308 vs 30.06

[happyhunt]

In real world terms is their much difference between 308 and 30.06
It will be used for all round stalking reds to roe hill terrain to woodland plus continental trips for boar etc
It will never be on a range
I will use factory ammo
Pros and cons please

 

[griff]

there is no replacement for displacement..as the saying goes.

 

[Muir]

Only if you want to go to the heaviest bullets.~Muir

 

[palmer_mike]

Either will do all that you want. Choose whichever you fancy (or flip a coin). Or maybe call you local RFD and see which he Usually has the Best stock of ammunition for......

 

[Rory]

No. 30-06 has a 60% higher felt recoil for something like less than 10% more mv. You can quite happily push a .308 to 180gr.

 

[SussexSteve]

I have both barrels on my blaser. I use 123 sako ammunition. I see bullet strike with both calibres. Nothing in them for me

 

[kennyc]

.308 was developed to replace the 30.06 with a smaller cartridge form, in the military loading they are practically identical (by design) the 06 will give you 1-200fps extra MV for a given weight bullet, above 180grn bullet the 06 is probably a better choice, for lower weights, the .308 performs more than adequately, the choice is yours, either will get the job done.

 

[jer]

By far my favourite is the.308 , better for driven boar with less recoil and short action for quick recycling.

 

[EMcC]

I use 180 or 220gn in my 30-06 and 150 in my .308

 

[happyhunt]

Cheers all
I sort of had my heart set on 30.06 to fill the empty slot but I have the chance to buy a friend's very nice custom 308 at a good price
I'll probably never go bigger than 150 g bullets so looks like 308 could be a winner
Less recoil
Cheaper to feed
Quicker cycling
Lots of ammo choice locally

 

[Rory]

Sounds wise - though I still would like to own a Springfield 1903A1!

 

[enfieldspares]

Choose the cartridge according to the length of the action of the rifle you desire. Anything based on the Mauser 98 length action will always be a better rifle in .30-06. In terms of if only using factory ammunition look at the makers' charts and see what each has to offer in each calibre. On the continent I'd say from my observations that you'll have a better choice in available ammunition in .30-06 than you will in .308.

 

[EMcC]

Cheers allI sort of had my heart set on 30.06 to fill the empty slot but I have the chance to buy a friend's very nice custom 308 at a good priceI'll probably never go bigger than 150 g bullets so looks like 308 could be a winner Less recoil Cheaper to feed Quicker cycling Lots of ammo choice locally

A .308 with 150Gn bullets have accounted for quite a few wild boar over the years, even 147Gn with the tip nibbled off and the empty case thrown away have done so too

 

[Redneck]

Cycling speed difference is quite minimal and when you think about it DG rifles are mostly magnum actions and they can sometimes need recycling toute suite.
I just think its a myth and yes I have used standard, long and magnum actions.

 

[6pt-sika]

Have both and I’m not a 30 cal fan of any . However dead is dead ! 308 in first picture 06 in the second .

 

[Jon P]

.308 will take anything in the U.K. with ease. I took mine to Africa last year, stopped wildebeest and Kudu with no issues all over 200 yds.

 

[User00033]

For the next guy that asks this question (good decision @happyhunt), the cartridge is of relative insignificance in this decision. For your wide range of game, roe to boars, the bullets you choose will be heaps more important than a hundred or so feets per second.

 

[tusker]

I have both 308 and 30-06. The ought 6 is my go to rifle but as has been stated both will do what you want. Regarding recoil I have never had an issue with the 30-06 I use 165 grain bullets and also 180 with out any recoil issue this rifle is a CZ bolt action. My 308 is a Browning BLR also shooting 165 grain bullets and this I notice the recoil much more but I think that is the type of rifle and fit personally. This is only my opinion but if you are only going to use 150 grain bullets the 308 is the choice. If you are going to go heavier (180) then the 30-06 will be able to handle heavier bullets better.
Good luck, Tusker

 

[Limpet]

You can get 220 grain bullets for the .308 so the weight advantage of the 30.06 is less as long as you are prepared to take the slight drop in MV. For most use, a 220 grain bullet is likely to be for something heavy like boar in which case you are likely to be shooting at shorter ranges - making the difference between the 2 calibers very small when used in the woods.

 

[stubear]

.308;
Pros - Manageable recoil, short action (assuming the rifle is made for the cartridge and not a one size fits all action), ammo is available pretty much everywhere and sensibly priced.
Cons - 1-200ft/s less MV than the '06, less able to cope with the really heavy for caliber bullets (north of 180gn), arguably a bit vanilla, less flat shooting than the '06 in the same bullet weight.

.30.-06;
Pros - 1-200ft/s more MV than the .308, can cope with the really heavy for caliber bullets (north of 180gn), less vanilla, shoots flatter than the .308 in the same bullet weight.
Cons - Bit more recoil, long action, ammo availability not quite as good in some shops.

In the real world there is very little in it. The .308 will chuck a 150gn bullet at roughly 2800ft/s, the .30-06 will chuck it just under 3000ft/s and thats about it. Flat shooting and ability to buck the wind is useful on the hill but in reality its the difference between a 200y zero with 1.5" or 1" elevation at 100y.

Both are great cartridges, both will take anything in the UK. I've used my .308 for driven boar and it did the job just fine.