.308 vs 30.06 vs .338 . Which One to Choose?

[IJ1981]

I have been invited by a retired co worker for next years hunting season in Mississippi.

His mom owns more than 1000 acres of prime land near Waynesboro, filled with deer , razorbacks and some black bear.

So it sounds exciting! I only want to bring one gun. What do you THR guys and gals suggest among the 3?

 

[MarshallDodge]

308

 

[.38 Special]

I'm a fan of the .338 Winchester ballistics, especially when any sort of dangerous game is on the menu. For a fellow who can handle the recoil - I'm not one of those folks - I think it would be ideal.

The .30-'06 would be my personal choice, especially with heavier bullets. I always am advocating for the 220 soft nose, but many people consider it too old-fashioned for 2023. If the 220 is off the table, then a strongly-constructed 180 would be my second-best.

The .308 is in last place for me, simply because it doesn't handle the heavier bullets as well. Obviously it is fine for deer, but I'd really rather hit bear and pigs as hard as I can.

 

[1948CJ2A]

Of those 3, the 30-06 is probably the most versatile. You could use some sub 200 gr loads for deer-sized game and some heavier ones for bear. The 308 is going to be limited in terms of using heavier bullets. Are we assuming 338 Win Mag or Federal? The Win Mag version would work but is overkill for deer. That said, I shot a nice whitetail earlier this month with my 35 Whelen so do whatever makes you happy.

 

[adcoch1]

Nothing in Mississippi that needs a 338, either 308 or 30-06 can send heavy enough bullets for any of the bigger critters down there. I'd probably go 308, even as an unashamed 30-06 fan...

 

[Mk-211]

The .30-06 is enough to take any animal in North America and then some.

 

[CraigC]

The .308 is plenty for anything you will encounter in the state of Mississippi. There's only 40-50 bears in the state, so no bear hunting.

 

[Jim Watson]

Any of those cartridges will do the job.
Choose the RIFLE.
My only .308 was a heavy target rifle.
The only .338 I shot kicked like a SOB.
Leaving me the M70 .30. The Sporter, not the Target.

 

[earlthegoat2]

308 or 30-06.

Deer, bear, and pigs are all in the same class of animals from a hunting perspective. Deer rifles work just as well on hogs all the way down to .223.

As was mentioned, bears are not to be hunted or feared in Mississippi so those need not apply to firearm selection

 

[mgmorden]

For those animals - all 3 cartridges will kill them plenty dead. I'd take .308 just because it has the lowest recoil, but would feel perfectly fine with any of them.

 

[Slamfire]

I am sure a 338 kicks as hard as a 35 Whelen. That means flinch! Unless you are hunting dinosaurs

you don't need a 338. Southern deer are actually small compared to the northern versions. It is rare to find a 200 lb deer, most are around 125 lbs.

The 30-06 is extremely flexible, never a mistake to choose. But if you are looking for another classic round, shop around for a 257 Roberts. It will do everything you want in Mississippi.

 

[troy fairweather]

308 or 3006 would really just depend on what rifle you want/get.

 

[WisBorn]

I would take the rifle that you enjoy the most!
Of the cartridges, I like the 308 for deer and pigs. But if you really love your 338 take it and have fun

 

[Terry G]

My Son and I have used the .30/06 with Remington 180 Grain Soft Points for Whitetail Deer for years. Never had to track a wounded one. All fell within fifty feet.

 

[IJ1981]

Thank you all! So many great responses !

 

[IJ1981]

I have decided on the Ruger M77 .30.06 that I bought in 2001
A truly fine rifle.

Thank you for helping me to make the decision!

 

[EIB0879]

30-06 or 308. No need for a 338.

 

[Show Me]

Double barrel heat seeking shotgun

 

[bangswitch]

I have been invited by a retired co worker for next years hunting season in Mississippi.

His mom owns more than 1000 acres of prime land near Waynesboro, filled with deer , razorbacks and some black bear.

So it sounds exciting! I only want to bring one gun. What do you THR guys and gals suggest among the 3?

,308 will take any of the animals you mention at 500 yards or more with a 158 or 178 grain spitzer. Beyond that, ability to place the shot makes the difference more than anything.

It's also cheaper to shoot.

 

[someguy2800]

The one you like

 

[jmr40]

Anything 26 caliber or larger will easily kill anything in Mississippi. Of your 3 options I'd choose 308, but even it is bigger than you need.

When the 30-06 was introduced as a hunting cartridge it was considered middle of the road. With today's bullets and loads it is bigger than 90% of hunters need. Modern loads will shoot a 150-gr bullet 400 fps faster than the WW-1 era loads.

Which 338? The 338 Fed is basically a 308 necked up to 33 caliber. The 338/06 is a 30-06 necked up to 33 caliber and there are at least 3 different 338 magnums.

I'm not a fan of the 338's. You can shoot the same bullet weights in any of the comparable 30 caliber rifles only slightly slower at the muzzle. But the 30's will penetrate deeper at any range and within 200 yards will catch up and be moving faster. A 338 caliber bullet is about 1/2 the thickness of a dime greater than a 308 bullet. It doesn't make a bigger hole.

The 338 Fed wouldn't be out of place. I'd rather have a 308, but some guys just like to think outside the box and use something different than the masses. Any of the other 338's would be way more gun than you need.

 

[crestoncowboy]

Id buy 300 mag. Ammo isn't much higher. Same bullet and easy to find. More range.

I have 30-06/300mag and 338 lapua. 300 mag is the sweet spot for me

 

[LoonWulf]

Whichever one you want to use, all will be functional.

 

[MacAR]

I'm not in Mississippi, but I do live in Arkansas and that's sorta close. For our small deer and hogs a 243, or depending on distance, a 30-30 is plenty enough gun. But when I'm hunting an unfamiliar area, I always take my 30-06 loaded with 180 grain Accu Bonds. It'll stomp just about anything in N America let alone N Arkansas. Load it right and the 06 will be all you need.

Mac

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

7mm-08