What’s the real difference between…

Zack1513

Zack1513

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I’m trying to decide between a .308 and a .30-06. I don’t know too much about rifles quite yet but I’m trying to learn, any advice?
 
Depends on how you are going to use it. If you feel a need to shoot 180-220gr bullets go with the 30-06. If you will be shooting 165 or lighter, go 308 - some 308 loads are actually faster than 30-06 with same bullet weight. I've got several 30-06s (few M1 Garands) and 1 308, not much difference to me.
 
OBXPilgrim said:
Depends on how you are going to use it. If you feel a need to shoot 180-220gr bullets go with the 30-06. If you will be shooting 165 or lighter, go 308 - some 308 loads are actually faster than 30-06 with same bullet weight. I've got several 30-06s (few M1 Garands) and 1 308, not much difference to me.
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If you handload the 06 will always be faster then the 308, 06 just has more case capacity.
 
Zack1513 said:
I’m trying to decide between a .308 and a .30-06. I don’t know too much about rifles quite yet but I’m trying to learn, any advice?
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As some others have noted, the 30-06 has a slightly bigger case. That allows either a little more velocity with the same weight bullet or good velocity with slightly larger bullets. If you decide to hunt large bear or elk, it might be worth it. For Carolina Deer, not that big a deal. Because the 30-06 is physically longer than the 308, the receiver of a rifle must be longer to accommodate it. That generally makes the rifle heavier, longer, and makes the bolt throw longer and slightly more awkward. There are some who argue that the 308's shorter receiver makes it slightly more accurate, but with today's rifles, it is not a big deal.

You may occasionally hear people saying that the the 308 equals the 30-06. That is not quite true. It is more accurate to say: "Modern 308 cartridges with modern propellants pretty much equal what the 30-06 could do in 1906 using 1906 propellants." Over the years, gunpowders (propellants) and bullets have improved. The 30-06 was fielded in 1906 with 1906 propellant and bullet technology. Over the years, propellants and bullets got better. The US Military, however, had pretty much decided that it liked the 30-06 performance as it was originally fielded in 1906. As propellant technology improved, they needed less of it to get the same performance. In the 1950's it occurred to the US Military that a slightly smaller 30 caliber cartridge could give the same performance that they wanted. The 308 (or 7.62x51) was invented to allow a shorter cartridge which allowed them to reduce the amount of brass in the cases and reduce the size and weight of weapons. The shorter, lighter 308 cartridge also allowed a soldier to carry a few more rounds of ammo for the same weight and space.

If the 30-06 is loaded with modern components, it improves on its 1906 performance and becomes slightly more powerful than the 308. This is mainly because you can fit more modern propellant into the larger 30-06 case.
 
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I'll answer from a different perspective. If there's ever a long-term civil disruption and people are left scrounging for scraps, there's likely going to be more .308 scraps than 30.06 scraps. Making your own .308 uses fewer resources.
Might not matter to you, but I consider this with every firearm I purchase.
 
I agree with Timfoilhat. Most of my "arsenal" is military and police calibers due to the amount of it around - if things ever get real tight some calibers - especially odd ones (not that 30.06 is odd) - will become unobtainium.
 
If you’re hunting the 30-06 is arguably one of the most versatile rounds for anything in North America. It’s not the flattest shooting or the most powerful but the bullet weight options cover most game aside from the biggest bears and even then I’m sure a fair amount of them have been taken with it.

Another plus in non-SHTF situations and the current ammo climate excepted 30-06 is one of the easiest to find ammo for, especially with different bullet weights.
 
.30-06 has more variety for hunting loads while .308 has better match target loads for factory ammo. They are very close for factory ammo though. .30-06 shines in heavier bullets where the .308 case capacity becomes and issue.
 
Every post is a nugget of good information. I'll just add my $.02:
1. 30-06 is a long action vs. .308 short action
2. 30-06 has more recoil than .308
3. Both offer a vast array of potential bullet loads... you can load for varmint all the way to elk
4. I do not know what it is... but it through experience, it SEEMS that either has a devastating effect on animal tissue than other calibers.

