30/06 vs .308

[J&T's 82]

Dad is in the market to buy a bolt action to do some deer hunting in E. Texas. He wants to shoot a 30 caliber but is too old to get punished by a 300 Win Mag and the like. Which cartridge would be better?

[ScottsMach03]

This has been a long time arguement on which caliber is better. Both have been proven in battle and hunting. Truthfully if you look at each ballistics they are so close that either one would be a good caliber to shoot with. Some people say 308's are more accurate, some say 30-06 are more accurate. I believe its up to the person pulling the trigger. I still hunt with a m70 30-06 with a little trigger work(5lb pull), been hunting with this gun for a long time.

[bronco71]

both basically the same and can get either ammo about anywhere. 30-06 is longer which means a longer bolt throw and a longer rifle; 308 tends to be a lighter rifle which is easier to carry but might kick a hair more...only if it is a lighter gun though.

30-06 can be loaded up with slightly heavier loads due to larger case capacity for bear, elk moose etc.

ammo is about the same price.

[92gt]

I have a Ruger M-77 30-06. I bought it when I was 11 years old with some Chritmas money. We chose it because of the ability to load it up or down. I can hunt anything in North America with that gun. I have killed a lot of deer. A lot. Head shots and neck shots, most under 100 yards. I have killed a deer up to about 350 yards(one time). That was behind the shoulder:) When I was a kid, I shot the 110 grain accelerator, and now I shoot a 150 grain Federal Vital Shock. Perfect IMO for hill country deer.
I think it depends on what type of shots you expect to take. If the majority of shots are going to be over a couple hundred yards, go with the .308. Other than that, I would stick with the 30-06.

[J&T's 82]

Thanks for the info everybody

[Yale]

My vote is for a 7mm-08. That's probably the best deer medecine on the planet. You can even press it into service on Elk if you have to.

[Chopped54]

I had a .308 and 30-06. I still have the .308....
I also have a .7mm Rem Mag if I want something bigger...

[ceyko]

When I go deer hunting in the NE, a lot of people have bolt action 30-06s - to include me. I bought it cause that's what family has and their deer are dead when shot. Which the last I checked, was the main point of the rifle.

Noting what the previous poster mentioned about the .308 being lighter and possibly shorter - that might be useful depending on your situation. Plus it's easier to say the 30-06. :)

Take care,

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

According to Cartridges of the World, 30-06 is the most flexible, useful big game cartridge available to the North American hunter, while the .308 is a little underpowered for moose and brown bear.I had a .308 and 30-06. I still have the .308....
I also have a .7mm Rem Mag if I want something bigger...7mm is a .284" bullet, not bigger than .308 or 30-06. .7mm is freakin' tiny, though! LOLz :D

[GT98SVO]

.30-06 has some kick.

I shot a friend's Ruger mdl 77 in .30-06 and there was quite a bit of kick. Almost as bad as my 7mm Magnum.

I never shot .308 Win before.

If he is recoil-sensitive, there are plenty smaller calibers for Texas game. 7mm-08(.284 cal), 260 Remington(6.5mm cal), 257 Roberts(.25 cal), 243 (6mm) Winchester are all pretty close to a .308 case but with smaller bullets.

I download my 7mm Magnum to 7mm-08 velocities and have no kick. Plenty accuracy and flat trajectory for 100-200 yard shots. If I go for a long shot, I kick them up to full power.

If he is a one rifle guy, .30 caliber is good choice. He can hunt anything in North America with .30 caliber. He may want a bigger gun for bear/moose.

.25-06 Remington and .270 Winchester are good Texas game choices. They are based on .30-06, but have smaller bullets.

[David]

You cant go wrong with either or.

[Yale]

...7mm is a .284" bullet, not bigger than .308 or 30-06. .7mm is freakin' tiny, though! LOLz :D

Yeah, but that case is based on the .375 H&H mag case, so it has a little more stank than the -06 case.

[GT98SVO]

Also, there is about 100fps difference between .30-06 Springfield and .308 Win.

Guns and Ammo magazine websites has a lot of the common ammo data to compare.

I think the 308 Win may be considered a short action, whereas the .30-06 is long action. Cycling the bolt would be slightly faster with the short action.

[5.0_CJ]

you can load both a .308 and a .30-06 with much higher charges, enough to break a rifle... so either round can be made as hot as you need it. A hot .308 round will take down a moose or elk easily.

[Chopped54]

According to Cartridges of the World, 30-06 is the most flexible, useful big game cartridge available to the North American hunter, while the .308 is a little underpowered for moose and brown bear.7mm is a .284" bullet, not bigger than .308 or 30-06. .7mm is freakin' tiny, though! LOLz :D

Hahaha, are you f'n serious?
The .7 is a monster next to a .308
Are you talking about a .7-08 or a Mag???
Here ya go, .7mm Remington Magnum vs. .308 Winchester

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l276/acesandeightsproductions/IMG_0249.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l276/acesandeightsproductions/IMG_0250.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l276/acesandeightsproductions/IMG_0251.jpg

[Dacotua]

Personally I would get a 308 betwee the choices (308 vs 30-06).

You can kill anything in north america with a 308 and they are very accurate.

Like someone else said, I've Owned a 308 and a 30-06 rifle. I still have my 308, but sold the 30-06.

There are a lot of people use a gun too big for local hunting. (Like hunting with a 300 win mag on texas deer is a bit overkill. A 308 is actually overkill for texas deer also.)

[92gt]

Get a .22, just hit em behind the ear.

[JESmith]

Being a card carrying old fart I understand where he is coming from. Ask him to seriously consider a .25-06 or a .243. They are plenty for deer anywhere in North America without the heavy recoil. They can also be smaller, lighter, and easier to carry in the field.

