.308 Win or .30.06? Which caliber has the nose in front in your country?

[Denvir Tire]

First 30-06
Second 30/06
Third thirty ought six

 

[Eric Anderson]

I own 3x more rifles in thirty by god six than .308
If you reload, get an ‘aught 6. It is a reloaded dream.

 

[crs]

Early on, I shot both and sold the 3006. May have been the rifle, but now it is history. My pre 64 M70 .308 is my go-to rifle when there is no excuse for failure.
It puts 5 shots into less than one inch at 100 yards and that make shots out to 300 simple with a good rest. Fortunately, there is rarely a need for a second shot at big game. Early on, I floated the barrel, tuned the trigger , and then had the barrel Magna Ported. Off hand, the crosshairs stay on target for a second shot on more game ( handy for porkers) .

Naturally, I have larger calibers for when they are more appropriate.

 

[meigsbucks]

The hunters at the range tend to go with the .30/06. A vast majority of the .308’s are set up for punching paper.
I’ve used the ‘06 more than the .308, but to be honest, I know I could use either one and 95% of the time, not see a difference. The .30/06 does have the advantage that it can be hand loaded to a 150fps advantage and if you have the need, handles 200gr bullets much better.

 

[Von S.]

Hunters that reload LOVE the 30-06 (probably the perfect round for a reloader). If you buy factory ammo, it really doesn't matter.

In the western United States, I probably see 5 times more 30-06 rifles in the field than I do 308s. Most of the guys I see with the 308s tend to be the ones I see hog hunting with a "tactical rifle" or a semi-auto.

The crazy thing is; In California, I am seeing most 308 guys switching over to 6.5 Creedmoor.

Spot on Mister Dog.

The 06 gives a whole lot of room for hand loaders to experiment while the 308 really does not. It pretty much well is. Maxed out with factory loads.

 

[Ryan]

In Alaska I'd say the 30-06 has a slight edge, but not much. I own an -06 but I know plenty of people who own 308's. They both work the same on moose and caribou.

 

[Alistair]

In the UK, the .308 has a significant edge. We don't have any animal that really justifies a 30-06, although of course it's a perfectly acceptable choice for our larger deer species and boar.

A lot of people lean towards a .308 due to previous experience with it as a target round, potentially previous military experience with the round or just because it's a good 'all-rounder' for our species and hunting.

Looking at the last Sporting Rifle shoot I did, we had 7 .308's, 2 .243s, 2 .270s, a .223 (deer legal for our smaller species in Scotland) and a 6.5Creedmore. No 30-06, although I do know that a couple of the regular crowd of shooters do have them.

As a more general set, the .243 is the go to choice, although personally I think this is due to licensing and police pressure rather than any real advantage, followed by .308. Other notable calibres would be 6.5x55, .270 and possibly a few 7mm cals like 7mm-08 and 7mm Rem Mag. Anything bigger than 8mm is a rarity as is anything pokier than 300WM at the outside.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I see more people at the ranges with 6.5 Creedmoor rifles than the traditional '06s and .308s. Guys that venture west for elk and mule deer are more likely shooting 300WM and 7mmRMs.

 

[Von S.]

Hi HP!

You're right. Whole lots of different 6.5's at the ranges anymore, with some of the guys heading west.

With most planning to rake long range shots on a big animal. Yet , very few are shooting at ranges over 100 yards and fewer not using the bench only.

And when the time comes to take that 400 yard shot, they will take it and do so by aiming "AT" the whole of the large animal and then blame everything under the sun when it runs off.

A fella after seeing me shoot my 6.5 Grendel off the bench got one himself and proclaimed it" a 500 yard killer". A killer of what? Sure, maybe groundhogs and such, but deer? Maybe with luck, but without a lot of it, i don't think so.

Hey? Do you ever regret getting rid of your 26 Noslers?

 

[Hogpatrol]

Hi HP!

You're right. Whole lots of different 6.5's at the ranges anymore, with some of the guys heading west.

With most planning to rake long range shots on a big animal. Yet , very few are shooting at ranges over 100 yards and fewer not using the bench only.

And when the time comes to take that 400 yard shot, they will take it and do so by aiming "AT" the whole of the large animal and then blame everything under the sun when it runs off.

A fella after seeing me shoot my 6.5 Grendel off the bench got one himself and proclaimed it" a 500 yard killer". A killer of what? Sure, maybe groundhogs and such, but deer? Maybe with luck, but without a lot of it, i don't think so.

Hey? Do you ever regret getting rid of your 26 Noslers?

The 6.5 Creedmoor was/is a marketing coup. A good round, yes, but doesn't do anything more than the myriad of 6.5 cartridges that preceded it. No regrets on the 26 Noslers, didn't have the ambition to set them back every few hundred rounds. The 28s aren't any slouches on throats either. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go with that round in .30 caliber and shoot weights in the 168 to 215 range.

