Last updated September 6th 2023
Affiliate disclaimer: We earn a small part of the sale price when you buy through our links. You won’t pay anything extra and your purchase helps support the site. Click here for more details.
The Winners at a Glance
Tikka T3x
$816.99Overall Winner
S&W M&P10
$1,125.99Budget Friendly Semi Auto Champion
Savage Axis II
$425.99Low budget winner
The 308 Winchester rifle is America’s favorite hunting round and we love taking it to war as well. Snipers use it, foot soldiers too. And hunters pretty much rely on 308 rifles for anything bigger than small game.
The 308 rifle has dealt with an onslaught of competition from the likes of 6.5 Creedmoor of late. That threatened to turn hunting into a weird long-distance sniper warzone for a while.
The old guard just watched and nodded politely, before packing their trusty .308 in the truck. This is a round that has been with us since 1952 and it’s the most popular big game hunting cartridge in the world. It’s also strong defensively.
308 Win is going nowhere and this is a big list because there are so many great rifles chambered in 308 Win Mag.
The 308 Rifle, Hunt Critters, Hogs, Deer and More
The best 308 rifle can handle anything from humane varmint hunting through to America’s biggest game.
It has served in the hands of military snipers. It has taken down hundreds of thousands of animals of all shapes and sizes around the world and it has achieved success in the US through to India.
Here are the best 308 rifles on sale in 2023. We think anyway…
1. Tikka T3x
- Price: $816.99
- Caliber: 308 Win Mag
- Barrel length: 22.4 inch
- Weight: 5.9lb
You can get a Tikka bolt action rifle in a number of different trims, from a chassis rifle target shooting specialist through to a lightweight hunting rifle that is kind of our favorite.
The weight is the truly remarkable part with this 22.4 inch stainless steel barrel. The T3x synthetic stock with a low-angled grip is a classic approach executed to near perfection. And it all ensures this is a lightweight rifle when they’re done.
Snipers Love This Manufacturer
Tikka is part of the same Beretta Holding Groups as Finnish firearms icons Sako, which makes some of the finest shooters in the world and this bolt action rifle is one of the best.
Long distance shooters actually sent me angry emails to overthrow the result of the Best Sniper Rifles on the market in 2023 result and install the TAC-A1 that gets an honorary mention here too.
That technology has trickled down to the Tikka T3x Superlite to create one of the best 308 rifles. The Tikka is great value, it’s super light and seriously accurate.
2. Smith & Wesson M&P10
- Price: $1,135.99
- Barrel: 16 inch
- Total Length: 34 inch
- Capacity: 20+1
- Weight: 8lb
The semi automatic S&W is a solid compromise of price, weight, ease of use and bone-chilling accuracy.
It’s an AR-10 platform that has been slimmed down to the point that you can shoulder it all day. It comes with a mid-length gas system, 5R rifling and a 1:10 twist, together with a whole host of finishing touches from the legendary S&W Performance Center.
This isn’t a full Performance Center firearm, which is why it comes in at a price tag that we think is pretty phenomenal in this company.
3. Springfield Armory M1A SOCOM
- Price: 1,9999.99
- Barrel: 16 inch barrel
- Total: 37.25 inch
- Weight: 8.8lb
- Magazine: 10+1
Yes it looks like the love child of an M1 Garand and an AR-15. That’s exactly the aesthetic the company was going for with this particular matte black synthetic variant of the almighty Springfield M1A semi auto rifle.
Would SOCOM take this Springfield Armory M1A as a battle rifle? Well no, of course they wouldn’t. Really it’s a futuristic mash-up of the 308 Win rifles of yesteryear and today’s AR-15.
It’s a steampunk rifle, not a tactical rifle. But it has character by the bucketful and you have to admit you want one in your home gun safes. A collapsible stock, flip up iron sights, a tiny Picatinny rail and more combine to create one of the weirdest and yet best mash ups here.
Now it pays homage to the legendary M1 Garand battle rifle with a series of modern rifles that offer everything from luxury wood finishes through to this high-tech offering. In some form it deserves its place on the list of the best 308 rifles and we like this semi auto rifle.
The Springfield M1A Loaded is also a great precision rifle for long distance target shooting.
Check out the Springfield Armory Saint Victor if you want an AR-10 rifle instead on our semi auto rifle chambered in 308 Win Mag list. That’s the grown up bigger version of the Springfield Armory Saint Victor AR-15 rifle that has starred in so many of our other posts.
