inch shorter than the .30-06, it may be run by way of shorter, lighter, faster-cycling actions. Moreover, extra cartridges will be carried by a person, a truck, or a aircraft. You see, Winchester created the .308 in an effort to have it adopted as the brand new U.S. army cartridge. They succeeded, however solely in 1954, two years after they’d launched it as a civilian searching spherical. NATO additionally adopted the .308 Winchester, calling it the 7.62x51mm NATO. It was chambered within the new M14 U.S. Service Rifle in 1957 and noticed responsibility in Korea and Vietnam, with troopers undoubtedly appreciating its lighter recoil.
In fact, the shorter .308 case holds much less powder than the longer .30-06 and suffers accordingly, however not by a lot. It offers up about 100 fps to the 06 when each hearth 150-grain bullets. Few fairly-struck huge recreation animals have lived to note the distinction. However load up a 180-grain slug, and the .30-06 begins to tug away, besting the .308 by 200 to 250 fps. However most American huge recreation hunters within the mid-Twentieth century have been pursuing whitetails, mule deer and pronghorns. For these, a 150-grain bullet at 2,700 to 2,800 fps supplied loads of attain and energy with out punishing recoil. It nonetheless does. And as we speak’s premium bullets, together with 165 to 180-grain fashions, make it simpler than ever.
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Winchester clearly paddled a unique river with their .300 Win. Magazine. In a bid to seize America’s “greater and sooner” ethos, they went to the identical H&H belted magnum case Weatherby was utilizing. Really, Winchester had already used this case in 1956 to create the .458 Win. Magazine. They went to that nicely once more to construct the .338 Win. Magazine. and .264 Win. Magazine. in 1958. All three match standard-length actions, however none would ever strategy the recognition of the belatedly launched .300 model. With its fatter case, the brand new .300 enclosed sufficient powder to drive a 150-grain bullet 300 fps sooner than the .30-06 and 400 fps sooner than the .308. Shooters paid the value in {dollars} on the pump and recoil on the shoulder, however they manned up and took it, a lot of them pondering the belt across the head was wanted to comprise the fearful pressures generated inside. In actuality, the belt was an pointless artifact wanted for headspacing on the sloped shoulders of the unique H&H cartridges. The 25-degree angle of the .300 Win. Magazine. shoulder made the belt superfluous, but it surely was such an efficient advertising and marketing device, Winchester properly retained it.
Odd although it appears, each the .300 Win. Magazine. and .308 Win. grew steadily in recognition. With its energy and flat trajectory, the .300 constructed a popularity as a world beater. Shooters may go for the flat trajectory of a 150-grain bullet to succeed in a distant mule deer at 3,300 fps or endure the heavy punch of a 220-grain spherical nostril at 2,700 fps to settle down an agitated brown bear. From 10-pound dik-dik to 1,800-pound Lord Derby eland, no African recreation was out of attain.
In the meantime, the .308 received converts for its delicate recoil, excessive accuracy, affordability, and greater than ample killing energy. It proved able to terminating something the outdated .30-06 may with much less recoil. Necessary use and coaching within the army launched 1000’s of recent shooters to this spherical, and on course ranges, it started profitable every little thing.
Provided that historical past, let’s evaluate these two side-by-side in a number of classes essential to hunters and sport shooters.
Ballistics (Trajectory and Power)
Clearly, the magnum wins this one palms down. It holds about 82 grains of water when accommodating a 180-grain bullet. The .308 Win. holds about 48.6 grains of water. Stuff the .300 with about 73 grains of IMR 4831 powder, and it ought to kick that bullet out at 3,150 fps. Prime finish for the .308 may attain 2,615 fps. With 150-grain bullets, determine about 3,420 fps for the .300, 2,997 for the .308, in keeping with a Nosler Handloading Manual. Right here’s how that interprets in drop, drift, and power at 300 and 400 yards for a 150-grain AccuBond bullet, B.C. .435 zeroed at 200 yards in a ten mph proper angle wind.
Recoil
As you may guess, the .308 minimizes recoil, however have a look at how a lot. It practically cuts it in half. This may contribute mightily to correct taking pictures. Decreased recoil is probably going a big purpose for the .308 Winchester’s popularity for accuracy. Listed below are recoil energies and velocities in 8-pound rifles with two well-liked bullet weights.
Ammo Versatility and Price
The .300 Win. Magazine. wins right here as a result of it has the powder capability to deal with bullets as heavy as 220 grains, shifting them as quick as 2,770 fps to generate a bone-crushing 3,800 ft lbs of power. The .308 Win. can nudge a 200-grain bullet to about 2,400 fps and generate muzzle power of about 2,550 ft lbs. It’s difficult to seek out .308 Win. manufacturing facility masses with bullets a lot heavier than 180 grains. One of the best are modern, boat-tailed, 165- to 170-grain bullets.
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Just about any retail retailer promoting ammunition will carry each .308 Win. and .300 Win. Magazine., however a 20-round field of .308 will run $15 for a budget stuff to possibly $59 for tremendous premium whereas the .300 Win. Magazine. will begin round $25 and climb shortly to as excessive as $65.
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Rifle Choice, Measurement, and Price
We’ll name this a tie. Just about each rifle maker chambers for each of those well-liked rounds, particularly in bolt actions, but in addition in lever-actions, autoloaders, single pictures, and pumps. You’ll discover precision goal rifles extra usually chambered in .308 Win., however loads of sniper-style rifles are wrapped across the .300 Win. Magazine. The .300’s potential to drive heavy, excessive B.C. bullets at good velocities makes it a severe contender at excessive ranges. The .308 Win. begins tapering off after 700 yards or so. Mild searching rifles are simpler to seek out in .308 and simpler to shoot, and barrels will final lots longer.
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Accuracy
You may think the .308 wins this simply, given all of the tactical, goal, sniper, and precision rifles chambered for it, however the .300 Win. Magazine. has received loads of 1,000-yard goal competitions. Rumors in regards to the .300’s belt compromising its accuracy potential are exaggerated out of proportion to actuality. In a searching rifle particularly, you needn’t fear about .300 Win. Magazine. precision. I’ve labored with a number of .300s that shot sincere 1/2 MOA. The .308, due to a lot of precision-built manufacturing facility match ammunition and rifles, lengthy barrel life, and delicate recoil, is the best choice for prime quantity goal taking pictures.
Last Ideas on the 300 Win Magazine vs 308
Despite the fact that extra fashionable designs have bested each of those cartridges, they greater than maintain their very own in as we speak’s taking pictures world. Improved bullets have made them simpler on recreation than ever earlier than. Customary twist charges of 1 in 10 inches stabilize most fashionable, excessive B.C. bullets, too. Most shooters select the .308 Win. in the event that they primarily goal shoot and hunt whitetail-sized recreation. The .300 Win. Magazine. is extra well-liked with hunters who goal shoot at excessive vary and sometimes hunt elk, moose, huge bears and enormous African plains recreation. Each the .308 Winchester and .300 Winchester Magnum are poised to proceed lengthy and profitable careers.
