Shortage of .308 rifles at the LGS today.

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kd7nqb

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Ok so as I mentioned in an earlier thread I have been looking for a .308win rifle for deer and occasional other hunting use. Originally I was looking at the Remington 770 and an earlier thread convinced me to avoid it.

So today I went to my LGS in hopes of finding a used Rem 700 or maybe a Marlin XS7. Well the gun shop had NO model 700's in stock new or used. They did have a nice Howa in .308 that I seriously considered but it was not at its release date yet so it wouldn't be available for deer season.

However what they did have was LOT of .300win rifles. Some at very nice prices (sub $400). And now I am starting to consider that maybe a .308win isnt the only cartridge to consider.

So I guess my question is, while I know that the .300win is a technically superior cartridge but would there be any significant downside to it over .308?
 
300 win mag ammo is significantly more expensive than .308 ammo. You can buy an XS7 from Bud's for $315 shipped.
 
If your going to shoot out beyond 400yds, or are after heavy game, then the .300 has an advantage. Other then that, as the other guys said, your taking a couple steps up on everything. Localy the price of .300 isnt much more then .308, its all a bit over 25 bucks a box. Its a great round you can handle the recoil, or reload reduced loads. I dont think the noise is as much of an issue since youll either have hearing protection or be shooting at game.

Right now im running 180gr ssts at about 2900fps and recoils brisk, but not much more then my slightly lighter 06 running 165s at about the same.
 
I bought my Howa 1500 in .308 through Gun Genie/Davidson's. Completely happy with the transaction from ordering to delivery. Federal blue box .308 around here is only $13 a box. And my Howa shoots 1.5@100 yards with that and Rem Core Lokt.
 
i have a howa. you should too. if you find that many howa shooters talk very highly is because we know thats how we found ours.
so i hope to spread the message. but my next rifle will be a 30-06 r700 heavy barrel, or a 300wm
 
I recently bought the Howa Youth combo in .308. For $450 it came with two Hogue stocks (which I love BTW). That gun is quickly becoming my favorite. Even though my boys aren't quite ready to hunt yet, I am leaving the youth stock on it. It is just one inch shorter than the standard stock and I am only 5'9". For stand hunting or just carrying around in the woods, this stock combined with the 20" barrel is really handy for someone my size. Best of all it is very accurate. I would steer clear of any of the Howa rifle/scope combos because those scopes are cheap. But the rifles with Hogue stocks are great guns IMO.
 
Release date may mean it's pawned and unredeemed. .300 Win is the new caliber all the Army sniper rifles are moving to. That is a major change from .308 and shows the ballistics were significantly better for long range precision shooting. Arguments about logistics and the cost were apparently overridden, easy enough considering there's only a few thousand in inventory.

Since the program is to refurbish the existing rifles, an issue sniper in .308 will soon be an exotic and rare collectible. Moot point as these are rarely surplussed. What is interesting is that the caliber changed - apparently .308 didn't have a lock on the job. It implies it may be possible to change other weapons, too, which is entirely speculative until you look at the LSAT, the Improved Carbine trials, etc.

Anyway, it's a magnum, you get a lot more recoil and range for a little more cost. Whether it's something the average shooter will use is up to them, most don't see those shots or take them even tho they claim it.
 
Release date may mean it's pawned and unredeemed.
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Okay,that makes sense even though the OP referred to LGS(Local Gun Store) and didn't indicate it was a pawn shop. ETA,why was the Howa on display if it was still redeemable?
 
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What the crap is a "release date"?
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Release date may mean it's pawned and unredeemed.
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Close but not quite, the city where the shop is requires all used guns to be held for 30days after they are sold to the gun shop, for them to have a chance to show up as stolen. So basically I can go in and either put that Howa on layaway or pay for it or whatever now but it cant come home with me until that date. BTW this was not a pawn shop it was just a regular gun shop but this Howa was used.
 
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the city where the shop is requires all used guns to be held for 30days after sale
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WOW! That stinks big time!! If I were a resident there,I believe I would buy ALL of my used guns elsewhere. Give the sales tax to another city.
 
Chains1240, where are you getting your ammo from for that price in W. MI??? The cheapest .308 I can find are Winchesters for $17.99 at Wally World.
 
same problem finding used 308

i was looking eariler this year (Central Tx) and couldn't find a decent
used bolt action 308 either; I dealt with at least 4 pawn shops that
I had had success with eariler, and 4 large gun stores that usually have
a good selection of used rifles on hand.

I finally scored a CZ 308 at Cabelas for $550 with a POS scope.
Haven't got to shoot alot, but already reloading for it & may take
it out this deer season. (30-30 is my usual choice, due to hunting location)

I'd grab the Howa; if that flavor is scarce in yer area, even if you decide
you don't like it after running some rounds thru it, you can probably sell
it for what you paid.

Good luck

ETA; wally world is getting $15 for Federal 150's locally
 
Can't you just order the gun you want in .308 through your dealer??? Most shops can get nearly any gun made within a few days. That Marlin would be a good choice, as would a T/C Venture for just a little more money. The Savage with accu-trigger would be a great choice as well, but that would be more expensive yet unless you can find a deal. I've never owned a Howa, but have heard mixed reviews on them. Some guys love them, others hate them.
 
I would buy the Federal 150s even if they were more expensive for my Mauser sporter in .308 because it likes them VERY well!
 
Since the program is to refurbish the existing rifles, an issue sniper in .308 will soon be an exotic and rare collectible.
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Hardly, that's just the Army's M24's. There are autoloading sniper rifles in the governments inventory, and the Marines are unlikely to give up their M40's, which are based on a short action receiver and cannot be converted to the .300WM.

Don
 
Thanks for the info. The Walmart I've been looking at is on Alpine in Comstock Park. They don't even have Federal there. I'll have to check the one up in Greenville, they probably have them there. They still sell guns at that store. That's the only Walmart I know of that still does.
 
.308

I recently found that WallyWorld can special order rifles--at least here in Tucson. I recently ordered a Remington SPS Varmit in .308. The price was $527, but they told me that the price was going up to $576.

Hope this helps.

Brer Rabbit
 
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