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 Ammunition
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Abundant
- Case capacity
- 56 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:12
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 62,000 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 800 yd
- Max range
- 4950 yd
- Recoil
- 15–20 ft·lb
Introduced by Winchester Ammunition
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .308 Winchester. Parent case: .300 Savage.
Performance
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
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
77 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
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 1:12 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 N110, Shooters World Economy Rifle, Accurate 2230, N120, among 77 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- Standard C.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- Standard SAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .308 Winchester archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 592 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
