looking for a large game hunting caliber

[Norrick]

i am basically comparing the .308 to the 30-06 for deer, and maybe larger down the road. I don't want to cause a debate because I did have a couple serious questions.

Surplus aside, which ammo is more readily available? I don't ever want to not be able to buy ammo if I need it in larger quantities.

Does either cartridge have more reliability when feeding/extracting? I know this is subjective, since it entirely depends on the gun. Lets assume for both calibers it would be the same bolt actoin rifle with an internal magazine.

How much of a difference is there in recoil if you use the same bullet weight?

All help is appreciated.

 

[nobody_special]

I'd suggest 30-06. It has better availability, especially in hunting loads. That said, my local Wal-mart carries .308 soft point. Recoil should be similar, and I'd be surprised if either had a problem with feeding in a bolt gun.

 

[10-96]

Nobody said it all pretty well.
You won't notice much of a difference between the two cartridges- if any at all. You can expect up to 200fps increase in velocity from the '06 depending on bbl length, loads, manufacturer, etc. But about the only way you'll find a feeding problem with either of them is if you end up with a rifle with a problem- which isn't likely if you go with a reputable maker.

 

[TheManHimself]

If you're wanting a quality deer rifle for now that will be used for larger game down the road, look no further than .30-06. 150gr loads are an excellent choice for whitetail, and when you decide to go after larger game, .30-06 handles the heavier bullets better than .308. No matter what game you plan on hunting, there are ought-six loads out there suitable for every big game animal in North America.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

The 30.06 might be better for moose size game. From a deer sized critter standpoint, either are fine.

From a ballistic standpoint, the 30.06 carries a tad more energy and the .308 is a flatter shooting round will a little less recoil but the two are pretty closely related.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either one. I prefer a .308 but there is nothing wrong a 30.06.

From a mil surplus standpoint, I believe that the 7.62 Nato (.308) round is still plentiful.

 

[TPAW]

The are both good calibers. My choice would be the 30.06. With bullet grains from 110 to 220 for large game, it is more versitle and will take down any game in North America and then some. Recoil is similiar, with the .06 having a little more than he .308. As for ammo availability, I would only guess that because the military is still using it, the .308 would be more available now and in the future.

 

[taylorce1]

From a ballistic standpoint, the 30.06 carries a tad more energy and the .308 is a flatter shooting round will a little less recoil but the two are pretty closely related.

Actually the 06 is a little flatter shooting. The 06 will always be about 200 fps faster than the .308 in factory loading of bullets of equal weight and design so the trajectory will be slightly flatter. You will not notice the difference however until you get well past normal hunting ranges.

If you are buying for mainly hunting go with the .30-06 if your rifle will spend most of the time punching paper at the range go with the .308 Win.

 

[44 AMP]

.308 vs .30-06, again

The .308 Winchester is the civilian designation for the 7.62mm Nato round. It was developed by the military in the early 1950s to replace the .30-06 round. As loaded by the military, both round produce EQUAL ballistics.

AS loaded by commercial ammo makers, the .30-06 has a slight velocity advantage (between 100 and 200fps depending on variables), and both civilian rounds are loaded to hight velocity than the GI ammo.

The .308 is loaded to a higher pressure than the .30-06, and if you handload the .30-06 up to the pressure of the .308 the larger .30-06 case gives it an even bigger advantage in velocity, BUT even then, the diffference in down range performace is not very much. Check a drop table with factory ammo and you will see that even at very long range, the smaller .308 round only drops (or drifts in the wind) a small amount more than the .30-06. The difference is often within the accuracy limits of the rifle being used.

The "advantage" of the .308 is in full auto weapons (because the 1/2" shorter case with less body taper feeds and extracts slightly better in machineguns) and in the shorter action length of sporter rifles, which allows a shorter overall length of the rifle with equal length barrels. But again, it is only a very little but (1/2").

recoil will be a different amount of energy on paper (because of the slightly different velocity) but in equal weight rifles, it would be an exceptional individual who could tell the difference. Stock fit is more important. A .30-06 with a stock that fits you properly will seem to recoil less than a .308 with a stock that doesn't fit you well.

 

[Socrates]

Recoil is so close that depending on what powder is used, and what gun, you can make one more then the other, etc.

The main advantage of the 30-06 for deer and bigger is it can push heavier bullets, read over 180-250 grains at velocity that works on pretty much anything in the 48. You can also take brown bear with it, but, at the ranges you may end up shooting, you have to be able you can push the big bullets fast enough, and flat enough to reach out and touch them.
30-06 game rounds are everywhere, and, .308 isn't far behind...

You could load the 30-06 at lower pressure, with the same bullet, as the .308, get .308 or better ballistics, at lower pressure.

.308 appears to be the perfect case size to bore size ratio, so it's VERY easy to get super accurate ammo for caliber.

 

[phil mcwilliam]

Maybe 10% difference

I hunt with a 308, while my friends all use 30-06. With factory ammo, I think ballistically the 30-06 has maybe a 10% advantage over the 308, and a flatter trajectory when shooting very long distance. That said, I don't think any of the dear or elk we have shot have noticed the difference. The 30-06 I think kicks just marginally over the 308, but neither is much to worry about if you hold them properly. I went on a hunt to Africa over christmas & was surprised that the rifle I was provided with was a 308. All the plains game I hunted fell with one shot from the 308, including Eland (heavier than elk). Any reliable bolt gun shouldn't have feeding problems with ammo, & both 30-06 & 308 are available anywhere. I should warn that I've come across ex military ammo that will not eject unfired from my Sako lever action 308, as the bullet is loaded too high in the case for this action. Never had any problems with any well known factory brands though.

 

[tuck2]

Go to www.remington.com then ammunition -ballistics. You then compare the velocity and energy of the same weight bullets at the various ranges that are listed for the 308 and 06 rounds. Hodgdon Powder Co has a web site where you can compare the reloading data for the 308 and 06 rounds. I have reloaded the 308 and 06 ammo for some years. The 06 takes a bit more powder but the other reloading cost are about the same. Military surplus ammo and empty cases can be found at most gun shows. Any little old town in big country will have 30-06 ammo. Of the two I would take the 06 with 180 Gr bullet reloads for elk but for deer and pronghorn the 165 Gr bullet out of a 308 or 06 would do a fine job.