--- title: "The Best .308 Hunting Rifles of 2025" description: "Our field expert compiled a list of the best .308 hunting rifles to fit a wide range of hunting scenarios and budgets. See the reviews here!" date: "2022-05-20" modified: "2025-02-09" authors: - name: "Brad Fitzpatrick" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/brad-fitzpatrick/" - name: "Tyler Freel" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/tyler-freel/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-308-hunting-rifles/" categories: - "Guns" - "Hunting Rifles" - "Rifles" tags: - "Evergreen" - "Gear Reviews" --- # The Best .308 Hunting Rifles of 2025 ![The author with an antelope taken with the Springfield Waypoint.]() *The author with an antelope taken with the Springfield Waypoint. Brad Fitzpatrick* The .308 Winchester turned 70 years old in 2022, and despite being rather long in the tooth, this round still ranks among the most popular hunting and shooting cartridges in the world, especially for hunting rifles. There’s no doubt that newer cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor and PRC and Winchester’s new 6.8 Western have some ballistic efficiencies over the .308, but that hasn’t eroded the .308’s mass appeal. If you’re looking for a short-action cartridge that offers ample punch for most big game animals, moderate recoil, and plenty of factory hunting loads from which to choose, then the .308 is still a solid bet. Here’s a list of the best .308 hunting rifles that I've used in the field or on the range. - **Best Overall:** [Sako 90s Adventure]() - **Best Value:** [Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR]() - **Best Budget:** [Ruger American Gen 2]() - **Best Lever Action:** [Henry Long Ranger]() - **Best Crossover:** [Springfield Boundary 2020]() - **Best Youth:** [Mossberg Patriot Youth Super Bantam]() - **Best Semiauto:** [Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter]() - **Best for Elk:** [Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak]() - **Best Truck Rifle:** [Mossberg MVP Scout Rifle]() - **Modern Classic:** [Nosler M21]() - **Best Under $600:** [Winchester XPR]() ## Things to Consider When Buying a .308 Hunting Rifle ### Action With its overwhelming popularity and 70-year history, there are plenty of options for those who want to hunt with a .308 rifle. There are so many options, in fact, that picking the best .308 can be a challenge. But determining what type of action you want is a great place to start. Most .308 hunting rifles come in bolt-actions, and there are many great options. If you’re familiar with semiautos, then the AR-10 platform is perfect. But if you prefer something lighter and more classically styled, [Browning’s BAR rifle]() combines the classic look of a hunting rifle with the convenience of a semiauto. Lever guns like [Browning’s BLR]() and [Henry’s Long Ranger]() utilize box magazines and, therefore, will work with the .308 cartridge. But there are also single shots like Ruger’s vaunted No. 1. ### Accuracy Almost all modern rifles, regardless of price, have suitable triggers and offer reasonable accuracy. Some, like the Ruger American, blend superb accuracy and exceptional value. ### Weight Weight savings in the form of carbon fiber stocks and carbon fiber-wrapped barrels come at a price, so if you plan to carry your .308 on high-altitude, leg and lung-burning hunts, those weight savings might offer you a better chance of success in the field. A pound or two of weight adds up over time, especially in the thin air altitudes where elk, goats, and sheep thrive. ### Threaded Barrel If you’ve invested the time and money to purchase a suppressor then you’ll want a threaded barrel (preferably one that matches your thread pattern—adapters are widely available but easy to lose or forget) that is short enough so that the overall length of the rifle is still manageable. The Springfield Waypoint 2020 .308 rifle I used for a pronghorn antelope hunt in the fall of 2021 came with a 20-inch carbon fiber pipe, but with a suppressor in place overall length increases by as much as nine inches. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate shorter barrels because I exclusively hunt with suppressors when that’s an option, but short barrels also make a rifle much easier to maneuver in dense forest or in a blind or treestand. Thankfully, .308 rifles perform well with short barrels. ### Ammunition Ammo selection is critically important to wring the best in-field performance from your .308 rifle. There are light .308 loads available with bullets under 150 grains, but these are typically designed for varmint hunting or reduced recoil loads. As with other .30-caliber rounds, you can stuff 200-grain bullets in a .308 case, but velocities are so low that I’ve never seen 200-grain .308 ammo as a viable option. If you want a hard-hitting .30-caliber, 200-grain bullet, there are lots of great cartridge options including the .