imschur Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 When I started these two .308 sites i did it on a gut feeling that the popularity of these weapons is about to skyrocket despite their higher initial cost as well as the cost per round, recoil and weight.Remington getting on board was the clincher for me.What do you guys think? Do you agree or do you think they will just plug along as they have with a limited base of shooters that are interested.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigSense Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 Gun people will always buy the newest/latest offerings. The big draw of AR 308 platforms is their common configuration with their 223 brothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 I think they are going to keep getting more popular. One reason is because the .308 AR is a great large game hunting rifle for people who love their .223 AR. Not that you can't kill larger game with a .223 but your kill range is not even close to a .308.If any gun shop here in western ND has .308's in stock they don't last long, especially if they're not just a plain jane AP4 or .308B.I have many friends who bought .308's in the last two years and right now I have two others that are going to buy one within the next month.Also, it kicks ass to have an AR with .30 cal power, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 I think it's going to take off - it's gaining steam right now, and that's for sure.Last year's gun scare kind of "pushed" it along, too. A whole LOT of people thought the needed to buy an AR-15-based weapon because they'd never get to if they "were banned." The shortage pushed some of those people into what WAS available to them, and that was a .308-based platform. Now those people are picking up the 15, after the initial purchase of a .308. Big-bore ARs are just going to keep going, IMHO. .458 SOCOM, 6.5, 6.8 - all of them. The general, mainstream interest in the big bores is only starting to take off right now, and the traditional AR owners are looking at them as options. When they see ammo availability and price, they turn to the .308 instead - that's honestly what I ended up doing. I was headed the direction of the .458 originally. I made a pretty thought out decision to go to the .308 for common ammo, and personal supply (already have a .308 bolt gun). Lastly, there are SO many manufacturers rght now making a .308 system, and the quality is astounding. Kaiser and Iron Ridge are extremely high quality. CMMG is good. Right now, I don't think there's a bad manufacturer, and more and more keep popping up. The completes like the LaRue OBR and the Noveske N6 are fantastic. Fulton Armory's Titan, too. With the market really expanding like this, and choices all over, it can't help but gain unprecedented popularity.My $0.02... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imschur Posted March 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 All good points. As I posted elsewhere I like to stick with calibers I can obtain ammo for at any store that sells ammo. .308s are available at almost every general or country store in deer country.Kaiser: Ive been having a bit of dialog with Greg at Kaiser. Real nice guy. Keep an eye out for info on them at the main site here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWshooter Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 I think it will go just like the 1911's. Now that a major manufacturer like Remington is making the R-25 they are all going to have to make one just to stay even. When I saw Sig and S&W start making 1911's you knew they were here to stay. I'm hoping that the piston gas system is going to get some big time R&D. It's the weak point in the AR system and once thats done it will be as generic as the Mauser bolt system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit10-4 Posted March 27, 2010 Report Share Posted March 27, 2010 Absolutely taking off! Since when have semi auto rifles been allowed in benchrest comp??? Peoples eyes are opening up to the possibilities of the AR platforms and the accuracy potential! The tactical shooters are coming onboard also. It is only a matter of time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 I think DPMS' 1-yr order backlog for the tactical 308's is very good evidence that they are gonna be booming. RRA is almost as backlogged and I don't see things slowing down much. Cartridge manufacturers seem to believe that their popularity will soon increase, at least that's what pricing and availability seem to indicate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty44 Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 About three years ago I finally got to where I could buy 'a' gun I wanted. I had a few. A black powder Hawken because it would not hit the side of a barn very often. It was a kit gun, built by an unknown third party, sold back to the dealer. I got it real cheap and then bugged the dealer until he figured out what was really wrong and the fix was dummy simple. Bought a Rem 700 in 7 MM RM cheap at a discount chain in that era because nobody was interested in this new caliber. Now I can afford some of the guns I want. I picked out the 308 Win because it is a good general purpose round and I have no doubt that when the wars begin to taper off or end there will be incredible