For what application? I am no magnum fan, but I do know they have a place for those who need a heavier bullet for heavier game, sometimes at longer distance. The trick is to be able to be proficient with that magnum cartridge to make full use of the advantages they offer.
A different spin on the 308 vs 300wm
- Thread starter brybenn
- Start date
That's what makes the 30-06 such a great cartridge, it bridges the gap between the smaller cases and the magnums with out giving up much either way. For where and what I hunt, I would not trade my 30-06 for a magnum.
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The vast majority of my animals ( caribou, bear & moose) have all been taken with 150 - 165gr .308win.
I am very comfortable taking an animal out to 500m which is my max comfort zone for hunting.
If I am intentionally going to set up for long shots I'll go for the .300wm otherwise .308 is my go to each and every time as most shots are 250m or less. That's just me and what I do based on my personal experiences and skill level.
For ammo cost & availability as well as comfort ( felt recoil / weight etc) I would always suggest a .308win to anyone as its more than capable of taking NA game and can usually outshoot the skill lev of most hunters.
Regardless, there is no substitute for practice no matter the caliber and shot placement is key so real trigger time at various distances is what makes you a more successful and ethical hunter.
I am very comfortable taking an animal out to 500m which is my max comfort zone for hunting.
If I am intentionally going to set up for long shots I'll go for the .300wm otherwise .308 is my go to each and every time as most shots are 250m or less. That's just me and what I do based on my personal experiences and skill level.
For ammo cost & availability as well as comfort ( felt recoil / weight etc) I would always suggest a .308win to anyone as its more than capable of taking NA game and can usually outshoot the skill lev of most hunters.
Regardless, there is no substitute for practice no matter the caliber and shot placement is key so real trigger time at various distances is what makes you a more successful and ethical hunter.
Many .30 cal magnums offer similar performance
.300 WSM is nice because you get a shorter action = a handier rifle
.300 Weatherby Mag is a slight step up in performance from the Win Mag and the WSM and you get the Weatherby “cool factor” if that matters (I like Wby but it’s not a scientific thing lol), but you’ll pay more for factory ammo
.300 PRC ammo is now also commonly available and it’s another good option especially if you want heavier bullets, the rifles are set up from the factory to take full advantage of 212, 225 gr etc bullets. Again, more expensive ammo than the Win & WSM
And then there’s the .300 Norma as someone mentioned, the .300 RUM, .30-378 Wby Mag (which is insane but if you must have the fastest .30 cal around she’s your girl), and others, all of which are going to be less commonly available in rifles and factory ammo and very costly to shoot, plus a lot of recoil. That’s not to say don’t get one of them; I think you should shoot something you enjoy owning even if it’s for no good reason, as long as you’re informed beforehand and prepare accordingly.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
One of the biggest factors in shooting well is confidence. If you shoot a rifle quite a bit and have lots of confidence in it then that’s the rifle you should use and you shouldn’t move up to a bigger caliber until you are confident that you can shoot it well enough to ethically kill game.
use a good bullet. I hunt or rather hunted with a 280 in the last few years. I’ve used a 308 and been happy with its effectiveness on all game. I loved my 300 WM but had a S 200 gr BT come apart on a close moose. It shook some of my confidence in the cartridge, but it was a bullet construction problem. How sensitive are you to recoil? There is no reason the 308 with a 165 can’t do all you want, if you can do your part.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Some of my point will echo what others have pointed out already. There will always be magazine article informed opinions, and everyone has their favourite cartridges.
I had a 30-06 Remington gas-auto when I started hunting in Quebec and brought it with me in Saskatchewan. It was my centrefire rifle for a few season. Sighted at typical Prairie distances, that particular gun shot vertical groups and I could not tune it any better. Discussing my results with an old target shooter and hunter, I came away thinking a 300 WM would be a better choice. Not for power, but trajectory. A 160 or 165gr bullet at 3200 fps has a flatter arc and longer maximum point blank range than the same bullet at say, 2800 fps from a smaller capacity cartridge. I'm strong enough to shoulder a 300 WM, and it was an easy change. That Centurion conversion of a P'14 with a Model 1917 bolt did me very well. I shot it enough to decide somethings needed to be better.
The comment about bullet performance cannot be ignored. I typically chose Partitions or Ballistic Tips for deer and elk. I also tried Bergers (forget which type) for an antelope hunt because I wanted fast and very flat trajectory. There was not enough resistance in that speed goat's body to expand the solid bullet when it hit. That goat got running and all I got out of that hunt was a blood speck on a rock.
