September 2004
THE .308 WINCHESTER.........SURVIVOR IN “MAGNUM LAND”
by Jerry Stordahl
copryright, Precision Shooting Magazine 2004
Magnumitus is spreading. The magni-mania has inundated the shooting and firearms industry with new and “modern” renditions of the metallic cartridge. Shooters have long complained about the belts on their “old” magnums, and finally, they have been appeased by Winchester and Remington. Winchester has given them the sundry Winchester Short Magnums and the Winchester Super Short Magnums, and Remington has offered the various Ultra Mags and the Short Action Ultra Mags. The regular magnums like the 7 mm. Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, and the .338 Winchester Magnums are old hat.......even though
they used to be called the “short magnums” because they would feed through a standard length action. The long magnums were considered the .300 H&H, the .375 H&H, and later, the 8 mm. Remington Magnum, plus various wildcats. But all this short versus long has been with us for a long time. Emerging from another war, the United States Armed Forces recognized the limitations of the .30-06 in automatic and semiautomatic firearms and sought a replacement. The project cartridge was identified as the T-65, and even before the government had made a final decision, Winchester, in 1952, launched its “new” and “short” thirty caliber, the .308 Winchester cartridge.
It was first offered in the Model 70 bolt action rifle, which is somewhat ironic, because the thought behind the 7.62x51 mm. NATO T-65 was driven by the need for a lighter, more compact cartridge for automatic firearms. The shorter cartridge would allow more efficient bolt cycling, but as it turned out, Winchester knew a gold nugget when it saw one.
And with the new crop of magnums, I'm not complaining. Some of the new numbers are tantalizing. Progressive thinking and new strategies are great. In fact, I see the new offerings as a marketing tool to gain new shooters, and that is good. The firearms companies must expand business to
remain competitive, and offering new products, along with the old and proven is a fine way to do it. Attaching the “Magnum” name assured that full attention would be riveted on their product. And the factories have been sending truckloads of rifles across the country, all chambered in the new magnums, making sure that availability would never be an issue. All is good in “Magnum Land.”
Despite the increased velocity, the flatter trajectory and the greater foot pounds of energy offered by the “new” crop of magnums, NONE of the new sweethearts will even scratch the popularity of the .308 Winchester. The .308 is entrenched! Bold words? Not really.......I'd call it a practical statement. The .308 will be a survivor.
There are reasons the .308 will remain one of the cartridges of choice for decades to come, and perhaps the strongest reason is, because it is “efficient.” Efficiency means an object produces a desired effect with a minimum of effort, and this the .308 Winchester does, with almost casual indifference.
Any .30 caliber automatically has an advantage over any other bore size. The .30 is the American shooter's darling, and the bullet companies realized this decades ago. They naturally catered to the extensive appetite and produced bullets.......vast quantities and varieties of projectiles, for those dedicated .30 caliber aficionados. In .30 caliber there is a bullet weight for every conceivable purpose........so component availability matters.
The most useful bullet weights for the .308 Winchester range from 150 to 180 grains, and any of the major bullet companies such as Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Nosler, and Barnes, markets a host of .30 caliber choices. Bullet selection makes the .308 versatile.
When studying the available components, we must also consider the selection of brass cartridge cases....Winchester, Remington, Federal, Norma, Lapua, Lake City, and Hornady headstamps are available. Shooters have plenty of choices from all the major ammunition manufacturers. The .308 components are entrenched.
I mentioned earlier the efficiency of the cartridge. The .308 Winchester is just the right size to produce enough velocity, with enough bullet weight, with moderate usage of powder, to furnish adequate power to get the job done. That task may be knocking off a whitetail buck, punching holes in target paper, or defending home or family. The .308s versatility lies in its efficient use of powder and wide range of useable bullet weights, all delivered with exceptional accuracy.