I do not know how to explain the last one... we have skinned and processed hundreds of deer over the decades... There is just something about that .30 caliber bullet and speed that opens HUGE wound channels; greater than calibers with more energy. I don't know why... but observations at the hunting camp seem to support my hypothesis in point 4. So much that I lost a deer a few years ago from a 80 yard shot that passed though the right lung top. The caliber was .300 Win Mag with 208gr A-Max. After searching for a day in the Mountains and not finding that deer, I looked over at my daughter with her .308 and she knew what I was thinking... "Dad, my .308 would have put him down quickly" and she was right.
 
VA_GENTLEMAN said:
Every post is a nugget of good information. I'll just add my $.02:
1. 30-06 is a long action vs. .308 short action
2. 30-06 has more recoil than .308
3. Both offer a vast array of potential bullet loads... you can load for varmint all the way to elk
4. I do not know what it is... but it through experience, it SEEMS that either has a devastating effect on animal tissue than other calibers.

I do not know how to explain the last one... we have skinned and processed hundreds of deer over the decades... There is just something about that .30 caliber bullet and speed that opens HUGE wound channels; greater than calibers with more energy. I don't know why... but observations at the hunting camp seem to support my hypothesis in point 4. So much that I lost a deer a few years ago from a 80 yard shot that passed though the right lung top. The caliber was .300 Win Mag with 208gr A-Max. After searching for a day in the Mountains and not finding that deer, I looked over at my daughter with her .308 and she knew what I was thinking... "Dad, my .308 would have put him down quickly" and she was right.
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Anecdotally I saw that with .300 Win. Mag as well. I used a .308 for the last thirty or deer I’ve shot and the 150 gr. Winchester PowerPoint exited almost every time and did massive tissue damage from 25-300 yards. I saw deer shot with .300 Magnum and .270 WSM that ran further and had less tissue damage. I’m sure some of the bullets were bonded and expanded less but in one case they were silver tip ballistic tips. I wondered if in the .300 they had a thicker jacket causing less expansion but I have no evidence of this.
 
Mack270 said:
Anecdotally I saw that with .300 Win. Mag as well. I used a .308 for the last thirty or deer I’ve shot and the 150 gr. Winchester PowerPoint exited almost every time and did massive tissue damage from 25-300 yards. I saw deer shot with .300 Magnum and .270 WSM that ran further and had less tissue damage. I’m sure some of the bullets were bonded and expanded less but in one case they were silver tip ballistic tips. I wondered if in the .300 they had a thicker jacket causing less expansion but I have no evidence of this.
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That's just weird isn't it? I am sure Litz could explain it... but it has got to be the right combo of speed and sectional density in the .308 and -06.
 
I have both and I like both. I have equal amounts of feed for both. To me they are as useful as any other cartridge for hunting. Wide availability of bullet grain weights. Almost every country boy has had a 30/06. Both can get most jobs done.
 
other than case capacities, actions short vs. long, velocities, not much.
LC Match 06 & FA Match ammo is real good if you have a decent 03
or Garand to shoot em, there's plenty of 7.62 brass out there, 30.06
was lucky enough to purchase several 1,000 LC 68-69 Demil from
Frank at Wideners decades ago. Have a few 30 cal rifles, many in
7.62, 30.06, 300 WM the first 2 in different types, Bolts, Semi's, Semi's
ranging from issue M1A's- Super Match (Kreiger Bbl), HK's, FNFAL,
Garands Issue- NM, 03's-03A3's. There is Match 06 ammo out there,
Hornady makes some (I think) never tried it.

the first rifle I bought when I was a "sprout" was an old M70 Winchester
30.06 after looking over all the others, details, loads, etc.

"If" I was buying today would be a 7.62, 300WM, 338LM, 50BMG in that
range. oops my favoirte "The Swede", then spread out to 5.56, 220 Swift,
243, 25.06, 7MM Mag, 375 H&H 458WM or 460 Weatherby. the others
6.5CM, 300BO and the like would be last. Just an Opinion..

7.62 / 308 loaded with some Sierra 168's or some Bergers 155gr-175gr.
are real accurate
30.06 will shoot good also with the same 168's-175's in the NM Garand

-Snoopz
 
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