The humble 308 Win still a classic Bushveld caliber

[MS 9x56]

That old gun isn't worth the investment...she wasn't an expensive rifle or anything like that. Have also picked up an AR10 in a 338 Federal that's going to be used for hogs, maybe bears too. Getting a 308 barrel for my Merkel, it's just a great caliber and will be my go to for practicing at the range and hunting white tail. 300 win mag for elk or longer range hunts, the 9.3x62 for Alaska and Africa hunts. With those three barrels for the Merkel and the 338 Fed AR10, I've pretty much got all the hunting I do covered. Still want an R8 though and looking for the excuse to give my wife on why I "need" one

Even though I am a self professed 35 looney I will never be without a 308 in my gun cabinet.

 

[crs]

Pre 64 Winchester FW in .308 :
My first center fire rifle and still my go-to- rifle for all game but the biggest and baddest and I would use it then if needed. It just works!

 

[RayAtkinson]

There are no flys on the .308 win, it will perform as well as a 30-06 with bullets up to 180 grs. on game, not ballistic BS perhaps...

Ive shot enough elk with my 99 Savage 308 and my 30-06s to feel confident in their ability to kill the big deer and Afriacan PG as well, even Eland as a matter of fact...I prefer the 99 when hunting horseback for deer and sage brush elk, the 30-06 otherwise..not to mention my Ruger #1-S in 338, its a neat saddle rifle for elk...but never felt undergunned with elk, all you have to do is place a proper bullet in the right spot, that makes a lot of calibers work.

 

[Ragman]

There are no flys on the .308 win, it will perform as well as a 30-06 with bullets up to 180 grs. on game, not ballistic BS perhaps...

Ive shot enough elk with my 99 Savage 308 and my 30-06s to feel confident in their ability to kill the big deer and Afriacan PG as well, even Eland as a matter of fact...I prefer the 99 when hunting horseback for deer and sage brush elk, the 30-06 otherwise..not to mention my Ruger #1-S in 338, its a neat saddle rifle for elk...but never felt undergunned with elk, all you have to do is place a proper bullet in the right spot, that makes a lot of calibers work.

100%

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I think that 9,3x62Mauser is old classic Bushveld caliber.

 

[RayAtkinson]

Yes it is and it works anywhere, not just in the bushveld. I can make mine shoot flat as the 180 gr. 30-06, and that's all I need for a 300 or 400 yard shot...great caliber.

 

[ldmay375]

CBH
Chris
The 08 doesn't feel like that but that's a good thing as you said, cheaper ammo and rifles. Win win.
Mate I'm over 60 a mind still love my old 303.
These young fellas with their 308 Ruger gun scouts with their 10 shot mags are 40 years behind us old fellas with cut down 303s. We were doing the same back in the 70s an older than me were doing it well before that.
Good on Ruger they reinvented the wheel.
Mate if you want different and effective get something with a 5, like the 25 or 35.
I know you have a 375 classic so your part way there you just need A 25.

Bob,
My old eyes see a distinct visual resemblance and usefulness of the Ruger Scout Rifle with the 18.7” barrel and the Rifle No 5 Mk I (aka Lee–Enfield No 5 Mk I, aka Lee–Enfield Jungle Carbine).
The “Jungle Carbine” fascinated me as a kid. A cousin of mine had one. I have never owned one.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Very good observation . Whenever I hunt in Africa , I always use the outfitter's firearms ( because taking my personal rifles and shotguns from Bangladesh to a foreign country is always a very tedious and lengthy process ) .

When I visited Kenya on my 1974 mixed bag Safari , I observed that most white hunters offered rifles in the following calibers for clients to use :
* .30-06 Springfield
* .375 Holland & Holland Magnum
* .458 Winchester Magnum

My own white hunter had the following for clients to use :
* A BSA Regent ( .22 Hornet )
* A BRNO ZKK600 ( .30-06 )
* A BRNO ZKK602 ( .375 H&H Mag )
* A BSA Majestic ( .458 Win Mag )
* A BSA 12 Gauge ( 3 " ) Boxlock Ejector

By the times the 1980s rolled in , the .308 Winchester had become very popular in RSA and Zimbabwe . Probably has something to do with the Rhodesian / Zimbabwean army using FN FALs in .308 Winchester .

I still like the old .30-06 over the .308 . But the .308 Winchester is definitely no slouch either .

 

[ldmay375]

I have never really been a .308 caliber fan. I gravitated to smaller and larger calibers.
No argument on the effectiveness of .30 calibers from the 308 Winchester through the various 300 magnums.
I “re-discovered” 308 Winchester on the range. Informal shooting pleasure shooting of the 7.62x51 semi-auto, which led me to buying my first bolt action in 308 Winchester.
I am not sure that I will ever hunt with a 308 Winchester. But, the 165’ish grain mono-metal bullets would be my choice, as would be the same for a 30-06. I would expect the 308 to be about 100 FPS slower than 30-06.
When I lived in a different area, I killed a couple of deer with 30-06’s and saw the results of the 308 Winchester on several. There are lots of moose killed each year with the 30-06 where I live. I would guess with the 308 Winchester also. I prefer a larger bore myself.