It is a short case, so the .308 Winchester fits in a shorter action.....efficiency in utilized space. Overall cartridge length will vary, but a loaded round's nominal length is 2.8 inches. I usually seat bullets to an overall length of 2.825-2.830, just so they fit and feed through the magazine of a Winchester Model 70, short action. As a comparison, Federal Gold Medal 168s run 2.805-2.810 inches, measuring to the tip, which will give somewhat variable numbers, due to the manufacturing process used for the bullets.
Accuracy goes hand in hand with the .308 Winchester, and it is one of its most notable attributes. It eventually displaced the .30-06, on the target range, and some call it “inherently accurate.” Others have opined this notable accuracy is a function of the short case, the smoother ignition of the powder column........maybe. The benchrest shooters believed it and developed really short, accurate cartridges that worked well.......and today, as noted earlier, we have even fatter, short cases in the new crop of “Magnums.” A short powder column, however is not the single solution to an accurate cartridge. There are many variables, which work together to produce the final result.
One of the most important pieces in the equation of an accurate cartridge are the simple brass cases used to hold the powder charge. In this, the .308 Winchester is no different than working with other sizes of cartridges, as the brass must be concentric and of good quality. The necks must be straight and of equal thickness throughout the circumference. The cases can be spun on a concentricity gauge to measure runout, using a dial indicator.
Measuring runout will give you the information you need to cull problem cases before they can affect accuracy. Any necks found to be a little too thick on one side can be turned down with special neck turning tools. The goal here is uniformity. We want the necks to be the same thickness, so the brass will expand evenly. Any thick portions of the neck walls may fail to provide uniform tension for the release of the bullet. If the case is grossly out of spec, toss it in the trash.
And of course, loading the .308 Winchester for top accuracy means neck sizing.......though this is somewhat debatable, since to work well, the chamber must be concentric. The brass is fireformed to the chamber of a selected rifle, and then it is good for that rifle. Neck sizing limits the working of the brass, thereby gaining a longer life for the case. If your ammunition is to be fired in more than one rifle, it is wise to full length resize the brass, to avoid stuck cases and chambering problems. Chamber specs can vary.
Many shooters prefer full length resizing, because seating a round in the chamber is easier, especially from the prone position. They have found their rifles shoot just as well, using full length versus neck sizing.
I use the Redding Competition bushing neck die set, as I have come to like the numbered settings on the micrometer stem and the fine tolerances. Changing neck tension is as easy as switching to a different size of bushing. I prefer the titanium nitride coated bushings for the extra hardness and reduction of friction.
The Redding Competition bullet seater is a piece of gold in disguise. The precision machined, sliding chamber encompasses the brass cartridge case, maintaining perfect alignment while the bullet is seated. Adjusting seating depth is as simple as turning the numbered and hash marked micrometer stem. This is an important aspect of building accurate .308 ammunition. Components must be in alignment, and the Redding Competition seating die does a fine job.
The body die of the Competition set is used when full length sizing is required to bump the shoulder of the case back. Neck sized cases can become difficult to chamber after repeated firing, and this die solves that condition, without touching the neck.
All this “fussiness” over variables is generally for those who are pursuing utmost accuracy at the target range or long range competition events. Or maybe, accuracy is sought for its own sake......simply because a shooter wants to “tune” a particular .308 load and rifle........but for a deer hunting load, all the extra accuracy steps really aren't necessary. A good load can easily be found, that will shoot under one minute of angle, by sticking to standard loading procedures. I would still debur the flash holes and uniform the primer pockets to provide consistent depth for seating the primers and symmetrical ignition of the powder charge. Some shooters believe even doing these little chores are unnecessary, and they may be right. I continue to perform this “one time” task to eliminate as many variables as possible, in building excellent .308 Winchester ammunition.
The first step for making use of the .308 Winchester's accuracy potential is selection of good quality brass. I use Lapua for its excellent durability and consistency, and I also utilize Winchester cases and some Lake City Match cases. Choose what you prefer.......I use the different brands for different rifles to keep the loaded ammunition easily segregated.
