Give up .30-06 for .308?

[amprecon]

Since the .308 and .30-06 are nearly identical in 150gr.-168gr. loadings, aside from being able to use heavier bullets are there any other reasons to cling on to the .30-06?
As most large game in N.A. can be taken cleanly and reliably with the .308 is there any reason to use a .30-06 over the .308 aside from going after the big bruins using the 220gr. loadings in .30-06?
There are more options in loadings and bullet configurations for commercial .30-06 ammo, but there are also adequate choices for most uses in the .308. Surplus .30-06 is getting harder and harder to find and it's usually always much older than the surplus .308 ammo you can find, but in my experience has been as reliable.
I do currently own a M1 Garand and my hunting rifle is a Rem 700 in .30-06, as don't like having to stock several calibers, especially ones that duplicate each other, I'm thinking of keeping .308 and losing the .30-06.
The only rifle I have in .308 is my M1a, but I've been considering trading everything out for the new XCR-M rifle in .308 and a Remington 700 SPS Tactical in .308.

 

[bratch]

I have both but only because I have yet to find a quick handy Scout rifle in '06.

I agree with you on not stocking too many calibers. I went with the '06 over the 308 for 2 reasons

1. Preferred the Garand over the M1a due to magazine cost.

2. I missed out on the cheap 308 surplus but can still get good '06 surplus.

If I wasn't so OCD about mags and already had some 308 socked away I probably would have went with the 308.

Either way you'll be fine it just come down to what is important to you.

 

[Slamfire]

You can convert your M1 Garand to 308. All it takes is a new barrel. I have a Garand with a match 308 barrel on it, I use the same clips, everything feeds, and all rounds go bang. The ejection pattern is right at my forehead, so I wear a cap.

You would think given that since the 308 was designed to give 30-06 velocities in a shorter case, that the 30-06 would have gone away. But it has not, and will not.

As for reloading, I can use the same bullets (125, 150, 168, 175) same primers, same powders (IMR 4895, AA2520, H4895, Varget, IMR 4064, AA4064, N140) with equal success in both cartridges. Having both cartridges is not a particular burden to reload.

 

[W.E.G.]

You will miss the Garand.

Mark my words.

 

[elmerfudd]

I don't get the impulse many people seem to have to limit the number of chamberings they have. Why bother? It's not like it requires anymore space than a shoe box to keep 100 rounds or so and a reloading die. Just because you have a rifle doesn't mean you have to have 3,000 rounds stockpiled for it. All you need is enough ammo for a day at the range or out in the woods and if need be you can stop by the gunstore on the way. It doesn't cost a lot more to have a selection of calibers and sometimes it allows you to buy cheap surplus that wouldn't otherwise be available. For example, surplus 30-06 has been cheaper than .308 for years now.

What I would do is keep the rifles I like best and sell the others and I wouldn't worry about the caliber.

 

[USSR]

Surplus .30-06 is getting harder and harder to find and it's usually always much older than the surplus .308 ammo you can find, but in my experience has been as reliable.

You've got to be kidding. The CMP has MILLIONS of rounds of surplus Greek .30-06, and sells it at a much cheaper price than the hard to find .308 surplus.

Don

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Yes, there is a reason to choose or stick with the .30-'06, related to inertia: Ammo is *cheaper*, and ammo *selection is greater*, even among the lighter weights.

 

[.cheese.]

My opinion - if it's for a hunting gun in bolt-action, staying with the .30-06 is fine.

If it's for a semi-auto rifle, ditch it for the .308.

I'm no expert.... it's just an opinion.

 

[Rifleman 173]

What is this "get rid of guns of which you speak?" An interesting but unrealistic concept to a true believer in guns. A real true believer would willingly add to the arsenal knowing that one day he may need every gun that he has in his possession. Now go forth and do the right thing, buy more guns, knowing that the force is with you. Sin no more by talking about getting rid of guns...

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

What is this "get rid of guns of which you speak?" An interesting but unrealistic concept to a true believer in guns

Word!

 

[bcp]

If you could shoot 10 deer (or elk, etc.) with each cartridge (same bullet), then mix the bodies, does anyone think the bodies could be examined and sorted by cartridge?

If not, then use either one.

 

[Mr White]

I own nothing in .308, I hunt with .270 and .243, and my Garand is .30-06.

I see no reason to replace .30-06 with .308.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The .30-06 has greater potential for a handloader. And I happen to have two '03A3s, an M1, a pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester and a Ruger M77 (old style) in .30-06.

I'll stick with the -06.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

Surplus .30-06 is getting harder and harder to find and it's usually always much older than the surplus .308 ammo you can find.

I dont know about that. Surpluss M2 Ball has been cheap and easy to find over the last few months; and 7.62 Nato has been more and more expensive and harder to come by.

 

[Joe Cool]

Sacrilege! There are some places where a man should give up no quarter - for me guns is one of them!

