Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 308 vs small bore

Sold some guns and looking to consolidate. I have a 6.5 creedmoor, 6.5 Swede, 257 Roberts, and 223. Does it make sense to have a 30 caliber for bigger jobs? Or is there basically zero difference between 6.5 and .308 when it comes to stopping/killing ability due to modern bullet technology?

And yes i am redundant in my rifles but they have varying degrees of different tasks and sentimental attachment.

I suppose that the game being hunted might matter?

Guy

I have the ones you listed plus a couple of .308's.

It depends a lot on the individual rifle, IMO.

I HATE the one rifle scenario, gives me the creeps...

BUT, the .308 is probably the most versatile of them all, especially for a hand loader.

DF

What are "bigger jobs"?

A Swede or Creedmoor with an appropriate bullet is capable of quite a lot.

Thinking along the lines of larger stuff like bears or a moose, etc. Guessing my 6.5mm's aren't going to create the wound channel I need?

I dunno - the 6.5's have been awfully successful for a very long time.

Personally, I favor a little bigger bullet for bigger game, but as always, good bullet placement with a good bullet is key for success.

I'll be interested in the replies here. Mostly I hunt with a 30-06 and a 25-06, using the 25-06 primarily for mule deer & pronghorn. I know that it will take elk & bear, but I use a bigger rifle for those.

Regards, Guy

I know the energy and wind drift differences. But would poking a larger hole (not a lot larger obviously) be a good idea due to blood trail creation, etc?

If I felt a Swede with a 140 Partition or 120 TTSX was truly inadequate for whatever task then it would take more than a 308 Winchester to make me feel better. I'd probably get out my 338 Win and some 250 Partitions.

I'd Happily use the 6.5s on ALL North American game, Except Big Bears......if I had no backup. On those I would feel better with a 9.3 or 375, talking Grizzly......on the H&H.

I will add, IF for any reason I had s charge by a large bear, the larger heavier rounds might ...again MIGHT make one a bit more comfortable. For me, it would start at 338/06 with 225 Partitions, though a 200 PT in an '06 would do well. The 350 RM with 225 PT would also do well. Might not make much difference, but if I were running a 30, I would use an 06 over the 308, a bit heavier bullet at better speeds. I would not pick a magnum, in the 30, that's just me. Not if shooting nominal ranges.

You’re down to 4 rifles and want to consolidate? Okay, if you only want one keep the 6.5 RIFLE you like better (caliber doesn’t matter.) If you want to keep 2 rifles, keep the.223 as well.

I have already consolidated. Just wondering if I have a need to add one.

Mathman is on the track I was thinking about. If the 6.5 isn't the best choice, how big do I need to go, if at all?

I'd think in terms of bullet weight and velocity for however do you define bigger. A 180-200 gr bullet launched from a 30-06 is likely a bigger hammer than those listed. Or a 338-06/35 wh would be equally as good with tolerable recoil in a totable rifle. I'm a fan of 06 based cartridges as bigger hammers. They give more bullet weight and decent velocity making them good for distances growly things operate in.

Much wisdom here. The .308 is truly a choice of hard to beat chamberings. It's a very fine cartridge.

I'm heavily invested in several 308 rifles and have a 30-06 with too much history to sell although I rarely use it anymore. I like my 308's; have some nice rifles and have put in the time to work up loads for them that work well.

I bought a 6.5 CM just to see what the fuss is all about. I'm impressed with the cartridge, but at this stage of my life probably won't change. The 6.5 will remain a range toy for me and I'll probably hunt with the 308's the rest of my hunting career. The 308 MIGHT be a slightly more effective cartridge on game bigger than deer, but if a 6.5 isn't big enough to get the job done I'll skip right over 308, and even 30-06 for that matter.

The thing that opened my eyes was a ballistics gel test I saw comparing a 143 gr Hornady ELDX in 6.5 CM to a 178 gr Hornady ELDX fired from a 308. Both bullets penetrated exactly the same distance and it was impossible to tell the difference in expanded bullet diameter just by looking at it.

Well the next time I go hunting for ballistic gel I'll try a 6.5 something or other. 'Til then I'll stick with my .30s, or my .270, or my 7 mag, or my 338, or ANYTHING but a 6.5 anything. 😁

Sometimes, I grab the rifle according to the scope I want to use mounted on it. The truth is you probably already want one or you wouldn't be asking, go ahead and scratch the itch.

.308 is more fun, louder, kicks up more dust, just more exciting, and they tend to be accurate. They are also efficient and handy with a short barrel.

Here in Montana I’d be comfortable with the 6.5 CM or 6.5x55 for everything.

Much as I love the 308, if I really felt the need for something bigger I’d skip right past the 308 and get a 30-06 in order to handle 200 gr. bullets. But I genuinely can’t find the need for either for the hunting I do.

Swedes have been killing moose for a long time with their 6.5s.... so unless you regularly hunt large truculent bears, I'd say your pretty well covered.

The longer I hunt, the less I'm convinced all this minutiae makes any difference.

Would happily hunt anything with a .308 that I've hunted with the .30-06--and these days I consider the .30-06 a "big" cartridge. Not like the .375 H&H or .416 Rigby, but even in Africa a bunch of Cape buffalo have been killed with the .30-06--or 7mm Remington Magnum, or .300 Winchester Magnum. Shoot any big game in the right place with a bullet that expands and penetrates sufficiently and they all die pretty quickly.

Amen to that......right on.