.308 Winchester - Wikipedia

Rimless, centerfire, bottlenecked rifle cartridge ".308" redirects here. For other uses, see 308 (disambiguation).

.308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designed	1952
Produced	1952–present
Specifications
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	0.308 in (7.82 mm)
Land diameter	0.300 in (7.62 mm)
Neck diameter	0.3433 in (8.72 mm)
Shoulder diameter	0.4539 in (11.53 mm)
Base diameter	0.4709 in (11.96 mm)
Rim diameter	0.4728 in (12.01 mm)
Rim thickness	0.0539 in (1.37 mm)
Case length	2.015 in (51.2 mm)
Overall length	2.800 in (71.1 mm)
Case capacity	56 gr H2O (3.6 cm3)
Primer type	Large rifle
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.)	60,191 psi (415.00 MPa)
Maximum pressure (SAAMI)	62,000 psi (430 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 125 gr (8 g) Spitzer 3,100 ft/s (940 m/s) 2,668 ft⋅lbf (3,617 J) 150 gr (10 g) Nosler tip 2,820 ft/s (860 m/s) 2,648 ft⋅lbf (3,590 J) 168 gr (11 g) BTHP 2,650 ft/s (810 m/s) 2,619 ft⋅lbf (3,551 J) 175 gr (11 g) BTHP 2,645 ft/s (806 m/s) 2,718 ft⋅lbf (3,685 J) 185 gr (12 g) Lapua Mega JSP 2,510 ft/s (770 m/s) 2,588 ft⋅lbf (3,509 J)
Test barrel length: 24 in (26 in for Lapua) [1]

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

[edit]

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.[2][3]

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.[4] It is also commonly used for hunting, target shooting, metallic silhouette, bench rest target shooting, Palma shooting,[5] 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.[6][7][8]

Cartridge dimensions

[edit]

The .308 Winchester has a 3.64 mL (56 gr H2O) cartridge case capacity.[9] 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 (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.[10] A 254 mm (1 in 10 in) twist rate is also commonly applied.[11]

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives) rulings, the .308 Winchester can handle up to 415.00 MPa (60,191 psi) 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 (75,275 psi) PE piezo pressure.[12]

North American SAAMI maximum pressure for the .308 Winchester is 427.47 MPa (62,000 psi).[13]

.308 Winchester vs. 7.62×51mm NATO

[edit]

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.[14] 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.[15][16] As the chambers differ, accordingly the head space gauges used for the two chamberings differ.[17]

Usage and performance

[edit]

The .308 Winchester is considered a standard hunting cartridge in the United States.[18][19] It has gained popularity in many countries as an exceptional cartridge for game in the medium- to large-sized class.[20] 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.[21] 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.[22]

Clay Harvey, an American gun writer, said the .308 Winchester is usable on moose and elk.[23] Layne Simpson, an American who has hunted in Sweden, said he is surprised at how many hunters there used the cartridge.[24] Craig Boddington was told by a Norma Precision executive that the .308 Winchester was one of Norma's best-selling calibers.[25]

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.[6][8][26][27]

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.[28]

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.[29]

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.).[citation needed]

The .308 Winchester has slightly more drop at long range than the .30-06 Springfield, owing to its slightly lower (around 30 metres per second (100 ft/s)) 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.[citation needed]

• Trajectory comparisons between .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum[30]
• Ultra-high speed photo of a 150 grain FMJ .308 Winchester bullet photographed with an air-gap flash

As a parent case

[edit]

Several cartridges have been developed using the .308 Winchester as a parent case, some becoming very popular for hunting, particularly in North America.[10] 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.[citation needed]

The .308 Winchester family (circle size proportional to recoil)

• Game class vs. 6-inch maximum point blank range
• Sectional density vs. ballistic coefficient

• .243 Winchester
• .260 Remington
• 7mm-08 Remington
• 7.62×51mm NATO
• .307 Winchester
• .338 Federal
• .358 Winchester

See also

[edit]

• .30 Remington AR
• 7mm caliber
• Delta L problem
• List of firearms
• List of rifle cartridges
• Sectional density
• Table of handgun and rifle cartridges

