30-06 vs 308: Where are both Superior?

[jmr40]

I hunted almost exclusively with 30-06 for nearly 40 years. Nothing wrong with the round. But I made the move to 308 10-12 years ago and haven't used 30-06 since. If comparing MOST factory load you get virtually the same speeds, even though the published numbers show 30-06 with an advantage.

Handloaded 308 will beat virtually all 30-06 factory loads, the ones 30-06 earned it's reputation with. The 308 will easily outpace 30-06 loads from the 1950's. Of course 30-06 will really shine with handloads and will beat 308 by about 200 fps if you compare best loads for each. That's with bullets 180 gr or less. If you go to 200gr+ the difference is more significant.

Here are the deciding factors for me. A 308 is capable of killing any game animal I'll ever hunt out to at least 400 yards. In the real world a 30-06 shooting the same bullet a little faster will do the same job about 100 yards farther down range. I'm not going to take a shot at game beyond 400 yards. Probably closer to 250-300 and even then only under ideal conditions.

Then there is recoil. I don't find 30-06 objectionable, at least for a few shots. But there is no denying 308 is noticeably less and after shooting 30-40 rounds the little bit of extra 30-06 recoil adds up. I have the option of shooting a 308 that is the same weight as 30-06 with about 25% less recoil, or a 2 lb lighter 308 with about the same recoil as 30-06.

 

[.308 Norma]

And for the remaining 20%, the .308 is even greater.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Reminded me of the old Chevy vs. Ford argument I heard between two of my buddies a couple of weeks ago. One of them said, "You do know that 80% of Chevys built in the last 30 years are still on the road, don't you?" The other one said, "Yeah, and the other 20% of them made it home."

 

[armedwalleye]

Pop had a lever action .300 Sav, so when I went looking for my first deer rifle, I found a tang safety 99 in a .308. That started it all. While I do have a left .308, a left '06 that I couldn't pass up, a left 7-08, you can start to see the pattern. Short action .308 fan here. I've loaded 200 grainers for moose, normally shoot 180's for deer, but we typically hunt in the woods and are under 100 yards. If I'm in the open, I'll bring the 7 mag and be done with it.

 

[WisBorn]

Sure do. I have always had a soft spot for Remington 760s and Browning BARs and most particularly in .30-06.

Growing up, it always seemed a specific sort of fella hunted them and those guys were also worthy of great respect - regardless their guns. So, I guess the guns have inherited my elevated opinion as well.

Todd.

I get what you are saying about about different rifles. Growing up in Wisconsin my hunting group was divided by guys with Remington 740's & 742's mostly in 30-06 and Winchester 100's manly in 308.

A few others, but it was always fun to see the ribbing between the 30-06 & 308 guys

 

[Buzznrose]

They are certainly close, balistically speaking.

.308’s are cheaper to shoot and come in many more semi-auto options. And I think it’s getting a bit insecure since everyone constantly says how the 6.5 Creedmore is so superior...

The 30.06, on the other hand, is totally secure with itself. It makes ZERO excuses and gives ZERO craps about what anyone says. It’s gotten that way because it’s been tested for many years and rarely fallen short. It is a proven classic, and whether loved or hated, it is a damn fine round for an old war horse!

 

[mustanger98]

Good morning gentleman
Since most boxing, UFC and sports in general are all pre-recorded these days I thought I'd start a live fight right here

30 ought 6 versus 308
Have at it!

I own at least two rifles in both calibers,
And also have 300 Win Mag and 243 for hunting, as well as 300 WSM (let's not bring shotguns, hunting revolvers or 4570 governor into the picture here).

Where is 30 06 better than 308?
Where is 308 better than 30 ought 6?
What are eaches particular strengths?

Since I own both bolt action and semi-autos (AR 10 and FNAR) in 308 I know I will never get rid of 308 plus I have crates of ammo for it.

But I'm seriously considering selling both by bolt action and Browning BAR 30 ought 6 even though both those rifles are just fine and shoot well, but just to get out of that caliber all together since I have 308 300 Win Mag and 243 I feel like cover all the bases.

Feel free to prove me wrong

I haven't read the other comments yet.

The .30-06 you have is better than the .308 you don't have.
The .308 you have is better than the .30-06 you don't have.

Last I understood, the .30-06 can use heavier bullets than .308, but somebody's always figuring out something.

I've heard from some veterans who said the two .30cals are equal out to 800yds. After that .30-06 takes over. I've also heard the claim that the two are equal out to 1000yds. How far are we talking about actually shooting?

All my deer so far have been shot inside 100yds.

 

[Dibbs]

If you have one of them, DO NOT sell it to buy the other!

OTOH, good as a .308 is, it will never be 30.06. IBTL

 

[bfoosh006]

30/06 still reasonably available AP rounds.

308 20rd mags.

Otherwise for me... not a lot of difference.

 

[mokin]

This made for some fun reading. I'm glad I don't have to choose. Now I want to go shoot my .308.

 

[mustanger98]

Ginger vs Mary Ann ………… Ford vs Chevy………… you guys are bored

Mary Ann, Chevy C10, and .30-06... How long has this quarantine thing been going now?

 

[Llama Bob]

The .30-06 has much more irrational nostalgia, although the .308 has its fair share. Both are overrated for nearly all applications that stress cartridge capability at all (i.e. not hunting white tails in timber) as their bore is undesirably large.

