300 short Mag or 30-06?

300 Short Mag. or 30-06?

  • Total voters
    230
mcp1 said:
If in new gun sales the 300wsm eclipses the 300 win mag and 30-06 thats a nice tidbit of info. Wouldn't something like reloading dies sales or maybe more importantly ammunition sales show which one is more popular?

Lots of guys buying the 300wsm that is "eclipsing" 06 sales probably have an 06 or three in the cabinet since its over a hundred years strong...
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Exactly, I don't need any more 06's as I have 3 and don't have a 300wsm. If I were to buy another gun, 30-06 wouldn't be on my list as I ALREADY OWN SEVERAL. I rarely buy a repeat caliber rifle unless its unique or specific to a situation for hunting. (such as a super light mountain rifle. I already own a 270 win , but the gun is awful heavy for mountain schlepping. But seeing as I love the caliber , I would buy one in a 6.5 lb gun if I was going Dall sheep hunting. )
I have several magnums. (.300wm and .338wm) and there is nothing the short mags do that those don't. But dead is dead. I can kill the same animals with any of the guns, but you can't beat the ol' .30-06 for pure ease of cycling, recoil, ammo availability, versatility, and number of rounds in your gun. (the effective range of bullet weights the .30-06 shoots well is staggering. I load a 110 gr V-max for plinking, but keep 180's and I even have about 100 loaded 220 grainers for the bigger stuff. The short neck on the wsm doesn't fare as well with the bigger,longer bullets.
 
voted .06

I spent a few hours yesterday sighting in 2 rifles in these calibers. The .06 was a Ruger No.1 and the .300WSM was a Blaser R93 Offroad.
I'm indifferent to recoil but found that the 30.06 was more pleasant to fire. The .300WSM is a high octane performer so you get a bit more of a violent pop at the bench (totally worth it though!)
In summary I feel that the .06 would be better for fledgling shooters getting used to recoil.
 
All around hunting rifle, the best is a 30/06. If you plan on target shooting also, then a .308 is a better choice. If you don't plan on hunting deer, and only plan on shooting big game, like Elk and Moose, then a 300wsm or 300win mag is the way to go. If you plan on shooting Deer, Elk, Moose, and Black Bear, then 30/06 is the way to go all the way because of the wide selection of hunting ammunition is second to none other.
 
bscott said:
I'm ready to purchace an all round rifle and can't decide between the 300 short Mag. or the 30-06. Any suggestions out there?
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Your idea of an all around rifle may be different from mine, but regardless of the question, the .300 WSM is the wrong answer. I can understand the indecision which might arise between a .30/06 and a .300 Winchester or a .300 H&H, but not between a long action .30/06 and a short action .300 WSM. A .300 WSM might be an option for someone who wants to hot rod his .308, but the idea of a .300 magnum in a short, light, mountain rifle makes my head ache.

A warning to those who might be drawn in by a .300 magnum's impressive ballistics; the .30/06 in a standard weight sporter represents the upper limit of recoil tolerance for occasional shooters, so be prepared to download your .300 magnum to more pleasant levels until you acquire a taste for recoil. A moderate .30 caliber cartridge like the .30/06 can be down loaded for small game with pointed FMJ bullets loaded to 1600 fps, or loaded heavy with 240 gr Woodleighs at 2400 fps for buffalo, and do it with manageable recoil and blast.

If velocity alone is the point of the exercise, no commercial .30 caliber cartridge compares to the .30-378. If you want the most intimidating .30 caliber cartridge from the point of view of recoil, blast, and cost, this is the one.

Should cast bullet shooting interest you, the '06 is a better choice than any .300 magnum with the exception of the old H&H due to the long neck of the latter and the short necks of the former. Exposing the lube grooves to the hot gases within the case body can result in excessive lead fouling, so the neck of the cartridge needs to be long enough to contain the length of the shank, while it is seated short enough to cycle through the magazine. Either the .30/06 or the .300 H&H are the best choices here.
 
Thanks to everyone who responded to my poll, your opinions and advice were helpful. I settled on a Sako A7, 30-06 with a 50 mm Leopold VXL scope (B and C sights).
 
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