References

[edit]

1. ^ "Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing 308 Win 168 Grain". Federal Premium Ammunition. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
2. ^ "30 Light Rifle (T-65)". Cartridge Collector. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
3. ^ Hildebrand, Guy (April 2005). "Picture Page". The Cartridge Collector's Exchange. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
4. ^ Simpson, Layne (February 2000). "The 20th Century's Top Rifle Cartridge". Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
5. ^ "Rules and Tips for Palma Rifle Shooting in the USA". www.6mmbr.com. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
6. ^ a b Chamberlin FT, Gun Shot Wounds, in Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, Vol. II, Ackley PO, ed., Plaza Publishing, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1966.
7. ^ Courtney, Amy; Courtney, Michael (2007). "Links between traumatic brain injury and ballistic pressure waves originating in the thoracic cavity and extremities". Brain Injury. 21 (7): 657–662. arXiv:0808.1443. doi:10.1080/02699050701481571. PMID 17653939.
8. ^ a b Courtney, Michael; Courtney, Amy (2008). "Scientific Evidence for Hydrostatic Shock". arXiv:0803.3051 [physics.med-ph].
9. ^ Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, Fourth Edition, 1991, Hornady Manufacturing Company, Grand Island, NE.
10. ^ a b Nosler Reloading Guide Number Four, 1996, Nosler, Inc., Bend OR.
11. ^ "Barrel Twist Rate". Sniper Country. August 7, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
12. ^ "C.I.P. TDCC sheet .308 Winchester" (PDF).
13. ^ 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
14. ^ SAAMI Velocity and Piezoelectric Transducer Pressure: Centerfire Rifle, 2013, p. 9, "VELOCITY AND PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER PRESSURE: CENTERFIRE RIFLE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
15. ^ "Technical Data Sheet Unsafe Firearm-Ammunition Combinations" (PDF). Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
16. ^ Redgwell, Stephen (2001). "7.62x51mm NATO or 308 Winchester? What's the Difference?". 303british.com. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
17. ^ "NATO Chamber Headspace GagesAvailable for 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO" (PDF).
18. ^ Adriel (July 31, 2022). "Popular Hunting Cartridge Ballistics Shootout". The Hunting Gear Guy. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
19. ^ Dickerson, Michael (October 20, 2022). "Why the .308 Winchester Will Never Die". Outdoor Life. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
20. ^ Speer Reloading Manual Number 12, 1994, Blount, Inc., Lewiston, ID.
21. ^ "Alaska Hunting Information | Equipment". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
22. ^ Eger, Chris (June 26, 2015). "Canadian Arctic Rangers get New Rifle for Polar Bear Defense". Guns.com. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
23. ^ Popular Sporting Rifle Cartridges DBI Books, 1984.
24. ^ "The 20th Century's Top Rifle Cartridge", Shooting Times, Feb. 2000. Accessed online Dec. 31, 2012. The "top" rifle cartridge in the century, he said, is the .30-06.
25. ^ "Best Sellers", RifleShooter, Jan.Feb. 2013.
26. ^ Sturtevant B, Shock Wave Effects in Biomechanics, Sadhana, 23: 579-596, 1998.
27. ^ Suneson A, Hansson HA, 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.
28. ^ "Sport Shooting Association of Australia". Retrieved March 20, 2017.
29. ^ "Palma USA". Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
30. ^ Litz, Brian. Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting. Cedar Springs, MI : Applied Ballistics, LLC, 2009.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to .308 Winchester.

