308 vs. 30-06 Cage Match Thread

[CSW]

I'm voting. 308.
Shot the matches with my NM M1A.
There's not as big a velocity difference as folks think, or should I say, perceive.
Both are damn good cartridges.

IMR4064 was my powder of choice, under Nosler 168 match bullets, but I agree that Varget worked good as well.

[LockedBreech]

My whole childhood, dad kept meat in the freezer with an old battered Rem 700 .30-06. So that's got to be it for me. I saw that round do good, reliable work my entire life on antelope, deer, and elk. Nothing fancy, I just remember a lot of yellow/green Remington boxes, I think Core-Lokt.

We were not blessed in the money department and we never would have had access to as much high quality meat without those successful hunts. I spent my childhood eating wild game meat or 50/50 game/beef mixes and consequently grew up on some of the nicest, cleanest, freest meat you can eat.

Ironically, my dad handed that off to my brother a few years back and my brother and I chipped in to get my dad a really nice walnut stock / blue steel Tikka T3X in .308. So now my dad has the .308 and my brother has the .30-06. And my dad LOVES the .308.

But my childhood memories are him with that .30-06 filling our freezer over and over, so that one will always be my favorite.

[4RNR]

30-06

The M77 was the first left handed rifle I ran into and it will take anything on this continent. Also, I'm not really that concerned about weight

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[rd62]

Are their factory precisionish .30-06 options?

I'm currently sans bolt gun and have considered picking up something to fill the precision hunter double duty role.

[okie john]

Are their factory precisionish .30-06 options?

I'm currently sans bolt gun and have considered picking up something to fill the precision hunter double duty role.

Not sure about factory, but I'd bet that something like Bergara or Tikka barreled action + better stock/bedding + Nightforce + solid handloading technique + ability to read wind = formidable choice.


Okie John

[Dorsai]

I grew up in Alaska. Our hunting rifle was a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 until my father upgraded to a .300 Win mag. That .30-06 took moose, caribou, black bear and a duck. Multiples of the moose and caribou. I still have it and it's older than I am (mfg in 1949). So my liking for it is both sentimental and a recognition that it handles heavier bullets better than the .308. 180gr PSP for the moose and when there were bear around, 220gr RNSP.

[Paul D]

Are their factory precisionish .30-06 options?

I'm currently sans bolt gun and have considered picking up something to fill the precision hunter double duty role.

I like the Sako S20 in 30-06. You have option to change out the stock from hunter to precision target and a lot of other features. I was able to handle one and it is nice.

[JonInWA]

I prefer the shorter action .308 over the .30-06 longer actions generally, although both are excellent cartridges. I really like my .308 chambered CZ 550 FS, and normally shoot classic Hornaday 150 gr American Whitetail (with their Interlock bullet) cartridges with it. With appropriate glass (or not-it's got an excellent set of iron sights) its good for close-in forests or more open, longer distance (300-500 yards) shooting in the Pacific Northwest.

Best, Jon

[ccmdfd]

Curious to see the age distribution of those who chose 30-06 vs 308. Many of the 06’ers mention it’s what they grew up with, Grandad shot with, etc, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.



My father was not into guns at all. Both my Grandads were, but they only shot birds with shotguns so no rifles. Both my uncles did have deer guns, one in NC, one in TX, but they both were big 270 fans.



I like both. Here in Eastern NC, either are more than enough. For our whitetail, 150 lbs is big. I’ve seen a 185lb. I’ve heard several stories of 200lbs, but that’s always someone’s cousin’s, uncle’s, brother’s, former gym partner’s, pool boy’s, gardener’s, ex-wife’s canasta partner. Even our bears are small. Typical hunting for them is treeing them with a dog and then killing it with a handgun (so I’m told, never been on a bear hunt). Most shots are short of 100 yards.



I recently did some factory load testing with my 308 and 30-06. I couldn’t get anything better than a 1.5-2 MOA group with the 308 shooting any of the factory available all-copper bullets. I do get a sub-moa with Federal Berger Hybrid Hunters. On the other hand, the 30-06 loves Lapua all-copper Naturalis load-sub moa. Thus-if I want to shoot a copper bullet, most likely with shoot the 06. If I’m ok with lead, then the 308.



But of course I also love 257 Roberts, 7mm-08, 6.5CM, and…, and…, and……



cc

[CSW]

Age, almost 59 and a fan of both, but have only had military rifles in ought 6.
308 was my first choice for a bolt gun and the easiest thing to find in a left hand 700.
That and the M1A mentioned above.

I have not hunted big game in probably 15-20 years... And here in the dense wood of NH, a 30-30 or 45colt lever would do the trick.