The .308 Winchester is a rimless, bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge that fires .308-inch bullets from a 51 mm case, introduced commercially by Winchester in 1952 as the civilian counterpart of the 7.62x51mm NATO round, and it is loaded today for big-game hunting, target and match shooting, and tactical use.
This guide charts seven loads from four makers: Barnes, Federal, Hornady and Lapua. It gives their muzzle figures, velocity and energy downrange, and bullet drop with the zero stated, then notes on what the numbers mean for a shot, SAAMI’s pressure and twist figures for the cartridge, and a comparison with the 6.5 Creedmoor made only on SAAMI reference data.
308 Winchester ballistics chart
Each row is one load, identified by the maker’s item number. Read across for bullet weight, muzzle velocity and muzzle energy, then check the last column: Hornady’s figures come from a 24 in test barrel and Lapua’s from a 16 in (410 mm) barrel, while Barnes and Federal publish no test barrel at all, so the rows are not a strict ranking. Ballistic coefficient is shown as each maker states it. Hornady and Lapua give both G1 and G7, Federal gives one figure with no drag model named (plus a separate G7 for the Gold Medal load), and Barnes gives none for its 110 gr load, which is sold as a reduced-recoil load.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes TTSX BT | 32237 | 110 gr | TTSX BT | 2,910 fps | 2,069 ft-lb | not published not published | Not published | not published |
| Federal Jacketed Soft Point | 308A | 150 gr | Jacketed Soft Point | 2,820 fps | 2,648 ft-lb | .313 not stated by maker (label: Ballistic Coefficient) | Big Game, Long Range | not published |
| Hornady ELD® Match | 80966 | 168 gr | ELD® Match | 2,700 fps | 2,719 ft-lb | G1 .523; G7 .263 G1 and G7 | Target/Match | 24 in |
| Federal Sierra Matchking Boat-Tail Hollow Point | GM308M2 | 175 gr | Sierra Matchking Boat-Tail Hollow Point | 2,600 fps | 2,627 ft-lb | .505; G7 0.25 model not stated for .505 (label: Ballistic Coefficient); G7 listed separately | Competition, Long Range, Target Shooting | not published |
| Hornady ELD-X® | 80994 | 178 gr | ELD-X® | 2,600 fps | 2,671 ft-lb | G1 .552; G7 .278 G1 and G7 | Medium Game 50-300 lbs; Large Game 300-1500 lbs | 24 in |
| Federal Fusion Soft Point | F308FS3 | 180 gr | Fusion Soft Point | 2,600 fps | 2,702 ft-lb | .503 not stated by maker (label: Ballistic Coefficient) | Big Game, Long Range | not published |
| Lapua FMJBT (Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail) | 4317340 | 200 gr | FMJBT (Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail) | 1,066 fps | 506 ft-lb | G1 0.518; G7 0.235 G1 and G7 | Tactical, Target | 16 in (410 mm) |
Velocity and energy downrange
This table carries velocity and retained energy at each range the maker prints. Federal and Hornady go out to 500 yd. Barnes and Lapua stop at 300 yd, and the table says Not published beyond that rather than filling the gap.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes 110 gr (not published) | 2,910 fps / 2,069 ft-lb | 2,603 fps / 1,656 ft-lb | 2,317 fps / 1,311 ft-lb | 2,048 fps / 1,025 ft-lb | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 150 gr (not published) | 2,820 fps / 2,648 ft-lb | 2,532 fps / 2,134 ft-lb | 2,261 fps / 1,702 ft-lb | 2,007 fps / 1,341 ft-lb | 1,771 fps / 1,044 ft-lb | 1,557 fps / 807 ft-lb |
