Ruger GG vs GSR - all-around practicality - .308 & .30-06

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shadow9

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I've been eyeing these two - the Gunsite and the Guide Gun as a new rifle to compliment my 3" SP101. I picked the SP for versatility and practicality. It's caliber is very versatile, and being stainless, I can trust it's environmental resilience. Lastly, the slim size makes it hide well (another main duty of a personal pistol).

Now, to compliment this, I'm hung on either the .308 Gunsite Scout, FULL STAINLESS (the 18" barrel, too), or the 20" Ruger Guide Gun in .30-06.

I will be getting dies for these, and likely shooting cast for plinking purposes. I will likely use this for deer hunting in the fall, and don't mind experimenting with various bullet weights/loads - I'd like max versatility here.

I usually prefer "felt recoil" in the 11-16lbs, 2.2-2.5 ft/sec range (AKA fullsize nagant, 6.5x55 in light rifle or 7-08). Though, in an "emergency", I wouldn't mind going stout if it meant shoving a 220gr slug out the front at a good clip.


Any thoughts?

Also, has anyone tried the CZ 550 FS in .30-06? How is the blast/recoil?
 
I actually just got a stainless GSR a couple weeks ago, and thus far am quite enamored with it. The 18" barrel seems respectably fast for it's length, I chrono'd 3 M80 ball rounds at 2703, 2732, and 2706 fps. Due to it's short length, GSR is very handy, and feels lighter than it is. The GSR is my first .308, and to me, the recoil of the M80 rounds (the only thing I've shot out of it thus far) was a total non issue, I could shoot it all day and not be any worse for the wear.

On the same day I was breaking in the GSR I was also working on some 180gr NP loads for my 30-06 X-bolt. When pushing 180's to 2800 in such a light gun, the recoil was much more substantial than with the GSR. The difference in recoil is, of course, to be expected, the 30-06 load was carrying 700 more ft-lbs in a rifle/scope setup that was only slightly heavier, it's just something to consider.

All that said, given that you are looking at an 8 lb 30-06, recoil is not going to be an issue with either rifle, especially once you get a scope mounted. On the subject of a scope, are you going to use one for most of your shooting? If not, the GSR's aperture sights are far superior to the Guide Gun's express sights for most shooting applications.

One thing to consider is that you will not be able to reach the 30-06's full potential in a 20 inch barrel. Still, any way you cut it, a 20 inch 30-06 will have a good bit more potential power on tap than an 18 inch .308.

I'd say you are looking at two good options. Honestly Ruger's logo for the GSR "The one rifle to have if you could only have one", could really be applied to either the GSR, or the Guide Gun.
 
Sounds like you have a good plan. I have the Ruger GSR and I've been looking at the Guide Gun in .338 win mag. The GSR is just a good rifle and is very fun to shoot and can achieve great results on the range. I think the Guide Gun is field ready and I like the variety of calibers it is available in. i kind of wish they would release it in the .416 caliber.
 
Just in general I prefer the 06 to the 308 but if I was shooting a carbine barrel I would take the 308 any day, some of my 06 loads have been too intense even for a 22" tube, 63gr of RL22 behind a 165gr will all but take your eyebrows off.
 
I have a GSR and really like it. It is very handy, accurate, and easy on the shoulder. Unless big bears were in the picture, I would guess the .308 would be more than enough. It also seems that .308 is more universal and easier to find than the .30-06 when it comes to surplus ammo. I love my 06 and have hunted with is for 25 years, but since I have been shooting the GSR i have gained respect for the .308. For a truly universal, utilitarian rifle, it is hard to beat the GSR.
 
Both are good. Outside Alaska I'd get the .308 for a short action, slightly more compact size and slightly better efficiency in a shortish barrel. In Alaska I would choose the .30-06 for a bit more power.
 
The scout scope is not practical for hunting first and last light. .30-06 is a better hunting choice but not by much. All that said, I bought GSR from a THR member months ago and it is an outstanding rifle, I am not the biggest ruger rifle fan but it is built well and suited for texas blind hunting. I do appreciate your reasoning, you own a Ruger revolver and it does need a Ruger sibling. It makes too much sense.
 
