Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Help me decide 30-06 vs 300 wsm

308 would be the smart decision here, but if not, I'd run a 30-06 every time.

If you can have only one do everything caliber with the exception of dangerous game. No contest get the .300 wsm. The 30-06 is a very versatile caliber but the .300 wsm is even more versatile hunting caliber. I own a .270 .270 wsm, 30-06, .308, and a .300 wsm. I don't need all these rifles but I reload and enjoy playing. With today's recoil pads you can noticeably reduce recoil on all the calibers I listed. You can load the .300 wsm to .30-06 speeds shooting slightly more powder.

Don't let these creed guys and 6 mm guys try to convince you to shoot their bb guns. Bigger bullets at higher speeds have more killing power. There aren't any dangerous game guys using creeds or equivalent type calibers unless their a little crazy. But they'll argue all day that their pea shooter will kill anything at any range. Their full of chit.

The .300 wsm recoil is closer to 30-06 recoil than .300 wm recoil. Had a .300 wm for a number years but replaced it with the .300 wsm. Does pretty much the same thing with less recoil.

30-06 all the way. If I actually needed more than what it could do then a 300 WSM wouldn't be enough of an increment to satisfy that need.

Just a curiosity what can a 30-06 do that the .300 wsm can't other than recoil very slightly less?

A nice sporter weight or lighter '06 or 300 mag is not going to be a nice range gun.

A Sendero type rifle will make the 30-06 decent and the Mag tolerable for range use.
Do you want to carry it?


To answer the question, 30-06 is never a bad choice.
Thats someone's sigline.

WSM liked it but gave it to a friend.. I guess for me, I like the 06, but would pick the WSM ..

One of each is the only solution to your quandary. You will likely find components that work well for both rifles.

I've had a few of both and still have a 30'06, every 300 wsm I've had seemed closer in felt recoil to a 300 mag then the 30'06 shooting the same weight bullets.

Had a coworker, considered the expert of the crew cause he'd killed a few critters 10-20 years ago, that, upon my suggestion someone buy a 30-06 for blacktail deer over the 300 Win Mag told me, " The 30-06 don't even shoot good." So there's that.

Note to self....

I had a lighter 300WSM when they first came out...it was snotty off the bench. Somewhere along the way of bruising my shoulder and emptying my wallet I realized the 30-06 was much more pleasant and cheaper to shoot. If I need more than a 30-06 Im reaching for a 375 H&H.

Not much difference in shooting 150gr-165gr at long range. Separation kicks in with 180gr and 200gr similar to comparing 30-06 and 308 Win. Any 30 mag is going to be better on larger game at extended range than a standard 30.

I have had all three- currently shooting the 300wsm with 168 Bergers and so far liking it.Extremely accurate,low recoil,plenty of speed,and have used it on mule deer,antelope,coyotes,and a 375 bull from a 100 yards too 450 with great results.The 06 in the safe has sentimental value as I shot my first deer with it and the other is a 1950's Winchester Feathlite that hasn't been shot with the box and hang tags that a friend gave me.
Traded the 300 mag for a nice over and under mainly cause I bought the custom 300wsm that was a great deal.
Never have felt I needed anything more.

Cartridge (WbMV) Rifle Weight Recoil energy Recoil velocity
30-06 Spfd. (150 at 2910) 8.0 17.6 11.9
.30-06 Spfd. (180 at 2700) 8.0 20.3 12.8
.300 WSM (150 at 3300) 8.25 22.5 13.3
.300 WSM (180 at 2970) 8.25 23.8 13.6
.300 Win. Mag. (150 at 3320) 8.5 23.5 13.3
.300 Win. Mag. (180 at 2960) 8.5 25.9 14.0

These are number put out by Chuck Hawks if you can buy what he is selling. To bad he didn't test them all in 8 lbs guns. But again with today's recoil pads you can reduce these number a fair amount. I recommend putting them on all of the above guns.

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

I would give some thought as to how well a hunting rifle feeds rounds from the magazine. I have two 300 WSM rifles including a Kimber 8400 and a Remington 700 Alaskan Ti. That short fat round can be an obstinate little bastard on its way into the chamber. I think it's much easier to find a. 30-06 Sprg that feeds well if that sort of thing is important to you. The 300 WSM is still winning long range benchrest matches, the. 30-06 Sprg not so much.... if that sort of thing is important to you.

This yr I’m going to use that 06 I got off of you, for all my Alaska hunting. So far this yr 2018 I harvested a 40 mile caribou using 167gr etips (2nds). spring bear aro7nd is he corner we can bait for Brn bears so trying to shoot me a decent Brn bear this yr. Anyhow to the point I guess, I had 300 wsm in a tikka t3 typcal tikka stupid accurate sold it. Went full circle and ended right where it started many many yrs ago with a 06. Granted my 06 back in the late 80’s was Winchester push feed lightweight man that thing shoot 180’s like a target rifle. I should try to find another one just because.

That's a great rifle. I'd trust my life with that one. 5 in the mag box and one in the pipe would make me feel better in bear country. Sure beats the hell out of 3 and none in the pipe. Or 2 in the box and 1 in the pipe, if you get what I'm saying...

300 WSM is a stair step midway between the 30-06 and 300 Win Mag. in velocity and recoil. I can tell a recoil difference in all three, and velocity is about 200 fps between each of them. I think the 300 WSM is very accurate, maybe as accurate as a .308 Win.

I've got a couple of 300 WSM rifles...M70...great round. It delivers about the same performance as the 300 Win Mag and is easier on the shoulder.

They are both great hunting rounds, and I'd use the 300 WSM for anyhing I'd use the 300 Win Mag for, and I have a couple of those too.

The 30-06 with full-power handloads and the same bullets isn't that far behind them at all, on either end. They are all three capable of taking larger game at long range and well past 500 yards.

While the big 30s are very effective hunting rifles, I don't use them that much for target practice...they're hunting rifles.

I'll take them out for a day of long range practice, maybe a couple of times a month, and that's fine, but if you want to shoot full power, heavy bullet loads all day long, and put a lot of rounds down range, day after day, week after week, the recoil of the bigger 30s with full power loads will eventually start to get to you.

But then Elk at 500yd is well within 308 capabilities and it's a lot softer shooting than all three of them.

If you don't mind a muzzle brake, or don't need the power of max loads, then that's a different story, but without a brake, I'd say the 308 is about at the recoil limit for constant target shooting.

A lot of guys can't handle that much, so they're moving over to the 6.5 Creedmore, because it has the ballistics of the 300 Win Mag and the recoil level of a 243, and it turns out it's adequate for Elk past 500 yds too.