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 WSM, .300 Weatherby Magnum, 30 Nosler, and .300 PRC, all of which gladly handle heavy .308-inch bullets. ## Reviews and Recommendations: ### Best Overall: [Sako 90s Adventure]() We tested the Sako 90S Adventure in our [2024 gun test](), and it's one of the best all-around hunting rifles we have ever handled. This new Sako has a wonderfully designed stock with great ergonomics and textured inlays. It also features a push-button-adjustable comb riser that blends perfectly with the buttstock when not raised. It's a superbly accurate rifle with a thoughtfully designed detachable magazine that can be locked into the gun and easily top loaded. The trigger is adjustable for pull weight with an Allen key and features four different adjustment positions. We don't think there's a better all-around hunting rifle to pair with an all-around cartridge like the .308 Winchester. The only complaints we have about the gun are that we'd like to see them use QD sling cups or maybe incorporate a Picatinny rail in the fore end for a bipod, and the metric threads on the muzzle require an adapter to use with standard 5/8-24 suppressor mounts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWtjY_9Nr5Q ### Best Value: [Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed SPR]() With a suppressor, the overall length of this gun is manageable but without one, this gun has an overall length of just 38-inches, which makes it perfect for a blind or tree stand. And while there are plenty of great options in the X-Bolt family, I believe this one is the handiest of the lot. In my experience, X-Bolt rifles are real tack-drivers, and I’ve never had one that didn’t shoot well. This rifle incorporates updates in the second generation including a new adjustable stock design and reduced bearing surface between the bolt and receiver. It sports and 18-inch barrel that's threaded and intended to be used with a suppressor. With a can, a good scope, and a dialed-in load, this gun is perfect for most any game in any terrain. ### Best Budget: [Ruger American Gen 2 ]() The Ruger American Gen 2 is a basic-but accurate budget rifle. It features improvements to the stock design including an adjustable comb piece and length of pull. The stock is more rigid than previous Ruger American stocks, which provides a platform for even better accuracy. I’ve tested several Ruger American rifles in various calibers and—no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with these guns—every one shot well. On a bear hunt in Alberta, I managed to harvest two bruins with this rifle, neither of which made it out of view before expiring. With an American rifle chambered in .308 you can hunt most of the world’s game. So do you really need a more expensive rifle? Read the full [Ruger American Gen 2 review](). ### Best Lever Action: [Henry Long Ranger]() The .308 lends itself well to a variety of action types, including lever guns like the [Long Ranger](). The rifle's rack-and-pinion system is smooth and fast, so you can deliver quick followup shots. I’m glad that Henry used a transfer bar hammer instead of sullying the look of this gun with a manual safety. Also the side-mounted push button magazine release is intuitively positioned. When I tested this rifle I mounted it with a low-mount scope, and the Henry’s short, steeply-angled hammer stayed well out of the way. This is not a precision rifle but accuracy certainly is good for a lever-action, and it even challenges some bolt-actions. Plus, there’s nothing like the feel of a lever gun. ### Best Crossover: [Springfield Boundary 2020]() In 2024, Springfield released their new BDL-style 2020 rifle, the 2020 Boundary. The Boundary is offered in the same carbon- and steel-barreled options as the [2020 Waypoint](), and comes in a slimmer AG Composites stock. It has a lot of modern features that we really like, including QD sling cups on the sides of the stock, as well as M-Lok slots on the fore end to mount a bipod or piece of ARCA rail. ![Springfield 2020 Boundary black bear, Freel]() *OL Staff writer Tyler Freel and a big black bear taken with his Springfield 2020 Boundary.* Like the Waypoint in .308, the Boundary is a really accurate rifle with the classic hunting rifle feel. We tested an early sample that gave us some significant magazine feeding issues, but Springfield should have those worked out by now. This is an expensive gun, but one that will give you many years of service as an excellent all-around hunting rifle.Read our full [Springfield 2020 Boundary review](). ### Best Youth: [Mossberg Patriot Youth Super Bantam]() This rifle comes equipped with a bore sighted 3-9x40 scope, so it provides a hunter with everything they need to start hunting at a bargain price. While this rifle is technically youth sized, the adjustable LOP (length of pull) means that it can grow with a hunter. There’s nothing particularly fancy about the [Mossberg]() (save the Muddy Girl pink camo finish), but these are workaday guns that punch tags without pretensions. The LBA trigger is reliable and safe, and I’ve never seen a Mossberg Patriot rifle