Very good observation . Whenever I hunt in Africa , I always use the outfitter's firearms ( because taking my personal rifles and shotguns from Bangladesh to a foreign country is always a very tedious and lengthy process ) .

When I visited Kenya on my 1974 mixed bag Safari , I observed that most white hunters offered rifles in the following calibers for clients to use :
* .30-06 Springfield
* .375 Holland & Holland Magnum
* .458 Winchester Magnum

My own white hunter had the following for clients to use :
* A BSA Regent ( .22 Hornet )
* A BRNO ZKK600 ( .30-06 )
* A BRNO ZKK602 ( .375 H&H Mag )
* A BSA Majestic ( .458 Win Mag )
* A BSA 12 Gauge ( 3 " ) Boxlock Ejector

By the times the 1980s rolled in , the .308 Winchester had become very popular in RSA and Zimbabwe . Probably has something to do with the Rhodesian / Zimbabwean army using FN FALs in .308 Winchester .

I still like the old .30-06 over the .308 . But the .308 Winchester is definitely no slouch either .

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I have never really been a .308 caliber fan. I gravitated to smaller and larger calibers.
No argument on the effectiveness of .30 calibers from the 308 Winchester through the various 300 magnums.
I “re-discovered” 308 Winchester on the range. Informal shooting pleasure shooting of the 7.62x51 semi-auto, which led me to buying my first bolt action in 308 Winchester.
I am not sure that I will ever hunt with a 308 Winchester. But, the 165’ish grain mono-metal bullets would be my choice, as would be the same for a 30-06. I would expect the 308 to be about 100 FPS slower than 30-06.
When I lived in a different area, I killed a couple of deer with 30-06’s and saw the results of the 308 Winchester on several. There are lots of moose killed each year with the 30-06 where I live. I would guess with the 308 Winchester also. I prefer a larger bore myself.

In my home country , I use my 7 mm Mauser and my 12 Gauge ( loaded with buckshot shells ) for hunting most of my big game ( namely Chital deer , Kakar deer and jungle boar ) . I use a .30-06 Springfield whenever I’m hunting in the USA . And when I’m hunting in Africa , I always prefer using a .30-06 for the plains game and a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum for the dangerous game . Luckily , both these calibers are so common in Africa that most outfitters have access to rifles in these two calibers ( usually BRNOs , SAKOs or Winchester M70s ) . If the outfitter has one , then I really like a .243 Winchester for the tiny ten . If he doesn’t , then I just use solids in the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum . My favorite .30-06 factory load is the old Remington 220 Gr Core Lokt . So many modern loads are available for the .30-06 these days , but that one’s always going to be my favorite . On my first safari , these 220 Gr soft points downed a blue wildebeest , a Kudu and an eland .

 

[Elton]

Just finished posting about the 308 and 30 06 in another thread with regards to meat damage so i won't bring that over here. But here is my opinion on the matter.

Reading all the way from the beginning i noticed 2 things.

Firstly the consideration of the term classic. Yes in the dictionary the term classic definitely applies to the 308. However i cannot help but also feel. That the 30 06 IS THE CLASSIC and the 308 is common? No reason for this, it's just how I feel if i have to mention the first word that comes to. Mind when hearing the 2 calibers.

Secondly its that with "Modern" powder and bullets the 308 can do what the 30 06 does. This slightly gets me triggered because they are comparing modern 308 powder and bullets to the older 30 06 powder and bullets. Yes modern advancements makes the 308 equivalent or better, but also makes the 30 06 better. So in a apple to Apple comparison the 30 06 will always just SLIGHTLY beat the 308

Now don't get me wrong, i love both calibers. I personally just feel that the 308 will forever be in the 30 06 shadow.

I think that the reason is because the 30 06 came first, then when the 308 came it basically (hunting purposes, not ballistic sheets) did everything the 30 06 could do. Without doing it better, the only thing that is different was the short action and slightly less recoil. This isn't enough to truly set it apart from the 30 06.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Secondly its that with "Modern" powder and bullets the 308 can do what the 30 06 does. This slightly gets me triggered because they are comparing modern 308 powder and bullets to the older 30 06 powder and bullets. Yes modern advancements makes the 308 equivalent or better, but also makes the 30 06 better. So in a apple to Apple comparison the 30 06 will always just SLIGHTLY beat the 308

Now don't get me wrong, i love both calibers. I personally just feel that the 308 will forever be in the 30 06 shadow.

Are .30-06 proponents really the type of people who get "triggered"? Surely I thought this was reserved for those "brave" champions of the 6.5 metrotextual or some such...

 

[MS 9x56]

I own both and it is just a fact like Newton’s law of gravity the 30-06 is the better of the two. No need for triggering.

 

[Forrest Halley]

I own both and it is just a fact like Newton’s law of gravity the 30-06 is the better of the two. No need for triggering.

But wait, you're only allowed to apply the new ballistic technology to the previously inferior cartridge! There's no using berger bullets and H1000 on a .30-06! Unfair man!

 

[MS 9x56]

Facts is facts but must be considered in the same time continuum. Sorry but those are the facts

 

[Wyatt Smith]

For those who find a short action rifle to be an advantage, the 308 is great.
For everyone else, the 30-06 is better.