Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 30-06 vs .338 fed

Killing [bleep] ain't magic. Put a good slug where it belongs and critter dies.

Have yet to have a critter fall over from what was inscribed on the barrel.

Also thinking that the very idea that this comparison is 338Fed vs 30-06 instead of 308W vs 30-06 may say sumpthin. At least if big stuff is being hunted.

I think I've said that about four different times in this thread...it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Cartridge choice is not a competitive sport, though some seem to feel that their choice somehow makes them "better" than someone else who chooses differently. Most of the commentary that gets posted on these subjects is just knee-jerk reactionary conjecture.

Most rifles chambered in most cartridges will kill game just fine, if the person carrying it has a clue about hunting and shooting. Absent the clue, difficulty arises.

Dennis

I can't speak for the 33-08 specifically. I do have a 35-08 though and love the little rifle. It's advantage is that it is somewhat lighter and more compact that standard 30-06s tend to be. Inside of 200 yards it is wonderfully effective. Yes, it also works beyond that distance. However, I would rather use the 30-06 (or even my 340). The 30-06 is neither more or less boring than anything else. Perhaps it doesn't leave as much room for question as some things do. (And why else would a question like this thread even be asked if there wasn't a question about the rest?) The old '06 has proven itself so broadly and for so long that just about everyone understands what is possible with it. As one wise Alaska guide has said, "What you can't do with a 30-06 and proper bullets probably says a lot more about the shooter than the cartridge." (Okay, that's a paraphrase but the gist is there.)

I guess there is no major differences in ability for shots under 250 yards. So i would choose the 30-06 bases mainly on the availability of ammo

I've only got one hunting rifle right now (26 inch .300 win) and I was thinkng of getting a shorter brush gun. At first I thought of getting a .260 or .308, but I do plan on getting up north for the bigger stuff too.

I could get an 06, but I kind of wanted a short action for this purpose. The .338 fed was kind of appealing since it seems like it could kill everything an 06 could, but in a shorter package.

Thinking so can a 308.

With out a doubt

and for a lot less money. Have you priced ammo lately?

.308 Winchester ammo might be a couple of pennies apiece cheaper than .338 Federal. They use exactly the same primers, and essentially the same amount of the same powders. .338 bullets are a bit pricier than .308 bullets, so if they cost me a nickle apiece more, that would add a dollar to the cost of a box of .338 Fed ammo over a box of .308 Win. ammo.

Don't think that issue is going to slow down my .338 Fed use any... .

YMMV, of course.

Dennis

Yeah, ammo. Certainly the most expensive part of any hunting trip, huh? Most guys even spend more on gas getting TO a shooting range than they do on ammo AT the range.
Availability may be an argument with merit, but the pennies per round argument is old.
I just found Federal Fusion 200gr/338 Fed for $21.99, Fusions for 308W were about one or two bucks less.

I don't find either of them particularly fascinating,but would in an instant take the 30/06. JMHO

Unless they go fast,338's bore me stiff.But when they go fast the rifles have to be heavy,or they kick too much.So, I just forget about them altogether.

I'd say it would depend on what type, and size of rifle you were considering. Basically the same answer I give when it comes to the question of the '06 or the .308. The '06 works better, i.e. give one more in the full size, medium to light rifles, say with 24 inch barrels. The .308/.338 work better in the smaller, lighter rifles with much shorter barrels.
I'd also condsider what loads give you the "warm fuzzys" for those big bears and those heavy moose. Do you insist on a bullet with the sectional density of, say .300 or more at 2600 fps. plus ? Or do you believe than those that have killed such things with fancy bullets like the TSX using bullets with an SD of say .250, are good enough for you ? E

I would go 06, I agree its boaring, but I have killed tons of stuff with it and from a versitility standpoint it has no rival, save the 308.

I know lots of guys here are all about the new caliber and to some extent so am I, but there is something to be said for a proven commodity too. If Im going on a high dollar hunt Im not 100% sure I would I would take an unproven gun, unproven to me that is.

Yep 30-06 is boaring as white toast, but has proven it self to be a killin machine.

+1.

In my opinion the only problem with the '06 is that once you have one you don't "need" another centerfire rifle for North American hunting.

Of course that isn't to say I haven't got quite a list... it just isn't "need" at this point .

The greatest thing here is that we have a choice. One likes the 06, the other likes the 338 fed.. I would prefer to own both.

Fact. Cartridges aren't competitive; only people are competitive. A cartridge only has to be "good enough", and pretty much all of them are, if the purpose is to plant a good bullet in the killing zone of a big game animal. Only humans get obsessed with obscure distinctions... .

I still like the .338 Federal better than the .30-'06, and as an American citizen...I get to!

Dennis

By tomorrow evening, I'll have both - what the hell!!

Now THAT is the only rational approach !

Dennis

Interesting and useful rifles like the 338 Fed have come and gone from my world over the years but there has never been a time when I didnt have at least one real good 30/06 in the rack.

I'll go with the '06.