30-06's heavier bullet argument

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trying not to get kicked off of the forum/derided so I didnt call this .308 vs 30-06.

Im about to pick up my first hunting rifle and I'm torn between the two. I reload and I hear 30-06 can handle heavier bullets so it'd have an easier time taking larger game?? Im gonna get a tikka t3 and theyre all the same action length I think so that isnt a factor

planning to hunt deer but it'd be cool if I could use the same gun in the future to go after bigger game.
 
personally, I wouldn't go for either the 308 or 3006, especially if I'm a reloader. But regardless, this is all 'how many angels can dance on the head of a pin' - the differences between the two are academic at best.
 
There really is very little to choose between the two.

Yes, the '06 will handle heavier bullets better, and higher weight in any given diameter (higher sectional density) will give deeper penetration, everything else being equal.

That said, there is very little that a .30 cal 165 grain premium bullet can not reach in any north american game animal.

And if you decide to stick with normal cup-and-core bullets, deer, moose and black bears, under 300 meters, are well within the capabilities of a .308 pushing 160-ish grain bullets.



Of course the guy writing all that ^^^ drivel is converting from .30-06 to .338 WinMag as his primary hunting rifle, so his (my) advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.
 
They're both great rounds, and the main advantage of the 308 is the short action, so if the gun you want has the same action length for both, you might as well go with the '06. For me I use the 308 in a short gun for close / brush hunting (BLR) and a 270 for reaching out farther (Parker Hale M98 bolt action). Dad uses a Remington 760 (pump action) in '06. They all work and work well. Heck, just get both. You need another gun anyway. :)
 
Splatter said:
That said, there is very little that a .30 cal 165 grain premium bullet can not reach in any north american game animal.
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And if you decide that a monometal bullet works for you (like the Barnes TTSX) then weight almost isn't an issue. There isn't much in NA that I wouldn't feel confident taking with a 150gr TTSX out of either a 308 or 30-06 within normal distances. With monometal bullets mass isn't needed for penetration in the same way it is for cup & core bullets that shed mass as they penetrate. The main thing with TTSX bullets is that they're at their best when they're moving fast.
 
My main hunting rifle is a .30-06

I debated the .308 vs .30-06 thoroughly overe and over, and the main advantage that I came up with was that I like saying "ought".

"three-oh-eight" just doesn't have that old-timey feel to it...

Either/or will be just fine. It is true that that the thirty-ought can handle a heavier bullet, but there isn't much around that requires much more than 165-180grns anyway, so when comparing these two it's a moot point.
 
hmm. i do actually like saying ought.

Im not into other calibres so much because of availability/price of these two are pretty awesome, especially .30 cal bullet selection
 
I think the 'ought six' is way ahead of the .308 especially if you want a rifle that can do a job good on a variety of game big animals. You can get some really good moose and bear loads in the 200+ grain bullets in the 'ought six'.

If you decide to handload, you can load a make up some reduced loads for deer if your young son or daughter wants to get into hunting so they can manage the recoil better.

The 'ought six' is Craig Boddington's all time favorite cartridge and he has a military background.
 
For reloading hunting rounds for the same gun in either chamber, I don't see much of a difference. If the question was which gun or which factory load has more options, the .308 has more toys out there. The townies will get in a huff that the 06 is a man's moose gun and the 08 is for deer and pretty boys, but both will put the meat in the freezer.

I bought a used 06 when I was looking for a new 7mm-08 because it was the same gun and easier to resupply. I use 150 gr for deer hunting and keep a handful of 180 around in case a moose trip comes up or someone runs out.
 
I'm a fan of heavier bullets so for that reason I prefer the '06, that and I'm a bit of a Fudd at times;). I shoot 180gr Noslers in mine because I was raised to do that. My Dad used to hunt on the Barrens where there is always the chance, albeit remote, that you could blunder into a grizzly. Were you to do that you would probably be happier with a little more bullet. That said, with some of today's new powders (RL17 and Vihtavuori N550) you can make a 308 behave very similarly to the 30-06. If you can make a 208gr bulelt do 2600 FPS out of a 308 with a healthy but safe dose of these powders then you should be able to get a 180 up to around 2700 FPS which right there with the 30-06.

I shot my first animal with the 30-06 and I've probably used it more than anything else. Modern bullets and powders bring the 308 and 30-06 closer than ever and as such there is little practical difference. It's just nostalgia that keeps the '06 ahead, and that's alright. This game is largely about nostalgia.
 
I didn't read the thread and I'm sure I'm at odds with many here, but here's how I see it:

-Would be peculiar to choose the .308 given the action is a long action as you mention, take the extra capability of the .30-06.

-Yes, the .30-06 does much better with heavier bullets like 200 and 220gr, and I appreciate that as my main hunting focus is very heavy game, African in particular. Not everyone shares the same interests so whether this applies to your reasoning or not is your consideration.

-I find .30-06 easier to source in small towns, hardware shops, etc. More than once I had trouble even finding .308 brass, bizarrely enough. .30-06 is always everywhere.

