.308 Winchester

Rimless, centerfire, bottlenecked rifle cartridge June 2026 December 2023 .308 other uses 308 (disambiguation) .308 Winchester .308 Winchester FMJSP.jpg 300px .308 Winchester Rifle United States 1952 1952–present Rimless, bottleneck 0.308 in (7.82 mm) 0.300 in (7.62 mm) 0.3433 0.4539 0.4709 0.4728 0.0539 2.015 2.800 56 Large rifle 60191 C.I.P. 62000 SAAMI 125 Spitzer 3100 2668 150 Nosler tip 2820 2648 168 BTHP 2650 2619 175 BTHP 2645 2718 185 Lapua Mega JSP 2510 2588 24 in (26 in for Lapua)Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing 308 Win 168 Grain https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/gold-medal/gold-medal-sierra-matchking/11-GM308M.html 2023-02-11 Federal Premium Ammunition The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar, but not identical, to the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. History During the 1940s, the .300 Savage became the basis for experiments on behalf of the U.S. military that resulted in the development of the T65 series of experimental cartridges. The original experimental case design by the Frankford Arsenal was designated "T65" and was similar to the .300 Savage case, but with less taper. The experimental cases were made from standard .30-06 Springfield cases which gave a little less capacity than standard .300 Savage cases because the Frankford Arsenal cases had slightly thicker walls. The later T65 iterations were lengthened compared to the original T65 case and provided a ballistic performance roughly equal to the U.S. military .30-06 Springfield service cartridge. Over forty years of technical progress in the field of propellants allowed for similar service cartridge performance from a significantly shorter, smaller case with less case capacity.30 Light Rifle (T-65) http://www.cartridgecollector.net/30-light-rifle-t-65 2023-02-11 Cartridge CollectorHildebrand Guy April 2005 Picture Page https://www.oldammo.com/april05.htm 2023-02-11 The Cartridge Collector's Exchange Winchester saw a market for a civilian model of the late T65 series designs and introduced it in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the T65E5 experimental cartridge iteration under the "7.62×51mm NATO" designation, in 1954. Winchester branded the cartridge and introduced it to the commercial hunting market as the ".308 Winchester". Winchester's Model 70, Model 88 and Model 100 rifles were subsequently chambered for the new cartridge. Since then, the .308 Winchester has become the most popular short-action, big-game hunting cartridge worldwide.http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/l/aasttopriflecar.htm Simpson, Layne The 20th Century's Top Rifle Cartridge 2008-06-06 February 2000 https://web.archive.org/web/20080514025321/http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/l/aasttopriflecar.htm 14 May 2008 It is also commonly used for hunting, target shooting, metallic silhouette, bench rest target shooting, Palma shooting,Rules and Tips for Palma Rifle Shooting in the USA. https://www.6mmbr.com/palmabasics.html#:~:text=The%20Palma%20match%20consists%20of,way%20it%27s%20been%20since%201874. 2022-10-20 www.6mmbr.com metal matches, military sniping, and police sharpshooting. The relatively short case makes the .308 Winchester especially well-adapted for short-action rifles. When loaded with a bullet that expands, tumbles, or fragments in tissue, this cartridge is capable of high terminal performance.Chamberlin FT, Gun Shot Wounds, in Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, Vol. II, Ackley PO, ed., Plaza Publishing, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1966.Courtney Amy Courtney Michael Links between traumatic brain injury and ballistic pressure waves originating in the thoracic cavity and extremities Brain Injury 21 7 657–662 2007 10.1080/02699050701481571 17653939 0808.1443Courtney Amy Courtney Michael Scientific Evidence for Hydrostatic Shock 2008 0803.3051 physics.med-ph Cartridge dimensions The .308 Winchester has a 3.64 mL (56 gr H2O) cartridge case capacity.Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading 4th 1991 Hornady Manufacturing Company Grand Island, NE The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt-action rifles and machine guns alike, under extreme conditions. 500px .308 Winchester maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All dimensions in millimeters (mm) and inches. Americans define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 = 20 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 305 mm (1 in 12 in), 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves = 7.82 mm, land width = 4.47 mm and the primer type is large rifle.Nosler Reloading Guide Number Four 1996 Nosler, Inc. Bend, OR A 254 mm (1 in 10 in) twist rate is also commonly applied.2018-08-07 Barrel Twist Rate https://www.snipercountry.com/barrel-twist-rate/ 2023-03-02 Sniper Country en-US According to the official C.I.P. (fr Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives) rulings, the .308 Winchester can handle up to 415.00 MPa psi on Pmax piezo pressure. In C.I.P.-regulated countries, every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. This means that .308 Winchester chambered arms in C.I.P.