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223 vs 308 Winchester Review & Comparison
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May 10, 2024
To learn more about popular calibers like the 223 Remington or 308 Winchester, visit: https://huntingguns101.com/optin1615146914565?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HG101&utm_term=YT&utm_content=223vs308 In this video, I’m conduct a detailed comparison of the 308 Winchester and the 223 Remington cartridges. Few topics seem to be as hotly contested as the 223 vs 308 debate. Indeed, that dispute spans over five decades and really took off during the mid-1960s when the US Military started replacing the M-14 with the M-16 service rifle. While there is a small overlap in their capabilities, the two cartridges represent two vastly different ways of thinking: smaller, lighter, and faster vs bigger, heavier, and slower. This is part of the reason why each have such a dedicated and loyal following and why the 223 vs 308 debate continues to rage on after so many years. In this episode, I investigate the 223 vs 308 debate in detail and provide some insight into which cartridge is better suited for various situations. To read a more detailed comparison of the 223 vs 308 Winchester, visit: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/223-vs-308/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow BGHB: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBigGameHuntingBlog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebiggamehunter_/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBigGameHunt
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hi there, I'm John McAdams, founder of the Big Game Hunting blog, and in this video I'm
0:06
going to do a detailed comparison of the .308 Winchester and the .223 Remington cartridges
0:13
Few topics seem to be as hotly contested as the .223 vs. .308 debates. That dispute spans
0:20
over five decades and it really took off during the mid-1960s when the US military started
0:26
replacing the M14 with the M16 service rifle. While there is a small overlap in their capabilities
0:33
the two cartridges represent vastly different ways of thinking. Smaller, lighter, and faster
0:39
vs. bigger, heavier, and slower. Now this is part of the reason why each have such a
0:45
dedicated and loyal following and why the .223 vs. .308 debate continues to rage on
0:51
after so many years. Because in addition to all of that, they are each very well suited
0:56
for very specific tasks that are distinct from each other. So in this episode I'm going
1:01
to investigate the .223 vs. .308 debate in more detail and provide some insight into
1:07
which cartridge is better suited for various situations. Now before we get started, I would
1:12
really appreciate it if you would do me two favors. First, please make sure you subscribe
1:18
to my YouTube channel right now. Just click the red subscribe button below and make sure
1:23
you don't miss out on any of my new videos on hunting gear reviews, cartridge comparisons
1:27
and more. Next, click on the link in the description below or go to HuntingGuns101.com to get a
1:34
free e-book I have written on the best hunting calibers that will provide more detailed information
1:40
on popular hunting cartridges and what they are best suited for. Ok, now that we got that
1:45
out of the way, let's get started talking about the .223 and the .308. As usual, we
1:51
will start with the history of these cartridges. Though the US military was pleased with the
1:55
performance of the M1 Grand rifle and the .30-06 during WWII, American military leaders
2:02
started looking for a new rifle and cartridge in the years following the war. Specifically
2:08
they wanted a rifle capable of fully automatic fire and with a detachable magazine along
2:14
the lines of the German StG 44 or the new Soviet AK-47. At the end of a long and contentious
2:22
design and selection process, the army eventually picked the M14 rifle chambered in the new
2:28
7.62x51mm cartridge to replace the M1 Grand. The original M80 ball load for the 7.62x51mm
2:38
NATO fired a .308 caliber 147 grain full metal jacket bullet at 2,750 feet per second
2:47
This load had virtually the same ballistics as the original .30-06 military load which
2:53
was a 150 grain bullet at 2,700 feet per second. But, due to advances in powder technology
3:01
the 7.62x51mm cartridge achieved that same level of performance while using a much shorter
3:08
case of 51mm vs. 63mm long. During that time frame, Winchester noticed serious commercial
3:16
potential with the 7.62 cartridge and rolled out the extremely similar .308 Winchester
3:23
cartridge for the civilian hunting and shooting markets. The .308 Winchester really caught
3:30
on with civilian hunters and shooters who appreciated the efficiency, power and accuracy
3:36
of the new cartridge. The military appreciated those same characteristics in the 7.62 cartridge
3:41
and over the years it has gained widespread approval for its performance in designated
3:46
marksman-sniper rifles as well as in medium machine guns. On the other hand, the military
3:53
was not pleased with the performance of the M14 as the primary infantry service rifle
3:58
and decided to move on to something new after just a few years. For all the strengths of
4:04
the M14 and 7.62x51mm NATO, leaders in the military wanted a lighter rifle and cartridge
4:11
so soldiers could carry more ammunition and more easily control the rifle when firing
4:16
in fully automatic mode. The military settled on the M16 rifle and the new high velocity
4:23
5.56x45mm cartridge and adopted the new rifle and cartridge during the 1960s. Derived from
4:32
the .223 Remington, which was itself descended from the .222 Remington, the original M193
4:39
ball load for the 5.56x45mm cartridge fired a .224 caliber, 55 grain, full metal jacket
4:47
bullet at 3,250 feet per second. Though initially well received by the military, the M16 and
4:54
the .556 cartridge had some major teething problems during the Vietnam War. Understandably
5:01
both, but the M16 in particular, were much maligned by large numbers of men who had bad
5:07
experiences with them while serving in Vietnam. However, modifications to the rifle and the
5:12
propellant used in the cartridge solved many of those issues and both remain in common
5:17
use by military forces all over the world. Additionally, the military later adopted the
5:24
M16A2 rifle with a faster rifling twist rate of 1 in 7 inches versus 1 in 12 inches and a new
5:31
5.56 ball load, the M855, firing a 62 grain, full metal jacket bullet at 3,025 feet per second
