The .30-06 caliber was a cutting-edge ammunition technology now that smokeless powder had almost completely replaced blackpowder.
With new advancements, forces needed the performance of the .30-06 150-gr.
load, but in a shorter cartridge which required a shorter action.
That is how the7.62x51mm NATO round, and its .308 Winchester civilian sibling, was born.
In 1952, the round was introduced commercially after being developed for the military.
Two years later it was adopted by NATO with its new designation being 7.6251 NATO.
In fact, militaries around the world have used guns chambered in .308.
Popular guns like theM14,M60, M1919 and countless others.
The .308 caliber is fast and carries one heck of a punch.
But how effective is the caliber at distance?
In this video and article, I explore the effective range of the .308.
Reaching Out
The .308 Winchester is the most popular sniper/counter-sniper round by far.
It far outweighs any other caliber when it comes to standard-issue rifles.
But first off, lets define what effective is.
If you are hunting prairie dogs, .308 would be lethal easily out to a mile.
In fact, I argue that the effective range of .308 on deer is 300 yards.
The round easily has enough energy to kill whitetail deer at 300 yards.
Now, before you .308 lovers hate on me, that doesnt mean you couldnt do it.
What was preached to SWAT snipers was that in a law enforcement capacity there were no second shots.
In certain military situations, that might be acceptable.
But in law enforcement, snipers need immediate incapacitation to save lives.
When a sniper fires a round, he needs complete de-amination of the threat.
So, we are talking about 100% accuracy in the cranial vault that houses the brain.
Grant stated they were never granted clearance to take a shot over 200 yards.
In most cases, that would require a special circumstance, special permission and thoughtful consideration.
Conclusion
So, what is the effective range of .308?
It depends on the need.
Can it kill at one mile?
Yes, but it depends on what youre shooting.
If you want to just hit a steel target it could even shoot farther than a mile.
Go to forum thread
