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| .308 Winchester | ||
|---|---|---|
 From left to right 9.3x62mm, .30-06 Springfield, 8x57mm IS, 6.5x55mm and .308 Winchester cartridges. The 7.62x51mm NATO is similar in appearance to the .308 Winchester. |
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| Type | Rifle | |
| Place of origin |  United States |
|
| Production history | ||
| Designed | 1952 | |
| Specifications | ||
| Parent case | .300 Savage | |
| Case type | Rimless, Bottleneck | |
| Bullet diameter | 0.308 in (7.8 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | 0.343 in (8.7 mm) | |
| Shoulder diameter | 0.454 in (11.5 mm) | |
| Base diameter | 0.470 in (11.9 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | 0.473 in (12.0 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | 0.050 in (1.3 mm) | |
| Case length | 2.015 in (51.2 mm) | |
| Overall length | 2.800 in (71.1 mm) | |
| Rifling twist | 1/12 | |
| Primer type | Large Rifle | |
| Maximum pressure | 62,000 psi (430 MPa) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 150 gr (9.7 g) Nosler tip | 2,820 ft/s (860 m/s) | 2,648 ft·lbf (3,590 J) |
| 165 gr (10.7 g) BTSP | 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) | 2,671 ft·lbf (3,621 J) |
| 168 gr (10.9 g) BTHP | 2,650 ft/s (810 m/s) | 2,619 ft·lbf (3,551 J) |
| 175 gr (11.3 g) BTHP | 2,600 ft/s (790 m/s) | 2,627 ft·lbf (3,562 J) |
| 180 gr (12 g) Nosler partition High-Energy | 2,740 ft/s (840 m/s) | 3,000 ft·lbf (4,100 J) |
| Test barrel length: 24 in Source: Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page |
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008) |
.308 Winchester is the commercial version of the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge. Two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65 in 1954, Winchester (a subsidiary of the Olin Corporation) branded the cartridge and introduced it to the commercial hunting market as the .308 Winchester. Winchester's Model 70 and Model 88 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.[1] It is also commonly used for civilian target shooting, military sniping and police sharpshooting. The relatively short case makes the .308 Winchester especially well adapted for short action rifles.
Among calibers larger than 6mm, the .308 is by far the most popular short-action big-game cartridge among hunters worldwide.[dubious ]
Contents |
Cartridge dimensions
The .308 Winchester has 3.64 ml (56.0 grains) H2O cartridge case capacity. 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 sizes in millimeters (mm).
Americans would 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.
According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) guidelines the .308 Winchester case can handle up to 415 MPa (60,190 psi) 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.
The .308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm cartridges are not identical and there are minor differences in their inner case dimensions, though SAAMI does not list either cartridge as unsafe in a firearm designed for use with the other.[2]
The .308 Winchester as a parent case
Several more cartridges have been developed using the .308 Winchester as a parent case, some becoming very popular for hunting, particularly in North America. These are the .243 Winchester, the .260 Remington (aka 6.5-08 A-Square), the 7mm-08 Remington, the .338 Federal, and the .358 Winchester (aka 8.8x51mm). 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.
References
- ^ Simpson, Layne (February 2000). "The 20th Century's Top Rifle Cartridge". Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Unsafe Arms and Ammunition Combinations technical data sheet at SAAMI
- C.I.P. decisions, texts and tables (free current C.I.P. CD-ROM version download (ZIP and RAR format))
See also
External links
- .308 Winchester Cartridge Guide by AccurateShooter.com
- .308 Videos by StoppingPower.Info
Article keywords: winchester 308 rifle, winchester model 100 308, reloading 308 winchester, 308 winchester ammunition, 308 winchester accuracy, 308 winchester lever action,