 

[sgt_zim]

The 6.5 Creedmoor was/is a marketing coup. A good round, yes, but doesn't do anything more than the myriad of 6.5 cartridges that preceded it. No regrets on the 26 Noslers, didn't have the ambition to set them back every few hundred rounds. The 28s aren't any slouches on throats either. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go with that round in .30 caliber and shoot weights in the 168 to 215 range.

My one gripe about 6.5CM and 260 Rem...it's hit or miss on whether the magazines will accommodate the 155-160 grain bullets. That's the main reason I went with 6.5x55 SE. Yeah, a little slower than 260 Rem, but there isn't a .264 bullet made that won't easily fit in the magazine. One of these days, I'll have a go at Oryx 156 and Woodleigh 160

 

[1dirthawker]

here in alaska, i believe more ammo is likely burned at the bench with the .308. i believe more ammo is expended at game with the 30-06.

the 308 was designed to duplicate the 06 with a 150 gr bullet and pretty much does that. when bullets of greater weight are utilized, they encroach into the case capacity of the 308 and the 06 starts to pull away in bullet velocity.

now the velocity gains are not earth shattering, just an honest 100 fps and up as bullet weight goes up. both are fine cartridges, capable of anything needed as long as a good bullet is placed in the vitals of an animal at reasonable ranges, so the bullet is able to operate properly.

i use the 06, simply because it is inexpensive to shoot, i don't shoot it a lot, and it give more performance. the tiny bit of accuracy i might give up to the 308 is mostly theoretical. the truth is at the ranges i shoot at game, the 06 is more than accurate enough. actually more accurate than i can shoot from field conditions anyway.

another thought about long range shooting, a bullet needs to be going at least 1900-2000 fps to operate properly, open up and transfer energy/mushroom out. how far can a person shoot at game and have his bullet do its job?? thats the question that every long range shooter should know and be able to tell you instantly if you ask it. if he doesn't know THAT answer, should not be shooting far.

 

[Von S.]

I have a handful of 264/ pre 64's and have only rebarreled two of them, one with a stainless cryo barrel and after sighting in neither have been shot t the range again.....nor have they went to visit prarie dog town either. Nothing burns out barrels like ground dwellers.

Though the temptations are great.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I have a handful of 264/ pre 64's and have only rebarreled two of them, one with a stainless cryo barrel and after sighting in neither have been shot t the range again.....nor have they went to visit prarie dog town either. Nothing burns out barrels like ground dwellers.Though the temptations are great.

Thanks for reminding me to setback my 6.5-.284. Four hundred rounds in three days shooting 130 brain Berger HVLDs at PDs will do that.

 

[Mo-hntr]

I avoid the dilemma by using both

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Popular in Poland are: 308Win, 30 -06, 8 x57JS.
In Poland, I use 7x57 and 9,3x62.

 

[Von S.]

Thanks for reminding me to setback my 6.5-.284. Four hundred rounds in three days shooting 130 brain Berger HVLDs at PDs will do that.

At least you know what true Joy is.

 

[leslie hetrick]

my friend shot this large kudu with a 3006 factory Remington 180 gr corelock and it traveled about 30 yards with a head on center chest shoot at under 50 yards.

 

[Ragman]

It saddens me to say it, but around my area both the .308 and .30-06 seem to be losing ground as the younger generation think they need one of the short magnums to hunt deer with. They think the old tried and true cartridges are just for women and little kids.

I am a diehard.308 hunter but have a huge respect for the .30-06 as well. For me as a hunter and not a paper shooter they are like Coke or Pepsi.

 

[sgt_zim]

here in alaska, i believe more ammo is likely burned at the bench with the .308. i believe more ammo is expended at game with the 30-06.

the 308 was designed to duplicate the 06 with a 150 gr bullet and pretty much does that. when bullets of greater weight are utilized, they encroach into the case capacity of the 308 and the 06 starts to pull away in bullet velocity.

now the velocity gains are not earth shattering, just an honest 100 fps and up as bullet weight goes up. both are fine cartridges, capable of anything needed as long as a good bullet is placed in the vitals of an animal at reasonable ranges, so the bullet is able to operate properly.

i use the 06, simply because it is inexpensive to shoot, i don't shoot it a lot, and it give more performance. the tiny bit of accuracy i might give up to the 308 is mostly theoretical. the truth is at the ranges i shoot at game, the 06 is more than accurate enough. actually more accurate than i can shoot from field conditions anyway.

another thought about long range shooting, a bullet needs to be going at least 1900-2000 fps to operate properly, open up and transfer energy/mushroom out. how far can a person shoot at game and have his bullet do its job?? thats the question that every long range shooter should know and be able to tell you instantly if you ask it. if he doesn't know THAT answer, should not be shooting far.

Yep, and for most hunters (though probably this board is full of exceptions), that distance is about 250-300 yards for most 308 bullets, especially the premiums. Might be able to squeak it another 50-75 yds with a Nosler Partition or AccuBond over say Woodleigh, Swift, Barnes, or Norma.

And 250-300 yards is as far as most hunters should be shooting anyway, even if they're shooting 7mm RM or one of the 300 mags.