7 Reasons to Choose 308 Winchester Rifles & Ammo For Your Next Hunting Decision

Whether you’re looking for a rifle to hunt with or ammo to shoot, the 308 Winchester rifle and .380 Win ammo are both powerful choices that are suitable for a wide range of game animals. 

Here are seven reasons why you should consider these two products when it comes time to make your next hunting decision.

Federal Fusion MSR

Whether you’re hunting for deer or hogs, Federal Fusion MSR 308 Winchester rifle & ammo is a great choice. This new line of ammunition offers performance, dependability, and high velocity. It also features a skived tip to initiate expansion. 

Besides the sleek design, it has a high ballistic coefficient. This allows it to expand even in lower impact velocity.

Federal Fusion MSR is designed for Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) that utilize free-floating firing pins. These bullets feature an electrochemically bonded lead core that helps to retain weight. They also have a copper jacket for enhanced ballistics.

Fusion MSR also offers excellent range performance and terminal results. Its bullets have been tested to provide optimum ballistics from 16″ to 20″ barrels.

It’s important to choose a bullet with an appropriate ballistic coefficient for the intended application. 

This bullet is ideal for whitetail deer, antelope, hogs, and other North American game. It’s also used by law enforcement.

Federal Fusion MSR ammo is designed for hunting MSRs, but it’s also suitable for AR-style rifles. Its bullets are loaded in cases that have a harder case head. Its cases are also filled with clean, fast-burning powders. It also features a mil-spec primer and a military-style colored iris.

Fusion MSR is available in several popular hunting calibers, including 308, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm WSM, and 6.5 Grendel. It also features a wide variety of velocities. The round is designed to cycle smoothly and eject cleanly. It’s also available in boxer-primed, reloadable brass cases.

Federal Fusion MSR bullets have been tested to provide optimum performance in rifles with 16″ to 20″ barrels. Its bonded lead core ensures bullet integrity during expansion. It also retains 90 percent of its weight. This helps to reduce the potential for slam fires. The round also uses a Gold Medal GM205R primer, which is less sensitive than a standard 205 primer. It also offers balanced expansion and deep penetration.

Bonded Soft Points

Whether you are hunting a big game or a smaller target, you may be considering a bonded soft-point bullet. This type of bullet provides a wider diameter wound channel than non-bonded bullets, which is ideal for thick-skinned animals. This is why hunters often choose this type of bullet when hunting for large game animals.

Bonded soft points are made by Winchester. They feature a strategic notching pattern that delivers consistent expansion on target. They also use a boxer primer for increased accuracy. They can also be found in bulk cases of 20 rounds. 

Fast and Accurate

The muzzle velocity of these bullets is 2600 feet per second. This means that you will have a fast, accurate kill.

They are also a great option for law enforcement. The 165 grain bullet is built to provide excellent penetration, even at a range of hundreds of yards. These bullets are also bonded to prevent separation during impact.

More Penetration

Using a bonded soft point is a good choice for hunters looking for the best possible performance. While these bullets will be heavier for their caliber, they will also provide more penetration than their non-bonded counterparts. 

Non-bonded bullets will usually mushroom bigger, which can cause some damage to meat and hide.

More Expansion

In addition, a bonded soft point bullet will provide more expansion than a standard FMJ bullet. This is a result of a partially jacketed soft point design, which reduces bore fouling. 

They are also a good choice for lever-action rifles. These bullets are also a good option for self-defense. They can be purchased in almost all calibers.

Another soft point bullet that can be found in your arsenal is the Norma Soft Point. This type of bullet is designed for good accuracy and features a round lead nose. It also features symmetrical notches that can help direct uniform terminal expansion.

These bullets are also available in a 125 grain version. While these bullets may not be as accurate as a 165 grain bullet, they will be good enough to penetrate a large whitetail deer. They are also good for mule deer, and pronghorn.

Versatility

Whether you’re looking to kill a medium-sized game at close range or you’re after a hog, the versatility of 308 Winchester rifles and ammo for hunting is hard to beat. The round’s high energy output means it can penetrate a large game animal, and the dozens of bullet designs on the market make it possible to customize the performance to your personal needs.

A few companies, including Nosler and Hornady, have even tapped into this market with their own lines of factory hunting ammo. Nosler’s line of AccuBond bullets is a popular choice, and they have their own line of Superformance ammo whose name is a mouthful to say. 

Unlike their big brand factory loads, these are made with specially formulated powders that hold peak pressure longer, which results in a round with a higher muzzle velocity.

While the Superformance name isn’t known as a name to be sworn by, the fact that it packs the most energy per millimeter of wall thickness means that it can make ethical kills. In addition to the name brand, there are some other good choices, including Barnes TSX, Bergers, and Hornady ELD-X.

The best of the lot is the 125-grain Hornady CX bullets in the Black Hills Gold line. The 125-grain bullet is more than enough to produce a 3-shot group that measures a half-inch in diameter. The same bullet in a 165-grainer will achieve a much higher muzzle velocity, but will require a significantly larger barrel, and will probably require a heftier price tag.

In terms of accuracy, the Hornady Superformance’s sub-MOA accuracy will probably be your best bet. Featuring specially formulated powders and topped off with Hornady’s SST projectiles, this is an accurate, fun, and affordable round that packs enough energy to make an ethical kill. 

The cheapest Superformance ammo can be had for a little over 50 cents per round.

Whether you’re hunting hogs, deer, or varmints, the versatility of 308 Winchester rifles is hard to beat. With a variety of bullet designs, powders, and cartridges available, there’s no reason to not own one. It’s a round that can pump thousands of rounds through your rifle and can hold its own with a more expensive round for years to come.

Accuracy

While the 308 Winchester Rifle sparked a whole new market for specialty rifles, it is not the best choice for a long-range sniper cartridge. The 7.62X51mm NATO, a cartridge that has been used in the military for years, is still in use. The cartridge’s accuracy is a slight advantage over the 308 Winchester, but it is not enough to make it the ideal sniper cartridge. The 30-06 is a better choice for sniper shots.

The 6.5 Creedmoor, on the other hand, has less recoil and can deliver more energy to the target. The lower recoil means that it can be used in unusual firing positions. This can make tracing easier. Additionally, the lower recoil can help a shooter reach their target quicker. This is especially helpful when a shot must be made in an unusual situation.

Availability and Affordability

Both the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 308 Winchester are excellent cartridges. They are not perfect, but they are extremely accurate and powerful. Both are available everywhere. They are also relatively inexpensive. It’s easy to buy a rifle and a supply of ammo for very little money. In fact, some manufacturers produce ammo at a fraction of the cost of other cartridges. 

The 308 Winchester is not a cartridge to be underestimated. It can deliver great accuracy for thousands of rounds. In fact, some ammo makers say it can maintain accuracy for up to 5,000 rounds.