Someday there will hopefully grandchildren in my life, and they will get presents when of age of grandpa's old firearms... that's the way to transition to any new calibers that I envision for myself! I still have my Dad's old 22 bolt action for that matter...and it's earmarked for my son.

 

[Art Eatman]

Coming from the other direction: If I had neither a .308 nor a .30-'06, I'd buy a .308 if I were not going to handload for it--as a hunting rifle. As a handloader, I definitely prefer the '06.

Looking at the commonly-available barrel lengths, the factory-ammo performance difference up to 180-grain bullets is negligible.

 

[HM2PAC]

If you could shoot 10 deer (or elk, etc.) with each cartridge (same bullet), then mix the bodies, does anyone think the bodies could be examined and sorted by cartridge?

If not, then use either one.

Listen to this.

 

[Quoheleth]

If you could shoot 10 deer (or elk, etc.) with each cartridge (same bullet), then mix the bodies, does anyone think the bodies could be examined and sorted by cartridge?

If not, then use either one.

I'll betcha Callie Duquense (sic?) on CSI MIAMI could not only distinguish between these two but also the .300 Winchester and .300 Weatherby, all at a glance at a mere 300 yards with the sun in her eyes, the wind blowing that beautiful blonde hair across her face, and her 1911 swangin' on her hip in a suggestive way as she dodges snipper fire from the aforementioned firearm's shooter.

And that's on a bad day in Miami.

Q

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Do to the bizzare twists of law--I can lawfully have m2 AP for my M-1 here in IL (and just about ANYWHERE in the US).

But that isn't the case with 7.62 NATO. Once more, you can't really sell 7.62 NATO AP anymore (well, you CAN, but the restrictions are there).

Is it a niche reason? Sure. A better one for me is the fact that I'm feeding Garands in .06 and can buy ammo from CMP loaded on clips that is just great quality for a fraction of what 7.62 NATO costs.

Plus, at days end, it just punches the steel a wee bit harder.

 

[MechAg94]

Personally, I like your current arsenal quite a bit. I don't know why you want to sell it all and buy an XCR rifle. IMO, change out the M1A rifle only if you want. The bolty is likely more affordable.

For ammo, you really don't need thousands of rounds of ammo. For SHTF, you really just need a few hundred. Thousands is more of a luxury to insulate yourself from variable ammo prices.

 

[Der Verge]

Get rid of no rifle. I love the perceived superiority of the .30-06 to the .308 when shooting heavy bullets. There is not a game animal on earth that will notice a difference of 50-100fps in bullet speed.

Also, I know you do not believe in stocking too many calibers, but, I have to be honest, we are speaking about 2. How many, exactly, is too many?

I just had a though, of all my guns, none share the same chambering.........

Keep them both, and use them each for their advantages. You already have both. Use the .308 for the smaller game, plinking, cheap surplus, etc. Then, when you "feel" under gunned, go get the "bigger, badder" -06 out.......

 

[SimpleIsGood229]

It's very un-Highroad of you to entertain the idea of selling a firearm, much less a Garand!


It usually goes something like this:

OP: Should I buy gun X or gun Y?
Everyone else: Buy both!

So, definitely just add to what you have.

 

[1200 meters]

Love 30-06

Heres a thought for Der Verge, tour right about 50 to 100fps but I shoot 240gr in the 30-06and 175gr in the 308. Some game will notice the difference. Using IMR 4064 make for very good velocity, 2640 fps on that 240 gr htbt will shoot easily to 1300 meters. It's also one hole at 100 meters with easy recoil. I love the 30-06 for this reason. I have shoot 308 to 1250 m3ters but I doubt the quality of the hit. 175gr M-118 ball is transonic to 1200 meters and the 168 gr match is to1000 meters. Blitz

 

[NotSoFast]

You're going to do what you want to do. I've talked around and decided that, in the long run, the .30-06 is the way to go. I have a M1 Garand on the way with surplus ammo coming with it. I almost decided to change the barrel to .308 but was convinced otherwise by a knowledgeable salesman at my local shop.

 

[protolith]

I would say keep the 30-06 rifles and add the SPS to your collection. It will allow you to cover two of the most common calibers. I look at it this way, you can always find .308 or 30-06. Being able to shoot what ever is more convenient at the time is worth the redundancy.

I have heard that the surplus 30-06 was expensive and hard to come by in the '80s, and .308 surplus (7.62x51) was super cheap throughout the '90s. Now the 7.62 NATO is getting really expensive and the Greek 30-06 is very affordable for the time being. When the 30-06 runs out it might get expensive again, but a new source of 7.62 NATO might become available. (perhaps Mexico, they are abandoning their G3s and going to a 5.56 for their service rifle) - What I am saying is that predicting what will be cheapest/most available to shoot is very difficult.

By keeping platforms in the most popular calibers you will avoid kicking yourself for your decision should availability go in the other direction. The similarities in performance are all the reason to keep both and shoot whichever is cheapest/most available at the time.