.308 Win or 30-06 Springfield

I would skip the Cerberus, and get a Savage in either Caliber. Better accuracy, trigger, stock, safety, and price.
30-06 will have the slight edge in power.
 
So even if I go to Alaska once, which is likely, I'll be short changing myself with a .308? Or any time I hunt larger than White Tail game? Where do the options for .308 fall off as far as bullet weight (grains)?
 
OK ,I live in Alaska!!! I have owned everything from .308 up to my present fav., .45-70 & .458 Win Mag. IMHO leave the .308 at home, it's best for Mule Deer and down. .30-06 is kinda considered minimul up here for general hunting. If you come to Alaska to hunt even remotely dangerous game to include Moose GET USE To MOA and do it with 200-220 grn bullets. Don't shoot your gun in with 150-180 grainers and say you will ajust up to a heavier buller up here. WRONG you are asking for missed shoots or poor at least.

Everything and I mean everything has to be taken to account, weather, humidity, elevation, temp. uphill vs downhill shots. TRUST ME ON THIS!!! If you plan a trip and with you being an out of stater it would be better with a guide. There are unguide hunts just not for Dangerous game. If you go out on the Islands around the state you have to assume the worst case scenario, BROWN BEAR. I was just talking to a friend the otherday that it took 5 rounds from a .375 H&H Mag in the boiler room of a Coastal Brown before it nosed over. This is why shot placement is critical mass. You are standing a chance at being charged in close quarters, adrenaline, fear, excitement, weather conditions, YOUR PHYSICAL CONDITION will take a major role in what goes down or NOT. Don't mean to be negitive or even straying from your original gun talk but believe me all of this needs to taken into acct Bro. If it was me the old Alskan standby is the .338 Win Mag. Ammo is available everywhere cause it is one of the most popular rounds up here. When I'm stompin thru thick undergrowth I go with my .45-70 or .458 They work period!!! If you are hunting more open areas .300 Win Mag (another popular round)-.338 Win Mag is better a choice.

Everyone knows the ABILITY of the .30-06, question is what is your ability. I am not running you down or being negitive towards you in any shape or manner. Just want you to come and enjoy yourself and go home in the same conditon as you showed up. Alive, safe and going home with a grin on your face for a hunt well done. Like I said .30-06 is butt ugly MINIMUM>>>
 
I have owned a couple of 30.06's and .308's over the years. Both calibres have similar knock down power with similar grain ammunition. 308 ammo is generally cheaper and more available.

If going to Alaska you might want to consider a 300 magnum which gives you the flexibility of going after very large animals at decent ranges.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
I would skip the Cerberus, and get a Savage in either Caliber. Better accuracy, trigger, stock, safety, and price.
30-06 will have the slight edge in power.
Click to expand...

I know Savage to be a well made rifle, but the US military and 50 years of proven performance cant be wrong. Plus I've already decided on the 700 and will be purchasing it soon. If I second guess that, I'll never own a hunting rifle.
 
The .308 has a smaller case with less powder capacity and so generates a little less velocity with the same bullet. For this reason, it kicks a little less. The .308 does have a reputation for accuracy, but in reality you’ll find accuracy is more a result of rifle build quality than the choice between these two cartridges. There are plenty of sub-MOA .30-06 rifles out there, and the Remington 700 is a good bet for out-of-the-box accuracy. The difference in action length is insignificant for hunting purposes, in my opinion.

The .30-06 is loaded in more factory combinations of bullet type, weight and velocity than any other round. By choosing specialty rounds for the .30-06 offered from a host of manufacturers, you can duplicate the performance of magnum cartridges such as the 7mm Rem Mag or the .300 Win Mag. This is a big plus on large game. Also, as was stated earlier, if your gun makes it to your destination on an airplane but your ammo doesn’t, you can typically find a decent selection of .30-06 hunting ammo at just about any hardware store in North America.

Go to federalcartridge.com and hornady.com to compare ballistics of the two cartridges, as well as offerings of specialty loads for both with enhanced performance. As a rule of thumb, recommended terminal energy for one-shot kills on deer-size game is about 1200 ft. lbs., and for elk-size game 2000 ft. lbs.

Bottom line: The .30-06 generates more velocity, hits harder, and has more factory hunting cartridge options. The .308’s primary advantage is that it kicks a little less, if you’re sensitive to recoil.

BTW, I wouldn't hunt grizzly or Kodiak bear with anything less than a .338 Win Mag (preferably a .375 H&H).
 
