Lee Loader

Nice trophy shot and helpful info, RD - thank you!

Adam

If I had to sell all but two CF rifles of my small collection I would keep my Savage 99 in .308 and my Savage 10XP in .223. I have several reasons.

1. Ammo is always available just about anywhere that sells ammo.
2. Generally speaking, good powders for one are also good for the other.
3. Brass is easy to find and relatively cheap.
4. Bullets are also readily available and in a wide variety of types and weights
5. Both are very accurate calibers.
6. I am good to hunt from squirrels to moose.
7. Lots of different loads published for both.

Now if I was forced to choose one rifle it would be a 30-06 with a Mauser type action but then I digress.

How about 300 savage

Mike Z wrote:How about 300 savage

I believe that would be the predecessor to the 308. IIRC the 308 was based on the 300 savage with a few improvements for feeding in semi and full automatics.

cj8281 wrote:

Mike Z wrote:How about 300 savage

I believe that would be the predecessor to the 308. IIRC the 308 was based on the 300 savage with a few improvements for feeding in semi and full automatics.

True but you can make a 300 savage from a 308 case.

308 and 300 savage were both trying to get 30.06 performance from a smaller cartridge

.308 is on top, followed by 7mm08 & .243

GasGuzzler wrote: I have a lot of psychological gun rules.

Not for sure what you mean by that statement....but I like it... As far as the OP, one rifle I would like to have (and never had) is a 358 Winchester lever gun. To get one today it'd have to be a BLR (that's okay though) however since my hunting days are pretty much over (I simply don't go) to buy one would be sorta a waste. My favorite cartridge of all time is the old 7.57 Mauser. I think probably because that's the rifle my Dad shot and I always liked shooting it (I gave that rifle to my Nephew several years ago). So a 7mm08 would be the next "favorite" to the 358 I reckon. I've had several 243's, never really cared much for em'..

Sorry for dredging this old one up, but I've been a fan of the 308 case for a long time and like the 308 itself a lot. It's really an optimum case for a lot of things. I've never owned a 7mm-08, 260 Remington or 358 Winchester, but I WILL have me a 358 W, cast-bullet-only VZ24 some day. The action lies in my safe a-waitin'.

As for the seven and the six-five,.... I'd do either, and almost have several times except that it's just too hard to part with the same ballistics from a slightly longer 57mm or 55mm case at less pressure. Then, I likw straight sixes in my Jeeps too - same horsepower at 1k less than their newer V-6. At least back when they ditched the Cherokee in 2002/02.

The "short" action doesn't mean much to me because the Mausers aren't all that long anyway and if you use a 24" barrel, what's another half inch overall?

Now, when we get into the 25s - I've stayed with the '57mm case but the 25 Souper is still a neat round. I shot it and the 'Roberts side by side for years and got 3k+ fps from 100 grain bullets and 3.3k+fps from 75 grain bullets in both. Once either bullet left the muzzle, they were identical, but for some irrational reason, I still really like the 308 necked down to .257" even though I have a 257 Roberts. I could own both of those at the same time but can't really do it on the 7s and 6.5s.

Forgive me for bringing this older thread back up, but I would like add my bit.

By the time the early sixties (last century) rolled around, I was already a gun crazy kid, in a family that could not afford the very latest in guns. My dad ordered a sort of modernized Schmidt Ruben, the old long action, that had been re-barreled with a shortened 1903 barrel, chambered for the relatively new kid .308 Winchester. Some of you may remember the small display ads in Outdoor Life offering it as the "standard NATO carbine". It being an earlier era when our government still loved us, and we loved it, the rifle came mail order to the front door of our house in Sacramento California. Dad ordered it with the 3/4" tubed 4X import cheapo scope.

It was my first exposure to the .308 family, and I think it is still the best of that bunch. Just one the opinion of a guy on the apron of old age.

Urny

358 Winchester! Just got a BLR in it. Shot it first time tonight. Think I am really going to like it. So much so that I am parting with my 308 bolt gun.