| Hornady 168 gr (24 in) | 2,700 fps / 2,719 ft-lb | 2,530 fps / 2,388 ft-lb | 2,366 fps / 2,089 ft-lb | 2,209 fps / 1,820 ft-lb | 2,057 fps / 1,579 ft-lb | 1,912 fps / 1,364 ft-lb |
| Federal 175 gr (not published) | 2,600 fps / 2,627 ft-lb | 2,427 fps / 2,290 ft-lb | 2,262 fps / 1,987 ft-lb | 2,102 fps / 1,717 ft-lb | 1,949 fps / 1,476 ft-lb | 1,803 fps / 1,264 ft-lb |
| Hornady 178 gr (24 in) | 2,600 fps / 2,671 ft-lb | 2,443 fps / 2,358 ft-lb | 2,291 fps / 2,074 ft-lb | 2,145 fps / 1,818 ft-lb | 2,004 fps / 1,587 ft-lb | 1,868 fps / 1,379 ft-lb |
| Federal 180 gr (not published) | 2,600 fps / 2,702 ft-lb | 2,427 fps / 2,354 ft-lb | 2,260 fps / 2,042 ft-lb | 2,101 fps / 1,763 ft-lb | 1,947 fps / 1,515 ft-lb | 1,801 fps / 1,296 ft-lb |
| Lapua 200 gr (16 in (410 mm)) | 1,066 fps / 506 ft-lb | 1,017 fps / 461 ft-lb | 977 fps / 425 ft-lb | 941 fps / 394 ft-lb | Not published | Not published |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
Drop is in inches relative to the line of sight, and every row states its zero, because the same bullet reads differently depending on where the rifle was sighted in. Hornady sights in at 200 yd, so its rows read 0 in at 200 yd and above the line of sight at 100 yd. Barnes, Federal and Lapua use a 100 yd zero, and only rows that share a zero can be compared. Their drop figures end at 300 yd; only Hornady prints drop out to 500 yd.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes 110 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.7 in | −13.8 in | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 150 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −3.9 in | −14.7 in | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 168 gr (200 yd zero) | +2 in | 0 in | −8.2 in | −23.5 in | −47.1 in |
| Federal 175 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −4.4 in | −15.7 in | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 178 gr (200 yd zero) | +2.2 in | 0 in | −8.8 in | −25.2 in | −50.2 in |
| Federal 180 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −4.4 in | −15.7 in | Not published | Not published |
| Lapua 200 gr (100 yd zero) | 0 in | −32 in | −100 in | Not published | Not published |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Leaving the Lapua subsonic load aside for a moment, muzzle velocity falls as bullet weight rises: the Barnes 110 gr leaves at 2,910 fps, the Federal 150 gr at 2,820 fps, the Hornady 168 gr at 2,700 fps, and the Federal 175 gr, the Hornady 178 gr and the Federal 180 gr all at 2,600 fps. Muzzle energy does not follow the same order. The Barnes load is the fastest but carries 2,069 ft-lb, the lowest of the six, and the Hornady 168 gr ELD Match carries 2,719 ft-lb, the highest of the seven. The three loads at 2,600 fps carry 2,627 ft-lb (Federal 175 gr), 2,671 ft-lb (Hornady 178 gr) and 2,702 ft-lb (Federal 180 gr), so weight separates them, not speed. No load leads both columns, and muzzle velocity alone does not tell you which one hits harder.
Lighter bullets lose speed sooner. At 300 yd the Barnes 110 gr, which left at 2,910 fps, is at 2,048 fps and 1,025 ft-lb, while the Federal 180 gr, which left at 2,600 fps, is at 2,101 fps and 1,763 ft-lb. At 500 yd the Federal 150 gr is at 1,557 fps and 807 ft-lb, against 1,801 fps and 1,296 ft-lb for the Federal 180 gr. Barnes and Lapua print nothing past 300 yd. Of the loads that do have a 500 yd figure, the Hornady 178 gr ELD-X holds the most energy at 1,379 ft-lb, ahead of the Hornady 168 gr at 1,364 ft-lb, although it left the muzzle at 2,600 fps to the 168 gr’s 2,700 fps.
