30-06 accuracy ?

Crazytrout

Crazytrout

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Everytime I read the debate over the 308 and 30-06, I read indications of group sizes for the 308, however not for the 30-06.

I have owned a few 308's and accuracy was excellent out to two hundred yards, however do not have a lot of experience with the 30-06 and do not want to leave this cartridge out of my options for my next bolt action purchase.

Believe me, do not want to start another debate regarding the 308 and 30-06, just want to hear from the members what accuracy they are getting from their 30-06 at 100 yards, 200 yards, & 300 yards.

I plan on reloading so let me know.

Regards

CT
 
my tikka t3 in 30-06 can shoot .560" groups at 100yds. with 165gr. winchester superX, down to 0.800" with my handloads so far, i plan to tighten the groups with some accubonds this year.
 
30-06 used to hold long distance match records until the 308 showed up.

I'm sure the caliber is more accurate the most people can shoot it.

http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/AccuracyFacts.asp

At the peak of the .30-06's use as a competition cartridge, the most accurate rifles using it would shoot groups at 200 yards of about 2 inches, at 300 of about 3 inches. The 600-yard groups were 6 to 7 inches and at 1000 yards about 16 inches. As the high-scoring ring in targets was 3 inches at 200 and 300 yards, 12 inches at 600 and 20 inches at 1000, the top scores fired would have 90+ percent of the shots inside this V-ring.

Along came the 7.62mm NATO and its commercial version; the .308 Winchester. In the best rifles, 200 yard groups were about 3/4ths inch, at 300 about 1-1/2 inch. At 600 yards, groups were about 2-1/2 inch and at 1000 about 7 to 8 inches. It was not very long before the .30-06 round no longer won matches nor set any records; all it's records were broken by the .308 by a considerable margin. Some accuracy tests at 600 yards with the .308 produced test groups in the 1 to 2 inch range. These were 20 to 40 shot groups. No .30-06 has ever come close to shooting that well.

At 1000 yards, where both the .30-06 and .308 were allowed in Palma matches, the .308 was the clear-cut most accurate of the two. If top shooters felt the .30-06 was a more accurate round, they would have used it - they didn't. In fact by the early 1970s, the scoring ring dimensions on the 800 - 1000 yard target were also cut in about half due to the accuracy of both the .308 Win. over the .30-06 and the .30-.338 over the .300 H&H when used in long range matches.
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Either cartridge is only as accurate as the firearm it is fired from and the competency of the shooter.

Inherent accuracy of the 2 cartridges is a topic that has been beat to death with no proof that one is better than the other.
 
I had a semi-custom Model 700 in a Browns Precision stock w/ factory barrel that shot .5"-.75" groups with H4831 or RL19 and 168gr TSX's. Still don't know why I sold it.
 
I have owned a variety of .30-06 rifles over the years topped wih different scopes and loaded with factory and hand loads. All of the rifles I owned would have two or three loads that would shoot 2" or under at 100 yards and that is plenty accurate for most hunting situations.
 
Personal Loads for 30.06

I love this round. Out of my P17 (M1917) with a Parker Hale target sight I will be hitting X rings at 300m all day with 48grs of Varget with a 155 graing BTHP bullet on top. Prone and with a sling. For my hunting rig Sako AIII (20" barell, full stock) with 1-4x Leupold and off a bench 1" groups at 200m with 50grs of IMR 4064 and a 180 gr Barnes X bullet. Good Luck!:)
 
'Boo said:
Either cartridge is only as accurate as the firearm it is fired from and the competency of the shooter.

Inherent accuracy of the 2 cartridges is a topic that has been beat to death with no proof that one is better than the other.
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Looks to me post #5 proves that the .308 is better. :D
 
On average the 308 is more accurate than the 30-06.
In matters of target rifles the 308 is better.

The 30-06 has plenty of accuracy for any range you might choose to engage an animal...So how much more accuracy to you need?
The 30-06 makes much better use of the 180 grain bullets and is slightly more versatile.

The 30-06 gets my nod in a hunting rifle.
 
In theory the .308 is more accurate than the .30/06, but I am not convinced that this is provable in real world shooting with equal rifles and components. Once both cartridges are handloaded for accuracy, the difference would not be useable even if the .308 proved to be slightly more accurate. Besides, in competition, it is not always the most accurate rifle that wins.

The evidence presented in post #5 is skewed in favor of the .308. It compares the M-1 Garand to the M-14 in the Service Rifle competition, and in Palma competition, the bullet weight is restricted to 155 grs which is not the optimum bullet weight for the .30/06. If two bolt action match rifles were compared with handloads which optimized their respective cartridges, there would be a very small difference.
 
i keep hearing this type of thing (as posted earlier):
At the peak of the .30-06's use as a competition cartridge, the most accurate rifles using it would shoot groups at 200 yards of about 2 inches, at 300 of about 3 inches. The 600-yard groups were 6 to 7 inches and at 1000 yards about 16 inches. As the high-scoring ring in targets was 3 inches at 200 and 300 yards, 12 inches at 600 and 20 inches at 1000, the top scores fired would have 90+ percent of the shots inside this V-ring.

Along came the 7.62mm NATO and its commercial version; the .308 Winchester. In the best rifles, 200 yard groups were about 3/4ths inch, at 300 about 1-1/2 inch. At 600 yards, groups were about 2-1/2 inch and at 1000 about 7 to 8 inches. It was not very long before the .30-06 round no longer won matches nor set any records; all it's records were broken by the .308 by a considerable margin. Some accuracy tests at 600 yards with the .308 produced test groups in the 1 to 2 inch range. These were 20 to 40 shot groups. No .30-06 has ever come close to shooting that well.
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but how is this possible? i mean all else being equal, AFAIK were talking about the same bullet/barrel but with a slightly longer case and a different powder load. is there such a thing as 'inherent accuracy'?

how is it possible that two cartridges in the same class shooting the same bullet from the same type of gun with the same barrel can have such wildly different group sizes: 3/4" at 200yds vs 2" at 200yds???? something seems fishy. perhaps they were comparing completely different guns?
are there any credible theories behind this 'inherent accuracy' thing? im no expert - not even a reloader - but it doesnt make much logical sense.

if you built on the exact same action, with the same match barrel/twist/respective chamber, and same bullet loaded to the same velocity the .308 will be noticeably more accurate? that sounds illogical.
 
I've got a husky1600 that easily outshoots every 308 i've had 200 yard group of 5/8 with a stout load of imr 4350 & 150 gr ttsx i shot a 5x5 bull elk with it @ 320 yards broke both shoulders I love that rifle to pack around & shoot
 
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