5:40
during the 1980s. This load penetrated much better than the old M193 load, but complaints about the
5:47
terminal performance of the bullet from soldiers eventually spurred the development of yet another
5:53
ball load, the M855 Alpha 1, during the Global War on Terror. The M855 Alpha 1 load uses a lead-free
6:01
62 grain bullet made from a copper alloy with a steel penetrator. It is loaded to a higher pressure
6:08
than the M855 load and is designed for optimum performance out of the short barreled M4 carbines
6:15
commonly used by the military these days. All in all, the M855 Alpha 1 has been well received
6:22
and it does have a reputation for being more accurate, for penetrating barriers more effectively
6:27
and for having better terminal performance than the old M193 and M855 ball ammunition
6:34
Now in addition to the widespread military use of the 5.56mm cartridge over the years, the cousin
6:42
of that cartridge, the .223 Remington, has also seen widespread use among civilian hunters and
6:49
shooters. But similar to the difference between the 7.62 and the 5.56 cartridges, there is a pretty
6:56
big difference between the .223 and the .308 cartridges, and this starts with the size of them
7:03
Now there is a pretty stark contrast between the .223 and the .308 when you place them right next
7:09
to each other. The .308 Winchester has a much longer case length of 2.015 inches versus 1.76
7:17
inches, and a much longer overall length of 2.81 inches versus 2.26 inches. Heck, the .308 Winchester
7:26
is so much larger that it can almost fit an entire .223 Remington cartridge inside its case
7:32
Now additionally, the .223 Remington shoots smaller diameter and lighter .224 caliber
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bullets, while the .308 shoots larger diameter and heavier .308 caliber bullets. Now the .223
7:46
is capable of using bullets in the 35 to 77 grain range. Of these, 55 grain and 62 grain
7:53
bullet weights are by far the most common. On the other hand, the majority of .308 Winchester
7:59
factory loads shoot bullets in the 110 to 180 grain range. 150, 165, 168, and 180 grain bullets are the
8:09
most common for that cartridge. In that same vein, an entire loaded .223 Remington cartridge will
8:15
weigh in the, say, 160 to 190 grain range. We're talking the bullet itself, the primer, powder, and
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the entire cartridge case. Now the exact weight will vary a little depending on the exact load
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but the point stands. Just the bullet, the actual projectile from a .308 Winchester
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weighs about as much, maybe more, than an entire .223 Remington cartridge. So once again, that's
8:43
just another good example of how much bigger the .308 is than the .223. Now with all that said
8:49
the .308 Winchester also has a larger .473 inch case diameter than the .378 inch case diameter
8:57
of the .223. Combined with the fact that the .308 uses a much longer case, it also has significantly
9:04
more case capacity than the .223. It's also loaded to a higher maximum semi pressure of 62,000 psi
9:12
versus 55,000 psi for the .223. Compared to the .308, the .223 Remington shoots smaller diameter
9:20
lighter bullets, at a very high velocity. Performance varies with barrel length and
9:25
bullet weight, but typical .223 ballistics with factory ammo are a 50 grain bullet at 3,345 feet
9:32
per second, a 55 grain bullet at 3,240 feet per second, and a 62 grain bullet at 3,100 feet per
9:41
second. On the other hand, typical .308 ballistics with factory ammo are a 150 grain bullet at 2,820
9:48
feet per second, a 165 grain bullet at 2,700 feet per second, and a 180 grain bullet at 2,570 feet
9:57
per second. Let's dive into the details of the ballistics of these cartridges in a little more
10:02
detail though, and specifically how they compare to each other. So in this case, we'll compare a
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55 grain Winchester Varmin X load with a .255 BC, a 62 grain Barnes TSX Boat Tail load with a .314 BC
10:17
and a 64 grain Winchester Deer Season XP load with a .282 BC in .223 Remington. We will compare that
10:27
ammunition to 150 grain Winchester Deer Season XP with a .392 BC, a 168 grain Barnes TTSX with a
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.470 BC, and a 180 grain Winchester PowerPoint load with a .382 BC in .308 Winchester. Now note that
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every single one of those .308 loads has a higher ballistic coefficient than every single one of the
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.223 Remington loads. Now, with all that said, for the most part, the .223 Remington has a much flatter
10:59
trajectory than the .308 Winchester, out to about 500 yards. However, the typical .308 Winchester
11:05
load has more than twice the muzzle energy than the typical .223 Remington load. Additionally, the
11:11
heavier bullets with a higher ballistic coefficient used by the .308 Winchester retain more energy and
11:17
velocity than the lightweight .223 bullets. Indeed, some .308 Winchester loads, like that 168 grain
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TTSX load I just talked about, have as much or more energy remaining at 500 yards as most of the
11:33
.223 Remington loads do at the muzzle. But, like I said, those high velocity .223 Remington loads do have a
11:40
little bit flatter trajectory. Now, not only is that the case, but the .223 Remington also recoils a whole lot
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less than the .308. When fired from the exact same rifle, the .223 Remington has about one-fifth the recoil of
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the .308. That is really saying something too, because the .308 is a fairly mild recoiling cartridge itself
12:02
However, recoil from the .223 is virtually non-existent. Additionally, there are a couple of other factors that are
12:08
also worth considering. First, the larger diameter .308 caliber bullets used by the .308 Winchester cartridge have
12:14
about 90% more frontal surface area than the .224 caliber bullets used by the .223 Remington. Although their things
12:22
being equal, a bigger bullet will make a bigger hole, cause more tissue damage, and result in more blood loss
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That is a pretty significant advantage in favor of the .308, especially on bigger game, and especially combined with the
