Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Just one?....7-08, 6.5, 270, or 308

After 30 years of killing all kinds of stuff from grouse to moose with same old howa 1500 30-06, I just picked a Tikka t3 ss in 7mm-08. For deer/elk combo under 500 yds I couldn’t see needing anymore gun. I’m going to try some eld x in 150 or 162 grain as soon as the scope arrives.

Damn, the 7 08 is popular. Im glass bedding mine right now. Seems to be a good little round..

When I let the ideas run away...I’m thinking along the 7-08 and up to 162s in a Tikka or other LA, as well. The other thought is a 270 with slick heavies, but twist becomes an issue. It’s not that I need the beyond 500, but it’s there. I like the concept of efficiency and not having to milk every FPS out of something, and still have a bullet that’ll work short or long. Might be hard to overlook s 280 for the same reasons.

It only matters as much as you think it does.

Sure it is ! There is a 7-08 IN every 270 W.


Jerry

And a 270 in every 280

The 30-06 based cartridges are overkill for the vast majority of NA big game hunters. Yes they work, very well, but the 308 based cartridges also work, just as well, for almost any type of hunting most of us will ever do. I like simple and efficient.

They all work fine in the field. 308 Win is by far most versatile with ability to tailor 125 grain loads at 3,300 fps through 200 grain loads at 2,450 fps. That’ versatility is hard to beat in the field.

Now hold on here just a doggone minute !!
You’re not suppose to say that !

Jerry

I got a T3X Compact Lite for my daughter in 7-08. So far using H4895 with 120 BTs at 2550 for reduced recoil it is very accurate. Can’t wait to try some full speed stuff.

Looking forward to seeing how yours works.

6.5 creed for what your describing.

The problem with your statement is summarized in the phases "the vast majority" and "most of us". If I had to choose one keeper between any .308 (I have two) and a .30-06 (I have four) or my .300WM, I'd take the .30-06 or .300WM in a heartbeat. Do .308's work "most of the time"? Yes, and i've often written that most every animal I've taken could have been taken equally well with a .308. At the same time I have multiple elk kills in the 400-500 yard range where a .308 would "probably" work. For those I'm glad I had something "more".

In a real-world example, we load a 150g BT for my daughter's 22" .308 Win and my 22" .30-06 rifles. Velocities are 2765fps for the .308 Win and 2975 for the .30-06. At 8000 feet above sea level, that gives the .30-06 a 125 yard advantage in retained velocity and energy. At 400 yards the .30-06 has 18% more energy than the .308, with 4" less drop. The difference is not as great as when comparing a .308 to a .300 WM but it isn't insignificant, either.

Consider what the .308 load above can do (retained energy and velocity) at 'x' yards, The .30-06 load will have the same velocity and energy at 'x' + 125 yards. I frequently hunt in open sage country where shots can literally be in any direction. For sake of argument, assume the effective range of the .308 is considered to be 400 yards based on retained energy and velocity for the 150g BT. The .30-06 will have the same retained velocity and energy at 525 yards. In terms of the area that could be covered with each, the .30-06 adds over 72% to what the .308 is capable of doing. Note that this 72% advantage holds true for a full circle or any segment thereof.

Coyote,

I would respectfully disagree that there is a 210 fps MV difference between those two cartridges when loaded to similar pressures with 150 gr bullets. Your 308 win, 150 gr BT load at 2765 fps is an anemic load for that cartridge. I've loaded for many years for a 308 win with a 23" barrel and could safely and easily obtain velocities over 2900 fps using 150 gr bullets with a variety of powders. Hodgdon, Alliant, Nosler, Barnes all have listed velocities that exceed your handloaded 30-06 velocity. Just speaking with the facts.

I'm not disputing the 30-06 when loaded warm can beat the 308 when loaded warm. But the 308 when loaded warm is equal to factory 30-06 loads easily, and is all the "vast majority" of hunters will ever practically need. If you feel you need more, I fully understand why you feel that way. But I don't believe your facts as presented are valid to support your argument.

Good hunting brother.

bludog

ps - and good on you for getting your daughter into the woods and into humting.

6.5x55 or a 30/06 and a 8x57, either one will do what you need done

Ain't it the truth!


I've had few .308s, and a few .270s. I have kept one .270 and got rid of everything else except a .30/30 and my rat rifles and rimfires. I like my .270, and it kills everything I point it at (so far) with no muss or fuss. I guess I could use factory ammo if I wanted to, but I've got a lot of ammo already loaded, and would probably never have to load for it again. I like the cartridge about as much as I'd like a .30/06, which is heaps and heaps.

If it were me, I'd have a friendly gun counter guy line up a bunch of the rifles I was interested in, and close my eyes, and pick the one that felt best to me, regardless of the chambering. The overlap of your choices assures you that any of them will work just fine.