Crap, so what I'm reading is .308 and 30-06 are so similar until it comes to larger game, where 30-06 has the edge. Shorter actioned, lighter rifles are a plus along with availability of ammo, but I'd rather cover more bases with one rifle when it comes to what I can hunt.
 
RussMo said:
OK ,I live in Alaska!!! I have owned everything from .308 up to my present fav., .45-70 & .458 Win Mag. IMHO leave the .308 at home, it's best for Mule Deer and down. .30-06 is kinda considered minimul up here for general hunting. If you come to Alaska to hunt even remotely dangerous game to include Moose GET USE To MOA and do it with 200-220 grn bullets. Don't shoot your gun in with 150-180 grainers and say you will ajust up to a heavier buller up here. WRONG you are asking for missed shoots or poor at least.

Everything and I mean everything has to be taken to account, weather, humidity, elevation, temp. uphill vs downhill shots. TRUST ME ON THIS!!! If you plan a trip and with you being an out of stater it would be better with a guide. There are unguide hunts just not for Dangerous game. If you go out on the Islands around the state you have to assume the worst case scenario, BROWN BEAR. I was just talking to a friend the otherday that it took 5 rounds from a .375 H&H Mag in the boiler room of a Coastal Brown before it nosed over. This is why shot placement is critical mass. You are standing a chance at being charged in close quarters, adrenaline, fear, excitement, weather conditions, YOUR PHYSICAL CONDITION will take a major role in what goes down or NOT. Don't mean to be negitive or even straying from your original gun talk but believe me all of this needs to taken into acct Bro. If it was me the old Alskan standby is the .338 Win Mag. Ammo is available everywhere cause it is one of the most popular rounds up here. When I'm stompin thru thick undergrowth I go with my .45-70 or .458 They work period!!! If you are hunting more open areas .300 Win Mag (another popular round)-.338 Win Mag is better a choice.

Everyone knows the ABILITY of the .30-06, question is what is your ability. I am not running you down or being negitive towards you in any shape or manner. Just want you to come and enjoy yourself and go home in the same conditon as you showed up. Alive, safe and going home with a grin on your face for a hunt well done. Like I said .30-06 is butt ugly MINIMUM>>>
Click to expand...

I completely agree...well put, Sir!
 
adrock1978 said:
Crap, so what I'm reading is .308 and 30-06 are so similar until it comes to larger game, where 30-06 has the edge. Shorter actioned, lighter rifles are a plus along with availability of ammo, but I'd rather cover more bases with one rifle when it comes to what I can hunt.
Click to expand...

Bingo.
 
adrock1978 said:
So even if I go to Alaska once, which is likely, I'll be short changing myself with a .308? Or any time I hunt larger than White Tail game? Where do the options for .308 fall off as far as bullet weight (grains)?
Click to expand...

As far as I know the bullet weights for .308 are 150, 165, 168, 175 and 180 grain bullets.
 
If you are only planning on an Alaska hunt once (maybe twice) in your life time. I'm sure there are guides who will provide you (rent,loan) a higher caliber gun than a .308 for that hunt.

Doesn't mean you can't get a remington 700 in .308 and enjoy it here in the lower 48.
 
banana-clip said:
If your going to use it mainly for hunting I would get the 30.06. The biggest reason is bullet selection for the 06', anywhere from 110 grain bullets to 220 grain bullets for a variety of different game. You can also get the ammo in most mom and pop stores for a 06'.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice I could not agree more:thumbup:

I own 2 .308's but in your shoes I would pick the '06. The variety of loads and bullet choices are just better for hunting. Here in South Africa it is a very popular choice for a variety of game for that very reason.

Post picks once you have chosen..........:)

Steven
 
banana-clip said:
As far as I know the bullet weights for .308 are 150, 165, 168, 175 and 180 grain bullets.
Click to expand...

True, it's just w/.30-06 you can spread that out with 200-220-grainers. Hornady and Fed Premium are some fine stuff. I love Fed Prem.,
3006HS/ 30-06 Spring. (7.62x63mm) 220 / 14.26 Speer® Hot-Cor® SP Power-Shok®
 
adrock1978 said:
Crap, so what I'm reading is .308 and 30-06 are so similar until it comes to larger game, where 30-06 has the edge. Shorter actioned, lighter rifles are a plus along with availability of ammo, but I'd rather cover more bases with one rifle when it comes to what I can hunt.
Click to expand...