4. Savage Axis II
- Price: $425.99
- Barrel: 22 inch
- Weight: 6.5lb
- Capacity: 4+1
Savage Arms keeps finding itself on these lists with a simple recipe of good value firearms that shoot straight. The Savage Axis is one of the best in this price range.
Now Savage Arms makes some of the best 308 hunting rifles come with a simple polymer stock with molded grips in all the key areas.
You get an AccuTrigger with integral trigger blade safety and a detachable box magazine. More importantly, the Savage Axis get the basics right and the button rifled barrel is supremely accurate.
5. Christensen Arms CA-10 DMR
- Price: 2,933.99
- Barrel: 18 inch
- Total Length: 39 inch
- Capacity: 20+1
- Weight: 7.1lb
Christensen Arms uses lightweight materials to give us seriously custom rifles at a price point that won’t always make you cry.
This is a carbon fiber wrapped barrel that you can order up to 24 inches in length. Seriously, the Christensen Arms is a next level DMR semi-auto rifle if you go for the longest set-up.
It also comes with a match-grade single stage trigger, a CF handguard and lots more weight saving tech like carbon fiber.
The end result is a 308 Semi Auto rifle with a mid length gas system that tips the scales at roughly the same weight as a workhorse AR-15 5.56 NATO.
6. Ruger American Rifle
- Price: $445.99
- Barrel: 18 inch
- Total Length: 43.25 inch
- Weight: 6.2lb
- Capacity: 3+1
The Ruger American rifle has won the favor of the American public thanks to the best deals. It doesn’t get much simpler, though, so there’s not a great deal to say here.
You can get all kinds of Ruger American rifle variants, though, including the Ruger American rifle with Magpul stock that turns this into a serious tactical sniper. Look here for a full selection of the best 308 hunting rifles, long range target shooting specialists and more.
Gun parts are readily available and you can upgrade this rifle with a new barrel or trigger set pretty easily.
The Ruger American 308 Win bolt action rifle with a Vortex Crossfire scope up top is all that most of us need for a hunting rifle or basic target shooting.
You can get of Ruger American bolt action rifles in a range of calibers, from Rimfire ammo through to 350 Legend ammo for big game hunting.
7. Browning X-Bolt Hells Canyon Speed
- Price: $1,348.99
- Barrel: 22 inch
- Total Length: 42.75 inch
- Total Weight: 6.3lb
The Browning X-Bolt has swiftly become a legend in its own lifetime with hunters and target shooters alike.
It’s really a top rated custom rifle for big game hunting and offers a great compromise of portability, accuracy and reliability.
The 22 inch barrel with integral muzzle brake is Cerakote finished. And the composite stock has proven itself in the field as the basis of Browning’s most popular rifle. As a 308 Winchester rifle, it was always going to be a winner.
Typically you can buy the Browning X-Bolt in a range of calibers and configurations. There’s a longer barrel, which is inevitably significantly heavier but makes for a great long range hunting rifle.
You can also get shorter, lightweight rifles if that’s your priority.
8. Daniel Defense Delta 5 Pro 308
- Price: $2.533.99
- Barrel: 16
- Weight:10.8b
The Daniel Defense Delta 5 Pro rifle is a stunning 308 Win bolt action rifle that was built to beat a custom rifle and yet come in under the price limit in the PRS Production Class.
So if you want to start competition shooting, then this is a great rifle to go for. Obviously there’s an adjustable length of pull, cheek riser, adjustable trigger pull and every component is high quality
The Delta 5 Pro is expensive, but then it’s a great rifle for long range target shooting. And if you need something cheaper then check out the Sig Sauer Cross.
Now you could also look at the Daniel Defense DD5 AR-10, which is an incredible gun for home defense and is beyond military grade hardware. So remember the Daniel Defense DD5 as well when you buy a gun online.
9. Remington 700 ADL
- Price: $629.99
- Barrel: 26 inch
- Rifle Length: 36.25 inch
- Weight: 8.5lb
- Capacity: 4+1
The Remington Model 700 is the best-selling 308 Win bolt action rifle of all time and has been in production for more than 50 years. So of course the company got it right with this 700 Average DeLuxe model.
You can get a version with a much shorter barrel or a full military chassis, but the Remington 700 ADL comes with a composite stock and the Remington X-Mark Pro trigger.
