The catalogue record for .308 Winchester starts with a clear specification set. Winchester introduced it in 19521. It is a rimless, bottleneck cartridge with a 51.18 mm case length, a 71.12 mm overall length and a maximum pressure of 415 MPa, also published as 60191 psi.
Those figures matter because they place the cartridge in a compact rifle format with a pressure ceiling high enough to support a wide range of recorded loadings. In the catalogue, that breadth is also visible in the number of firearms chambered for it: 426. That makes .308 Winchester one of the broadest chamberings visible in the database, not by reputation but by count in the current record.
This section therefore takes a specification led view of the cartridge. It looks first at the dimensions that define the case and bullet geometry, then at the published pressure limit, then at the recorded loads by bullet weight, velocity and muzzle energy, and finally at representative firearms chambered for it across the catalogue.
Dimensions and what they show
The catalogue dimensions show the .308 Winchester as a rimless bottleneck cartridge built around a 7.82 mm1 bullet. From front to rear, the neck diameter is 8.72 mm, the shoulder diameter 11.53 mm, the base diameter 11.96 mm and the rim diameter 12.01 mm. With a 51.18 mm case length and a 71.12 mm overall length, these figures place it in the compact class commonly associated with short-action rifles.
What matters in this geometry is the progression of diameters. The neck is only 0.90 mm2 larger than the bullet, which reflects the close fit needed to hold the projectile. The body then expands through the shoulder to the 11.96 mm base, giving the case its bottleneck form. The rim is only 0.05 mm larger than the base, which is consistent with the cartridge’s rimless layout.
Historically, the catalogue record fits the published account that, "In 1952, Winchester took the design of the 7.62x51mm cartridge and marketed it as the .308 Winchester" (source). In dimensional terms, that history matters because the cartridge combines a relatively short 51.18 mm case with full-size .30 calibre bullet diameter, which helps explain why it appears across a wide range of rifle types in the catalogue.
Pressure and standard loading envelope
The catalogue records a maximum pressure of 415 MPa1 for the .308 Winchester, also published as 60191 psi. That figure matters because it defines the cartridge’s pressure ceiling in this record, the limit within which the listed factory loads and chambered firearms are specified.
Set beside that limit, the catalogue’s typical loading figures place the cartridge’s standard envelope in clear terms. The typical bullet weight is 9.72 g, with a typical muzzle velocity of 860 m/s3 and a typical muzzle energy of 3592 J4. Taken together, those figures describe the centre of the catalogue record rather than an extreme loading. In other words, the reference load sits well within a pressure specification of 415 MPa while delivering muzzle energy in the 3592 J class.
This is useful when reading the load table that follows. It gives a baseline for comparison, a 9.72 g bullet at 860 m/s and 3592 J, against which heavier, slower and higher energy catalogue loads can be judged without losing sight of the cartridge’s published pressure standard.
The six catalogue loads, by bullet weight, velocity and energy
Across the six catalogue loads, the recorded .308 Winchester spread is moderate in bullet mass and wider in velocity. Ordered by bullet weight, the lightest listed load is Federal American Eagle 150gr FMJ BT: 9.72 g1, 860 m/s3 and 3594.456 J4 from a 610 mm barrel. Next is Hornady Superformance 165gr SST at 10.69 g, 866 m/s and 4008.515 J5, which is both the fastest listed load and the one with the highest listed muzzle energy.
The two 168gr match loads share the same 10.89 g bullet weight but differ in velocity and energy. Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr Sierra MatchKing is listed at 808 m/s and 3554.844 J, while Hornady ELD Match 168gr is listed at 823 m/s6 and 3688.056 J. That is a difference of 15 m/s2 and 133.212 J with the same recorded bullet mass.
At the heavier end, Federal Gold Medal Match 175gr Sierra MatchKing uses an 11.34 g bullet at 793 m/s for 3565.574 J. The heaviest listed load, Hornady Match 178gr BTHP, uses an 11.53 g bullet at the same 793 m/s and reaches 3625.314 J.
What matters here is how tightly several loads cluster in energy despite different bullet weights. Excluding the 4008.515 J Superformance entry, the other five loads sit between 3554.844 J and 3688.056 J. The chart below continues that picture for the 175gr Sierra MatchKing, showing 3566 J at 0 m and 2871 J at 500 m.
Federal Gold Medal Match 175gr Sierra MatchKing: remaining energy to 500 m
From a 610 mm barrel at 793 m/s.