And the next step is choosing an accurate bullet. Sierra has long held a stellar reputation for accuracy, with its line of .30 caliber Match Kings. The 168 and 175 grain are the most popular in the .308 Winchester for target use, and the Palma boys use the 155 grain SMK. For hunting use, it is a matter of selecting a bullet weight to match the game animal. Most .308s will likely be used on antelope or deer sized game, so bullets weighing 150 to 165 grains are widely available for accuracy testing in a particular rifle, but more on that later.
Suitable powder selections are almost as vast as .30 caliber bullet offerings, and the powder can affect the accuracy of loads due to its burning rate, consistency of ignition, temperature stability, and manufacturer's lot numbers. Hodgdon's Varget works well, but I have also experienced good results with Winchester 748 and Hodgdon H380. Other good choices are Reloader 15, plus IMR 4064 and 4895 and Ramshot TAC. Use a reloading manual, and start with a less than maximum charge.
For ignition in the .308 case, I select match grade primers. Accuracy is all about consistency, so choosing components that will achieve the desired goal is a prerequisite. Federal Gold Medal and CCI Benchrest are two of my choices.
Shooters desire accurate rifles, most of the time in a package of moderate weight. My Sharpshooter .308 at 13 pounds is a joy when launching Match Kings off the bench or bipod, but it is too heavy for quick action in the deer woods. It was built to deliver bullets to target with extreme precision, and this it does, but I will carry a lighter rifle in the deer woods.
Factory sporters will generally run 7.5 pounds and up, probably 8 to 8.75 pounds with a mounted scope and fully loaded magazine. That isn't bad. We need some weight to make it easier to hold on target and limit the effects of recoil. And the recoil effect is another area where the .308 shows its efficiency.
There are many cartridges that trounce the .308 Winchester in speed and bullet weight and trajectory. Stacking the .308 against a .300 Magnum is somewhat like comparing a Thoroughbred Kentucky racehorse to a utilitarian Shetland pony. The notable advantage of the .300 Mag will be flat trajectory and greater downrange striking power, but then we must consider the expense of the larger cartridge......the greater powder charge burned to launch the projectile, and of course, the recoil.
The .308 Winchester comfortably sits on a high pedestal, and the lack of severe recoil is an important factor that helps keep it there. The popularity race doesn't necessarily go to the swift and powerful, because in general, shooters don't really like recoil. They learn to handle it. They learn to ignore it, while shooting from the bench or from the prone position. They learn to “manage” it mentally........but shooters don't really LIKE recoil! The lack of excessive recoil is one of the .308s most popular characteristics. After stating that, I agree that perceived recoil amongst shooters will vary considerably.......as some will say their .300 Mags feel no harsher than being touched by a feather. Recoil management is mostly a mental exercise.
A rifle barrel will last five to ten thousand rounds when chambered for a .308 Winchester, and it will last even longer if chrome lined. The racehorse cartridges with the big, belted cases and the other fat bodied short cases, sans the belt, will eat the throats sooner. A shooter will have to spend two or three times the money just for barrels, compared to one rifle chambered in .308 Winchester......efficiency, again.
Efficiency aside, the truth is, some shooters want and need and are able to handle the magnums. They are willing to pay the price in powder, barrels, and recoil. In some cases, a shooter cannot even be competitive without burning those spoonfuls of powder........like thousand yard shooting, and that is all right. They are paying for it, enjoying it, and there is no free lunch. It all boils down to personal choice and the intended use, so go out and shoot! It'll be fun!
With the lighter recoil of the sedate .308 and the cartridge's proven and astounding accuracy, we can make lighter rifles to use. The light rifles are generally called “Sporters” by the factories, and shooters recognize them by their tapered barrels in “light contour” configuration. This is what I wanted for just a general rifle for carrying during hunting season. I needed it to place one shot accurately, with a backup shot or two, just like any other rifle, but I didn't want to lug a thirteen pounder in the woods.