-regulated countries are currently (2008) proof tested at 519.00 MPa psi on PE piezo pressure.http://www.cip-bobp.org/homologation/uploads/tdcc/tab-i/tabical-en-page125.pdf C.I.P. TDCC sheet .308 Winchester North American SAAMI maximum pressure for the .308 Winchester is 62000 psi MPa 2 on flip.The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturing Institute (SAAMI), composed of representatives of the firearms, ammunition, and components manufacturers, with the purpose of standardizing specs in North America .308 Winchester vs. 7.62×51mm NATO Although originating from an identical preceding series of experimental cartridges, the commercial 1952 .308 Winchester and the military 1954 7.62×51mm NATO chamberings have evolved separately and are not identical. The .308 Winchester and military 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges are similar enough that they can be loaded into rifles chambered for the other round, but the .308 Winchester cartridges are typically loaded to higher pressures than 7.62×51mm NATO service cartridges.SAAMI Velocity and Piezoelectric Transducer Pressure: Centerfire Rifle, 2013, p. 9, http://saami.org/specifications_and_information/specifications/Velocity_Pressure_CfR.pdf VELOCITY AND PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER PRESSURE: CENTERFIRE RIFLE 2016-11-10 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20170102031243/http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/specifications/Velocity_Pressure_CfR.pdf 2017-01-02 Even though the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) does not consider it unsafe to fire the commercial .308 Winchester rounds in weapons chambered for the military 7.62×51mm NATO round, there is significant discussion about compatible chambers and pressures between the two cartridges based on powder loads, chamber dimensions and wall thicknesses in the web area of the military compared to commercial cartridge cases.Technical Data Sheet Unsafe Firearm-Ammunition Combinations https://saami.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Unsafe-Arms-and-Ammunition-Combinations-Web-Site-and-Brochure-Master-Revised-8-24-2020.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20210817012418/https://saami.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Unsafe-Arms-and-Ammunition-Combinations-Web-Site-and-Brochure-Master-Revised-8-24-2020.pdf 2021-08-17 2023-12-24 Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' InstituteRedgwell Stephen 2001 7.62x51mm NATO or 308 Winchester? What's the Difference? http://www.303british.com/id36.html 2023-12-24 303british.com As the chambers differ, accordingly the head space gauges used for the two chamberings differ.https://www.forsterproducts.com/pdf/brochures/hi-res-for-print/Forster-Products-NATO%20Chamber%20Headspace%20Gages%20Sales%20Sheet_NATO-001_Issue%204_July%202018_print.pdf NATO Chamber Headspace GagesAvailable for 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO December 21, 2020 April 4, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230404080022/https://www.forsterproducts.com/pdf/brochures/hi-res-for-print/Forster-Products-NATO%20Chamber%20Headspace%20Gages%20Sales%20Sheet_NATO-001_Issue%204_July%202018_print.pdf dead Usage and performance The .308 Winchester is considered a standard hunting cartridge in the United States.Adriel 2022-07-31 Popular Hunting Cartridge Ballistics Shootout https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/popular-hunting-cartridge-ballistics-shootout/ 2022-11-01 The Hunting Gear Guy en-USDickerson Michael October 20, 2022 Why the .308 Winchester Will Never Die Outdoor Life https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/308-winchester-cartridge-review/ December 24, 2023 It has gained popularity in many countries as an exceptional cartridge for game in the medium- to large-sized class.Speer Reloading Manual Number 12, 1994, Blount, Inc., Lewiston, ID. Although in North America it is commonly thought that it is only recommended for whitetail deer, pronghorn and the occasional caribou or black bear, the .308 Winchester is among the calibers recommended for hunting brown and grizzly bears by the Alaska Department of Game and Fish. Alaska Hunting Information Equipment https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.firearms December 24, 2023 Alaska Department of Fish and Game en Moreover, the Canadian Arctic Rangers chose the Colt Canada C19 in .