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

My only suggestion would be to not allow anyone else to tell you how much recoil is tolerable, and when it starts to become a problem. Only you can know
that for yourself, and the only way you'll know is through time spent on the trigger with different rifles. Recoil is certainly never your friend, and if you don't have a genuine need for a caliber that generates heavy recoil, I see no reason to deal with it. Given your needs, I agree with some others, and suggest something like a 7mm-08, 270 Win, or 308 Win. Modern bullets have made them even better and more capable, and they do so with what most people consider very tolerable and acceptable recoil levels.

More importantly, you are 59 and use "lol"

January of '18, I wonder if he picked one yet? If not, here's a thought.

For those two, the package that comes wrapped around the chamber is more important than the headstamp.

Jmr40 listed another link from the OP he went 300 wsm so now wants everyone to tell him he needs a 270wsm because the 300 might be to big. He should have bought a 6.5 creed because Vinootz don't like them and the 10 rds a year he shoots would have cost less in money and recoil.

Vinootz don't like 'em? Well that settles it then.

Between the 2, I would pick the 30-06.

A .30-06. It has worked on everything I have used it on and kicks a lot less than the .300 mags.

06

“A lot more range time” translates to a 30-06 to me and with that range time those deer and elk will be in more danger. I practice with 165 gr Sierra but load 168 gr Barnes for elk when carrying the six.

if it were me.................30-06 for sure.

The extra velocity I have with all the 300s I have owned and hunted with never showed me any real advantage over a 30-06 for killing anything. Not a thing wrong with them, but nothing "more right" with them either.
I have owned a few 300 mags:
2 308 Norma's
3 300 Winchesters.
2 300 H&Hs (still have one of these)
1 300 Weatherby
1 30/378 Weatherby.
All were fine, but looking back, I saw and still don't see any real-world advantage to them over my 30-06 and they all were larger, heavier and longer.
I still own, use and love the Mauser in 300H&H and it killed deer and elk wonderfully, but not truly better than a 30-06. The point blank range of even my 30/378 was probably only 100 to 140 yards farther then my 30-06 and in the case of the Winchesters, Normas and H&Hs, it's truly only about 65 to 75 yards farther. Past that range you need to hold high, and if you can hold 10 inches high it's no harder to hold 14 inches high. It's not really a matter of the cartridge near as much as it is a matter of the shooter's skill. Same for windage. Once you have to start dialing or holding the hit is 100% on your skill, not on your equipment.
Of them all I have none now except the Mauser 300 H&H, and the reason I kept that gun is because I like the GUN and the cartridge is just what it happens to use.
I own more 30 cals rifles then any other bore size and my 300 H&H is now the most powerful one I have. I had a run of about 25 years using the super fast ones and did well with them, but in giving a totally honest evaluation of them all, none of them larger then a 30-06 ever did anything for me any better then a 30-06. no worse mind you, just not any better. All kick harder, and eat barrels out faster too, and all use more expensive ammo (hand-loaded and a LOT more if I had been buying factory ammo) so those down-sides were not off-set AT ALL in the field in comparison to the 30-06.

I like my 30s. I own a 30-30, two 300 Savages, one 303 british with a tight bore I use 308 bullets in, two 308s, two 30-06s and my 300H&H. I have sold a few 308s off and about 7 30-06s but I would never sell them all. I would have sold ALL my 300 magnums (but for the fact I just love the Mauser 300H&H.)
When I feel like I want to have more power in hand then a 30-06 gives me I go to a larger bore now days, not a faster 30 cal bullet. I now step up from my 30-06s and 300 H&H mag to a 9.3X62, a 9.3X74R or my 375H&H. Those all give me more power then my 30-06s, and I can see a small difference in how well they kill game over 500 pounds by simply making holes that always exit, (with good bullets) and that are larger in diameter.

But my experience has caused me to believe the best balanced of the 30 calibers is and probably always will be the 30-06. It seems to kill deer, elk, bears, antelope and moose as well as any 30 ever made, and it doesn't kick hard or eat throats out fast. If you need more then a 30-06 you probably need a LOT more. Not 5% but about 50%-75%

If the question was about a 30-06 or a 325 Short mag, a 338-06, 338 Win mag, or a 375H&H I would be less dogmatic. Bigger guns have advantages in the game fields at times, but a "faster 30-06 bullet" (which means any of the 300 mags) never showed me any true advantage in my 1/2 century of killing game. They look good in theory, but in actual kills I saw no advantage at all, and in many cases the slower impact of a 30-06 would allow a bullet to work BETTER then when it hits faster and breaks up more. That's is not truly a condemnation of any magnum, but more about bullet construction.

That said, the 30-06 just works, and works very well. If more is wanted, go bigger in bore size and bullet weight, not just faster.

Get both, I have 06, 300 Bee, and 300 Win mag.

That's a better Loony answer.

A real Loony would start at the top of the list, work down until he had a safe full...

Never say either/or, get'em all....

Just get both, shoot'em and have something interesting to report here on the Fire...

Then start trading and swapping around. Gives one something to occupy all that extra otherwise wasted time...

DF

I will eventually get another 300 H&H, sold the pre 64 Bull gun I had for years.

Choosing between ‘06 and .300 WSM, for me it would be ‘06 every time.

Have a few ‘06’s no WSM’s, never wanted one.

Still don’t.

DF

I shot a 300 win mag for years. It actually got boring it was so reliable at any range. I switched to a 06 encore pistol to put a challenge back in it. It shoots a 150 pro hunter at 2625. It kills very well. My far shot was 300 yards dead right there. Quite a few over the years where I set up foe mostly 200 yards. Very effective. Now that recoil bothers me a little I would go with the 06. Ed k

06.

I do have a .300 Win Mag, an Ed Brown Damara.

Great gun.

But I find myself currently using mostly non-magnum rounds.

DF

Choosing the right bullet for any caliber you like to shoot is really the right answer. (lots of great choices)

The 06 loaded with a 200 grain partition and with a muzzle velocity of 2,650 still carries right at 1,000 foot pounds of energy out to 700 yards.

Since my shooting skills diminish quickly past 300 yards, I guess I'm covered.

I’m using the 30-06 with the 212 ELD at a flat 2700 and man, it has really been pleasant to shoot. Hitting has been really easy and man, the increased BC doesn’t stink either. Carries a lot of energy and the 06 won’t tear up that bullet. Thinking it’ll get into the starting line up in Wyoming.

A sage has opined, “it’s the boolit, not the headstamp”.



DF