Do I really NEED a .308 in Indiana?

[MontereyC6]

Why do you need one? Cause I just got done building my first!

 

[red_zr24x4]

Everyone Should have an M1A !
.308, check
Classic good looks, check
Wood and steel, check

 

[hopper68]

Why deny it, you are going to buy one.

 

[Cerberus]

I am a consolidator of calibers. I have it down to .22LR, 9mm, .45ACP, .223/5.56, 7.62x39 and 300BLK. It will take a special need to get me into another caliber.

That being said, I have been teetering on the idea of getting a .308. There are some great deals on .308 rifles and some AR-10s out there now. So the question comes down to NEED.

So...in Indiana, with our topography, does someone really NEED a .308 rifle?

Ok I will give my $.05 worth of opinion. What can I say? I'm kinda opinionated and and my opinion is worth more than a mere $.02
1. .22lr. A good round for many things. Plinking, squirrels, honing marksmanship skills, did I mention squirrels?
2. 9mm. A great carry round, most handguns in this chambering are nice and hi cap, and the round is fairly inexpensive to shoot.
3. .45ACP. Every red blooded American should have a handgun in this or the .45 Colt round.
4. 5.56/.223. A new classic. Almost a requirement nowadays. A good round to spend a day just shooting off hundreds.
5. 7.62x39. A heavy round with decent 200-300 yard performance through most rifles. Largely imported and expensive when not.
6. 300 BLK. A round designed for the AR that comes close to mimicking the AK round and becoming quite popular.

The way I see it, you have two rounds that are basically the same performance wise, and nothing that can reach to 800-1000 with authority. Personally I would ditch the 7.62x39 and get a decent .308 and a shotgun.

 

[halfmileharry]

I'd have trouble ditching the 7.62x39. Ammo is cheap and if the real world ever pukes there should be plenty of AKs and ammo around. I'd get rid of nothing if you don't have to. I consolidated a few years ago 'cause I had over 36 centerfire rifles in different calibers. I inherited most of them and kept less than half.
I always have regrets when I get rid of any gun. I talk myself into not needing or even wanting a gun and then when it's gone I've got seller's remorse.
IF you have multiples of some then that's where to thin the herd. I'm like that with shotguns. Too many and only use a couple of them.

 

[Sling10mm]

I would say add it, but then I'm speaking from a perspective where I shoot the following:

22LR
9mm Luger
38 Special
357 Magnum
357 SIG
40 S&W
10mm Auto
44 Special
44 Magnum
45 Auto
5.45x39
5.56x45/223 Remington
6.8x43
7.62x39
7.62x51/308 Winchester
45-70 Gov't
12 Gauge

Crap, maybe I should look at consolidating.....

 

[halfmileharry]

I would say add it, but then I'm speaking from a perspective where I shoot the following:

22LR
9mm Luger
38 Special
357 Magnum
357 SIG
40 S&W
10mm Auto
44 Special
44 Magnum
45 Auto
5.45x39
5.56x45/223 Remington
6.8x43
7.62x39
7.62x51/308 Winchester
45-70 Gov't
12 Gauge

Crap, maybe I should look at consolidating.....

Double crap. I don't have 357 Sig or 6.8x43 but I have more wants. This is an expensive hobby/habit.

 

[ACC]

Wow. Ok. Great responses. My thoughts.

I have many 12g shottys. It was my fist gun and will be my last...if it ever came to that.

I am down with AKs. 7.62x39 is a world wide caliber and will be readily available in a SHTF situation. That's why I got into AKs

I realized I also have a .357 lever gun and revolver, and a .30-30 lever...just to clarify.

I would love to have a .308 scout rifle or M1A, but do I NEED a .308 in Indiana. Really need? I don't even have an optic capable of precise shots of over 300yds.

 

[natdscott]

You don't really have to have an optic to shoot over 300 yards. What you do need is practice, and enough on one or two cartridges and one or two rifles that you are good with it/them.

You cannot likely claim that right now.

Buy a .308 if you want, but only if you're going to commit to a relationship of using it enough to matter. Otherwise, save your money for ammo or training with something you have.

-Nate

 

[halfmileharry]

Are you going to hunt ??
.308 is a good round, retains accuracy, very flat shooting, wide variety of box ammo or home brew available, lots of knock down power. Nato round too so you might find some ammo surplus. I have but not often.
I go back to the .243 for the trajectory. That flat shooter takes out a lot of guess work in hunting.
I like the .308 in my AR10-4 but I'm getting older and .308 recoil in my bolt guns... not so much anymore.

