I've been lurking on this thread since it started less than a month ago and now it's grown to 7 pages. That's a lot of interest.
My first centerfire rifle was a .30-06 that I bought in 1967. It is a Herter's Model U-9 action that is 6 1/2" long. For 10 years I used that rifle for everything from prairie dogs to elk.
The first .308 (7.62) that I shot was the M-14 that the US Army issued me in Basic Training in 1968. I remember a Range Sgt telling us recruits that the 7.62 could do anything that the .30-06 could. At that time I was smart enough not to call BS on that Sgt. Many of the praises or arguements in this thread for the .308 are the same BS that that Range Sgt was giving us out in that New Mexico desert back in 1968.
I bought my first .308 Win in the early '70s for my first wife. I loaded 150 grain bullets for it for deer and antelope, and 165 grain bullets for elk. That rifle and those 150 grain bullets worked great for her on deer and antelope, but unfortunately she never shot an elk with it and that rifle went with her in the divorce.
It wasn't until 2016 that I bought another .308 rifle. That rifle is on a Mauser action and shot great but the 3-position safety can't be put on because it is blocked by the scope. That rifle is also a long action that is 6" long and the rifle with scope weighs 9 1/2 pounds. It's been sitting in the back of my safe since 2017.
In 2017 I bought a Weatherby Vanguard in .308 Win mainly for shooting the steel gongs at our range, but a couple of years ago I did take it to Kodiak Island on a Sitka Blacktail deer hunt. This rifle is a short action that is 5 7/8" long and weighs 9 pounds with it's scope.
I also have another Vanguard that is chambered for .223 Rem. It is also a short 5 7/8" action and also weighs 9 pounds with it's scope.
To contrast these rifles I also have a Rem 700 chambered in 7 mm RM. It's action is 6 1/8" long and weighs 8 3/4 pounds with it's scope.
All of these rifles are in their factory plastic stocks that I have glass bedded the barrels and actions and I lengthened the stocks 1/2" on the Vanguards and Rem 700, and all of these rifles have 24" barrels.
So with that background, here are my thoughts and opinions on what has been posted on this thread about the .308 Win as a hunting rifle...
First is that the .308 Win is ballistically the same or is even better that the .30-06. Pure BS! Both cartridges use the same bullets, so just with the principles of physics, the cartridge that burns more powder will yield higher velocities. The .30-06 can do anything that the .308 Win can do only the .30-06 bullet will have a higher velocity and higher energy.
Next is that the .308 Win is on a short action that will result in a shorter and lighter weight rifle. With my rifles, the short action Vanguards are only 1/4" shorter than my long action Rem 7 mm RM and the scoped rifles are 1/4 pound heavier than the 7 mm RM.
IMO stocks and scopes affect the rifle's weight more than 1/4-1/2" of action length.
Next is that the .308 Win will recoil less than a .30-06. This is true if you are shooting maximum loads with the same bullets and in the same weight and fit rifles. An ill fitting, lightweight .308 Win can kick the s___ out of the shooter whereas a heavier and proper fitting .30-06 can be a pleasure to shoot. My favorite elk rifle now is my .300 Weatherby. I put it in a custom Walnut stock that fits me, weighs 3/4 pounds more than my .308 Win, I load it with heavier bullets and 53-58 % heavier powder charges, and I have a KDF Muzzle Brake on it. As a result, my .300 Weatherby is LOUD, but it's felt recoil is about the same as the felt recoil of my .308 Win.
Then there is the point that .308 Win ammunition is readily available. I think that this is basically true, especially in comparison with many of the newest and latest cartridges that have come out recently. However this does not affect me, as I reload all of my rifle, pistol and shotshell cartridges. Many of my rifles have never fired a factory round.
And finally, I like the .308 Win cartridge. I shoot my .308 Vanguard just about every week, and now shoot it more than any other rifle that I have. If it was the only rifle that I had, I wouldn't hesitate to hunt any of Montana's big game animals with it. However, I like to have a variety of rifles and I am at a point in my life where I can afford a rifle in any cartridge that I want, so come hunting seasons, many of my rifles, including my .308s, spend more safe time than they do field time.
