newb 30-06 vs 308 vs 300wm?

As always, the question is "Why not choose a 30-06?"

There certainly are good reasons to choose something else, but if you have to ask what they are, then they probably don't apply to you.
 
I wanted an upgrade from the old 303 and tried a friend's 300wm, not enjoyable. I leaned 308 over 30-06, because it was the most fun of the 3 to shoot. Which for me means more practice rounds in the off season.
 
A little more information would help. Where do you hunt, range, how recoil sensitive are you? I’ve hunted with all 3 and taken game with each. The 300 we is great on moose (use a good bullet) at range but in close it rips up core style bullets. The 308 & 30-06 are close so no game can tell difference of well placed shot. A good fitting gun in most standard- middle cal will work well with good bullets.
 
It appears the best solution is to get one rifle in each caliber mentioned ……because there is a 98% chance it will happen anyways, ( we all started with your question) and …… every hunter learns to explain to their spouse why they need a back up rifle in case somethings happens to whatever your current one is ��. Your welcome
 
I think with these three calibres, the first question should be what rifles are you looking at and how recoil sensitive are you, even a 30 06 might bother some people in say a Tikka where something like an old Parker Hale or a Weatherby Vanguard might be fine. For myself I was never that recoil sensitive, when I was young the extra noise of a 300WM made me jump. Find a rifle that fits you and that you like, and any of the three you mention will be fine. I had a good friend that had a Tikka in .338 it was new in the box with an added Limbsaver pad, after about two years, I finally sighted it in for Him before He would shoot it. He never did get comfortable with it and a 338s recoil is close to a 300wm when bullet weights are equal, so also factor the rifle into this decision.
 
Get what you want, and shoot the hell out of it. Whether you get it right or wrong the first time; you’re always going to wonder until you do them all anyway.

If the 308 wasn’t a light recoiling cartridge that a 17 year old kid could shoot, that the Americans pulled a fast one on NATO because they had uncountable billions of 30 cal bullets there wouldn’t be a .308. If the 300 Win didn’t offer more performance at a higher cost in pennies for a handloader and more recoil that many fnd worth it, there wouldn’t be a 300 Win. If the 30/40 Krag didn’t suck so bad, there wouldn’t have been a 30’03 never mind an ‘06. There’s no no particular magic to calibers, all 3 are good for something, and none are the best at anything. They’re all light rifles in the grander scheme of things.
 
Im a big 300win mag fan with 180g ttsx. For a one gun guy this would be my choice…. If you can handle the recoil. Everything from deer to grizz. I have shot many rifles chambered in 30-06 that also beat the $&:t out of your shoulder.
 
308 will kill lots of stuff.
Plus if you leave home and forget your ammo, then any store that sells ammo in a nearby town will most likely have at least one box of 308 (as well as 223 Rem) on hand.
Other cartridges... maybe not.
 
If you get a 300 WM with a brake, you get the best of all worlds except noise and ear buds will take care of that.
 
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