 

[Cerberus]

I am down with AKs. 7.62x39 is a world wide caliber and will be readily available in a SHTF situation. That's why I got into AKs
I would love to have a .308 scout rifle or M1A, but do I NEED a .308 in Indiana. Really need? I don't even have an optic capable of precise shots of over 300yds.

You do realize that the 7.62x39 has largely been supplanted by the 5.45x39 in most nations that can afford to do so doncha? Foreign supply of ammo if the SHTF makes about as much since as wiping before ya poop.

You can get a SWFA 10x42SS for around $300 and they work very well at 800-1000 yards. It's not a Nightforce, but it works very well for the money.

 

[oldpink]

The other calibers you have are perfectly good for deer, but the .308 will give you just a about 30% more effective range and impact downrange.
As a suggestion, you could bring down the price of the rifle quite a bit if you get it in a bolt gun instead of an AR-10 platform.
For the price of an AR-10, you could get about the nicest production bolt gun out there, but for around $300-$400 less, you could get a bolt gun that anyone would be proud to own, the likes of a Ruger American, or even (better) an M77 or Savage 110.
You'd also get a rifle that is a bit more accurate over most AR-10s at whatever range you shoot it at.

 

[Thor]

300 Win Mag: Made for those discriminating shooters who prefer titanium shoulder joints before their 65th birthday.

Can't be much worse than my .45-70...pushing 460gr hard cast at 1700+fps...

 

[oldpink]

Can't be much worse than my .45-70...pushing 460gr hard cast at 1700+fps...

I've never had the privilege of shooting a .45-70 just yet (or a .300 Winchester, although I once shot the .300 H&H...REALLY loud!), but I damn sure wouldn't want do it from the bench.

 

[halfmileharry]

I've never had the privilege of shooting a .45-70 just yet (or a .300 Winchester, although I once shot the .300 H&H...REALLY loud!), but I damn sure wouldn't want do it from the bench.

300 WM EARNED the rep

 

[Alpo]

The only 45-70 I've shot is black powder. Felt recoil isn't "bad" at all. I looked at a online recoil calculator and 300 was above 45-70 but there are a lot of variables in bullet weight (of course) gun weight and velocity.

 

[two70]

I am a consolidator of calibers. I have it down to .22LR, 9mm, .45ACP, .223/5.56, 7.62x39 and 300BLK. It will take a special need to get me into another caliber.

That being said, I have been teetering on the idea of getting a .308. There are some great deals on .308 rifles and some AR-10s out there now. So the question comes down to NEED.

So...in Indiana, with our topography, does someone really NEED a .308 rifle?

You lost me at consolidating calibers. In 30 caliber alone I have: .30 carbine, .300 AAC, 7.62x39, 7.62x45, .30/30, 7.5x55 SR, 7.62x54R. .308, .30-06, .300 WSM, and .300 WM. I can't really help you other than saying that .308 is near the middle of the list in terms of my favorite .30 calibers.

300 Win Mag: Made for those discriminating shooters who prefer titanium shoulder joints before their 65th birthday.

You must have shot an ultra light rifle in .300 WM if the recoil was that bad. Even in a 7 pound rifle the .300 WM only produces about 40 ft/lbs of recoil. My .416 Rigby almost doubles that at 76 ft/lbs which is about my limit and more than I want to shoot on a regular basis.

 

[Leadeye]

Nothing like that new caliber smell.

 

[DRob]

Some say "what does need have to do with it". I say what does Indiana have to do with it. We really don't need any of the calibers we shoot in SD and CO for the shooting we do in IN. But then, most of the shooting we do in IN is to get ready for trips to SD and CO. YMMV.

 

[T.Lex]

Thanks to this thread, I kinda inventoried my own calibers. I consider myself caliber-aware, but not OCD about keeping it simple.

.22 LR
.380 ACP
.38 Spl.
9x18 Mak
9mm
.30 Carbine
.40
.223/5.56
7.62x39
.308
12 g.

In doing the inventory, I do have several calibers that I only have 1 firearm for, but those all have sentimental value. Rather than add caliber, I'd sooner add firearms in the calibers where I only have one firearm.