In terms of actual differences:
-----------------------------------------------

• The .30-06 has slightly more case capacity, although standard loads are no where near the capability of modern powders, even if you require temperature stability. As such the .308 can duplicate all "classic" .30-06 loads. including heavy bullet loads.
• The .308 has higher SAAMI max pressure
• The .308 is short action
  
• The .308 is slightly more inherently accurate
  
• The .308 has less recoil for the same bullet at the same velocity
• The .308 has reduced bolt thrust and reloads slightly better due to reduced taper
  
• The .30-06 was originally twisted at 1:10" which is fairly reasonable. The .308 has seen a variety of factory twists between 1:10" and 1:12", and the slower end is a liability.

All in all I'd much rather have a 1:10" twist .308 than a .30-06. The -06 case line, without improvement, is really an unfortunate collection of bad decisions.

 

[WestKentucky]

There both better when you squeeze the necks down for 7mm bullets.

Or .277 bullets

 

[magyars4]

I'm old school...I like 1911s, wheelguns and Garands....so the traditionalist in me leans heavily for the 30-06.

 

[WisBorn]

Mary Ann, Chevy C10, and .30-06... How long has this quarantine thing been going now?

You are so right

 

[illinoisburt]

I chose 30-06 back in 1990. I lived in a slug hunting state so high power rifles were not terribly common. I vould find surplus -06 was available reasonably cheap for plinking and brass was generally free as most people at the rifle club who did shoot were not reloaders. I have taken the rifle west to hunt a few times where it worked perfectly fine and did well shooting 200 to 500 yards.

Now that I'm in the South where rifles are common for deer, I find myself using smaller calibers for hunting as they tip over just fine with heavy 223s.

Anyway these days information and products are so much more available. If I was starting out today, I would honestly pick up a new Ruger American with Weaver Kaspa scope and 500 round case of 165 grain Tula softpoints to be more than set for a lifetime of hunting pretty much anywhere in North America.

 

[mavracer]

What makes one superior to the other is the ground strap. There's not enough difference in the capabilities of the rounds to make up for any lack of skill.

 

[Jack Ryan]

1.Where is 30 06 better than 308?
2.Where is 308 better than 30 ought 6?
3.What are eaches particular strengths?

1. Earth
2. From the ladies range.
3. Didn't we JUST answer that?

 

[js8588]

Haven't read the rest of the replies yet (I'll get there #QuarantineLife) but...

30-06 is superior every time especially with modern loadings. 308/7.62 NATO never should have existed (the Brits were right).

 

[X62503]

.30-06 is superior because when you use the word "aught" instead of "zero" or "oh" you immediately level up to geezer.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I'm ambivalent towards the 30-06, but have a totally unfounded and irrational dislike of the 308. I don't know. It just seems like the Diet Coke to the '06's Coca Cola, and Diet Coke tastes terrible. I've never owned a 308 and never will.

Strangely enough, I'm fine with the 308 daughter cartridges though. 243 in particular is one of my favorites.

I'd be fine with a 150 gr 30-06 if you gave me one, but I'd rather have a 130 gr 270 for anything that a 150 gr '06 would be doing. And likewise, I'd drop a 180 gr '06 for a 160 gr 7mm Mag.

 

[mustanger98]

Haven't read the rest of the replies yet (I'll get there #QuarantineLife) but...

30-06 is superior every time especially with modern loadings. 308/7.62 NATO never should have existed (the Brits were right).

"the Brits were right"... about what? Shoulda stuck with .303?

 

[Ks5shooter]

I like both equally. So equal that I have two of each,2 bolts 06,308 and two semis 308,06.

 

[js8588]

"the Brits were right"... about what? Shoulda stuck with .303?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.280_British

 

[lysanderxiii]

"the Brits were right"... about what? Shoulda stuck with .303?

The British were not correct, they wanted one cartridge for everything.

Everyone that has adopted an "intermediate cartridge" has had to keep the "full power cartridge" for the machine gun . . .

Namely, the US (7.62mm x 51 & 5.56mm x 45) and the Soviets (7.62mm/5.45 x 39 & 7.62mm x 54R).

Unless the "British" you are referring to is the .276 Enfield (aka .276mm x 60)

 

[Slamfire]

There may be some advantages to the .308 in a true short action in terms of weight savings and accuracy potential. There is an advantage for rapid firing with a shorter bolt throw. Try an experiment...take a long action '06, .270 etc bolt gun and maintain proper cheek weld and eyes on target through a scope while you run the bolt. Now do the same with a short action, you'll prove my point.

You know, the greater movement required to get out of the way of the bolt on a 30-06 is more due to inadequate trigger pull distances on commercial rifles. Recently I measured a number of my vintage military bolt actions. The straight grip 03 was 12.5 inches, M1910 Chilean, was 13 inches. Surprisingly the M96 was 14 inches. These are the distances for WW1 rifles and 13 inch trigger pulls are common on modern stocks. People have grown longer and it is my opinion, stock lengths are too short.

After a decade of shooting small bore prone, with its adjustable stocks, I have come to the conclusion I want a 14 inch to 14 1/4 inch trigger pull. When I made this rifle, I ordered a stock with a 14 inch trigger pull, and working the bolt does not require me to roll the rifle around, because the bolt won't hit me in the eye.



I added one half inch spacer to make this 1950's rifle have a 14.0 inch pull



added spacers to this buttstock to make it 14 inches



These spacers are wood salvaged from pallets! I know the MKIV buttstock looks horrible and unfinished, but it is functional. As Quinn Moore said "Do you want to shoot your rifle or make love to it?"

With a longer trigger pull, me being further from the bolt, any difference in speed to rack a bolt, either long action or short, is inconsequential.