-.30-06 does outperform .308, no matter what anyone tells you. Difference isn't huge, and in probably 95% of hunting doesn't matter, but it's real. A difference is a difference and I'd choose the more capable even if only by a little when they're the same price, and in the same length action anyhow.

-Basically, you'll gain nothing by choosing the .308, you will actually gain something however small by choosing the .30-06.

-Happy hunting, both kill game. :)
 
It depends. I've sold a lot of newer hunters on the .308 lately as a good do-all for realistic ranges but the '06 is still my preference. For new hunters I expect them to shoot Federal blue box 150's and you get a bit less recoil and blast from a .308, but as I reload for my '06 guns, I tend to load them stout using 180's and run one load for everything. My Rem 700 with it's 24" barrel will drive 180's over 2800 with long case life and no pressure signs, that is a definite step up from what a new hunter will get out of a .308. Does it REALLY matter? No, probably not, but I sure feel good about it.
 
Since you're getting a T-3 you may as well get the 30-06. Short action cartridges in standard length actions don't make a lot of sense.

With light bullets the difference doesn't amount to much. With heavier bullets there is some, and you may as well take it. Personally I tend to leave both my .308 and 30-06s at home and take one of the .300s instead.
 
Ardent said:
I didn't read the thread and I'm sure I'm at odds with many here, but here's how I see it:

-Would be peculiar to choose the .308 given the action is a long action as you mention, take the extra capability of the .30-06.

-Yes, the .30-06 does much better with heavier bullets like 200 and 220gr, and I appreciate that as my main hunting focus is very heavy game, African in particular. Not everyone shares the same interests so whether this applies to your reasoning or not is your consideration.

-I find .30-06 easier to source in small towns, hardware shops, etc. More than once I had trouble even finding .308 brass, bizarrely enough. .30-06 is always everywhere.

-.30-06 does outperform .308, no matter what anyone tells you. Difference isn't huge, and in probably 95% of hunting doesn't matter, but it's real. A difference is a difference and I'd choose the more capable even if only by a little when they're the same price, and in the same length action anyhow.

-Basically, you'll gain nothing by choosing the .308, you will actually gain something however small by choosing the .30-06.

-Happy hunting, both kill game. :)
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Ardent listed the fundamentals of both, and I agree. I have owned both for years and loaded for them in different action types.

Personally I like the .308 in a lever gun for obviously cyclic throw or in auto loaders, where the .308 seems a little slicker. Main reason being approx same gas impusle, but the '06 having more surface area in the chamber gripping the hot swollen brass, and a greater distance to travel rearward. .308 are equally available here in any store, and it seems most makers are loading all kinds of premium bullets for both.

The .308 has become a benchmark in whitetail country especially in lever guns and autos at least here in the east. The .30-06 is over 100 years young, and any man arming himself with one, can get himself out of any predicament, anywhere on this continent.

...now you got me to thinking about that old Rem 7400 in '06, sitting in my safe I want to cut to carbine length, green synthetic furniture, and Parkerize. Knew I shouldn't have logged on.........more money wasted.Oh the missus will be mad at me again:p

Good luck and pick the rifle you like, and choose either except for wanting absolute velocity. In that case it will have to be the ought-six.
 
RememberTheSomme said:
Personally I like the .308 in a lever gun for obviously cyclic throw or in auto loaders, where the .308 seems a little slicker. Main reason being approx same gas impusle, but the '06 having more surface area in the chamber gripping the hot swollen brass, and a greater distance to travel rearward. .308 are equally available here in any store, and it seems most makers are loading all kinds of premium bullets for both.
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Somewhat incorrect. The 30-06 may be longer but it has more case taper than the 308 thus making extraction easier. The more case taper the faster the brass is moved away from the chamber walls. Straighter cases slide against the chamber wall where tapered cases are instantly seperated from the chamber wall as they are drawn rearwards. Hence why the 300 H&H feed, in both directions, like a greased snake.
 
Why the Tikka T3?

I have the T3 hunter in 223, the action is smooth but long action in a shoot cartridge is annoying.

Prefer my XBolt in 30-06. Would get Xbolt in 223 if I had to do it again for short action. If stuck with long action might as well get 30-06 unless you're already reloading 308 and don't want to bother loading another. My preference is for 150gr over 180gr, less recoil for better control.

Finally I like "ought" over "O"
 
Since you want a T-3, get a 30-06 as the action is the same.

What will kill moose better is a toss up. Either one will put a hole completely through a moose.
 
I hunt with my two sons and we all use almost identical Sako's in 30-06:
SS 75,75 Finnlight and 85 Finnlight.
We use the same handloads that perform well in all 3 guns, Barnes 150 gr TTSX at about 3000 ft/sec for all animals.
Guns function the same way and all have Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 Z-plex reticle.

If I want to shoot 180 gr TTSX I take my 300 Win Mag, if I think that I need 225 gr TTSX than 338 Win Mag goes with me.
Boys stick with 30-06 and 150 gr.

30-06 can shoot all mentioned above weights and there are 1982 or so study that chooses 30-06 with 220gr cup and core bullet as one of four recommended cartridges for bear protection after testing something like 50 different cartridges.

You can load Trailboss and 150 gr Hornady SST that is recoiling like 243 for practice or for juniors.
 
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