308 vs 30.06 - Vanity

[bill1952]

Hi.

I'm just getting back into hunting and target shooting, initially to 1,000 yards. Game would be whitetail deer.

Target shoots would be for both single shot accuracy and for grouping multiple shots. I'm looking for information on the .308 vs the 30.06 And any other suggestions would be fine.

I grew up with the 30.06, (gamemaster & Springfield bolt) but several people are telling me its time to look at the .308 particularly since it may become harder to find 30.06 if times in this country become tough, and 308 ammo is everywhere.

What are your ideas on long range target calibers?

I don't want an esoteric sniper rifle that won't last to practice with without burning out the barrel, but a good flat long range rifle/caliber/load(s) that I can practice with, and would be practical for hunting as well.

I'm not looking at mouse killers at this time. Thats another thread 8^)

[bill1952]

Who are the experts here?

[Yo-Yo]

The keyword "banglist" has been added. The experts lurk there.

[absolootezer0]

.30-06 shoots the same bullet as .308, just faster. if you're really shooting out to 1,000yds, ammo availability is a non-issue.. you should be loading your own.
how much are you looking to spend on a rifle?

[carlr]

I have never shot a .308 so I can`t comment.
I have shot deer with a .30-06 and it is a fine cartridge.I don`t think ammo availability will ever be a problem.
I use 150 grain factory ammo in a Remington 700 with a Redfield 3x9 scope.

Works well for me.

[Jontherocks]

.243 small game - .270 large game

nuff said

[bill1952]

Money isn't too big an issue, but I'm not going crazy on it.

A couple/few k would be upper end, and I'd like to invest less at first, save the money to practice a lot, learn the new arms, then think about the next step up.

I'm not looking to compete nationally or anything like that.

Too expensive.
Now getting the wife interested with a rifle of her own might be interesting, as well. :^)

[Jibaholic]

Go the The Firing Line. There is a lot of wisdom (and as anywhere, plenty of noise) on those boards.

[bill1952]

I've never used the .270

[freedumb2003]

308 vs 30.06

I would say the winner would the one who shoots first and best.

[Michael Goldsberry]

I don't own a 30.06, but I love my .308. It's hard to imagine beating that thing on accuracy.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/model_700_VLS.asp

[absolootezer0]

if you're gonna practice alot, i'd say get a nice heavy barrel .308. a .30-06 kicks significantly more, and is not as common in bench rest rifles. plus, either buying ammo, or the reloading components will be cheaper in .308.
also you should spend about as much on the scope as you do the rifle. optics are very important- you can't hit what you can't see.

[Servant of the 9]

I wouldn't worry too much about the long range hunting until you can consistently shoot 5" groups at the range you mentioned, 1,000 yards, under field conditions, not ideal range conditions.

And when you can do that, you should consider entering the National Matches at Camp Perry.

So9

[VRing]

and target shooting, initially to 1,000 yards.

If you are serious about long range shooting, give up on any of the .30s. The 6.5 RULES the ranges past 600 yards and for good reason. The .308 lacks case capacity to drive a long, high BC bullet fast enough to be competitive against a 6.5. The 30-06 is a fine, high capacity round but I've never seen on on the long line.

[go_W_go]

Never tried any long range hunting, but there is a renowned instructional video on the subject.

http://www.thebestofthewest.net/howtoshoot.htm

Seen the show on The Mens Channel. Pretty impressive.

There's also a 7 minute promotional clip on the website:

http://www.thebestofthewest.net/longrangeshootingforhunters.html

[HiJinx]

My B-i-L shoots LBR (Little Bench Rest) with a 6.5mm or a .308 almost exclusively.

.308 also is a wholly adequate deer cartridge.

For versatility, the .308 is a winner.

FWIW, he shoots at Three Points outside of Tucson, AZ, and routinely shoots 6-7" 5-shot groups.

[PzLdr]

First, where are you hunting? If it's open, and the shots are wide. look at a .270 WSM, or a .325 WSM. If you're hunting the woods of the NE, .3030 is fine, especially in a short barreled "brush gun". Second, how big are the deer? With really big deer, I'd go up in caliber. With smaller deer, I might go down to a .25 WSM.

As to the .308 vs. .30-06, I shoot 308. For reasons no one can explain, it's inherently more accurate. That may have something to do with the shorter action and the inherently stiffer frame. 30 -06 used to have the advantage in sheer numbers of bullet weights, but as .308 has gotten more popular that gap has narrowed, although you still usually find heavier bullets in .30-06. .308 kicks less than .30-06, which I prefer. And with shorter arms, I prefer a shorter rifle.

As for targets, most competitors shoot .223, .308 or one of the specialized rounds. In targets .308s far output .30-06s in the number of shooters utilizing the round.

[sig226]

The '06 will provide a better selection of ammunition for a variety of hunts - anything from low recoil, soft bullets up to 220 grain round nose bullets that will kill a polar bear. Ammunition availability is not a factor. .30 - 06 ammuniton is the second most popular rifle caliber, second only to the .22 Long Rifle.

Accuracy is a factor. The .308 will always be more accurate than a comparable .30 - 06. The theory is the shorter cartridge produces better accuracy. Don't know why that is, but decades of benchrest shooters have certainly proved it.

The .308 is a little lighter than the .30 - 06 because the action is shorter. It's also a good round for anything up to an elk. I wouldn't reccommend the .308 for moose or big bears because those animals can be dangerous when wounded (the '06 is not the best idea for this, either, but it can do it better than the '08.) If you plan to hunt medium size game, the .308 is excellent. You can kill deer, pronghorns, black bear, and elk with it. You don't have as many choices for ammunition with the .308, but if you don't plan to hunt the big stuff, who cares?

One thing that does matter - you can get .30 -06 rounds anywhere in this country. Most out of the way shops will have some .308 ammunition, but the chance of finding the ammunition you want is a little better with the .30 -06.

For glass, get the Leupold VX - I. When they upgraded the Vari - X II design, they used all the old technology to make the VX - I. It's a great scope, and relatively inexpensive and light. It will also last forever.

You should be able to get a Remington 700 with the Leupold scope on it for about $900 in either caliber. I like Browning rifles, but they kick like a mother******, so I avoid them.

[looscnnn]

I don`t think ammo availability will ever be a problem.

I was going to say that also, there are way too many of them that are owned for the ammo to be discontinued. If anything there could come a time were there would be a shortage, but that would require a revolution against our own government.

[looscnnn]

The thing to remember is to think about where you will be hunting and then select the bullet weight from there. Are you going to be in woods were a stick/twig/small branch may be encountered during shooting. If so, heavier bullets are better.

I used to hunt in woods in MI and so I would use 180 grain bullets. I use Winchester SilverTips (the originals). I have a box of original Black Talons in 180 grain that I have not shot yet. I was contemplating reloding using the Combined Technologies FailSafe bullets but I am looking at the Barnes TSX bullets.

[bill1952]

The hunting would be in Pa.
I'd love to hunt out West someday.