I had a 30-06 Remington gas-auto when I started hunting in Quebec and brought it with me in Saskatchewan. It was my centrefire rifle for a few season. Sighted at typical Prairie distances, that particular gun shot vertical groups and I could not tune it any better. Discussing my results with an old target shooter and hunter, I came away thinking a 300 WM would be a better choice. Not for power, but trajectory. A 160 or 165gr bullet at 3200 fps has a flatter arc and longer maximum point blank range than the same bullet at say, 2800 fps from a smaller capacity cartridge. I'm strong enough to shoulder a 300 WM, and it was an easy change. That Centurion conversion of a P'14 with a Model 1917 bolt did me very well. I shot it enough to decide somethings needed to be better.
The comment about bullet performance cannot be ignored. I typically chose Partitions or Ballistic Tips for deer and elk. I also tried Bergers (forget which type) for an antelope hunt because I wanted fast and very flat trajectory. There was not enough resistance in that speed goat's body to expand the solid bullet when it hit. That goat got running and all I got out of that hunt was a blood speck on a rock.
I hate to say it, but 30-06 is the best all round cartridge, lots of other works perfectly fine, and some are twins in performances, but if you wanna keep it simple, have a rifle that doesn’t recoil too much, that there is plenty of “affordable” ammo, good to at least to 400m, it is a no brainer imo!
Up here it is legal for everything from mouse to bison! You could have 3-4 of them with different optics, loaded with different bullets, one in SS with synthetic stocks, one super light for mountain/stalking style hunting, one custom with nice wood and deep blue steel, one semiautomatic for fast flowing shot, one beater open sighted to keep in the truck….
Sky is the limit with a 30-06…
Up here it is legal for everything from mouse to bison! You could have 3-4 of them with different optics, loaded with different bullets, one in SS with synthetic stocks, one super light for mountain/stalking style hunting, one custom with nice wood and deep blue steel, one semiautomatic for fast flowing shot, one beater open sighted to keep in the truck….
Sky is the limit with a 30-06…
I'd rather shoot a 300 WSM over a 300 WMag. Almost the same power but a tad less recoil. With a 180 grain bullet it can drop game moose and Elk out to 6oo yards or so. I also like the 30-06 which is good to 450 yards, and a 270 which is good to 400 yards. I haven't used a 308 much so i have very little to say about it. I rate it as a better deer rifle then a moose gun. Although it can bring down a moose out to reasonable yardages.
I'm curious how you're arriving at these ranges that X cartridge is "good" to. Not saying you're wrong, nothing can truly be proven in this kind of discussion anyway, it just sounds rather absolute for an answer to an equation with so many variables. People base their decisions on different data and I always find it interesting to hear others' perspectives.
Re: 30-06 suggestions
This topic always does seem to come up at Moose Camp every year.
As the topic went round the table and the merits (good bad or indifferent) were discussed, I casually threw out that one could get by with any of the Five main Cals common to Ont. and not have to worry about much in terms of game effectiveness (Deer, Bear, Moose) or want for more.
.308 Win
30-06 Spr
270Win
7mm RM
300 WM
The room got quiet.. and then pretty much everyone agreed save for one (staunch 338WM user)
Any of those above five will serve their user well in this Prov (Ont), whether you hunt all three, two or just one of them exclusively.
Since we are talking Moose, if you were to walk into any Moose Camp or happen across another gang afield, I’d easily state that the predominate Cals are 270 or 30-06 without fail. Occasionally a .308, maybe the odd 7mm or 300Win/WSM, rarely if at all any of the new PRCs. Sure you might see 7-08, 243Win, 280Rem, 30-30Win, but mostly 270/30-06…
As an example In our Camp of eight there’s four 270’s , three ‘06s, one 300Wby (my alternate) and one 338WM. Probably a common theme in most Camps…
To bring it back full circle re; 30-06/270 suggestions…
You can call it boring, Fuddness, whatever, but reality is it says a lot about their long track record and effectiveness here in Ont.
This topic always does seem to come up at Moose Camp every year.
As the topic went round the table and the merits (good bad or indifferent) were discussed, I casually threw out that one could get by with any of the Five main Cals common to Ont. and not have to worry about much in terms of game effectiveness (Deer, Bear, Moose) or want for more.
