Down side to 30-06 ?

Maybe recoil if your sensitive to that kinda thing, other than that it's one of my favorite rifle rounds.

.308 is just about the most widely available rifle ammo you can find outside of .223. It comes in all sizes, flavors and prices. 30 06 is really good too, but not quite as cheap or available as .308.

I chose .308 over .30-06, for the shorter bolt throw, barrel, and stiffer action, also, the
.308 I see alot more good ammo for, for typically a lower price of .30-06, and I doubt the animal will notice the 150-250 FPS increase..
But it does have a bit more power, I like .308, and the only way I imagine I would ever own a .30-06 would be in the form of a Garand..

there is no downside to the 30-06, as it is a great round. If I were living in WA again I would opt for a 7mag so I would have enough for those long shots at Desert Muleys

A 30-06 can do just about anything in a pinch. It is among the very elite at the top of the pile. The only advantage .308 has is cheap mil-surp ammo. Many will argue, but a 30-06 is as versatile and effective as any other cartridge in the world.

TONS of ammo choices are available and it is pure joy to hand load for.

The Ballistics of the 308 is just not that much difference than the 30-06 for the extra recoil of the 06. Below is the shooting times ballistics table.
http://www.shootingtimes.com/ballistics/ballistic-tables/

Either cartridge will do you fine it all comes down to recoil and price per cartridge.

Good luck.



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They're both fine, versatile cartridges. For hunting, I really don't know much of a downside.

It's not the caliber of the rifle but the caliber of the shooter, 30-06 is a great do-all rifle, it will handle the full range of the .30 caliber bullets, the .308 is not so good on the 220 grainers. But if you like the feel of the rifle buy it, The 30-06 will have pretty good recoil you need to be aware of that. But its a great round. It may be your first rifle but I bet it won't be your last. Buy some other calibers and help keep the economy going.

IMO, the 30'06 is a much better all-around caliber, especially if you reload and suffers no downside. That said, the 308 Win is more than adequate for taking deer.



NCsmitty

To quote rcmodel, they're two peas in the same pod, and especially for a recreational deer hunter. I'd weight the two equal and look for the rifle I liked better, in either caliber. You might be able to push heavier bullets in the -06, but you certainly don't need to for your purposes.

30-06 is better than 308. Both have the advantage of being military rounds, and thus picking up plinking/practice ammo can be an inexpensive thing. But if all I could have is 1 hunting rifle; 1 caliber; it would be the 7mm Remington Magnum. There is absolutely nothing in north america that the 7mm mag can shoot efficiently. You can get bullet weight down to 110 grain for prairie dogs and gophers; all the way up to 175 grain for moose. You can shoot the 400+yard shots (If you're good) at the big horn sheep, antelope, etc... You can hit the medium weights of caribou, elk, and deer. Coyote or anything else you can think of. There are limitations for hunting with a 30-06 and 308. There isn't anything in north america that the 7mm can't take care of. Some will say the 300 mags are better. 300's, 338, etc... are excellent. They do better in some areas, but then you give up in other areas. The 7mm mag in my opinion is the best overall caliber.

readyme,

Buy the rifle, not the cartridge. Find the rifle that fits/feels best. With store-bought ammo, there's not a dimes worth of difference performance-wise between the two for what you want to do.

Don

Both are great cartridges. Both are fine for the game you intend. The only other thing I don't like about the 30-06 is related with the long action. After shooting and cycling to chamber another round, that bolt feels like it goes so much further back that I'm going to poke my eye out. Of course, I know that it won't but there is a noticable difference between the two in terms of running the bolt. It's not enough to sway me one way or the other. I just wanted to pass the info along.

The only downside to the .30-06 is that once you have one, there is little excuse to buy another big game rifle unless you are headed to Africa for thick-skinned dangerous game.

With bullets available from 125gr. to 220gr., you've got it all covered (the 110gr. SP bullets from the M1 Carbine will work, too ).

George

It's all about the individual rifle. 06 kicks a bit so you'll need a rifle that is comfortable, has real good fit, not too much drop in the butt stock, and so forth. An extra lb helps with the recoil, so I would not worry about a 7 lb rifle vs an 8 lb rifle in this caliber. Tons of 06 ammo out there. Try Graf & Son and see what they list shipped to your door.

Make sure your scope has plenty of eye relief. All too many folks will tell you about being just a wee bit careless with cheek weld and firm hold when they let one go and got a scope kiss on the brow Old steel tube Weavers have close to 4" of eye relief and that is sort of minimum in my book. There are other good brands, but most of the Asian imports are less than 3 3/4" so beware.

A couple of years ago, I went through the same series of questions, with the .30-06 as a top first choice. I ended up with a Marlin 270 (hence my "handle"). Same basic size as the -06, but a little more speed, a little flatter. I was specifically looking for something optimized for Eastern Washington open country deer hunting. The final choice came down to a good price at Cabelas. Others in the party have taken deer with .25 WSM, .338 mag, etc. My brother worked up a sweet 130gr handload for Nosler BT. I would probably use a .308 if I was hunting in the brush.

On paper the '06 has a bit more energy, but the truth is that if there is an animal the planet a 308 won't kill, the 30-06 won't do any better.

I'd take USSR's advice and pick out the rifle you like best and don't worry about the caliber. You could throw in at least a half dozen other calibers into the mix as well.

Since the 308 fits in short actions I'd go that route if I were interested in a light handy rifle for brush hunting or for carrying a lot. If I were more interested in a full size and weight rifle there is no reason not to go all the way up to the larger cased 30-06.

The M1 Garand shoots 3006. The 3006 won the Great War and WW2. The cartridge is over 100 years old. If there was anything wrong with it it would not be still here. I can't wait to use my M1D for deer next season.....chris3

In the south 30-06 is available everywhere. I have bought ammo in gas stations. 308 and 7MM Mag available at walmart, etc. I agree on buying the gun not the round. All three are great rounds. Good luck.

Another piece of info that might help ya,

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm


Dont look at the numbers on paper as both of those cartridges are so darn close it really doesnt matter which one you pick. Look at ammo availability and cost in your area and then base your decision on that.

30-06 gives you a bit more options at the top end of loadings, at the expense of being a bit bulkier and a smidge heavier. For hunting, this isn't really a down side at all unless you feel some need to carry 3-400 rounds around while hunting (and if that's the case, there may some other issues that need looking at before purchasing a hunting rifle).

USSR nailed it. FWIW, I've hunted here (SE US) and in Europe, Africa and Canada. IMHO, between .270 and .300 Win Mag, no big difference (inside 400 yards) if you use good bullets and get to know the rifle and trajectory.

No downside, IMO....For years a tuned .30-06 was my do it all rifle and pretty much still is even though I own others. I hunted deer with it in the fall and shot groundhogs the rest of the year....Even though I have a nice varmint rig to use, I often times still use the .30-06. With tailored handloads it will shoot as tight as most varmint guns and has a good range once you learn to compensate for drop.

Agree Shop for the Rifle First...Caliber Second

Years back I ran into a great deal on a Remington 700 BDL - chambered in 7mm Rem Mag...it felt great in my hands, so I bought it. I have been very happy with its performance on large game including elk, deer, and bear. Before the time when I bought...I had never considered a 7 Mag caliber! Long story short, I agree with other posts...buy a rifle that fits, appeals to your senses, and is at a price you are happy with. Here are some great calibers for deer and elk hunting as you mentioned: 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, .280, and .270 (some say its too small for elk, but a good 150 grain bonded bullet will work). BTW....many regard the 7mm Rem Mag as the quintessential elk cartridge.