Sometimes we have to admit that the 556 might not be the best round for the mission. It’s a great round, but when you need more range, more punch, and more penetration the 308 is NATO’s answer. The 308 has long been the round used by snipers, general-purpose machine guns, and even some designated marksman roles. The 308 packs a wallop and if you are carrying a real battle rifle you need a worthy chest rig. Blue Force Gear has an answer for you in the form of the Ten-Speed 308 Chest rig.

At its heart, the Ten-Speed 308 Chest rig is minimalist, low profile chest rig designed to be worn with or without armor. The Ten-Speed 308 Chest Rig holds three 308 magazines, or magazines or a similar size. It can also accommodate AK magazines should you need it too. The name comes from the magazine pouch series by Blue Force Gear known as Ten-Speed. Ten-Speed pouches are a proprietary, military-grade elastic pouch that allows you to carry magazines, or tourniquet, or Israeli Bandages, cans of dip, cans of Monster, etcetera.

This specific model can fit SR 15 magazines, AK magazines, SR716 magazines, and even M1A/M14 magazines. It may also be able to squeeze in FAL or G3 magazines but I can’t tell you from experience. To the right and left of the magazine pouches is a 3X3 section of MOLLE webbing for adding your own accessories.

Adjustments For Days

The Ten-Speed 308 Chest rig is extremely adjustable. You can adjust both the height and width with ease and I had plenty of slack of adjusting the rig for my 6 foot 5 inch, 280-pound frame. The 308 Chest rig is designed to be big enough to be easily worn over armor or tight enough to squeeze under a jacket for concealment. When adjusted properly to the body it is rather easy to hide under a flannel, windbreaker, or even a heavy-duty jacket.

Chest rigs need to be properly adjusted to make them ergonomic and easy to remove magazines from. Especially a rig that uses friction fit retention. Getting it just right can take practice, but once it’s done it’s done and ready to roll. The straps should be quite tight and even when tightened down they are comfortable and resist digging into the body.

Support Also Matters

Three 20 0r 25 round magazines of 308 can be a bit heavy, especially when the magazines are already the heavy-duty metal M1A magazines I am rocking. The main issue would be the weight pulling at the shoulder straps and digging into your shoulder. Blue Force Gear was smart enough to ake the shoulder straps nice and thick and this helps absorb some of that weight and displace it without any discomfort to the user. Of course, to maximize comfort adjustment is critical.

The 308 Chest Rig at the Range

The Ten-Speed 308 Chest rig holds onto the magazines like a firm handshake with an awkward guy. What I mean if they aren’t letting go, even when you wish they wood. I strapped n my Ten-Speed after adjusting it and filled it with three loaded M1A magazines and did some exercise. I flipped tires, did box jumps, carried sandbags, push-ups, and even some jump rope and nothing I did could dislodge the magazines accidentally.

That friction fit elastic proves you don’t necessarily need a bungee cord or retention flap. The open-top design makes grabbing the magazine simpler, and much quicker overall. The 308 Chest Rig does hang on to those magazines but doesn’t inhibit your removal of those magazines as long as you have the testicular fortitude and grab the magazines like a man.

The Ten-Speed 308 Chest rig is incredibly comfortable and does support the load well. The minimalist design does keep you rather cool while still providing adequate space for a rifle loadout, pistol magazines, and a medical kit. It’s enough to et you through and it’s done in a way that’s simple to use, simple to adjust, and incredibly durable.

Heavy Hitter

The 308 is a heavy-hitting round and the Ten-Speed 308 Chest rig gives you a means to easily carry the load. It’s designed to accommodate all sizes, and give you plenty of room for ammo, and other essential gear. Best of all, it’s affordable, and the versatile design gives you an option for ever occasion. You can check it out here.