.308 Winchester

A powerful and versatile caliber. Popular for moose hunting and driven hunts.

.308 Winchester (7.62x51 NATO) is the world's most popular hunting caliber. It is more powerful than 6.5x55 and delivers higher energy, making it a natural choice for moose hunting and other big game hunting.

The caliber was developed in 1952 and is based on the military 7.62x51 NATO cartridge. It is available in an enormous selection of factory loads and bullet types.

Advantages: High energy, short cartridge length (works in short action mechanisms), wide selection of ammunition, and good accuracy. The downside is somewhat more recoil than 6.5x55.

Typical hunting loads: Roe deer/red deer: 150 gr / 9.7 g at approx. 850 m/s Moose: 165 to 180 gr / 10.7 to 11.7 g at approx. 800 m/s (Norma Oryx, Lapua Mega, Swift A-Frame)

.308 is especially popular for driven hunts and hunting in dense forest where shot distances are short and you want reliable killing effect.

For precision shooting at longer distances (200+ meters), there are better alternatives (.300 Win Mag, 6.5 Creedmoor), but within 250 meters, .308 is more than adequate for all Norwegian game.

Ammunition and rifles are affordable and readily available at all Norwegian gun shops.