[J&T's 82]

Personally I would get a 308 betwee the choices (308 vs 30-06).

You can kill anything in north america with a 308 and they are very accurate.

Like someone else said, I've Owned a 308 and a 30-06 rifle. I still have my 308, but sold the 30-06.

There are a lot of people use a gun too big for local hunting. (Like hunting with a 300 win mag on texas deer is a bit overkill. A 308 is actually overkill for texas deer also.)

Very true. My Grandfather shot either a 30/40 Kraig or a .30-06 until he got older (bad shoulder) then switched to a .25/3000 Savage. After shooting the lever action Savage he said that was all he ever needed for Texas deer. However, he would say if you shoot anything less than a .30 in Colorado you will need to invest in a good pair of walking shoes to find your deer unless you can shoot. He was one of those that could shoot

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

Hahaha, are you f'n serious?
The .7 is a monster next to a .308
Are you talking about a .7-08 or a Mag???
Here ya go, .7mm Remington Magnum vs. .308 WinchesterNot totally serious. However, it's 7mm, not .7mm. It's describing the bullet (.284"), not the case length or type, just like the .308 and 30 in .308 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield (both .308" bullets, larger than a 7mm). I realize it has a longer case and can be more powerful than a .308 or 30-06, but to say it's "going bigger" isn't totally true.

[Chopped54]

Not totally serious. However, it's 7mm, not .7mm. It's describing the bullet (.284"), not the case length or type, just like the .308 and 30 in .308 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield (both .308" bullets, larger than a 7mm). I realize it has a longer case and can be more powerful than a .308 or 30-06, but to say it's "going bigger" isn't totally true.

It is not only physically larger, but also ballistically.
A 7mm is flat, and fast up to 600 yards without much drop...
Without looking, I want to say the 7 is atleast 100 ftps faster then the .308

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

It is not only physically larger, but also ballistically.
A 7mm is flat, and fast up to 600 yards without much drop...
Without looking, I want to say the 7 is atleast 100 ftps faster then the .308I'm not saying it doesn't have a longer case with more capacity or that it's not more powerful, but it shoots a smaller bullet. Would you say that you'd go with .357 Magnum if you wanted to go bigger than a .45 ACP?

I was just busting your chops for that, and ".7mm."

[BlackSnake1996]

Personally, I never shot a 308, but I really like the 30-06. However, I have been shooting a 2.70 the past 6 or 7 years, and I tend to like it quite well.

[Badass2000gt]

Personally, I never shot a 308, but I really like the 30-06. However, I have been shooting a 2.70 the past 6 or 7 years, and I tend to like it quite well.
X2 on the .270. That is all I use to hunt with. I use a 150 grain, balllistic tip and its very accurate. But if its between the 308 and the 30-06 then I would choose the 30-06.

[Chopped54]

I'm not saying it doesn't have a longer case with more capacity or that it's not more powerful, but it shoots a smaller bullet. Would you say that you'd go with .357 Magnum if you wanted to go bigger than a .45 ACP?

I was just busting your chops for that, and ".7mm."


No big deal, I thought you were serious..
It is kind of like saying you can give a 10 year old a baseball, and Nolan Ryan a baseball, and because the projectile is the same size, neither is bigger/more powerful then the other.

[Chopped54]

Back to the original question.
If I was shooting all day, no way in hell I would chose a 30-06 over a .308, not sure anyone could make it through a box of shells without hurting.

If he is looking for less kick, why not check out the .220 swift, 25-06, 22-250...
Any is fine for Deer in Tx.

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

Haha, it's the same exact projectile (in the case of the .308 Winchester, 30-06, .308 Winchester Magnum, .308 Remington UltraMag, etc.), but one will be pushed/thrown/shot faster.

[jyro]

it makes a big difference weather you're shooting 180 grain or 150 grain bullets.

I don't shoot enough but 180 grain make me hurt after 4 shots, I can shoot 150 all day

[David]

Last time I killed anything I used 8mm Mauser and 45-120.

[J&T's 82]

Back to the original question.
If I was shooting all day, no way in hell I would chose a 30-06 over a .308, not sure anyone could make it through a box of shells without hurting.

If he is looking for less kick, why not check out the .220 swift, 25-06, 22-250...
Any is fine for Deer in Tx.

I think the .308 will work out for him. .220 swift is still one fastest cartridges but IMO is more of a ground hog/varmint rifle like the 22-250. A swift or a .223 WSM would be cool to have but from what I hear the brass distorts badly after 2-3 reloads.

[Chili]

I carried a .308 back when I hunted with my Dad and really liked the gun. Even in my early teens it wasn't too much to handle. Blows a nice chunk of dirt out of the ground when accidentally discharged too. :o

[Yale]

I forgot to add: Get a better buttpad. Pachmayr makes a great one called the Decellerator, and it makes all-day shooting a breeze. I still think the 7mm-08 is the best all around cartridge for deer-sized game ever.

[ScottsMach03]

Ive spent all day at the range with just the 30-06. 150gr all day long isn't bad at all. It cant be too shabby if it was Carlos Hathcocks chosen cartridge.

[Yale]

Ive spent all day at the range with just the 30-06. 150gr all day long isn't bad at all. It cant be too shabby if it was Carlos Hathcocks chosen cartridge.
That had more to do with selecting from cartridges that were readily available in the field. Tactical cartridge development has come a long way for sure since then.

[ScottsMach03]

That had more to do with selecting from cartridges that were readily available in the field. Tactical cartridge development has come a long way for sure since then.


No doubt; the point I was making was it got the job done, accurately and efficiently.