Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.308 Winchester
Winchester's 1952 civilian version of the 7.62x51mm NATO.
- Caliber
- 0.308″ · 7.823 mm
- Introduced
- 1952
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .300 Savage
- Primary use
- Target, Hunting, Military
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1952
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Winchester
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Abundant
- Case capacity
- 56 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10 to 1:12
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 62,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 800 yd
- Max range
- 3500 yd
- Recoil
- 15–20 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Hornady Black 175 gr, 2,640 fps, BC 0.354 G7 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 2639 | 2707 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 2515 | 2458 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 2393 | 2225 | -4.0″ | -1.9 |
| 300 yd | 2275 | 2011 | -14.1″ | -4.5 |
| 400 yd | 2160 | 1812 | -30.9″ | -7.4 |
| 500 yd | 2048 | 1629 | -55.2″ | -10.5 |
| 600 yd | 1939 | 1460 | -87.7″ | -14.0 |
| 700 yd | 1832 | 1304 | -129.6″ | -17.7 |
| 800 yd | 1728 | 1160 | -181.8″ | -21.7 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open .308 Winchester ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.82 | 0.308 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 8.72 | 0.343 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.53 | 0.454 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 20° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.96 | 0.471 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.01 | 0.473 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.37 | 0.054 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 7.70 | 0.303 | ≈ |
| Case length | 51.18 | 2.015 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 71.12 | 2.800 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .308 Winchester is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 1,175 active loads across 106 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 1,201 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remington | Express | 125 | PSP | 3,100 | 2,667 | 0.286 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance GMX | 150 | GMX Solid Copper | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.389 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance SST | 150 | SST Polymer Tip | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.415 G1 |
| Winchester | USA Forged | 147 | FMJ | 3,000 | 2,937 | 0.338 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance SST | 150 | SST | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.415 G1 |
| Hornady | GMX Superformance | 150 | GMX | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.389 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance | 150 | SST | 3,000 | 2,997 | 0.412 G1 |
| Norma | Jaktmatch FMJ | 150 | FMJ | 2,953 | 2,904 | 0.338 G1 |
| Hornady | American Gunner | 155 | A-MAX | 2,950 | 2,995 | 0.222 G7 |
| Federal | Gold Medal Palma | 155 | BTHP | 2,950 | 2,995 | 0.450 G1 |
| Federal | Gold Medal | 155 | Berger HPBT | 2,950 | 2,995 | 0.448 G1 |
| Lapua | Scenar OTM | 155 | Scenar OTM | 2,950 | 2,995 | 0.237 G7 |
| Lapua | FMJ Training | 155 | FMJ BT | 2,950 | 2,995 | 0.237 G7 |
| Lapua | Scenar-L | 155 | OTM | 2,920 | 2,934 | 0.237 G7 |
| Lapua | Scenar | 155 | HPBT | 2,920 | 2,934 | 0.237 G7 |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
73 reloading powders listed for .308 Winchester, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .308 Winchester
12 models in the database chamber .308 Winchester. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Developed by Winchester in 1952 as a shorter, more efficient alternative to .30-06. Adopted by NATO in 1954 as standard rifle cartridge. Civilian .308 Win has slightly different chamber specs than military 7.62 NATO.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .308 Winchester use?
- .308 Winchester typically uses a 1:10 to 1:12 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .308 Winchester?
- .308 Winchester uses a 0.308″ (7.823 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .308 Winchester still in production?
- .308 Winchester is active; typical availability is abundant.
- What is .308 Winchester used for?
- .308 Winchester is primarily used for target, hunting, military, competition.
- What is .308 Winchester based on?
- .308 Winchester is derived from the .300 Savage case.
- What are the best powders for .308 Winchester?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .308 Winchester include Shooters World Economy Rifle, Accurate 2230, A1, Winchester 748, among 73 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .308 Winchesterarchived
- StandardC.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
Manufacturer sources for verified factory-load figures on this page:
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 1,175 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →