Hunting Rifle - .30-06 vs .308 WIN

Savage 10 TR in .308 would be my choice (especially if the Savage is a 20" barrel and the Thompson is a 24").
Although my buddy who's an avid hunter prefers/shoots 30-06 and likes it better over .308 for all BC/ALBT. game except Bison.

My reasoning would be the Savage has a threaded (heavy?) barrel (makes a brake easy to mount, as I like recoil as light as possible). Also .308 ammo. is cheaper in bulk for all the target shooting I'd want to do (another reason for having a lighter recoil, is when shooting lots in the same day).

Saying that, the Savage is likely the heavier rifle, which is something to consider for carrying long durations (depending on what your hunting style is).
Sorry not familiar with the Thompson other then a quick search showing a blued version having a 24" barrel in 30-06 (which some might say is a little long for some hunts?).

Neither calibre will be a bad choice, so I'd pick the rifle that feels best to you (if wanted you should be able to have the barrel threaded on the Thompson as it doesn't appear to come threaded from the factory).

Cheers D
 
The answer to .308Win or .30-06 Springfield? is Yes. the answer to Savage 10TR or T/C Venture? is Which one fits you better?
 
The .308 was intended to replace the .30/06 due to a theoretical advantage of a shorter cycling automatic action. Although big and heavy, the BAR seemed to work pretty well, suggesting the perceived advantage of the shorter action was flawed, and a smaller, short neck cartridge of similar ballistic performance (150 @ 2700) already existed in the form of the .300 Savage. Since that time, advances in propellants have allowed both the .308 and the .30/06 to eclipse the level of performance that was possible in 1906, but the larger powder capacity of the .30/06 provides an advantage, particularly when both cartridges are loaded to the same pressure. Military considerations notwithstanding, for better or worse the .308 has been with us a long time now, and for some unfathomable reason enjoys popularity amongst hunters. I for one don't get it, and fail to appreciate any meaningful advantage a short action bolt gun has over a long. The short action is no handier, faster, or more accurate, and if my Weatherby Ultralight is considered, a typical short action is no lighter either. A handy .308 carbine is a fine hunting rifle, just like a handy .30/06 carbine is, but the '06 outperforms the .308, just like the .300 Winchester outperforms the .30/06. Clearly a .308 can be used to take elk and moose, where the .30/06 has the edge. If bison and big bears are in your future, the .30/06 delineates an appropriate minimum, without producing a level of recoil that a casual rifleman might find intolerable from more powerful rounds.
 
Get the Venture in 06', they are great hunting rifles, My wife uses a Venture in 308.
You couldn't pay me to use a Savage 10 rifle, I can't stand that action.

The 30-06' / 308 question has a "pick your favorite" answer. If you Hand-Load, you may see some benefit from the 06', but many factory loads in the 150-180gr range leave the barrel within 50fps of each other (I've tested).
 
In Alberta(lived there 30 years) is go 6.5 creed for deer and if I'm hunting anything bigger 338Lapua reasoning behind that is the prairies and mountains offer many opportunities for long range shots and 6.5creed will make deer dead and do it easier than 308 or 30-06 and 338Lapua will drop anything in North America and out to any distance "you" are comfortable with.

In ON now and I use 45/70 for the right bush work here cause it will drop anything under 150yards. I still have a 338 lapua for Predator control on the farm ; )


As for your original question..... Blond with small boobs or Brunette with big boobs.... it's really just preference man.
 
Boomer said:
The .308 was intended to replace the .30/06 due to a theoretical advantage of a shorter cycling automatic action. Although big and heavy, the BAR seemed to work pretty well, suggesting the perceived advantage of the shorter action was flawed, and a smaller, short neck cartridge of similar ballistic performance (150 @ 2700) already existed in the form of the .300 Savage. Since that time, advances in propellants have allowed both the .308 and the .30/06 to eclipse the level of performance that was possible in 1906, but the larger powder capacity of the .30/06 provides an advantage, particularly when both cartridges are loaded to the same pressure. Military considerations notwithstanding, for better or worse the .308 has been with us a long time now, and for some unfathomable reason enjoys popularity amongst hunters. I for one don't get it, and fail to appreciate any meaningful advantage a short action bolt gun has over a long. The short action is no handier, faster, or more accurate, and if my Weatherby Ultralight is considered, a typical short action is no lighter either. A handy .308 carbine is a fine hunting rifle, just like a handy .30/06 carbine is, but the '06 outperforms the .308, just like the .300 Winchester outperforms the .30/06. Clearly a .308 can be used to take elk and moose, where the .30/06 has the edge. If bison and big bears are in your future, the .30/06 delineates an appropriate minimum, without producing a level of recoil that a casual rifleman might find intolerable from more powerful rounds.
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Agree with everything you're saying here Boomer. There's always a cartridge that out performs others.

However, when it comes to everything rifles I lean towards them being realistically more compact vs leaning towards being a little bigger and maybe heavier. And if .308 reliably gets the job done (obviously not for all tasks) then I prefer .308 for this reason.
 