• Ultra-high speed .308 photos Archived 2013-01-30 at archive.today amateur high speed photography
• .308 Winchester Cartridge Guide by AccurateShooter.com
• .308 Videos by StoppingPower.Info
• Watch load development of 308Win 308 load development at 600m by rifletalks.com

v t e Cartridges derived from the .30-03 Springfield
Prototype	.30-01 Thick-Rim
First generation	Based on .30-03 Springfield .30-06 Springfield
Second generation	Based on .30-06 Springfield .250 Savage .25-06 Remington 6.5-06 A-Square .270 Winchester .280 Remington .30-06 JDJ .338-06 .35 Whelen .400 Whelen .44 AMP .50 BMG 7mm Backcountry wildcat cartridges
Third generation	Based on .250 Savage .22-250 Remington 6 mm XC .250 Ackley Improved .300 Savage Based on .280 Remington .280 Ackley Improved Based on .50 BMG .416 Barrett .460 Steyr .510 DTC EUROP .55 Boys 14.5mm JDJ
Fourth generation	Based on .300 Savage .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO Based on .22-250 Remington .22-250 Ackley Improved
Fifth generation	Based on .308 Winchester .22 CHeetah .243 Winchester 6.45×48mm XPL Swiss .260 Remington 7mm-08 Remington .307 Winchester .308×1.5-inch Barnes 7.62×51mm CETME .338 Federal .358 Winchester .45 Raptor
Sixth generation	Based on .243 Winchester .243 Ackley Improved Based on .307 Winchester .356 Winchester .308 Marlin Express Based on .308×1.5-inch Barnes .22 BR Remington 6mm BR .30 BR
Seventh generation	Based on 6mm BR 5 mm/35 SMc 6mm Dasher 7mm BR Remington Based on .22 BR .20 BR
Eighth generation	Based on 7mm BR Remington .338 Whisper
Related	.30 Thompson Center

v t e Winchester firearms and cartridges
Rifles	Lever-action Henry rifle Model 1866 Model 1873 Model 1876 Model 1886 Model 1892 Model 1894 Model 1895 Model 53 Model 55 Model 64 Model 65 Model 71 Model 88 Model 150 Model 250 Model 255 Model 9422 Bolt-action Model 1878 Hotchkiss Model 1895 Lee Navy Model 1900 Model 1902 Model 1904 Model 43 Model 47 Model 51 Imperial Model 52 Model 54 Model 56 Model 57 Model 58 Model 59 Model 60 Model 60A Model 67 Model 68 Model 69 Model 70 Model 72 Model 75 Model 121 Model 131 Model 141 Model 320 Model 325 Model 670 Model 770 Pump-action Model 1890 Model 1906 Model 61 Model 62 Model 62A Model 270 Semi-automatic Model 1903 Model 1905 Model 1907 Model 1910 Model 30 Model 63 Model 74 Model 77 Model 100 Model 190 Model 290 Model 490 M1 carbine Full-automatic Olin/Winchester FAL Model 1917 WAR Falling-block action Model 1885
Shotguns	Pump-action Model 1893 Model 1897 Model 1912 Model 25 Model 42 Model 1200 Model 1300 Lever-action Model 1887 Model 1901 Model 9410 Single-shot Model 20 Model 36 Model 37 Model 37A Model 41 Double-barrel Model 21 Model 24 Model 96 Model 101 Semi-automatic Model 1911 SL Model 40 Model 50 Model 59 Model 1400 Model 1500 SX-1
Cartridges	.17 Winchester Super Magnum .22 Magnum (WMR) .218 Bee .219 Zipper .22 Hornet .220 Swift .223 Winchester Super Short Magnum .225 Winchester .243 Winchester .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum .25-20 Winchester .256 Winchester Magnum .25-35 Winchester .264 Winchester Magnum .270 Winchester .270 Winchester Short Magnum 6.8 Western 7mm Winchester Short Magnum .284 Winchester .30 carbine .30-30 Winchester .307 Winchester .308 Winchester .300 Winchester Short Magnum .300 Winchester Magnum .32 Winchester Special .32-20 Winchester .325 Winchester Short Magnum .33 Winchester .338 Winchester Magnum .345 Winchester Self-Loading .348 Winchester .35 Winchester .35 Winchester Self-Loading .350 Legend .351 Winchester Self-Loading .356 Winchester .358 Winchester .375 Winchester .38-40 Winchester .38-55 Winchester .38-56 WCF .38-72 Winchester .40-60 Winchester .40-72 Winchester .400 Legend .401 Winchester Self-Loading .405 Winchester .44 Henry .44-40 Winchester .45-60 Winchester .45-75 Winchester .458 Winchester Magnum .50-110 Winchester