The .308 Winchester is a rimless, bottlenecked, rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge
from which the 7.62×51mm NATO round was derived. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952,
two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62×51mm NATO T65. Winchester branded the
cartridge and introduced it to the commercial hunting market as the .308 Winchester. Winchester's
Model 70 and Model 88 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.
It is also commonly used for civilian target shooting, 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. Although very similar to the military 7.62×51mm
NATO specifications, the .308 cartridge is not identical, and there are special considerations
that may apply when mixing these cartridges with 7.62×51mm NATO, and .308 Winchester
chambered arms. Their interchange is, however, considered safe by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition
Manufacturers Institute.
Cartridge dimensions The .308 Winchester has 3.64 ml H
2O cartridge case capacity. 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.
.308 Winchester maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All dimensions in millimeters and inches.
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 = 20 degrees. The common rifling
twist rate for this cartridge is 305 mm, 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves
= 7.82 mm, land width = 4.47 mm and the primer type is large rifle.
According to the official C.I.P. rulings the .308 Winchester can handle up to 415.00 MPa
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 proof tested
at 519.00 MPa PE piezo pressure. Usage and performance
The .308 Winchester is one of the most successful hunting cartridges in the United States, and
possibly the world. It has gained popularity in many countries as an exceptional cartridge
for game in the medium- to large-sized class. In North America it is used extensively on
Whitetail deer, Pronghorn and even the occasional Caribou or Black Bear.
Clay Harvey, an American gun writer, says it is usable on moose and elk. Layne Simpson,
an American who has hunted in Sweden, says he is surprised how many hunters there use
the cartridge. Craig Boddington was told by a Norma Precision executive that the .308
is one of Norma's best-selling calibers. In Africa the .308 Win is one of the most
popular calibers among Bushveld hunters and is used on anything from Duiker right up to
the massive Eland. 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. The .308 Winchester has slightly more drop
at long range than the .30-06 Springfield, owing to its slightly lower 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.
As a parent case
Several more 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, the 7 mm-08 Remington, the .338 Federal, and the .358 Winchester.
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.
See also .30 RAR
Delta L problem Hydrostatic shock
List of firearms List of rifle cartridges
Table of handgun and rifle cartridges Sectional density
References
C.I.P. decisions, texts and tables) External links
Ultra-high speed .308 photos amateur high speed photography
.308 Winchester Cartridge Guide by AccurateShooter.com .308 Videos by StoppingPower.Info