My selection ended with a stainless steel Winchester Model 70......in .308, of course. A black synthetic factory stock set off the matte stainless nicely, and soon after it arrived, I fitted a matte black Vari X-III, Leupold 2.5-8 power, variable scope to the rifle. The midrange variable was selected for versatility, especially for a combination of hunting terrain, such as wooded hills, brushy river bottoms, and open meadows. The 2.5 power would work great for close in shots, with the 8 power giving enough magnification for longer shots.
The barrel at 22 inches is an efficient length for the .308 cartridge, though I don't mind 24 inch barrels. It is just that a 22 inch barrel fits the overall package of this rifle, scope, and cartridge combination.......that of efficiency, reasonable weight, and handling ease. The muzzle of the sporter weight barrel measures a slender .569 inches.
I selected the stainless steel version of the Winchester Model 70 Classic for its corrosion resistance. The Winchester Classic was also favored for its controlled round feed, three position safety, and the ease of bolt disassembly. I also like the integral recoil lug of the Winchester action and the open, simple trigger design. Soon after receiving the rifle, the trigger was adjusted to a crisp 3.5 pounds.
General purpose use and interchangeability of optics called for a Picatinny rail, so the Leupold was mounted using Badger Ordnance equipment. Known for its quality, rugged dependability, and precise machining, my previous experience with the Badger Ordnance components was also a factor in my choice. Cost? Expensive......and worth it, but for the “practical” rifle I had in mind, the sighting system had to be easily replaceable with a backup scope or an Aimpoint Comp M2 sight.
I prefer the Badgers with their crossbolts and half inch nuts, with installation via a compact torque wrench. This means the shooter gains “repeatability” in addition to one of the strongest mounting systems on the market. A T handle Seekonk is used to release the cross bolt nuts on the rings to dismount the scope from the rail and torque another in place.
Most of the time, the idea behind a practical “sporter weight” rifle is hunting, so ammunition warrants the use of bullets constructed to penetrate and expand on deer sized game.....all of the time. The goal is to anchor the game animal with one well placed shot. Choose a bullet designed for lethality on game.
For hunting whitetails, I'd choose a 150 or 165 grain bullet. The 150s can be driven at 2700-2900 fps with selected powders, while the 165 is listed at 2700 fps. in the Sierra 50th Anniversary Edition of their loading manual. Use caution in selecting maximum loads. Barrel length and internal finish, chamber dimensions, cartridge case volume, powder lot numbers, and primers are all factors in final pressure and velocity. I would select the most accurate powder and bullet combination, rather than the speediest. As with any cartridge, placing that bullet in the right place on the game animal is what assures successful results.
I like the Nosler Partition bullet, though on deer, a hunter doesn't really need the premium Partition, most of the time. Any of the various trade names in the intermediate choices would work well on deer sized game.....Game Kings, Accubonds, Interlocks, Interbonds, Ballistic Tips, Power Points, Silver Tips.....the list goes on, and they should all suffice on deer sized game with decent shot placement. Pick what your rifle shoots the best........then shoot until you can hit anything within 300 yards from standing, sitting, kneeling, or prone. I would rather be sure of my shot placement on game, by using the most stable shooting position possible. Another effective skill to learn, is the utilization of a sling.
The old Nosler solid base design offers boat tail performance with the internal construction of a flat base type of bullet. Complaints have been voiced that boat tail bullets separate during penetration, meaning the core sheds its jacket. The solid base boat tail tends to alleviate this problem by using a solid copper tail with an internal flat base to hold the core in place. Expansion is better controlled with the lead tip versus the plastic found on the Ballistic Tip Nosler. It is my understanding the solid base has been put into production again, in some calibers.
The Winchester surprised me. I have been so used to heavy barrelled rifles, I had nearly come to believe that sporter weight rifles could never compare. I had some old reloads left over from testing the Sharpshooter, so I used them to zero the rifle. These consisted of Hornady 168 grain Match Target bullets seated over 45 grains of H380. The first three went into .562 inches, and another three round group punched the paper in .692 inches. Another three gave a .854 inch group, and then I set up the chronograph.