Bigger case=more options, but bottom line I don't think it will make a difference between a kill or not when hunting.

For me the major concern would be weight of the platform if you plan on taking long hikes with it.

If I was in your shoes, I'd get the 06 unless I found a 308 that was perfect for a good deal.

Some people mentioned dangerous game hunting and I feel like that's a totally different world. Ultimately, I wouldn't want to be saddled with a rifle specific for that type of work if most hunting is for elk and smaller.
 
Last edited:
Alferd Packer said:
The .308 has a smaller case with less powder capacity and so generates a little less velocity with the same bullet. For this reason, it kicks a little less. The .308 does have a reputation for accuracy, but in reality you’ll find accuracy is more a result of rifle build quality than the choice between these two cartridges. There are plenty of sub-MOA .30-06 rifles out there, and the Remington 700 is a good bet for out-of-the-box accuracy. The difference in action length is insignificant for hunting purposes, in my opinion.

The .30-06 is loaded in more factory combinations of bullet type, weight and velocity than any other round. By choosing specialty rounds for the .30-06 offered from a host of manufacturers, you can duplicate the performance of magnum cartridges such as the 7mm Rem Mag or the .300 Win Mag. This is a big plus on large game. Also, as was stated earlier, if your gun makes it to your destination on an airplane but your ammo doesn’t, you can typically find a decent selection of .30-06 hunting ammo at just about any hardware store in North America.

Go to federalcartridge.com and hornady.com to compare ballistics of the two cartridges, as well as offerings of specialty loads for both with enhanced performance. As a rule of thumb, recommended terminal energy for one-shot kills on deer-size game is about 1200 ft. lbs., and for elk-size game 2000 ft. lbs.

Bottom line: The .30-06 generates more velocity, hits harder, and has more factory hunting cartridge options. The .308’s primary advantage is that it kicks a little less, if you’re sensitive to recoil.

BTW, I wouldn't hunt grizzly or Kodiak bear with anything less than a .338 Win Mag (preferably a .375 H&H).
Click to expand...

So you're saying I can duplicate or come close to magnum rounds (ie .300 win mag) with higher loaded, heavier 30-06 rounds
 
I am a fan of the 30-06. I own 2 a winchester and a weatherby. Long action vs short action. Come on. We are talking about pulling a handle another 1/2". In 30-06 you can get 55 grain accellerator up to 220 gr ammo factory loaded. Recoil? Not much difference.
There both non magnums. With the load options who cares. 30-06, the most versatile caliber. The .308 is often referred to as a 30-06 short. My favorite rifle is my winchester .338 magnum. The 2nd most versatile caliber. I'd still rather get a .270 or 25-06 before a .308.
 
RussMo said:
True, it's just w/.30-06 you can spread that out with 200-220-grainers. Hornady and Fed Premium are some fine stuff. I love Fed Prem.,
3006HS/ 30-06 Spring. (7.62x63mm) 220 / 14.26 Speer® Hot-Cor® SP Power-Shok®
Click to expand...

I agree that you have much more of a bullet selection with 30.06. I've read someone posted here that .308 ammo is cheaper? I never really noticed that except with military surplus ammo which is FMJ.

I've been to so many little country stores, mom and pop stores, and gas stations around my area and the ones that have hunting supplies and ammo will always have .243, 30/30 and 30.06 ammo.
 
banana-clip said:
I agree that you have much more of a bullet selection with 30.06. I've read someone posted here that .308 ammo is cheaper? I never really noticed that except with military surplus ammo which is FMJ.

I've been to so many little country stores, mom and pop stores, and gas stations around my area and the ones that have hunting supplies and ammo will always have .243, 30/30 and 30.06 ammo.
Click to expand...

The one thing I didn't say is I grew up in North Louisiana and Central TX. I remember the Mom & Pop joints and you are 100% correct. Cal. mentioned are everywhere, but if you come up here you need to practice shooting the loads you intend to hunt with, and 150-180 grain ain't performers up here. I love the .308, own 2 each. But the -06 gives you a wider array of ammo choice across the country. Like I said get the highest grain you can and practice, practice. One other thing to remember that depending on the time of year you come up will dictate were your ammo is carried on your person. What I'm saying is that the CUP pressures will change according to temp. This in it's own right will change point of impact. I have shot a lot up here from .22 to .458 and they all are effected. I believe if you are going to get a .308 or -06, get the -06!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top