amounts of ammo from the military. Mil spec, replaced bullets, powder and bullet swapped out, brass, more. I have two bolt guns in 308 Win. One was not doing as well as I thought it should, the other was supposed to be better. In that case, if there is a difference, it was in the specific scopes I put on those rifles. Each has now had a different scope put on it and both are better. Recently I came across an affordable semi-auto, as described in other posts. I think the possibilities of the AR pattern 308 Win/7.62x51 NATO rifles are immense. The civilian police are using them more and more according to commentary on other forums; at the range I see both the 223 and the 308 Win variations a lot. Sometimes it is one guy with two or three of each, do not know. The other forums are saying that the 7.62x51 is making its mark in combat as a longer range and harder hitting weapon to supplement the 223. I can only repeat what others have said. As the world settles back to a higher degree of sanity or maybe as more soldiers return from the current wars there should be an increase of interest in these big semi-autos just like there has been in the weapons that were used in other wars. Factor in new ammo using new powders like the newest Hornady premium offerings and maybe eventually having these newer powders available for handloading, and the AR pattern 308's may well be one of the best guns ever designed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 The 308 is a great cartridge period & then coupling it with the AR platform & its customizing capabilities just make s sense. It is too bad when the org. AR10 came out they did not show much intrest in it to get the bugs out .Isn't it strange how these calibers go full circle 30 cal. to 223 ,45acp to 9mm & now most of those who use them are going back to the ones that were switched.One could talk about how much ammo you can Carrie ,but it comes down to hitting your target ,not dumping projectiles down range . Oh and of course what the projectile is capable of doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imschur Posted May 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Well said! I will always be a .308/7.62 and 1911 .45 loyalist. I was born that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 I will always be a .308/7.62 and 1911 .45 loyalist. I was born that way.Ditto, forever and ever, amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted May 18, 2010 Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 Well said! I will always be a .308/7.62 and 1911 .45 loyalist. I was born that way.Kimber screwed me with that a long time ago. Only other thing I'd rather have besides a long-gun (has to be an AR-varient) is a .45. Right now, I'm fighting with myself (and kicking my own ass) over a Kimber 4" gun. I have two Kimber 5" guns and a 3" gun - and I need to reach that "happy medium..." :o I just don't have the smooth $1,400 for the one I want/need. (need? <lmao>) $1,400 in AR parts can go a little ways, ya know? >:(Yeah, I need it. <thumbsup> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imschur Posted May 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 $1400 is a small price to pay for a life time of happiness. How could you NOT buy the gun <munch> <laughs> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted May 19, 2010 Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 See? You guys are not a good influence... :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imschur Posted May 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 Im saving the "triple dog dare" for something more costly <munch> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted May 19, 2010 Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 Oh, I know that... something like a .338 Lapua, probably... <lmao> <thumbsup> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msoto80010 Posted June 4, 2010 Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 To me it seems the .308 is a logical progression from .223. Kind of like when you buy your first dirt bike in 125cc and soon discover you need more power and upgrade to a 250cc. The problem with that analogy is that after a year or two you upgrade again to a 400-500cc (.50 cal?). ;D The ammo is abundantly available. The local Walmarts around here are sold out of just about everything, but they had .308. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OE139 Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Tell you what, I just built my first one on a DPMS lower and upper and Lothar 18 inch barrel. This rifle will just plain shoot!! I let my buddies shoot it ONE time and they are both building their own rifles, now. I picked up another lower and should have my new krieger barrel in .260 Rem, by the end of the month. Is this proof enough that they are, "taking off?" <thumbsup> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbada Posted July 3, 2010 Report Share Posted July 3, 2010 i just got on the 308 kick, i went to the range with my newly aquired m1a socom II and it was a blast.now i need a 308 on an ar platform.this weeks the local gunshow , so it wont be long before i have one in hand. looking toward a dpms, something to shoot out to 1000 yds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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