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO for "polar bear defense" in 2014; demonstrating that the .308 Winchester is suitable and even preferred for taking any medium, large or dangerous game located in the Americas.Eger Chris June 26, 2015 Canadian Arctic Rangers get New Rifle for Polar Bear Defense https://www.guns.com/news/2015/06/26/canadian-arctic-rangers-get-new-rifle-for-polar-bear-defense December 24, 2023 Guns.com en Clay Harvey, an American gun writer, said the .308 Winchester is usable on moose and elk.Popular Sporting Rifle Cartridges DBI Books 1984 Layne Simpson, an American who has hunted in Sweden, said he is surprised at how many hunters there used the cartridge.The 20th Century's Top Rifle Cartridge Shooting Times February 2000 https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/ammunition_st_20thcentury_200902/99446 31 December 2012 The "top" rifle cartridge in the century, he said, is the .30-06. Craig Boddington was told by a Norma Precision executive that the .308 Winchester was one of Norma's best-selling calibers.Best Sellers RifleShooter January–February 2013 In Africa, the .308 Winchester is one of the most popular calibers among Bushveld hunters and is used on anything from duiker right up to the massive eland (a small and large African antelope respectively). Proponents of the hydrostatic shock theory contend that the .308 Winchester has sufficient energy to impart hydrostatic shock to living targets when rapidly expanding bullets deliver a high rate of energy transfer.Sturtevant B. Shock Wave Effects in Biomechanics Sadhana 23 579–596 1998Suneson A. Hansson H. A. Seeman T. Pressure Wave Injuries to the Nervous System Caused by High Energy Missile Extremity Impact: Part I. Local and Distant Effects on the Peripheral Nervous System. A Light and Electron Microscopic Study on Pigs The Journal of Trauma 30 3 281–294 1990 While .308 Winchester has traditionally been the most popular cartridge in the past, the development of lighter recoil chamberings with sufficient downrange energy, like the 7mm-08 Remington, .260 Remington, and 6.5 Creedmoor, is becoming more common for metallic silhouette shooting. Sport Shooting Association of Australia http://www.ssaansw.org.au/index.php/disciplines/rifle-metallic-silhouette 20 March 2017 Palma shooting is a variant of full-bore target shooting done with a bolt-action rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester firing match grade 155-grain bullets and using micrometer aperture iron sights out to 1,000 yards. Palma USA http://www.palma.org/palma-basics 31 March 2017 1 April 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170401055056/http://www.palma.org/palma-basics dead F-class is a variant of full-bore target rifle which permits optical telescopic sights and shooting rests at the front and rear, such as a bipod or bags. Competitions are fired at distances between 300 and 1,200 meters (or yards), and the targets are half the size of those used in traditional Palma shooting. Based on equipment, competitors can choose to compete in one of the two classes, open and standard: F-TR ("target", standard class): A restricted class which permits a scope, bipod, backpack and rear bag (no front rest), the caliber has to be either .223 Remington or .308 Winchester. In addition, the weight limit including optics is 8.25 kg (18.15 lbs.).December 2017 The .308 Winchester has slightly more drop at long range than the .30-06 Springfield, owing to its slightly lower (around 100 ft/s m/s flip) muzzle velocity with most bullet weights. Cartridges with significantly higher muzzle velocities, such as the .300 Winchester Magnum can have significantly less drop at long range, but much higher recoil.August 2021 As a parent case thumb|upright|right|From left to right 9.3×62mm, .30-06 Springfield, 7.92×57mm Mauser, 6.5×55mm and .308 Winchester cartridges. The 7.62×51mm NATO (not pictured) is similar in appearance to the .308 Winchester. Several cartridges have been developed using the .308 Winchester as a parent case, some becoming very popular for hunting, particularly in North America. These are the .243 Winchester, the .260 Remington (6.5-08 A-Square), the 7 mm-08 Remington, the .338 Federal, and the .358 Winchester (8.8×51mm). In 1980, two rimmed cartridges based on the .308 Winchester were introduced for use in the Winchester Model 94 XTR angle eject rifle: the .307 Winchester and the .356 Winchester. In 2014, the rimless 45 Raptor was introduced to provide a big bore cartridge for the AR-10 by combining the .308 Winchester with the .460 S&W Magnum.August 2021 The .308 Winchester family (circle size proportional to recoil) 250 165 center File:Game Class vs 6 inch Maximum Point Blank Range of some cartridges in the 308 Winchester Family.png Game class vs. 6-inch maximum point blank range File:Sectional Density vs Ballistic Coefficient of some projectiles of the 308 Winchester Family.png Sectional density vs. ballistic coefficient 22em .243 Winchester .260 Remington 7mm-08 Remington 7.62×51mm NATO .307 Winchester .338 Federal .358 Winchester See also .30 Remington AR 7mm caliber Delta L problem List of firearms List of rifle cartridges Sectional density Table of handgun and rifle cartridges References External links Ultra-high speed .308 photos http://www.njnoordhoek.com/?p=938 njnoordhoek.com 2013-01-30 https://archive.today/20130130025652/http://www.njnoordhoek.com/?p=938 2013-01-30 .308 Winchester Cartridge Guide http://www.6mmbr.com/308win.html AccurateShooter.com .308 Videos https://www.stoppingpower.info/index.php?title=.308 StoppingPower.Info https://web.archive.org/web/20090226232749/http://www.stoppingpower.info/index.php?title=.308 2009-02-26 Watch load development of 308Win https://www.rifletalks.com/equipment-reviews/rifles/load-development-for-308win-in-under-50-rounds rifletalks.com Category:Pistol and rifle cartridges Category:Paramilitary cartridges 308