308 or 30 06

[danmoore2k]

Looking to move on from my sauer 202 in 243 cal, i have narrowed my search to a 308 or 30 06.
Have plenty of roe stalking with a small area with reds. Can't decide with one?

 

[tackb]

I'd go 308 but there is so little in it buy the rifle you prefer

 

[pietasvenatores]

7x57

 

[tumbleweed]

My thoughts where similar between a .270 or a .308 and on what ammo is more easily got and that ended the question nearly right away as most RFDs I looked at had more of a variety of bullet heads for the .308 than .270 and I dare say that you would need to look at all the positives and negatives of each caliber and decide what outweighs the other in both.

 

[takbok]

A 308 will work well enough. Maybe a bit more factory ammo available for it. You won't go wrong with either choice.

 

[Kalahari]

In my opinion, not worth much, 30.06 or 7 x 64. Both classic cartridges that will do all you want and feed more smoothly than a 308.

David.

 

[Dalua]

7x57

Disqualified!
'c' is not a valid answer to the question 'a or b?'

 

[pietasvenatores]

Disqualified!
'c' is not a valid answer to the question 'a or b?'

But in most cases C is always the right answer

 

[diverdave]

I went 3006, and never felt restricted, or compromised by it. Does everything i want and more, so if and when i want more it will do it. To be honest i am sure a 308 would be the same, as said before, get the rifle you want, unless you need something specific then it will be fine.

 

[daven]

Go with ammo price/availability... Or, just get one of each.... Can never have too many... Right????

 

[Dalua]

But in most cases C is always the right answer

Impossible if the question is 'a or b?'

Still disqualified.

 

[pietasvenatores]

Yes, but seeing how the question was inherently flawed?

 

[Dalua]

Yes, but seeing how the question was inherently flawed?

Ah yes - I see: A flawed question, and a flawed answer.
Very balanced.
Still disqualified, though.

 

[GOMX]

I own both ,The 308 vs 30-06 are so close that you're splitting hairs , factory ammo & reloading the short action 308 is cheaper to run & the one I use the most ...

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Foe UK deerstalking there isn't a lot in it (between your identified calibres), but all other things being equal, I would choose the 30/06. Exactly the same bullets as the 308, but can be loaded up a bit more for higher velocity if you want, and/or better if you want to go above 180 grain bullet weight.

But to be honest I would go with whatever looks and feels "right" in terms of rifle fit, cheek weld, weight you are comfortable with etc.

I don't know enough about the Sauer 202, but I was under the impression it's a switch barrel - is that right, and would that have any bearing on your choice?

 

[tozzybum]

ive got .308/.243 and as the man stated go with what makes you happy.there always be when calibre is discussed .ive fired .270 and liked that too,my favourite was always .303 but ive no issues with any calibre .if you like it buy it ,if you get bored thats what variation is for

 

[Canadian1]

I would always choose the .30-06 for the simple fact that when seating heavier bullet you are limited to the magazine's OAL in the .308. In other words, if you want to run 185 gr. + bullets, the .30-06 is the obvious choice. If this rifle won't leave the UK and you stick to a single 180 gr. load for everything, then he .308 will work fine. However, I would choose a moderate 6.5mm or 7mm and 140 gr and 160gr bullets respectively as these offer a lot more than the .308 with standard 165 gr. load.

Main reason I dislike the .308 based cartridges is because with anything .264 and up, you can't run heavy-for-caliber.

 

[gixer1]

I also have a 202 in 243 and wanted a gun for the odd red or boar and so picked up a Tikka T3 hunter in 30-06, it's a fantastic round to shoot and you have so much choice, and you will never be under gunned with it.

the best description I can give is the 30-06 is a "badoom" vs the 243's "tiiishhhh"...lol.

the tikka is no 202 but still a very nice rifle.

a 308 is too close to the 243 for my liking and you are limited weight wise wheras the 30-06 has a heap of choice.

if reloading you will be using a whole 10gr more per bullet but unless you are shooting hundreds of rounds is this really a big issue?

regards,
Gixer

 

[Southern]

As the owner of about a dozen .308s ( including a Sauer 200 Lux ) and a dozen .30-06s, I would say:
* If you are hunting deer, get a .308 with 22-inch barrel and keep the weight down.

* If you are going to hunt elk, big boar, and big game at perhaps long range, and I could only have one, I would take a 24-inch barrel lighter weight .30-06 like my Rem M700 BDL SS.

* If you want to make one rifle do double duty on roe deer, fox, coyotes, etc, get a 7mm-08 or 7x57 or .270, so you can shoot better 100-gr and 110-gr bullets at reasonable speeds.

Since you already have a Sauer 202, borrow a barrel and try both cartridges. A .308 with 165-gr bullets is pretty potent, and the monolithics like the 165-gr Barnes TSX and TTSX give it some extra ooomp a big game at ranges over 200 yards.

 

[Sidewinder]

Calibre food fight........too much time on your hands!! Just get out there and shoot something.