Drop only means something with its zero stated. On the 100 yd zero used by Barnes, Federal and Lapua, the 300 yd drop is 13.8 in for the Barnes 110 gr, 14.7 in for the Federal 150 gr and 15.7 in for the Federal 175 gr and 180 gr. The Lapua 200 gr subsonic load, on the same zero, is 32 in below the line of sight at 200 yd and 100 in at 300 yd, from a muzzle velocity of 1,066 fps, so it needs its own zero rather than sharing one with the faster loads. Hornady zeroes at 200 yd, which is why its 300 yd drops, 8.2 in for the 168 gr and 8.8 in for the 178 gr, are smaller numbers that cannot be set against the 100 yd rows.
The cleanest like-for-like pair in these tables is the two Hornady loads, which share a 24 in test barrel and a 200 yd zero. At 500 yd the 168 gr ELD Match is 47.1 in below the line of sight at 1,912 fps, and the 178 gr ELD-X is 50.2 in below at 1,868 fps. The 178 gr has the higher published coefficients (G1 .552 and G7 .278, against G1 .523 and G7 .263 for the 168 gr), and Hornady lists it for medium game of 50-300 lbs and large game of 300-1500 lbs, where it lists the 168 gr for target and match use. Federal’s coefficients (.313, .505 and .503) have no drag model named, so they cannot be set against Hornady’s. Because Federal and Barnes publish no test barrel, your own rifle’s velocity may differ from theirs by an amount the tables cannot give.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI sets the maximum average pressure for the 308 Winchester at 62,000 psi. That is a limit on the cartridge as a whole, not a figure the tables above give for any individual load. Buy ammunition marked with the same cartridge name as the one stamped on your rifle’s barrel. The 7.62x51mm NATO round is the 308 Winchester’s military counterpart, so if your rifle is marked for the NATO round, follow the rifle maker’s ammunition guidance rather than this page.
SAAMI measures velocity in a 24.000 in test barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 12.00 in and a groove diameter of .308 in. Those are the conditions of the test, so treat them as the basis of SAAMI’s velocity figures and not as a requirement on your rifle. The makers’ figures above give no recommended twist for any of the seven loads, so the twist your rifle needs for a given bullet is a question for the rifle maker and the ammunition maker.
308 Winchester vs 6.5 Creedmoor: SAAMI reference data on one test barrel
A 308 figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a 6.5 Creedmoor figure from another’s. Each maker picks its own test barrel (some print none), its own zero and its own bullet, so any difference between the two figures could come from the method as easily as from the cartridge.
SAAMI is the shared basis. Its standard lists reference loads for both cartridges, with velocity measured at 15 feet from a standard test barrel, so the rows below are directly comparable. SAAMI publishes velocity and pressure but not energy, which the table computes from velocity and bullet weight and labels as computed.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 308 Winchester | 6.5 Creedmoor |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 62,000 psi | 62,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 12.00 in | 1 turn in 8.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .308 in | .264 in |
| Lightest reference load | 110 gr — 3,150 fps / 2,423 ft-lb | 95 gr — 3,300 fps / 2,297 ft-lb |
| The weight both are listed at | 120 gr — 3,100 fps / 2,560 ft-lb | 120 gr — 2,900 fps / 2,240 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 200 gr — 2,440 fps / 2,643 ft-lb | 140 gr — 2,690 fps / 2,249 ft-lb |
Pressure and barrel are identical on paper. Both cartridges carry SAAMI’s 62,000 psi maximum average pressure and both are measured in a 24.000 in barrel, so neither has a pressure allowance the other lacks and the velocity rows are on the same footing. The bores differ: the 308 Winchester test barrel has a groove diameter of .308 in and a twist of 1 turn in 12.00 in, the 6.5 Creedmoor’s .264 in and 1 turn in 8.00 in.
At 120 gr, the weight SAAMI lists for both cartridges, the 308 Winchester reference load is 3,100 fps and 2,560 ft-lb and the 6.5 Creedmoor’s is 2,900 fps and 2,240 ft-lb, so the 308 is faster and carries more energy at the muzzle for equal bullet weight. The lightest reference loads are 110 gr at 3,150 fps and 2,423 ft-lb for the 308 and 95 gr at 3,300 fps and 2,297 ft-lb for the 6.5 Creedmoor. At the heavy end the weights differ: the 308’s 200 gr is at 2,440 fps and 2,643 ft-lb, the 6.5 Creedmoor’s 140 gr at 2,690 fps and 2,249 ft-lb, so the 6.5 Creedmoor is faster and the 308 carries more muzzle energy in that row.
