.308 Winchester
The .308 Win is the universal donor of hunting cartridges - short-action efficiency, every bullet weight, every rifle, every shelf, and sixty years of everything-taken proof.
If pressed to name ONE cartridge for all North American hunting with no further questions, the .308 Winchester survives every argument: 150-180 grain .30-caliber bullets at useful velocities, chambered in every action ever made, stocked in every store on earth, with recoil an average adult manages and terminal performance elk guides accept. It is nobody's exotic and everybody's benchmark.
What it is
The 1952 short-action .30 - NATO's 7.62 twin - driving 150-180gr bullets 2,600-2,850 fps with famous efficiency and inherent accuracy.
What it hunts best
Literally the North American list: deer, elk, bear, hogs, moose with heavy bullets. If a hunt happens on this continent, a .308 with the right bullet is a defensible choice for it.
Trajectory & energy
165gr at 2,700 zeroed at 200: ~8.5" at 300 - not the flattest, entirely workable. ~2,670 ft-lb muzzle; the .30 bore's bullet selection (varmint to 200gr+) is its superpower.
Recoil & shootability
~17-18 ft-lb - the baseline 'full-power rifle' recoil most shooters calibrate against; manageable, honest, trainable.
Rifles & ammo on the shelf
Unmatched: every action type, every price point, every store including the gas station in hunting country. In ammo droughts, .308 reappears first.
.308 Ballistics Chart by Bullet Weight
Five Hornady .308 Win loads from 125 to 178 grains, all from a 24-inch test barrel.
| Load | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 gr SST (Custom Lite) - velocity (fps) | 2675 | 2389 | 2121 | 1871 | 1642 | 1437 |
| 125 gr SST (Custom Lite) - energy (ft-lb) | 1986 | 1584 | 1248 | 971 | 748 | 573 |
| 125 gr SST (Custom Lite) - trajectory (in) | -1.5 | +2.3 | 0 | -10.1 | -30.1 | -63.2 |
| 150 gr SST (Superformance) - velocity (fps) | 3000 | 2772 | 2556 | 2350 | 2153 | 1966 |
| 150 gr SST (Superformance) - energy (ft-lb) | 2997 | 2559 | 2176 | 1839 | 1543 | 1287 |
| 150 gr SST (Superformance) - trajectory (in) | -1.5 | +1.5 | 0 | -6.8 | -20.0 | -40.7 |
| 165 gr InterLock (American Whitetail) - velocity (fps) | 2700 | 2496 | 2302 | 2116 | 1939 | 1772 |
| 165 gr InterLock (American Whitetail) - energy (ft-lb) | 2671 | 2283 | 1941 | 1640 | 1377 | 1150 |
| 165 gr InterLock (American Whitetail) - trajectory (in) | -1.5 | +2.1 | 0 | -8.6 | -25.0 | -50.7 |
| 168 gr BTHP (Match) - velocity (fps) | 2700 | 2503 | 2315 | 2134 | 1962 | 1799 |
| 168 gr BTHP (Match) - energy (ft-lb) | 2719 | 2337 | 1998 | 1699 | 1436 | 1207 |
| 168 gr BTHP (Match) - trajectory (in) | -1.5 | +2.0 | 0 | -8.5 | -24.7 | -50.0 |
| 178 gr ELD-X (Precision Hunter) - velocity (fps) | 2600 | 2443 | 2291 | 2145 | 2004 | 1868 |
| 178 gr ELD-X (Precision Hunter) - energy (ft-lb) | 2671 | 2358 | 2074 | 1818 | 1587 | 1379 |
| 178 gr ELD-X (Precision Hunter) - trajectory (in) | -1.5 | +2.2 | 0 | -8.8 | -25.2 | -50.2 |
Loads: 125 gr SST Custom Lite, 150 gr SST Superformance, 165 gr InterLock American Whitetail, 168 gr BTHP Match, 178 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter. Numbers from Hornady's published table for each load (links), 200-yard zero; trajectory is inches above (+) or below (-) the line of sight. Read on 26 October 2026; your rifle and barrel will differ.
Bottom line
The default for a reason. Modern 6.5s shoot flatter and softer; nothing beats the .308's combination of enough-for-everything and available-everywhere.
Caliber legality varies: many states set minimum calibers, straight-wall rules, or season-specific restrictions for big game, and they change. Always confirm the current regulations for your state, species and season with the official wildlife agency - this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Ballistics figures are typical factory-load approximations; your rifle and load will differ - verify at the range.
Range-day gear, whatever the cartridge
A cartridge only performs as well as the zero and the practice behind it. These are the tools for that part.
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