Is a 308 a good rifle for deer hunting?

[jeepster]

I have a family member that past a way, and left a few guns. He had a winchester 308 lever action and I dont have a deer rifle for northern MN, Just wondering how this would work.

[lakeshoremunster]

308 is an awsome round, my self and two others I hunt with use .308

so far have used it for deer and for black bear,

I use a tikka t3 and it shoots great. If your going to get that lever action rifle I would look into the Hornady Leverlution rounds, much safer for a lever action gun.

[WalleyeGod]

Munster has pretty much summed it up. I have friends that use their .308 from varmints to deer.

Hornady LEVERevolution is what he was suggesting and from what I have heard is an excellent choice for the lever action rifles.

Curious-is there a scope on it?

WG

[Farley]

Yes it will work fine. Nice gun, you dont hear of or see a lot of lever .308's.

[picksbigwagon]

I just looked at gun broker and it is a model 88 winchester 308 lever action, you can shoot any kind of 308 bullet in it, it has a detachable magazine, not a tube. Is yours a Model 88? If so, you can shoot any of the 308 rounds out there.....

[swamptiger]

Quote:

I just looked at gun broker and it is a model 88 winchester 308 lever action, you can shoot any kind of 308 bullet in it, it has a detachable magazine, not a tube. Is yours a Model 88? If so, you can shoot any of the 308 rounds out there.....

Yes - the Leverevolution rounds are intended for the tube fed Marlins and Winchesters - the clip and magazine fed rifles will use any ammo. The Winchester 88 is getting to be quite valuable as a collector, so I don't know if I would use it to hunt with if it's in nice condition. Another good older lever gun is the Savage 99, but collectors are grabbing up good specimens of those too. Even a Winchester 94 is getting to be worth money..hard to believe as many of them were built.

[LMITOUT]

Thanks for bringing this topic up as I've been wondering about this round as well. Some AR manufacturers offer a 7.62x51 so I was thinking that this would be a good rifle for deer, but wasn't sure how it performs at longer distances >200 yds compared to a .270 or 30-06.

[swamptiger]

The 7.62 x 51 is a little different than the .308, but I think the performance is plenty good enough for deer out to 200 yards. I had a 7.62 x 54 once and the performance was about the same as a .308. The 7.62 x 39 is considerably smaller and packs less punch.

[LMITOUT]

See, that's where I'm confused. The caliber of the AR shows a .308/7.62mm chamber. So that won't shoot a .308 Winchester? I think we're talking the same thing here.

[swamptiger]

Here's what it says in Wikipedia about it:

Quote:

Although not identical, the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge is similar enough to the commercial .308 Winchester that the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) considers it safe to fire the NATO round in weapons chambered for the commercial round, but is silent on the opposite usage.[9]

If I remember right, the military ammo is higher pressure, and also a slightly different length. Not sure what the AR was made to shoot - the military round or the .308 Winchester - but to be sure I would consult the manufacturer.

[jeepster]

WG- It does not have a scope. Thanks for all the information guys.

Picksbigwagon, I know it has a detachabel mag, so i beleive it is an 88 but he had over fifty guns mostly shot guns and some pistols but i dont have the rifle here until this weekend so i will know more than.

[picksbigwagon]

If he used it for hunting, you should too, he would want you too. Take good care of it as well. It will be something you want to hand down to the next generation or two

[Tator2k]

First off the stanard 'AR' most folks talk about is the AR-15 chambered in .223 Rem Or the NATO version in 5.56 NATO

This compares to the AR-10 which is chambered in .308 Win or 7.62x51 NATO

Either of these rifles can fire their military equivalent without any issue.

It's very unlikely in at gunshows to find NATO surplus ammo. Everything I've seen has been oversea current civilian production or surplus.

Don't get confused with the 7.62x39 (Ak-47/ SKS) or the 7.62x54R as those are Russian or Soviet Block designated ammo types.

[LMITOUT]

I was referring to the AR-10. I alerady have an AR-15 with a wylde chamber that'll take .223 or 5.56

[Farley]

Limit, the .308 should perform well at 200 yds, compared to a 30-06. Some pro target shooters are shooting 1000 yd targets with the .308.

Quote:

Either of these rifles can fire their military equivalent without any issue.

Tator I have always been under the impression that you cant fire the NATO rounds out of a .308 but the rifles chambered in 7.62 X 51 can fire both .308 and 7.62 X 51. That's what I've always been told. Maybe that doesnt include AR's?

