.308 or .30-06?

[Regolith]

shooter: nope. At 300 yards, the difference in drop between the highest BC .270 round you can find and the lowest BC .30-06 round you can find is negligible.

They only really start to differ out past 400 yards, and it isn't until around 450-500 that the difference is any larger than the average kill zone of a deer.

Wind drift is similar.

Edit: It should also be noted that BC has nothing to do with accuracy. All a high BC bullet does is make the bullet more resistant to being moved by the wind and it allows it to cut through the air better, allowing for faster flight. This makes it easier to put a bullet on target, because you don't have to compensate for drop or wind as much, but the inherent accuracy of the firearm isn't affected.

 

[Art Eatman]

shooter, use any ballistic table you like. Whatever bullet diameter. To 300 yards, compare the bullet drop between--for example--a BC of around 0.3 to one of about 0.5. For a given cartridge, odds are the difference will be no more than an inch or so.

In the FWIW department, to around 250 to 300 yards, there's no practical difference in trajectory among any of the commonly-used deer cartridges, omitting the hot-shot .22s or the magnums. If you zero at 200, almost all of them will be with a half-inch of two inches high at 100 yards, and they all will be near five to seven inches low at 300. That holds true whether it's flat-based bullets or boat-tails, spitzers or round-nosed.

 

[shooter007]

For a given cartridge, odds are the difference will be no more than an inch or so.

Yes, you are correct, but there is a difference. So you are telling me that a inch doesn't matter? An inch is the difference between having a rack mounted in your office and telling a story for the remainder of your life of a deer you came upon...simple.

 

[Regolith]

Given that the average kill zone of a deer is 9-12 inches...1 inch is negligible, in any direction, provided you put it roughly in the center of that 9 inch circle.

Another thing is that a person who hunts should know where their gun is going to hit. Since what we're talking about here is drop and/or wind drift, and NOT how well the gun groups (i.e. accuracy), all that takes is a little bit of time at the range to sight in the gun and some practice.

It is absurd to suggest that one inch more in drop or wind drift will matter to a hunter who knows his gun and has practiced with it so that it will hit where he wants it to.

 

[globemaster3]

Shooter, you are off base. By a long shot...

In terms of the discussion of .308 and 30-06 ballistics: no, an inch or so is not a big deal.

In terms of a hunting rig, if what you say is correct, if you cannot print into an inch, at any range, then you are a poor hunter? :barf:

 

[shooter007]

In terms of a hunting rig, if what you say is correct, if you cannot print into an inch, at any range, then you are a poor hunter?

Hunting isn't only about how good of a shot you are. Finding your game, tracking your game, and stalking your game are far more important. As for your remark to that if I can't shoot 1 inch groups I'm a poor hunter...well personally that isn't a problem for me, but for those who aren't the best shots that doesn't mean they are a poor hunter and your comment is one of the most idiotic comments about hunting that I've ever heard.

 

[Art Eatman]

shooter, lemme rephrase about why "one inch is irrelevant".

I use an '06, mostly with 150-grain bullets. Say that at 300 yards a flat-base drops six inches, but a boat-tail only drops five inches.

I know this, going in, right? If ol' Bucky is out there at 300 yards, if I'm shooting flat-base I hold six inches above where I want the bullet to hit. If I'm using boat-tail, I hold five inches above where I want the bullet to hit.

So: I say that the one inch difference makes no nevermind. In either case, I'm gonna eat deer meat.

And if it's a heart shot, with that roughly six-inch diameter ruination zone, I don't even have to know which bullet I'm using. If the target is bigger than the rifle's dispersion, you're gonna hit the target.

Been eatin' a lot of deer meat since 1964, so I must be doing something right.

Drifting into FWIW:

A few years back, I set up at my 500-yard table for some testing. The target is a 22" steel plate. It's about 250 feet lower, across Terlingua Creek and about a mile drive by jeep trail to get to it. I got all sighted in for 500 yards. 150-grain Sierra SPBTs, 165-grain Sierra HPBTs and 180-grain Sierra SPBTs.

I vaguely recall five or six rounds of the remaining 150-grain bullets from the box. Two four-shot groups with the remaining 165s. A ten-shot string with the remaining 180s; two called flyers. (I'd started all this happiness at the 100-yard bench, messing with the scope and all that stuff.)

Right at one MOA with the 150s. The 165 groups were each 0.8 MOA. The eight 180s were 6". The overall diameter of all this happiness was about ten inches for 23 or 24 shots. IOW, not much trajectory difference at 500 yards for the three weights.