Firing factory Winchester 150 grain Power Points, the first three rounds gave a .855, and adding two shots, a 1.305 inch group was the final result. Velocity for the Winchester load was an average 2768 fps.
Federal Gold Medal factory 168s drilled a .582 inch group for three shots, then opened up to a 1.135 with the last two rounds. These chronographed at 2634 fps. Some 1966 Lake City Match with the 173 grain bullet shot a 1.672 five shot group.
I had a supply of Nosler 150 grain Solid Base bullets on hand and accumulated some 165 grain Nosler Partitions, some Hornady 165 grain BTSPs, and some 165 grain Sierra HPBT Game Kings to try, also. Using IMR 4064 with new Winchester factory primed brass, all the charge weights offered three shot groups hovering at 1.1 inches or less, with five shots opening to 1.5 inches or so. The best load clocked 2700 fps. with 44 grains of IMR 4064, using a Sierra 165 grain HPBT seated to a 2.805 overall length. Due to the somewhat short ogive and open tip, the Sierra required deeper seating than most of the others. As always use caution, and start low.
With the Winchester brass fireformed, I deburred the flash holes and uniformed the primer pockets, prior to running them through, first a .339 Redding neck sizing bushing and then through a .334 bushing. Normally, with Lapua brass I use a .335 bushing, but the Winchester brass is thinner.
Using 49.5 grains of Hodgdon H380, the Nosler 150 grain SBs proved quite acceptable with four rounds impacting in .602 and the fifth making it a 1.412 inch group. Federal Gold Medal 210M primers were used and velocity was 2748 fps. Yes, read on, the fliers don't go away.
For more velocity with the 150 grain Nosler, 49.5 grains of Winchester 748 gave 2877 fps. with a .779 four round group. Again, a pesky flier appeared on target to vex me, with the fifth round opening the group to 1.731 inches. This occurred again with the 165 grain Sierra putting four rounds in .817 and the fifth opening the group to 1.228 inches.
Of course, the slender barrel heated up after three rounds, but I also found the stock was touching the underside of the barrel near the forend. I thought about doing some barrel channel work with a dowel and sandpaper, but I already have a “new” stock on the way, so any “squirminess” in the forend or bedding would not matter in the overall scheme.
The 165 grain Nosler Partition turned out to be a 1 to 1.5 moa performer in this rifle, though many times three shots would provide sub moa. The 165 grain Hornady Interlock BTSP provided about the same spread, and the Hornady was the only one with a cannelure. Actually, any of the bullets would suffice for the purposes of anchoring the freezer meat, but of the hunting bullets, the Winchester liked the 150 grain Nosler Solid Base bullet the best, with 49.7 grains of Winchester 748 and a Federal Gold Medal 210M primer. This load achieved an average 2882 fps. with five shots punching a .702 group. For that one, the barrel harmonics must have hit the perfect rhythm, and it warrants further investigation.
It seems fitting, to use the .308 in a Winchester Model 70 Classic. The cartridge has come full circle since the 1952 Winchester Model 70 offering, and along the way, virtually every type of action has at some point been chambered for the .308 Winchester. It remains today, versatile, efficient, and accurate, beyond compare. If you don't own a .308, you really are missing one of the best, and if you presently own one or more, you already know. The .308 Winchester is a survivor, despite today's factory emphasis on “Magnum Land.”
Vendors listed below:
Russ Haydon's Shooters' Supply
15018 Goodrich Dr.
Gig Harbor, WA 98329
website: www.shooters-supply.com
(reloading supplies, tools, and components)
Sinclair International
2330 Wayne Haven Street
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46803
website: www.sinclairintl.com
(reloading equipment, components, and accessories)
Bruno Shooters' Supply
21628 N. Central Ave., STE 4
Phoenix, AZ 85024
website: www.brunoshooters.com
(shooting and reloading supplies)