This rifle comes with the legendary Remington Three Rings of Steel completely enclosing the cartridge case head. That provides serious strength, and durability.
If you prefer simplicity then the Remington Special Purpose Synthetic Tactical rifle is a total bargain.
You can get any flavor of Remington 700 you want, from a 26 inch target champion with the military chassis that makes the legendary 700 action a different animal altogether. It’s a model line, not a gun.
You can spend thousands on a custom Remington 700 with a more refined cold hammer forged barrel and other shenanigans. But these are some of the best 308 hunting rifles in a variety of specs.
10. Palmetto State Armory Gen3 PA10
- Price: $839.99
- Barrel: 18 inch
- Rifle Length: 36 inch
- Weight: 8lb
- Capacity: 20+1
We’re always going to have the Palmetto State Armory debate and they divide people like politics, but I’m just gonna say this. If this spec sheet was attached to a $3,000 rifle, people would be queuing round the block to throw the money at them.
This is the range-topping Palmetto State Armory Gen3 semi auto rifle with the 416R stainless steel barrel. The lower and upper receivers are forged 7075-T6 Aluminum and you can upgrade pretty much all the gun parts over time.
The bolt carrier group is Nitride-coated 8620 steel and the bolt is 9310 with more Nitride coating, while the two-stage trigger is coated in Nickel Teflon. Apart from a billet lower receiver, which would be a pipe dream at this price point, a Crack pipe, the spec is pretty hot.
PSA guns are best sellers for a reason and customers tend to go back for more guns.
11. Mossberg Patriot
- Price: $477.99
- Barrel: 22 inch
- Rifle Length: 42.75 inch
- Capacity: 5+1
- Weight: 7lb
There are some truly clever guns on this list that all have one thing in common. One way or another, the designers have engineered around the inherent limitations of the round.
Mossberg simply embraces them, doesn’t try to get too smart and the end result is a light, cheap 308 rifle that might be the best budget rifle here.
That’s all some people want in their centerfire rifles. The Mossberg Patriot 308 Win does everything they need in a hunting rifle. And that’s why these are best sellers.
The great thing about this gun is that it’s so cheap you could effectively pair it with a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle for extreme shooting. You could buy one of each and still have a huge pile of change left over if you go this route.
Two Rifles to Cover Your Needs
But if it was my money sat there on the table and I could either have the best 308 Win or a combo deal, I would take the Mossberg and then place my order for a proper sniper rifle.
This is a 7lb 308 Win bolt action rifle and it’s one of the few on this list that you could comfortably shoulder all day. It’s a simple rifle, it won’t give you any real surprises and it is really limited to about 500 yards, unless you’re something truly special in the long range shooting department.
Stay in its comfort zone, though, and these will serve you well. What more can you really ask from a gun that costs a fraction of its supposed betters here?
12. Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter
- Price: $3,145
- Barrel: 16 inch
- Rifle length: 32.5-37.75 inch
- Weight: 8lb
Wilson Combat are perennial winners in these parts. But this 308 Win rifle class is a hard one indeed and even this company can’t expect a walk in the park here.
This is a relatively lightweight rifle at 8lb and combines the Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter match grade threaded barrel with the lightweight receiver set that is, of course, machined from billet and comes with a mid-length gas system.
The Ranger barrel is Wilson Combat’s lightest profile barrel that still retains match accuracy as it gets hot. It’s high price, high spec. But you know that with these top rated semi automatic rifles.
That’s a nice touch at the shooting range, and one of the many reasons why some people won’t entrust their personal defense to any other brand. Wilson Combat can become an expensive addiction, but there are more expensive options here for 308 rifles.
You could even argue that the Wilson Combat is value for money.
13. Henry Long Ranger
- Price: $976.99
- Barrel: 20 inch
- Total: 32.5-37.75 inch
- Weight: 7.3lb
The top rated Henry Long Ranger 308 win rifle is something different, even though it’s technically not the best rifle here.
It’s a lever action rifle, which is just fun to have in your life. And it’s a perfectly competently hunting rifle, too, but mainly they’re just fun lever action rifles for shits and giggles.
That is enough to make Henry rifles best sellers in almost every caliber.
You could opt for the Henry Single Shot Rifle, too, if you want something even weirder.
14. Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle
- Price: $1,193.99
- Barrel: 16.5 inch
- Weight: 7.3lb
The Ruger Scout rifle is a legend and the Gunsite variant was launched at the 2011 SHOT Show.