What the table cannot settle is which one shoots flatter or holds its energy farther out. SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient and no drop, and those depend on bullet shape, not on muzzle figures alone. To compare downrange you need each load’s maker-published drop with its zero stated, as in the trajectory table above for the 308, and ideally ballistic coefficients on the same drag model.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 6.5 Creedmoor ammo.
308 Winchester ballistics questions
How far does a 308 drop at 200 yards?
It depends on the load and on where the rifle was zeroed. With a 100 yd zero, the tables show 3.7 in below the line of sight for the Barnes 110 gr, 3.9 in for the Federal 150 gr and 4.4 in for both the Federal 175 gr and 180 gr, while the Lapua 200 gr subsonic load, on the same zero, is 32 in below. Hornady zeroes its loads at 200 yd, so its 168 gr and 178 gr rows read 0 in at 200 yd, having been 2 in and 2.2 in above the line of sight at 100 yd.
What is the effective range of a 308?
The makers’ published figures include no effective range, so this guide cannot give one. What they do publish stops at 500 yd for Federal and Hornady and at 300 yd for Barnes and Lapua. At 500 yd the Hornady 178 gr ELD-X is at 1,868 fps with 1,379 ft-lb and the Federal 150 gr is at 1,557 fps with 807 ft-lb. Hornady’s application line for the 178 gr names game weights, medium game of 50-300 lbs and large game of 300-1500 lbs, not a distance.
How accurate is a 308 at 500 yards?
The makers’ published figures include no group size or other accuracy figure, so the tables cannot answer that; accuracy comes from the rifle and the load together. What they do publish for 500 yd is velocity and energy for Federal and Hornady, and drop for Hornady only. The Hornady 168 gr is at 1,912 fps and 1,364 ft-lb, 47.1 in below the line of sight on a 200 yd zero, and the 178 gr is at 1,868 fps and 1,379 ft-lb, 50.2 in below. Federal prints velocity and energy at 500 yd but no drop, and Barnes and Lapua publish nothing past 300 yd.
Which shoots flatter, the 308 or the 6.5 Creedmoor?
SAAMI’s reference data cannot settle it, because SAAMI publishes muzzle velocity and pressure but no ballistic coefficient and no drop. At 120 gr, the weight both are listed at, the 308 Winchester is at 3,100 fps and the 6.5 Creedmoor at 2,900 fps, both from a 24.000 in test barrel at 62,000 psi. Flatness downrange also depends on bullet shape, and the groove diameters differ, .308 in against .264 in, so equal weight does not mean equal bullet. For the 308, the trajectory table above gives each maker’s published drop with its zero.
Do snipers still use 308?
The makers’ figures do not say who uses their loads, so the tables cannot say what any military or police unit fields today. What the figures do show is that makers still list loads for tactical and match use: the 308 Winchester is the civilian counterpart of the 7.62x51mm NATO round, Lapua lists its 200 gr subsonic load for tactical and target use, Hornady lists the 168 gr ELD Match for target and match use, and Federal lists the 175 gr Gold Medal for competition, long range and target shooting.
What are the disadvantages of the .308 Winchester?
No maker’s figures rank a cartridge’s weak points, and one cartridge’s tables cannot rank it against another’s, so the honest answer is the trade-offs the figures show inside the 308. Lighter bullets start faster but keep less: the Barnes 110 gr leaves at 2,910 fps yet holds 1,025 ft-lb at 300 yd, where the Federal 180 gr, which leaves at 2,600 fps, holds 1,763 ft-lb. On a 100 yd zero the Federal 175 gr and 180 gr are 15.7 in below the line of sight at 300 yd, so longer shots need a known zero and a drop chart. Against the 6.5 Creedmoor, SAAMI gives the same 62,000 psi and the same 24.000 in test barrel, so pressure is not a point of difference between the two.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 308 ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
