Age old question for a newbie .308 vs. 30.06

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iracodypatterson

New member
Hey Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well. I have been shooting since I was six and hunting since I was 14 so I have been blessed with having a lot of experience with many different firearms. I have been looking at getting a new bolt action hunting/long range target rifle for myself and I have "probably" settled on a CZ American 550 and in .30 caliber. What I cannot decide is if I should go with a .308 or a 30.06. I have been born and raised in a family that shot 30.06 so the caliber does have a nostalgic value; however, I am open to change (especially if it is more accurate).

Personal pluses to me is when hunting with my Dad and Uncle if I go the 30.06, I will always have ammo on hand because they shoot and it seems like any corner store in small towns have some variant of 30.06 ammunition. However, since the United States Military and Law Enforcement agencies no longer use the 30.06 caliber, if worst-case scenario and the time comes and one must fend for themselves, I see the .308 being much more readily available and I have heard many tales that the .308 is FAR superior to the 30.06. In all honesty, I have never shot a .308 of any kind so, this is new ground for me.

ANY information, personal thoughts, opinions, experiences etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance, I appreciate your time.
Ira “Calico” Cody Patterson,
 
C

Creature

Moderator
I have heard many tales that the .308 is FAR superior to the 30.06.
Click to expand...

That is exactly that...tales. Do your research. The 30-06 is better in every way. That said, the .308 can almost do what the 30-06 does, but for less.

Both are readily available. However, I would chose the .308 because it is a good round and is bit easier on the shoulder to shoot.
 
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onemsumba

New member
go with the '06 espeically since everyone in your family allready carries one while hunting. .308 isn't going to give you anything the '06 won't. there will be a day when one of you forgets to bring a box of ammo and you won't have to go to the store to get one just share what you have...
 
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iracodypatterson

New member
Do you have any other preferences or suggestions for rifle brands? I have been very impressed with the quality of my CZ pistols I have owned and I love the hair-trigger option that is built into the rifle I am looking at. Not to mention, a long time family friend of mine (that legally deals in guns mind you) can get me a CZ 550 American for $500 in 30.06; not sure what he can do for me on a .308.
 
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intruder

New member
I vote for the 101 year old and still going strong 30-06. A 308 will almost do what an 06 will but not quite as well especially with the heavier bullet weights
 
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gordon29

New member
just a thought

im no ballistics expert by far but i just thought id mention that before the large variety of the modern fancy rounds came out the 30-06 was the all around gun adn was even used for brown bear:)
 
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Yellowfin

New member
Another vote for the .30-06 from me. It's just..well...something others are just not. Man, I wish I could invent something that perfect.
 
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surg_res

New member
Eventually you'll end up with both so don't worry about which comes first. Don't get bogged down in the details. Both fly straight and hit hard. I'd lean towards the 06 if I was thinking about hunting bigger game and towards the 308 if I was thinking about hunting medium game and large varmint. At the range, the 308, as mentioned above, will save your shoulder... Of course you can buy 06 in anything, including recoil reduction loads.
 
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MTMilitiaman

New member
As a military cartridge or a deer round, the two are all but equal. I prefer the .308 for these purposes, mostly cause I just got an M1A and I love the thing. My grandpa used a BAR and a Garand in Korea, and they brought him home, but in standard ball loads, the shorter round does everything the 7.62x63 did while weighing 30% less. And the .308 can be found in a lighter rifle for the deer woods as well.

But for all around big game where elk or moose or any sort of African plains game is on the menu, the .30-06 still edges out the .308 with the heavier bullets I prefer for tougher game. My family has used the 06 for decades on elk, moose, deer, and black bear and it has never given them a reason to complain when they did their part. The added case capacity of the 06 allows it to boast progressively higher velocity advantages the heavier you go in bullet weight. While the two rounds are nearly identical with 150 gr loads, by the time you get to the 180 gr loads the 06 has what I feel to be an appreciable advantage.

You really can't go wrong with either round. If I was only interested in deer and maybe black bear, I would go with the .308. If the opportunity to hunt tougher game exists, I would go with the .30-06 for its ability to handle the heavier controlled expansion bullets better.

In any case, you might not want to put a hair trigger on a hunting rifle. If you do, make sure you practice with it. I've got a 40 oz trigger on my Remington and really wouldn't want anything lighter. It is already light enough to have surprised me when my hands were cold and I was all excited. A rather nice muley lived another day because of it.
 
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iracodypatterson

New member
Thanks, I really appreciate that.

The thing I like about the CZ the hair trigger is a set able option. It does have the standard trigger pull mode, it just has a nifty little feature that IF you have time to prepare yourself for a shot, you push the trigger forward with your thumb until it clicks, THEN it is in hair-trigger mode. I understand completely what you are saying if it was a constant hair trigger (that would be scary). I do not know exact specifications but without the hair trigger mode set, the trigger pull feels about the same as your standard hunting rifle (maybe a little lighter).

Thank you for the concern, I really appreciate it. That is something I would not have thought about if you had not mentioned it.
 
F

FirstFreedom

Moderator
I don't think there's any particularly good reason to switch to .308. I'd go with old faithful - the one and only thutty - ought - six. Good choice on the 550 - you won't be disappointed.
 
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oldbillthundercheif

Moderator
They are both great, but you will be able to bum ammunition from relatives if you go with the .30-06.

Surplus .308 pretty much no longer exists. I doubt .308 would be any easier to find in a bad situation than about the most popular deer round ever. There is even some surplus .30-06 out there so you can buy a big can of it and stash it away if you are worried about disasters and disorder and whatnot. Good luck finding a can of 7.62x51 for a normal price because it is very unlikely to happen, but if it does, tell me about it so I can get some too.

The best answer would be to get both, but if funds won't allow it, I would get the '06 first.:D
 
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