Source: GET /v1/ammunition/federal-gmm-175-smk/ballistics
The data in this chart
| Distance (m) | Remaining energy (J) |
|---|---|
| 0 m | 3,566 |
| 50 m | 3,495 |
| 100 m | 3,425 |
| 150 m | 3,356 |
| 200 m | 3,286 |
| 250 m | 3,217 |
| 300 m | 3,147 |
| 350 m | 3,078 |
| 400 m | 3,009 |
| 450 m | 2,940 |
| 500 m | 2,871 |
Representative firearms chambered for .308 Winchester
The catalogue record shows how widely .308 Winchester has been applied across firearm types. At one end of the sample is the Savage Model 99, a lever-action rifle with a 559 mm7 barrel and 5-round capacity. At the other are modern designs built around the same chambering, including the self-loading Springfield SAINT Victor .308, with a 406 mm8 barrel and 20-round capacity, and the bolt-action Barrett MRAD Mk22, with a 686 mm6 barrel and 10-round capacity.
Within the bolt-action group, the listed examples cover both general sporting and precision-oriented rifles. The Blaser R8 is a 600 mm9 barrel rifle with a 4-round magazine. The Weatherby Vanguard Camilla uses a 508 mm4 barrel and a 5-round magazine. The Savage 110 Ultralite has a 610 mm3 barrel and 4-round capacity.
The precision sample is represented by the Bergara B-14 BMP, with a 610 mm barrel and 5-round capacity, and the Sig Sauer CROSS PRS, also with a 610 mm barrel but a 10-round magazine. Taken together, these records show .308 Winchester in lever-action, bolt-action and gas-operated self-loading platforms, with barrel lengths from 406 mm to 686 mm and magazine capacities from 4 rounds to 20 rounds.
Muzzle velocity, compared
2 of the firearms named record no muzzle velocity.
The data in this chart
| Firearm | Muzzle velocity (m/s) |
|---|---|
| Bergara B-14 BMP | 860 |
| Savage 110 Ultralite | 860 |
| Sig Sauer CROSS PRS | 860 |
| Weatherby Vanguard Camilla | 860 |
| Barrett MRAD Mk22 | 831 |
| Springfield SAINT Victor .308 | 780 |
What the firearm figures show across the sample
Across this sample, the same cartridge sits in markedly different rifle formats. Empty weight runs from 2650 g3 for the Savage 110 Ultralite to 6713 g6 for the Barrett MRAD Mk22, a spread of 4063 g2. Overall length shows a similar range, from 876 mm8 for the Springfield SAINT Victor .308 to 1255 mm for the Barrett, a difference of 379 mm.
The listed muzzle velocities also vary across the firearms in the brief. The Springfield SAINT Victor .308 is recorded at 780 m/s with a 406 mm barrel. The Barrett MRAD Mk22 is listed at 831 m/s from a 686 mm barrel. Four rifles in the sample, the Savage 110 Ultralite, Bergara B-14 BMP, Sig Sauer CROSS PRS and Weatherby Vanguard Camilla, are each recorded at 860 m/s. The chart below shows that cluster clearly.
Taken together, these figures show why .308 Winchester appears across such a broad catalogue sample: the record places it in lighter hunting rifles, heavier precision rifles, a self-loading battle rifle and a multi-calibre bolt-action system. For the full cartridge record, see the .308 Winchester catalogue page.
Sources and methods
Footnotes
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GunSpec catalogue record for the .308 Winchester, which cites bobp.cip-bobp.org. In the API: calibers reference and ammunition reference. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Method, comparisons: a difference is one catalogue figure minus another of the same kind, in the same unit. Comparisons. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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GunSpec catalogue record for the Savage 110 Ultralite, which cites savagearms.com, americanrifleman.org, americanhunter.org, rifleshootermag.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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GunSpec catalogue record for the Weatherby Vanguard Camilla, which cites weatherby.com, sportsafield.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Method, cartridge arithmetic: muzzle energy is half the bullet mass times the square of its velocity, from the load figures above. Cartridge arithmetic. ↩
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GunSpec catalogue record for the Barrett MRAD Mk22, which cites en.wikipedia.org, barrett.net, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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GunSpec catalogue record for the Savage Model 99, which cites en.wikipedia.org, chuckhawks.com, americanrifleman.org, outdoorlife.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩
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GunSpec catalogue record for the Springfield SAINT Victor .308, which cites springfield-armory.com, thearmorylife.com, shootingillustrated.com. In the API: firearms reference. ↩ ↩2
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GunSpec catalogue record for the Blaser R8, which cites web.archive.org, osaaustralia.com.au, en.wikipedia.org. In the API: firearms reference. ↩
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