suffer from reliability issues. After carrying Patriot rifles while chasing Coues deer in Mexico, whitetails in Kansas, and ibex in Spain, I’m a fan of this purpose-built bolt gun. ### Best Semiauto: [Wilson Combat Tactical Hunter]() I’ve spent considerable time behind Tactical Hunter rifles chambered for .308 Winchester and Bill Wilson’s sorely underrated .300 Ham’r cartridge. I went on a hog hunt with Bill at his ranch in Texas and took a nice boar with one shot before shooting the Tactical Hunter out to 1,000 yards. Understandably, the Tactical Hunter is priced like a premium AR rifle, but there’s no better option if you’re looking for a semiauto .308 hunting rifle. And if you’re wondering why there’s no category for best .308 varmint/predator rifle, it’s because this gun wins that award, too. ### Best for Elk: [Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak]() ![The lightweight Kimber Hunter Pro makes it a great rifle for hunting elk in the high country.]() *The lightweight Kimber Hunter Pro is a great rifle for hunting elk in the high country. Brad Fitzpatrick* I own one of these guns in .308, which I purchased after an evaluation. Why did I buy it? I wanted a lightweight .308 rifle that I could use for anything, especially for hunting big game in the high country. And the Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak fits the bill. My Kimber is a bit finicky about loads, but it absolutely loves Black Hills’ 152-grain Dual Performance. With that load, it would shoot under an inch at 100 yards for five-shot groups, and that’s my go-to rifle/load combo for big game hunting. With the light weight, you do gain a bit of recoil from this rifle, but it’s not unmanageable. But with this gun’s accuracy, if you’re lucky enough to pack an elk out, you’ll forget all about recoil. ### Best Truck Rifle: [Mossberg MVP Scout Rifle]() The [MVP]() is an affordable introduction to the world of Scout rifles. I’ve successfully hunted elk and mule deer with this rifle, but it’s also my go-to hog hunting weapon. And with subsonic loads it’s a super training and self-defense rifle. In fact, I probably shoot my MVP Scout rifle more than any other centerfire that I own. Is a Scout rifle ideal for hunting elk? Not under all circumstances, but my Mossberg placed a 165-grain Partition in the top of a bull’s heart from a couple hundred yards away and that, as they say, was that. The side Picatinny rails make this rifle more versatile. For AR hunters who want a bolt gun that offers them a place to mount all their swag, this is it. Because I shoot this rifle often I shoot it pretty well, and I believe [Cooper]() was right when he said that the speed of a Scout rifle is unmatched by other bolt guns. ### Modern Classic: [Nosler M21]() The Nosler Model 21 is a fantastic hunting rifle, and it won Editor’s Choice in our[ 2022 rifle test](). It’s a medium-lightweight, well-balanced rifle meant to take on any hunt. Though it’s an expensive rifle, you get a high-quality, long-term piece of equipment for the price. The M21 isn’t ultra light, but it’s light enough to take on a mountain hunt and substantial enough to be easy shooting. It features a bolt that’s fluted to minimize receiver contact and utilizes an M16-style extractor. The Triggertech trigger is user-adjustable, and the rifle is suppressor-ready. I really appreciate the bolt’s tool-less takedown feature. And the action is designed with user-friendliness in mind. If you want a rifle that can handle anything, consider this one. —*Staff Writer Tyler Freel* ### Best Under $600: [Winchester XPR]() The Winchester XPR represents a great value for a hunting rifle and is one of the better [“budget-priced” guns]() on the market. It features a no-frill synthetic stock, coated barrel and receiver, and a detachable single-stack magazine. For the price, the XPR is typically a performer, and I’ve had the opportunity to hunt with several of them, including .308, .300 WSM, .338 Win Mag, and 6.5 Creedmoor. They’re almost all very accurate for their price and hold up to the elements well. The XPR is a simple, affordable rifle, but you don’t have to feel like you’re sacrificing performance. *-Staff Writer, Tyler Freel* ## FAQs ## Methodology For this review, I compiled a list of the best .308 hunting rifles that I’ve personally used at the range or hunting. I considered factors such as, price, accuracy, weight, and the quality of materials and components of each rifle for determining which ones made this list. **Read Next: [Wilson Combat NULA 20S Rifle Review]()** ## Final Thoughts on the Best .308 Hunting Rifles It's no accident that the .308 has been so popular with hunters for seven decades. Today’s rifles and ammunition are better than ever, and that brings out the best in an already outstanding hunting cartridge. So finding the best .308 hunting rifles to fit your own needs shouldn’t be a problem. In the future the .308 will only face more competition, but this classic hunting cartridge isn’t going to disappear from American game fields anytime soon.