Looking for the latest results? THIS ARTICLE IS OUT OF DATE, click next for the latest results: [LAST / NEXT]
We just looked at some fine choices of 5.56 ammunition, and to balance it out I think it’s a good idea to do some .308 ammo as well. With the ammo shortage hitting all the major calibers, the local shelves are starting to re-fill and this time there’s nothing available except some brands that either I’ve never heard of or don’t usually associate with quality. But just because they aren’t Hornady doesn’t mean they’re not consistent. So let’s look at Winchester and Herter’s locally available .308 Winchester options.
Here’s a quick reminder of what’s going on: we run 20 rounds of each brand through a chronograph and look at the IQR or InterQuartile Range to get an idea of how tight the group is going to be downrange. There are plenty of other factors in accuracy, but velocity is the only one that’s “clean” enough to calculate and compare (as everything else can be influenced by the shooter, equipment, etc.). For the full methodology check out this article. Just remember LOW = GOOD and we’ll be on the same page.
First up is Winchester White Box, their lower level product. The “el cheapo” version that is mass produced and no one really expects much. But is it actually just the gun shop’s best kept secret?
Next we have some Herter’s “select grade” brass cased ammo, which is really just Wolf ammo in Cabela’s clothing. Wolf is recognized across the internet as some of the worst ammunition available, and certain firearms manufacturers actually put a clause in their warranty that voids it should a single round of Wolf ever touch the chamber. But is it really that bad?
Strap yourselves in, here come the charts!
Ah, the standard boxplot. Useless as always, but some people like to use my posts to get an idea of what the true velocity of a round is compared to what is stated on the box. Normalized is how I like my data, though:
That’s better. And as we can see, Herters appears to be about as consistent than the current leader, but Winchester appears to be much more consistent. In fact, both of these brands beat the current leader, taking the new #1 and #2 spots on the chart.
And no complaining from the peanut gallery — this is the same rifle I’ve been using for ages now, and the atmospherics were roughly identical to the last time we tested Hornady’s ammo.
So, we have a new winner! And surprisingly, Herter’s ammunition isn’t that bad! Well, at least the brass cased stuff. Looks like I’m heading to Cabela’s again to get the steel cased version for comparison.
| Brand and Weight | Caliber | IQR | $/round |
| Winchester / Olin M855 62gr Penetrator |
.223 Rem | 9 | $0.50 |
| Wilson Combat 77gr Sierra HPBT Match |
.223 Rem | 19 | $1.52 |
| Wilson Combat 65gr Sierra SP BT |
.223 Rem | 21 | $1.52 |
| Hornady Steel Match 75gr BTHP Match |
.223 Rem | 25 | $0.44 |
| Hornady 75gr BTHP Match |
.223 Rem | 29 | $0.79 |
| CorBon 69gr HPBT |
.223 Rem | 30 | $1.18 |
| Remington Premier Match 77gr BTHP |
.223 Rem | 36 | $1.50 |
| Winchester 64gr “Power Point” SP |
.223 Rem | 38 | $0.82 |
| Wolf 55gr FMJ |
.223 Rem | 40 | $0.21 |
| Federal XM193F 55gr FMJ |
.223 Rem | 40 | $0.32 |
| Winchester 55gr FMJ |
5.56×45 | 40 | $0.50 |
| Pierce 55gr HP-BT |
.223 Rem | 42 | $?.?? |
| HPR 75gr BTHP Match |
.223 Rem | 43 | $0.50 |
| Nosler Varmint 40gr Ballistic Tip |
.223 Rem | 44 | $0.86 |
| Handloads – 20.8gr N-135 75gr Hornady HPBT Match |
.223 Rem | 49 | $?.?? |
| Handloads – 21gr IMR 3031 75gr Hornady HPBT Match |
.223 Rem | 52 | $?.?? |
| Winchester PDX-1 60gr SC-HP |
.223 Rem | 58 | $1.45 |
| Freedom Munitions 55gr FMJ-BT |
.223 Rem | 66 | $0.42 |
| American Eagle 55gr FMJ-BT |
.223 Rem | 68 | $0.30 |
| Independence | .223 Rem | 69 | $0.50 |
| Brand and Weight | Caliber | IQR | $/round |
| Remington UMC 115gr | .300 BLK | 20 | $0.52 |
| Remington AccuTip Premier 125gr | .300 BLK | 20 | $1.39 |
| CMMG 147gr | .300 BLK | 26 | $0.78 |
| Remington Subsonic 220gr | .300 BLK | 27 | $0.92 |
| PNW M 155gr | .300 BLK | 28 | $0.90 |
| PNW D 220gr | .300 BLK | 54 | $1.08 |
| Brand and Weight | Caliber | IQR | $/round |
| Winchester 147gr FMJ |
.308 Win | 14 | $1.00 |
| Herter’s Select Grade 150gr SPCE |
.308 Win | 22.75 | $1.00 |
| Hornady Superformance Match 150gr SST |
.308 Win | 26 | $1.21 |
| Wilson Combat 168gr Sierra HPBT Match |
.308 Win | 28 | $1.99 |
| PMC Bronze 147gr FMJ BT |
.308 Win | 39 | $0.50 |
| SetPoint – 44gr Varget 150gr Hornady FMJ BT |
.308 Win | 52 | $1.74 |
| Prvi Partizan 150gr FMJ |
.308 Win | 54 | $0.82 |
| Remington “Managed Recoil” 125gr CORE-LOKT PSP |
.308 Win | 125 | $1.40 |