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Power. It's an addiction to many and a necessity to most. When it comes to firearms, our thirst for more power mirrors that of
our need for more power and performance from our cars and trucks. We find any possible way to feed our cravings by upgrades, performance parts, and better ballistics. I recently found a gun that gives me plenty of power for any job.
The AR pistol market is saturated with 5.56mm models and various popular home-defense and self-protection favorite renditions. Recently, a gun came across our Guns & Gear show that made me pause and think about power. The Springfield Armory SAINT Victor .308 pistol is full of spunk with a boatload of premium features, typically reserved for custom builds.
I didn’t find it overly punchy, something you’d expect with this much power. It doesn’t disappear, and you’ll definitely notice it is there, but I see great potential in the newest release from a company that cranks out winners.
Before we get down and dirty about why on Earth, you'd want something like this, let's dive into the basics. Here is what you
get.
The SAINT Victor .308 pistol stretches out to 30.5 inches and weighs in at eight pounds, six ounces. I don’t mind the weight. I think this platform in this caliber warrants a few pounds. It helps handle the recoil of the .308.
We ran the pistol through its paces with a steady diet of the following rounds:
Doubletap Swift Scirocco II 180gr.
HSM Ammunition Sierra Game Changer 165gr.
Hornady Match 168gr. A-Max
Sig Sauer HT 150gr.
Black Hills Match BTHP 175gr.
It ate through everything we served. Our first test was placing a 10-gallon water jug behind an old beat-up BMW SUV. The water was placed at the back of the vehicle. We put rounds through the center pillar through the back panel. It blew through both portions of the SUV and destroyed the water jug.
That’s the beauty of the Victor .308 pistol. The energy transferred from the gun to the target is devastating. You should expect anywhere from 2600-2800 ft-lbs of energy from the muzzle. If you look at the big reason you will choose a .308 pistol over a .223, I think it all rests on that power.
The .223 Remington generally has a flatter trajectory of 500 yards, but the .308 has more than twice the muzzle energy. Most of my hunting takes place inside 500 yards, and with the .308, a heavier bullet with a high ballistic coefficient means more power and velocity than the lightweight .223.
Is this going to be your go-to firearm if someone breaks into your home? For me, no. However, if I am trapesing through the backwoods hunting hogs, deer, or other varmints, then I'd say yes. That is this gun's purpose for me. A gun of this size and power stresses the ears a bit much to be fired off in an enclosed space without ears. I doubt I would have time to reach for my electronic ears before heading out to clear the house of any unwanted guests.
If you find yourself with a strong desire for more power in a pistol platform, proceed with complete confidence that the Springfield Armory SAINT Victor .308 pistol handles any job you feed it, no matter where you find yourself. ~ KJ
KJ
Kevin Jarnagin (KJ) hails from Oklahoma but quickly established Louisiana roots after joining the Gun Talk team. KJ grew up as a big game hunter and often finds himself in a bass boat. Whether it’s making his way to British Columbia for elk or training with pistols, Jarnagin always seems to find a gun in his hands and adventure on his mind.