[lichen fox]

Jeepster,I'm sure your gun is a Win. M-88...they made the lever 88 and an automatic version, the Model 100...the most popular versions were chambered for 243 Win., .308 Win & .284 Win. I have owned both model 100's and model 88's....I have used the same Model 88 in .308 calibur for the past 38 years. I have shot several different kinds of factory ammo over the years with no problems but I prefer my own handloads...I have taken numerous deer with this rifle and used it to finish off a couple of bears as well....for the first several years I always shot a peep sight with good results, but as my eyesight changed I decided to top it with a 2-7X Leupold vari-x 2...And I've loved it ever since! I've shot most of the deer inside 150 yards but I have taken a few between 300 & 400 yards too...The main thing with the Model 88 or 100 is to keep them CLEAN and OIL FREE when using them to hunt! When huntings done I'll usually clean up my rifle and lightly oil everything....when it gets time to take it out for hunting I'll re-clean with solvents, removing all oil...then I'll lube it with just Hoppe's #9, WD-40, or I have used a fine silicone powder as well....what ever you use when it's cold out...keep it light so the action and firing pin works freely....too heavy of a lubricant and you'll be very frustrated when trying to chamber that second round in sub-freezing temps...these rifles were built from the late 50's or early 60's through the early 70's and I've seen speciman's in moderate - fair condition fetch as much as $500....in excellent condition they are worth $650 - $750 depending on calibur....I'm sure you'll enjoy it...Good luck!

[haverhunting]

Yes it will work fine.

[Steve Foss]

Another good older lever gun is the Savage 99, but collectors are grabbing up good specimens of those too.

My all time favorite. Had a pre-1948 (brass counter) Model 99 in .300 Savage I used as a saddle gun. Great shape, full buckhorn sights. Sure wish I still had that gun.

I've shot several .308 rifles, including the Model 100 carbine, since white-tailed deer are all I hunt anymore, I'd pick the .308 hands down if I needed more range than my Mossy 695 delivers. Great and accurate round, that .308. One of my fave .308s was a WWII era Swiss army rifle with a straight-pull bolt and adjustable-elevation rear sights. It had been rebarreled for .308. Lotta fun.

[Jackpine Rob]

I knocked the rear buckhorn sight off of mine (.300 with the brass counter) to make room for a scope. Still have the sight, but even though the gunsmith cried when he drilled and tapped the receiver, the thing has a scope on it now.

Hands down that gun is a shooter. I have gotten a few strange looks at the range when I dial it in at the 200 yard targets every couple of years, but it just plain shoots. I have played with it to 300 under controlled conditions, and am fairly confident that 300 is not out of the question if conditions are good. Of course, for a woods gun, 300 is really reaching out there.....

[swamptiger]

I had a post-war Savage 99E in .300 Savage that I got from my uncle - one of the many dumber things I did in my younger days was to sell that rifle.

I also hunted with a Swiss rifle borrowed from a cousin when I was in my teens for one season. Sounds like the same rifle - 7.5 Swiss with a straight pull bolt, re-chambered to .308. I remember it as being a well-built gun, but on the heavy side.

[Steve Foss]

Swamptiger, same Swiss army rifle for sure. Mine was heavy, too. But I was younger then, and living at 10,000 feet and climbing around the Colorado Rockies like a mountain goat.

Rob, I often thought about scoping my .300 Savage, but it was primarily a saddle gun, so I never did. If the Powerball gods ever smile down upon me, I'll be paying whatever it costs to find another one just like I had.

[BEEFEATER]

browning makes a .308 lever gun to0.... LAKESHOREMUNSTER what do u mean by the hornady leverlutions are much safer, why wouldent any .308 be safe?

[swamptiger]

Quote:

browning makes a .308 lever gun to0.... LAKESHOREMUNSTER what do u mean by the hornady leverlutions are much safer, why wouldent any .308 be safe?

The tube fed levers like the Winchester Model 94 and Marlin 336 used round tipped cartridges. The concern was that with a pointed bullet the bullets could be set off in the tube magazine. Now, with the introduction of the LeverRevolution ammo, these guns can use a plastic-tipped pointed bullet with better ballistics.

My most recent acquisition is a Marlin lever in the Hornady designed .308 Marlin Express caliber. The gun is basically a Marlin 336 with a 22" barrel and the new round performs close to a .308 Winchester. Anxious to try it out this fall.

[BEEFEATER]

Thanks for explaining, figured there was good reason!!

[Steve Foss]

My most recent acquisition is a Marlin lever in the Hornady designed .308 Marlin Express caliber. The gun is basically a Marlin 336 with a 22" barrel and the new round performs close to a .308 Winchester. Anxious to try it out this fall.

Be sure to let us know how you like it. That sounds like an interesting round. I also like the 336 alot. I shot it in short-range northern Wisconsin woods for a couple years in .35 Rem and was pleased with it.