Agreed. Good post.
How many calibers use a 30-06 case as a starting point ??
Joined October 8th, 1998.
Please describe the .300 AAC BLK or 300 Blackout for those who do not recognize it.
I admit, 308 is my favorite all around round. I just love shooting a real 30 caliber rifle.
I personally don’t like black guns. With me it’s style…walnut with blued steel… I understand their purpose though.
5.56 has its purpose as does 7.62. 223, more ammo less weight. .308 more weight more power longer range better penetration through city scapes. I wouldn’t want to be shot by either. I do think 9mm is not for the military. 10mm minimum. (Btw I tend to carry an ultra lightweight 9)
Now I’m going back to loading more .30-40 Krag for my model 1899 Krag.
A 308 makes a nice sound on a metal gong target at 300 yards.
“When the M16 replaced the M14 as our nation’s primary service weapon in the 1960s, it permanently made the .308 a less acceptable combat round. The .223 round is lighter, meaning you can carry more of it.”
WHO WRITES THIS BS?
When they took my M14 away from me and gave me an M16, the very next firefight I was in had my piece jam. I hated the M16. It was unreliable in combat.
The M-16 and M4 carbine in 5.56 were intended to combine the functions of a battle rifle at and controllable sub machine gun while being light weight enough to replace the M1 Carbine
They fulfill that combined roll extremely well.
I like the .308, though I’m partial to the .30-06 (hence, my screen name).
“When a .223 round is fired through the wrong barrel length/twist combo, it “icepicks” targets...”
Huh?
Why stop there ?
A 50BMG is the next logical choice.
This is what is great about the AR platform in .223. I can do all sorts of tricks with the uppers and shoot different stuff for different purposes and scenarios. The AR10 is pretty much locked down.
Oh my god, did I just type that ?! If you go back to my original posts about 15 years ago you would see me blasting the AR platform in favor of the wooden fudd guns.
But here I am, allowing myself to open up and experience all options with an open mind and heart.
I like the 308 round. I like that it is more devastating than the 5.56. But the M16 didn’t change the bullet. The bullet changed the M16.
Oh, and Vaq: I see someone on ebay is making wooden furniture for the AR, as I’m sure many people do. That, and seeing the Turnbull TAR10 (One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and I met Jeri Ryan) I’m starting to think about it.
I need new furniture for my rail-top 2960LE - And I have a scope mounted on the top handle too. I think I may go in that direction. Maybe even with a classic bipod and bayonet mount.
I like articles that agree with me.
“Best” is a meaningless term unless you specify the purpose of the gun. A .308 or a .30-06 will do a lot of things well. That makes either versatile. It is only makes them the best if versatility is your objective. If a person wants a rifle that will be a more than adequate gun for any continental U.S. big-game hunting application, a .308 or .30-06 is a great gun.
An awful lot of opinion contained in this article.
Where to begin-
-Actually, all FMJ/non frangible bullets begin to yaw immediately upon entering a medium other than air. Twist rate is a non issue with this fact. You’d have to have a twist rate of 1/1000000 or so to stabilize any FMJ in flesh. So, 556, 762N, 50 cal etc, given enough flesh will tumble. The 556 FMJs tend to break apart at the cannelure at velocities above 2400 fps ( 120-150m for 0 inch bbls, 90-100m for 14.5 inch carbines etc) and create tremendous wound effects. The 762 N round seldom does so, but rather tumbles maybe a few rotations and exits tail first. So do 556s at lower velocities. The yaw/tumbling effect causes larger than caliber permanent wound cavities as well.
The 762 N 147 grn M80 ball travels about 5 inches or so in flesh ( called the wound “neck”) before it yaws, the 62 grn 556 M855, about 2-3 inches. Think of your torso as the target, 5 inches is about halfway through the frontal chest, 2 inches is just under the ribs..... Would you prefer a 30 cal hole through your heart or a wide ripping tumbling .99inches of 556? Yeah, me too, neither, but since both penetrate Level 3A vest with aplomb, and still have enough to destroy the internals of a threat, and the 556 is so very easy to shoot follow ups, the win in most militaries and LE circles goes to the 556. Now, for special purposes, maybe the larger calibers get the nod ( many LEOs are using precision rifles in 223/556 and 6mm calibers these days as precision shooting at civilians is usually rare and mostly relegated to city block or so distances, where the risk of larger calibers are considered too much.
You do realize that modern US “ball ammo is not the same as your or your daddies ball ammo? Refer to the M855A1 and the M80A1 rounds- both are reverse monometal gilding mental jackets” with a forward insert of hardened steel penetrator- think Nosler E-tip with a the tip being steel. These round do really awesome things upon impact with armor and unarmored targets. YeHaw!
What about US Military sniping? The 762N is for the most part not used much any longer - the 300 Win Mag (M2010 SWS in the Army), the 338 Lapua and the boutique 416s and 50s pretty much take over.
The 762N shines in the GPMG arena still though, it provides base of fire for the squad and platoon for infantry fire and maneuver and is eminently well suited for that role, with the 556 M49 and similar LMGs filling the continuous fire void in the fire teams.
Anyways, opinions are fine, as long as one does not decide that they are facts.
A 556 rifle with either FMJ or more efficient BTHPs do very well indeed on the battlefields of today. The MK262, and similar improved rounds show this very well.
Last year at Camp Perry , a US Army Marksmanship Team member shot M855A1 rounds from a NM AR15A4 across the course and placed very well- with “ball” ammo. There are lots of reports on the web to satisfy anyone’s curiosity.
So much for that aspect.
.308 / 7.62x51
I know what it will and won’t do courtesy of Uncle Sam and a wide range of experiences with many different 7.62 belt and magazine fed weapons over 27 years. So much fun!
That being said, it has been my go-to caliber for many applications outside the military for 2+ decades.
It’s easy to shoot, offers a wide range of reloading options, inherently accurate, inexpensive, and 100% effective when I do my part.