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fact that the .308 just carries so much more kinetic energy downrange. Additionally, the .308 Winchester also has an edge
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over the .223 Remington in bullet sectional density. Sectional density is a measure of the ratio of the diameter of a
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projectile to its mass. All other things being equal, a heavier projectile of a given caliber will be longer, and
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therefore have a higher sectional density, and consequently penetrate deeper than projectiles with a lower mass and
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lower sectional density. As an example, 150 grain, 168 grain, and 180 grain .308 caliber bullets have sectional
13:09
densities of .226, .253, and .271, respectively. This compares favorably to 55 grain, 62 grain, and 80 grain .224
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caliber bullets, which have sectional densities of .157, .177, and .228, respectively. While there is a tiny bit of overlap in
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sectional density with the two cartridges with the absolute heaviest .224 caliber bullet compared to the lightest .308
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caliber bullet, the vast majority of .308 caliber bullets far outclass those used by the .223 Remington in this area
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So all things considered, the .308 Winchester is simply a significantly more powerful cartridge. It's not a heavy hitter on the
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level of like a .300 Win Mag or a 7mm Remington Magnum, but it's still on a completely different level from the .223
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Let's talk about ammo selection now. So both cartridges are extremely popular among hunters and shooters all over the
14:07
world. Indeed, both are also likely in the top 10 most popular centerfire cartridges in the United States. However, the
14:15
.223 Remington is the most widely used of the two and is typically the most popular centerfire rifle cartridge in the U.S. in
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terms of raw ammo sales. That said, the .308 Winchester is typically number two in that area and it does not lag that far behind
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the .223. So while it is often very easy to find a variety of ammo for both cartridges during normal times, it's usually
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easiest to find for the .223, but the .308 is by no means rare. Now in general, the .223 Remington, ammo for that is
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typically the least expensive of the two. Now during the 2020 to 2022 ammo shortage, both cartridges still aren't too hard to come
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buy ammo for. I'd say they're probably the two most common cartridges on store shelves right now and there is a big difference
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between the availability of these two versus almost anything else in the centerfire rifle cartridge realm. Virtually every major
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ammo manufacturer of note makes a wide variety of ammo for both cartridges. Now some bullets, like the new Hornady CX and the
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Nosler E-Tip, are available for both cartridges. However, lightly constructed bullets designed for varmint hunting, like the
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Hornady V-Max, Nosler Varmageddon, and the Winchester Varmint X, are most common with the .223 Remington. On the other hand
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bullets designed for big game hunting, like the Nosler Partition and the Swift Scirocco and A-Frame, are more common with the .308
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And of course, this is in addition to the large quantity of full metal jacket ammo that is available for both cartridges
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Prices and availability do vary from region to region, but ammo for both is usually widely available, even during shortages like now
15:57
but generally speaking, .223 Remington ammo is much less expensive than .308 Winchester ammo. Now just like with ammo, there are lots and
16:05
lots of semi-auto, pump, and bolt-action rifles chambered in both cartridges to choose from. And virtually every major firearms
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manufacturer produces rifles in both cartridges. Due in large part to their military roots, there are a number of semi-auto rifles available in both
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In particular, AR-15 style rifles are very popular with the .223 Remington. The .308 Winchester is also widely available in semi-automatic
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rifles as well. This includes things like the FN FAL and the Springfield M1A, as well as the larger AR platform, also known as the AR-10
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Now of course, both cartridges are available in a number of bolt-action hunting rifles, like the Remington Model 700, the Ruger American
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the Ruger M77 Hawkeye, and the Savage 11 or 111, and many more. So which one is right for you
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The .308 Winchester, I think, is one of the best big game hunting cartridges around, and it holds a clear advantage over the .223 Remington
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when it comes to hunting medium to large size game. Truth be told, I think the .223 Remington is still just a borderline
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big game hunting round, and it can't hold a candle to the .308 Winchester in that regard
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For that reason, the .223 Remington isn't a legal deer hunting cartridge in some states
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That being said, the advent of better quality bullets has made the .223 Remington a much more
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effective big game hunting cartridge than it used to be. Since the light recoil of the cartridge also
