The 308 Winchester (7.62x51 NATO) was introduced by in 1952. Based on the T65 experimental military cartridge, Winchester essentially jumped the gun with the civilian introduction; the 7.62x51 wasn't officially adopted (or named) until 1954. The military's intent was to create a shorter cartridge that would fit into a lighter version of the M1 Garand. This was successful beyond their wildest dreams: The 308 Winchester is essentially a 30-06 case greatly shortened to 2.015-inch, but it lags only about 100 feet per second behind the 30-06 in velocity, and with it shorter, more efficient case it tends to be more accurate. The 308 is suitable for any hunting for which the 30-06 is suitable--which means almost anything in the world short of large, dangerous game. The 308 is a standard chambering among most manufacturers and is found in all action types. Factory loads are legion, including a wide selection of very accurate match loads. -- Craig Boddington