I am far from qualified to help you, even though I have a GSR. If you don't need a forward scope mount, a flash hider, a rear peep sight, or a detachable magazine, I'd go for the Guide Gun with the removable muzzle brake.
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I have pretty much the same opinion here. I chose the GSR, because of the forward scout mount and detachable magazine, as well as the carbine length (in my case the blued 16.5" barrel). If those features do not matter to you, then the Guide Gun is maybe a better choice. The latter certainly gives you more calibers to chose from, if that matters. It didn't matter to me, as I was wanting .308 anyway.
 
Gtscotty - Thanks for the velocity numbers!! Actually part of the consideration here. Also, I'll be scoping later, I imagine. Either use the Ruger mounts and pull the irons, or add one of those dandy Picatinny cross-bridge scope mounts they sell. 4x FX-II or a 1.5-6x something.

kachok - Ah, that's a very good point I hadn't thought of. For peak power, I do like the idea of the .30-06 - but I recall shooting my friend's sport'd Springy, and at about 9lbs with scope AND pad, it still had blast and thump. After around 4-5 shells (Prvi 150's), I was pretty set with it. Not unmanageable, but something that would definitely contribute to a flinch after a box or so.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong - but wouldn't a stout-built 180gr in a .308 would pretty easily keep up with the penetration of a soft-nose 200 or 220gr from the .30-06?
 
Now, correct me if I'm wrong - but wouldn't a stout-built 180gr in a .308 would pretty easily keep up with the penetration of a soft-nose 200 or 220gr from the .30-06?
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Roughly yes, but you could also go to the same bullet in the .30-06 and get some benefit there too. The .308 and .30-06 are pretty close with lighter bullets around 150gr, but the .30-06 has somewhat more advantage as the bullets get heavier. The difference is always fairly small though, so there isn't going to be much you can do with the .30-06 but not with the .308.
 
shadow9 said:
Gtscotty -
Now, correct me if I'm wrong - but wouldn't a stout-built 180gr in a .308 would pretty easily keep up with the penetration of a soft-nose 200 or 220gr from the .30-06?
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Yes but if you factor in the monster 30 cal bullets like the 200gr TSX and the bonded 240gr Weldcore the 06 still holds that advantage, now mind you a 180gr bonded bullet from a 308 is a formidable tool in the right hands, I am not knocking that one bit.
 
i really enjoy my gsr. .308 was my preferred caliber for my uses, and i prefer the box magazine so it fits. the scope mounting options are nice, but i have the xs rail and mount in the traditional location anyway. i shoot it now with irons, and have a 1-4x on qr rings for deer season. the recoil isn't an issue even with factory 180gr loads. the gg has peaked my interest as well, but i wish they made it in .375h&h.
 
While I"m thinking about it, just a point of clarification on the GSR. The stock scope rings that come with it are designed to sit either on the forward rail, or to replace the rear sight for those wanting a nonscout scope configuration.
 
Archaic Weapon said:
While I"m thinking about it, just a point of clarification on the GSR. The stock scope rings that come with it are designed to sit either on the forward rail, or to replace the rear sight for those wanting a nonscout scope configuration.
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The rings that come with the GSR are Ruger rings that only fit onto the receiver. The rear sight mounts on the rear receiver mount, so the rear sight has to come off to mount the Ruger rings.

You have to buy new rings to use a scope on the forward rail. Unless you have a spare set of rings laying around the house.
 
The .308 is equal in performance to an '06, when you get down to the 18" or 20" barrel length.

With modern bullet technology, it looks to me as though a 180 will do anything that's needed for hunting, rather than be concerned about heavier bullets.
 
There is still going to be a notable difference in power between a 20 inch 30-06 and an 18 inch .308. I have a load that pushes a 180 gr PT out of my 22 inch 30-06 at right around 2800... I would bet anything that that same load would leave a 20 inch barrel at better than 2700. I think you could get close to 2700 with 180's out of a 24 or 26 inch .308, but with an 18 incher, you are going to realistically be in the mid 2500's.

With equal barrel lengths and light bullets, the .308 gets close to the 30-06, but as bullet weight goes up the gap opens. That gap certainly doesn't narrow any when the '06 has a 2 inch longer barrel.

Depending on what/where you are hunting though you don't necessarily need the extra power the 30-06 provides. If I were hunting elk, or moose, or just in an area where I might walk into big toothy critters, I would take the extra power of the 30-06 every time. If I'm just out for deer, realistically either one will knock them down with authority, I reckon I'd just choose based on each rifles features.
 
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