15-077 Garand Picture of the Day - .280 Garand

[Paul S.]

"Horses for courses" is what applies.

Generalizing here:
100 years ago it was trench warfare with opposing sides living like moles and trying to kill each other with artillery, trench raids, and massed attacks. Ranges were generally 300 metres or less. 70 years ago, it was combined arms, and small unit tactics with a lot of shoot and scoot and scoot. 50 years ago, it was jungle warfare micro-managed from Washington DC by a president and State Department who feared Soviet/Chi-Com intervention and a nuclear holocaust more than losing a war. That war was fought at short range (+/- 100 m) with lots of rounds down range, by highly mobile (air) units. Recently, it has been open country, mountains and desert and an enemy who learned to use distance to his advantage that has reversed the shrinking range cycle. Engagement ranges are often 300 m or more which in turn leads to heavier bullets and often less of them being used.

At least, that is what I take away from what I've seen.