.308 Winchester Ammo

308 Ammo

The .308 Winchester Ammunition (also known by its caliber 7.62x51mm NATO) is a long-range hunting cartridge. Worldwide it is known as an exceptionally accurate cartridge, it is used by the military, law enforcement, and hunters. Many hunters believe it's the only cartridge they'll ever need, as the recoil is minimal, and has the ability to take down deer, hogs, black bear, and elk.

The widely popular .308 comes in many ammo options. Browse through our wide selection, and find what works best for you. Not sure what you need? Drop us a line and we're happy to help.

The popularity of the German-designed Sturmgewehr 44 (STG-44) in the final stages of WWII and the subsequent widespread success of the AK-47 made it clear that the US Military would need a select-fire battle rifle for the next evolution of warfare.

The 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge was initially developed in the early 1950s. Winchester Corporation released the cartridge to the civilian market in 1952 as the 308 Winchester, however, before it was officially accepted by the United States military.

With its debut in the Model 70 bolt action hunting rifle, the 308 Winchester round immediately found commercial success. The new cartridge's potency and adaptability won over hunters and long-range shooters. The 308 Winchester, a shorter case length variant of the 30-06 Springfield, offered nearly identical ballistic performance. It was designed to fit into small actions (63mm vs 51mm). In 1954, the 7.62x51mm was approved as a NATO standard round. Before the M16 and the 5.56x45mm NATO took over in Vietnam, the 7.62x51 NATO ammunition and its host rifle, the M14, saw limited service (223 Rem).

Despite its limited employment as a battle rifle caliber, the 7.62 NATO was widely adopted by the United States Military for use in machine guns and sniper rifles. The 308 Winchester's 147-grain bullet travels at 2,800 feet per second and generates 2,560 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, making it effective in combat out to and beyond 800 yards.
Since the 308 Winchester is still widely used by hunters, marksmen, police, and the military, it can safely be said that it has stood the test of time. The 308 has a proven history of accuracy, power, and combat efficacy, and it has superb ballistics (albeit it is being overshadowed by the 6.5 Creedmoor).