.308 Win
30-06 Spr
270Win
7mm RM
300 WM
The room got quiet.. and then pretty much everyone agreed save for one (staunch 338WM user)
Any of those above five will serve their user well in this Prov (Ont), whether you hunt all three, two or just one of them exclusively.
Since we are talking Moose, if you were to walk into any Moose Camp or happen across another gang afield, I’d easily state that the predominate Cals are 270 or 30-06 without fail. Occasionally a .308, maybe the odd 7mm or 300Win/WSM, rarely if at all any of the new PRCs. Sure you might see 7-08, 243Win, 280Rem, 30-30Win, but mostly 270/30-06…
As an example In our Camp of eight there’s four 270’s , three ‘06s, one 300Wby (my alternate) and one 338WM. Probably a common theme in most Camps…
To bring it back full circle re; 30-06/270 suggestions…
You can call it boring, Fuddness, whatever, but reality is it says a lot about their long track record and effectiveness here in Ont.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I read of it referred to as a "picket fence" - not much difference one to next one - have to get several feet apart on the fence to find different boards or different spacings - or the differences might not even exist, at all. But, life and discussions likely terribly boring if everyone used the same - so wildcatters and marketers work "hard" to convince some folk that the particular cartridge has some attribute that makes it way different then the one before or after it. Most often boils down to what did Dad use. Or GrandPa. Basically, was about cost to buy the rifle - now-a-days often cost to buy the ammo - perhaps why logos so prominent on many new guns - is a "status" symbol, not really a functional difference.
I agree, most of it if not all of it is pure marketing, a way to make you me want more different but not better in most cases!
The only magnum I own is not called magnum cause it can reach further but just because it beat the shyte out of you lol do I needed that rifle in that caliber, not at all… but it was a great deal on a real classic configuration and caliber….
The only magnum I own is not called magnum cause it can reach further but just because it beat the shyte out of you lol do I needed that rifle in that caliber, not at all… but it was a great deal on a real classic configuration and caliber….
In BC, at least in my circle friends and acquaintances, the common suggestion for a first hunting rifle is a 300 WM or 7 RM. I try to steer newer shooters to a 30-06 or the like but I haven't had much luck. At the very lease I try to get them test out their chose rifle/chambering before their buy it. A 6.5 pounds tikka t3 300 WM with a lightweight leupold scope is a bit too much recoil much for most shooters.
A 6.5 pound Tikka t3 in 300WM with a light scope is probably too much recoil to shoot off a lead sled
I personally haven't hunted anything bigger than deer, but I can't imagine any game in NA that would require much beyond a 180gr bonded freedom seed from a Turdy-odd-Six.
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My last 300wm I could barely break 2900fps with 180gr bullets without flattening primers. Even factory loads were right around 2900fps with 180s. I shot a 3006 with some superformance loads and they were 2900fps. I've since sold both guns but really makes you wonder
Personally I find the 308 just boring and have a hard time liking it. I really like the rifle set up I have chambered in 308 right now so I keep it. Slowly playing with loads for it. I know it will do anything I need for hunting but I think it's mostly because I've shot long action cartridges for so long it's just what I'm used to
I agree the 270 7rm 308 3006 all over lap so much they're interchangeable whereas I feel the 300 magnums step up enough to separate themselves. That separation comes after 250 yards for me. I've never had an issue with a 300wm other than one rifle that liked to spike pressures with not much velocity.
I shot a 30 378 for an afternoon and it was just brutal. Recoil was super fast and sharp. Really slapped my face but the muzzle blast was rediculus on that thing
Personally I find the 308 just boring and have a hard time liking it. I really like the rifle set up I have chambered in 308 right now so I keep it. Slowly playing with loads for it. I know it will do anything I need for hunting but I think it's mostly because I've shot long action cartridges for so long it's just what I'm used to
I agree the 270 7rm 308 3006 all over lap so much they're interchangeable whereas I feel the 300 magnums step up enough to separate themselves. That separation comes after 250 yards for me. I've never had an issue with a 300wm other than one rifle that liked to spike pressures with not much velocity.
I shot a 30 378 for an afternoon and it was just brutal. Recoil was super fast and sharp. Really slapped my face but the muzzle blast was rediculus on that thing
I spent some time shooting a couple of rifles off my tripod, set up for how I plan to set up in the field. Practicing at 200 and 290 yds just to make sure I understood where the bullets would impact.
Scoutertracker
CGN Regular
- Location
- North Bay, ON
Okay.
Because I've done it. Also 150 yards with a 30-30 on deer with open sights.
