[VOA]

Is there a difference between the AK ammo and .308 ammo?

The real experts in this forum will really fill you in on that.

My inexpert understanding is that the AK round is bad news at short range
but real accuracy drops off beyond 100-200 yards. I suspect lethality
suffers similar drop-off.

The .308 is more of what you conceive of as a full high-powered round;
like a .30-06. Lethal and accurate at long ranges (like 300-500 yards;
maybe farther in the right hands/rifle)

[SauronOfMordor]

re : AK ammo and .308 ammo

They have the same diameter bullet, but the .308 has a bigger case, and thus more gunpowder behind the bullet, which makes for far more muzzle energy for the .308. This translates into much more range for the .308

The AK is designed for close-range firefights, and to be operable by barely-trained peasants.

The NATO .308 rifles are designed to enable a well-trained soldier to get hits out to 800 yards and beyond.