Essentially this is a self defense oriented bolt rifle and it’s aimed at those times when reliability and power trumps all.
This Ruger Scout rifle is a popular rifle in Alaska where seriously dangerous game roam free and this 308 or the 350 Legend version can protect against a charging Polar Bear, or at least make it think twice. A detachable box magazine with 5 or 10 rounds gives this rifle a solid amount of hard hitting ammunition.
Of course it’s a good recipe for the best 308 hunting rifles, too, and this is an excellent choice for outdoors types, hog hunters and deer hunters.
This is a collaborative effort with the Gunsite Academy to redesign the classic Ruger Scout rifle. As we all know a Scout rifle had to be short, accurate and portable for, well, army scouts…
It’s a lightweight rifle with a forward mounted Picatinny rail for an intermediate eye relief scope. That allows for both eyes open targeting and rapid acquisition.
You get a cold hammer forged barrel, synthetic stock and a Mauser type feed extractor. There are a range fo finishes, too, on this lightweight combat bolt action rifle. Get natural wood, Flat Dark Earth and other colors.
Honorable Mentions
The Springfield Waypoint, Ruger SFAR and Diamondback DB10 308 Win could easily feature here.
With a composite stock, the lightweight Springfield Waypoint is a sniper rifle and a high quality hunting rifle. It’s seriously good for long range target shooting too.
Now we’ve got lots of other bolt action rifles here, but on another day the Springfield Waypoint would have made the cut.
If we had more space we’d have the Mossberg Super Bantam here too. The single shot Super Bantam is fun, but a bit quirky for this company.
The Ruger SFAR, meanwhile, is a great AR-10 that you should really consider. Both that and the Diamondback DB10 308 Win are good value semi automatic rifles that go up against the likes of the S&W M&P10. You could make a case for including either one in this list in matte black or Flat Dark Earth.
We could have included the Nosler 21 and Winchester XPR as well. But we have to make choices here, so if you love the Nosler 21 and WInchester XPR, we get you.
Best places to buy .308 Win Mag Ammo
If you buy ammo at your local gun store, wow you are losing money…
Try these direct links to the 308 ammo section of our favorite online gun stores. See how much you can save when you buy ammo in bulk for your rifle or concealed carry pistol, especially if you need to stock up on ammo in a crisis.
- Brownells – Best selling 308 Winchester ammunition in stock. Buy ammo online now.
- Sportsman’s Guide – Massive selection of 308 Win ammo. Buy in bulk.
- Lucky Gunner – Deals on ammo, including 308 Win.
- USA Gun Shop – The Best 308 ammo for hunting, self defense and the range
Scopes vs Red Dot Sights for an AR-10
The best 308 hunting rifles feel right with scopes, but you might be happier with red dot sights on your AR-10 upper receiver. simple magnifier turns the system into a long range target shooting optic and you don’t have to get stuck with scopes.
See a full range, organize the price low to high, and buy yours here at Palmetto State Armory.
Get the terms & conditions of the privacy policy terms here from customer service at the main email address. All rights reserved, copyright is the property of, well, us. And we promise not to sell your personal information. So enter your email address and leave a reply when you skip to content, We’re looking into gift cards, too, but as of now we don’t do gift cards.
Would like to see a review of the Roam R-10’s in .308 Win. They state some very light weights due to use of magnesium instead of aluminum. Only videos I can find are on YouTube Texas JAGD – hog hunting channel.
He was shooting with a Roam Red River Ultralight showing a 5 pound 10 ounce weight out of the box.
We’ll try and get round to it asap. Covid has left us running like crazy to stand still. Just checking stocks and links is a full time job. But as soon as it calms down, we’ll see what we can do! I’ll add it to the job list.
I have a Henry Long Ranger in 308 and i think you might want to take a look. It’s the best brush gun I own and that includes the 30-30 and 30-06. It’s a never miss out to around 300yds for me and that’s with old eyes.
I own a Sig 716 G2 and was surprised it didn’t even crack the list :-/
I’m looking for a 308 rifle for hunting. What are some good ones to buy?
For a quick get you started rifle then the Mossberg or Remington are great choices. Simple bolt action rifles are just easy and do what they’re supposed to at the critical moment. So yeah to get going hunting with a 308, I’d go with simplicity most days.