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makes follow-up shots a lot easier, the .223 Remington is a very popular cartridge for
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hunting situations that require a lot of shooting, like feral hog control. When using a quality bullet
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like the new Hornady CX, it will really do a number on even the biggest hogs, if you have good shot
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placement. If we're really being honest with ourselves though, the two cartridges are best
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suited for radically different tasks. The .223 Remington for varmint and pest control, and the .308
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Winchester for big game hunting. Now the flat trajectory and lightly constructed bullets most
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common with the .223 Remington make it great for taking shots at small, thin-skinned animals like
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prairie dogs, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes. On the other hand, since it shoots heavier, larger diameter
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and generally much better constructed bullets, the .308 Winchester has a clear advantage when hunting
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a larger species like deer, caribou, elk, etc. Now I think the .308 is on the light side for a game
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like moose and brown or grizzly bear, but it will work in a pinch with proper shot placement. Now
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though the .308 Winchester does have more stopping power, both cartridges are well suited for home or
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self-defense. This is especially true due to the much better availability now of well-designed
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semi-automatic rifles, and large amounts of high quality ammunition that is well suited for that
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task that you can get at a fairly reasonable price. So do you want a cartridge well suited for
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hunting big game like deer, elk, or bear? Get a .308 Winchester since it is so much more powerful
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and since there are so many great ammunition choices designed for that sort of hunting
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Are you looking for a cartridge to hunt predators and small game animals with
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Both will work, but the .223 Remington is the better choice here because it has a flatter trajectory
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ammunition is cheaper, and there are many types of .223 ammo specifically designed for predator
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environment hunting. Additionally, the .223 Remington is extremely common in AR-15 pattern
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rifles, which are great for those who want the ability to take an extremely rapid follow-up shot
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in case of a miss or in case multiple coyotes come in at once, in a case like that. Now the .223
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Remington is a very effective coyote cartridge, but there is a slightly greater chance of a
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wounded and lost animal when using it compared to the .308. This is not as big of an issue with
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the .223 as it is with smaller cartridges, but it is something to keep in mind. So hunters who want
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to minimize this issue as much as possible, perhaps like those participating in a coyote hunting
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contest, might want to use a bigger cartridge like the .243 Winchester or maybe even the .308 Winchester
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Now the downside of using larger cartridges like the .308 is that fur damage is going to be a much
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bigger problem compared to the .223. So if you care about fur damage, then you definitely want to be
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sticking with the .223 of these two cartridges anyway. By that same token, if you're very sensitive
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to recoil, also you got to go with the .223 of these two cartridges because recoil is so much
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less with the .223. Now as I have stated before, the .223 Remington and the .308 Winchester are both
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very, very solid rifle cartridges. However, since the differences between them are very big in many
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areas, each cartridge is better suited to specific situations than the other with just a little
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bit of crossover or overlap. So what you need to do is carefully evaluate your needs as a hunter
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based upon the circumstances you foresee using the cartridge in, get a good hunting rifle chambered
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in the cartridge you select, learn to shoot it well, use quality bullets, and it should serve you very
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well afield. Now if you enjoyed this video, then please make sure you subscribe to my YouTube
21:27
channel right now. Just click the red subscribe button below to make sure you don't miss out on
21:32
any of my new videos about hunting gear reviews, cartridge comparisons, and more. For more detailed
21:38
information on popular hunting cartridges and what they are best suited for, click the link in
21:43
the description below or go to huntingguns101.com to get a free ebook I have written on the best
21:50
hunting calibers. Now I'm going to turn it over to you. Which cartridge do you prefer? The .223 Remington
21:57
The .308 Winchester? Both? What do you think? What game have you successfully taken with each one or
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both of them? Let me know by leaving a comment on this video right now. Thank you for watching
22:09
have a great day, and good hunting