 

[sc928porsche]

You know, Its awfully tough to see 1" at 300 yds. It seems that the thickness of the crosshairs covers that much. Try putting a one inch square in the center of a target.....take it out to 300 and look. At least it is on my 3-9. The 6-24 you can see the square.

 

[James R. Burke]

Sorry already posted.

 

[simonkenton]

Macht nichts.

 

[Tucker 1371]

Whichever you can get cheaper, they perform nearly the same, avg of all loads comes out to about 100fps in favor of the '06. Bullet weights are similar too.

 

[shooter007]

ART,

I get it. To tell you the truth when I make replys like this I get a lot more feedback than if i dont. Thats why I do it. I'm trying to learn as much as possible. It seems a lot of people here have far more expierience than I, even though I'm 26 I'm learning very fast and am becoming more and more familiar with hunting and shooting. Thanks for the knowledge!

 

[MuscleGarunt]

Just go with the 30-06. It does everything the 308 can do a little better with only a little more recoil. The 308 would be a better rifle for you if you were into to target shooting or something along those lines. The 308 will have a slightly longer barrel life then the 30-06. If you reload the 30-06 can take more loadings than the 308, the 308 operates at a higher pressure and is a bit harder on the brass.

You will never ever feel undergunned with the 30-06 in the lower 48 states. You might not with the 308 either but if it was me and I was buying my first centerfire rifle I would go 30-06.

 

[Art Eatman]

shooter, don't sweat it. The problem with the Internet is that we don't have facial expressions or body language to help convey meanings. It's easy to not have stuff come out properly with just typing.

My uncle didn't subscribe to child-labor laws, so he decided that I could reload for him as well as for my own '06--and that was back in 1950. I've pretty much been the perfect example of the horrible example, ever since.

Fun, though.

 

[globemaster3]

Shooter, I am going to disect your posts here to show you something in friendship.

First,

An inch is the difference between having a rack mounted in your office and telling a story for the remainder of your life of a deer you came upon...simple.

Based on that, using your measurement, a newbie can deduce this

In terms of a hunting rig, if what you say is correct, if you cannot print into an inch, at any range, then you are a poor hunter?

Notice that was a question to determine your intent with the above statement.

Which, I agree, is this:

your comment is one of the most idiotic comments about hunting that I've ever heard.

But, its YOUR data, not mine!

In addition, I completely think you are on the mark with this:

Hunting isn't only about how good of a shot you are. Finding your game, tracking your game, and stalking your game are far more important.

and shows you've got a great foundation in hunting, even if you are starting at 26.

Unfortunately, this is lost on some (not pointed at anyone specific here) who only concern themselves with the newest wizbang do-thingy or believe that any rifle that shoots over MOA is worthless.

And I totally agree with Art's

The problem with the Internet is that we don't have facial expressions or body language to help convey meanings. It's easy to not have stuff come out properly with just typing.

 

[shooter007]

Dang globe take it easy on me! haha I started hunting when I was about 12. Just within the past six months have I really wanted to try an become a marksman, but again thank you. I learn much from all of you.

 

[Para Bellum]

...I now tend towards the .30-06 because the ammo-selection is just wider. Rather impressive what all can be covered with a .30-06. Federal eg offers cartridges from 110gr / 3400 ft/sec to 220gr / 2400ft/sec. It seems you can cover virtually every hunting situation worldwide with this one caliber in a fine rifle.

 

[globemaster3]

Thanks for checking back with that. I wondered what you had done in terms of selection. You really couldn't go wrong with either.

The 30-06 is very versatile.

 

[isnipe]

+1 for .30-06

 

[HiBC]

Funny,this question ought to be good for a big yawn ,but look how much fun we are having!!

IMHO,the cartridge designation is the minor factor.It does not matter.

Now,maybe I just really like the Springfield 1903 action,and want a rifle based on it.30-06 makes sense.

Maybe I want a short,light rifle like a Rem Model 7,.308 makes sense.

Maybe,for whatever reason,I think I would like to shoot 180 gr and over bullets mostly.I'd say 30-06.

For the OP,I suggest you pick whatever rifle or cartridge of the two that you like best.They will both be excellent choices,and the grass will always be greener on the other side of the fence.

A tip,selecting the right bullet is a far better place to ponder.The cartridge case is just a bottle to hold some powder.

And your personal preferences,even if they are different than mine,matter more than all the opinions you will get here,as far as whether a .308 or a 30-06 ore "Best" They are both among the best for the appropriate task.