Slamfire said:
On paper yes it does a bit better. But does that mean the 30-06 kills game a bit deader? :confused:
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It depends on the scenario. If we're talking about .308 and .30/06 rifles with similar barrel lengths, firing the same type of bullets at a 200 yard moose, the end result would be the same, provided bullet placement was the same. But if we suggest that the .30/06 puts 180 gr bullet on target at the same velocity that the .308 puts a 150 on the target, then yes, its conceivable that the '06 could kill a game animal that the .308 only wounds with the same bullet impact, but it might take a trip to Africa or Asia to prove it out. The same could be said of the .30/06 and the.300 Winchester, and the .300 Winchester and the .30-378. Because a heavy bullet fired from a .30/06 has less drop and wind drift that the same bullet fired in a .308, the '06 shooter might have a shot, where the .308 shooter doesn't, so the '06 in that situation, could kill a game animal the .308 could not.
 
madashell said:
Agree with everything you're saying here Boomer. There's always a cartridge that out performs others.

However, when it comes to everything rifles I lean towards them being realistically more compact vs leaning towards being a little bigger and maybe heavier. And if .308 reliably gets the job done (obviously not for all tasks) then I prefer .308 for this reason.
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I get your point, but again, it depends on which rifles you compare. There are long action ultralight rifles that don't weight much more than a big handgun. The downside of course is that ultralights can be finicky.
 
Slamfire said:
On paper yes it does a bit better. But does that mean the 30-06 kills game a bit deader? :confused:
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Boomer said:
... the '06 could kill a game animal that the .308 only wounds with the same bullet impact....heavy bullet fired from a .30/06 has less drop and wind drift that the same bullet fired in a .308, the '06 shooter might have a shot, where the .308 shooter doesn't, so the '06 in that situation, could kill a game animal the .308 could not.
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Less than 10% differences in downrange velocities and energies. Implausible that this would make any difference in killing power.

Drop and drift differences are negligible for hitting the kill zone on big game animals.

Interestingly the 300 Win. Mag. takes long range performance to the next level :cool: -

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/01/17/american-sniper-chris-kyle-rifles/

308
34630806151_71bdc457a4_b.jpg


30-06
34600499742_08e830d049_b.jpg
 
Your 180 gr. 30/06 load is 150 fps behind mine. This is usually the case when an '06 is loaded with enough slow burning powder to equal .308 pressures. By contrast, for many .308s, the 2600 fps velocity so often quoted, is somewhat optimistic due to the compact short barrel rifles that have become popular for the .308, and 2500 is what the chronograph tends to read when a 180 zips across the screens. The .30/06 then has a 350 fps advantage.
 
I prefer 165 gr. over 180 gr. for .308. It does what I need it to do.

Not knocking the 30-06 in any way, just never had a need for it.
 
Boomer said:
Your 180 gr. 30/06 load is 150 fps behind mine...
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Comparison based on 180gr factory loads, 308 is 2570 fps MV and 30-06 is 2700 fps MV -

https://www.federalpremium.com/ammunition/rifle/caliber/308-win/vital-shok-nosler-partition/p308e

https://www.federalpremium.com/ammunition/rifle/caliber/30-06-springfield/vital-shok-nosler-partition/p3006f

308 180gr Federal loads chronographed at 2543 fps from my CZ550. Add about 20 fps to correct at the muzzle so 2563 fps which is about bang on as claimed -

Federal%20ammo_zpsccavoxru.jpg


chrony%20Federal%20Power%20Shok%20308%20180gr%20FL_zpsxxb5di32.jpg


As for a comparison using handloads, I developed a near maximum load for my CZ550 which chronographed at 2710 fps, or 2730 fps MV. I could safely go a bit higher at say 2750 fps which is within 100 fps of your 30-06 handload.

Still no significant difference between the 2.

chrony%20308_180gr_W748_47CCI%20250_zpsk119rgcl.jpg
 
30'06.... because there are nicer guns cheaper ;)
Had this new to me PH out today, sub MOA 3 round machine, opens up a bit after that.

 
Slamfire said:
Comparison based on 180gr factory loads, 308 is 2570 fps MV and 30-06 is 2700 fps MV -
308 180gr Federal loads chronographed at 2543 fps from my CZ550. Add about 20 fps to correct at the muzzle so 2563 fps which is about bang on as claimed -


As for a comparison using handloads, I developed a near maximum load for my CZ550 which chronographed at 2710 fps, or 2730 fps MV. I could safely go a bit higher at say 2750 fps which is within 100 fps of your 30-06 handload.

Still no significant difference between the 2.
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Federal blue box 180 gr .30/06 proved very consistent in my rifles, but it is loaded to the old 47,000 psi pressure levels that was determined appropriate for the 1903 Springfield with the powders then available, and has hamstrung the .30/06 ever since. My Oehler 35P determined the velocity of this ammo averaged 2650 fps in my Brno ZG-47. Work up loads with H-4831, R-19 or 22, or Hybrid 100V, and you might be surprised by the velocities you observe.

As for the difference between the .308 and the .30/06, you don't add or subtract velocity to bolster your argument, you can only make use of the velocity your rifle produces. Your .308 rifle produces 2570, my .30/06 produces 2850; that to me represents a significant difference that I can exploit under some circumstances.
 
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Have posted a few times before, perhaps even in this thread, that it is no trick at all to get 2800+ fps with 180s in the rifles I have loaded for, and will get that velocity from 22" barrels.

Having said that, the same bullet loaded with 57 gr of 4350 will get over 2700, and is a very accurate load in most 30-06s.

Ted
 
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