Originally Posted by PJGunner
Originally Posted by ar15a292f
Why not a 308, I have and use a 30-06 but for deer in similar rifles with similar barrel lengths and similar bullet weights there is no real difference. In bullet weights between 150grs and 180grs the 30-06 is 80 to 100 fps faster. From a ballistic stand point a 308 at the muzzle is equal to a 30-06 at 30 yards. The 30-06 has a 30 yard advantage. In a Remington 700 SPS, both rifles having 24 inch barrels, the 30-06 is 1/2" longer and 2.4 ounces heavier. That is the basic difference between the cartridges, 100fps, 30 yards, 1/2 inch and 2.4 ounces. From a handloading standpoint the 30-06 is more versatile and the 308 is more economical and probably more accurate.


I'm not sure I can agree with everything you say, at least regarding factory ammo. With properly worked up handloads I would tend to agree with you. However a test I did a few years back running some 180 gr. Winchester Powerpoint ammo in .308 Win. and 30-6 showed velocity in 22" barreled rifle gave the 30-06 about 10 FPS advantage over the .308. IIRC, velocity from the .308 was 2610 FPS and 2620 FPS from the 30-06. I also shot some 30-06 from rifles with 24" and 26" barrels and the only time it got close to the advertised 2700 FPS was from the 26" Ruger #1B.

Rifles used in the test were Winchester M70 Youth Ranger .308 Win. restocked to fit me 22" barrel. For the 30-06, 22" J.C. Higgins M50, 24" FN custom Mauser and 26" Ruger #1B.

I'm sure results from the 30-06 came be improved quite a bit through judicious handloading as I have definitely gotten close to 2800 FPS in a 22" Remington M700 running H4350 and the 180 gr. Hornady SP.
Paul B.

Paul, I believe that the 30-06 power points you tested were only 10 fps faster then the 308 power points you tested. The reference I was making was a general one regarding factory ballistics. I don't doubt that at times there are 30-06 factory loads that don't meet published but that is the case with every cartridge including the 308. If you ran the test with lets say Hornady Whitetail ammo or Federal Premium ammo in both cartridges you might see that both cartridges meet published factory specifications. You could have instances where the 30-06 meets advertised ballistics and the 308 doesn't. I believe Muledeer calls these instances samples of one. I stated that the weight and length difference between the same rifle for both cartridges was miniscule. In a Remington SPS the difference was 1/2" and 2.4 ounces. In a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight the difference is 1/2" and 4 ounces. In my opinion the difference in length and weight between the 2 cartridges in the same rifles is just as meaningless as a 100 fps difference in velocities for the same weight bullets between the two cartridges.