Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 30-06 advantage over a .308?

Rather than thread jack, I thought I would start a new one. JB's comment in another thread about today's 150 grain bullets doing everything needed in a 30-06 has me wondering: If 150's do all that can be expected from a 30-06 for most hunting, then why not just shoot the 150's in a .308? Can't you get within 100 fps or so with 150's in what should be a slightly smaller, lighter, and theoretically more inherently accurate rifle; while also burning less powder?

I am curious, because I always thought the advantage of a 30-06 was with heavier and longer bullets. If those heavier and longer bullets don't really have much advantage over today's 150's for the majority of hunting, then I would have to admit that I no longer see much advantage of a 30-06 over a .308.

It was always my understanding that a 30-06 with 180's was a step up over a .308 for elk or moose sized game, but JB's statement has me wondering...

There's a reason I use a 223AI for the deer hunting I do today that I did with a 30/06 20 years ago.

The 30/06 is longer though, and that can matter...

I've been a 165 gn guy myself, for the most part in the 06. Regardless, the 250 to 300 fps gained over the 308 is reason enough for me to stay with the 06. Depends on the terrain you're hunting though, I guess.

I didn't read the thread, but I would guess that JB was referring to Barnes X and their ilk when he said that about the 30-06.

A 180gr lead core is still preferrable to a 150gr for bucking the wind and penetrating quartering shots on elk.

I guess I should have clarified that I understand he was probably referring to bullets like the Barnes, Scirocco, GMX, etc...

Developed my handloads for the .30-06 & .308 well before I had a chronograph. Was mildly amused some years later to discover that both rifles shoot a 165 gr Nosler to about 2750 fps...

Barely any difference between the .308 & .30-06 loads I commonly use.

Now, I do know that I could load the '06 hotter, and that it does better with heavy bullets, but I've long since settled on using those 165 gr loads for most of my hunting.

I think the 30-06 will always have a place. In the past it has been generally ( for a lot of people) preferable for elk with its heavier bullets. If as JB contends the newer 150's diminish this advantage then one could argue the new 180's and heavier in the 30-06 would make the 30 mags and 338 unnecessary too for even heavier game. The break line for most of us is elk which is a fairly common quarry in the west. Our next step up in the US is moose and or big bear which most of us will never hunt i.e. the reason to own a .30 bigger than the 308 win. is diminished for most of us. If I was an regular elk hunter though I would probably still have a 30-06 just my personal choice but since I might be lucky to have only 1 or 2 chances at a KY elk I can make do with my 308 or 270.

Drop the 150's and try shooting the 130 grain Barnes TTSX from your .308. 2900+ fps is easy, and they shoot flat as a laser beam.

Extreme caution when using a .308 with 165's. It'll make ya fart loud

And you'll need a bigger freezer

When you consider you can push a 150 grainer up to 3050fps in a 308 and a 178 HPBT well past 2700fps with some of the new powders like 2000MR, it really makes the 06 kinda obsolete, though I wont sell my model 70 anytime soon, its a very accurate 06. But id pick my 308 for a hunting job pretty much every time over my 06. So in my eyes the 06 has no advantage whatsoever over the 06, 308s ROCK!
This is a load of 47.5grs 2000MR with the 178HPBT Hornady, Im getting around 2750fps in my Rem SPSS.

Is that your own data, or was this published somewhere?

Here's a much better pic with Lapua brass, bullet seated out just off the lands.

Alliants 2011 Reloading manual, they dont have the same data online for some reason. Here's an example for the 175MK.
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reload...ight=175&shellid=80&bulletid=251

Cant believe I cut the bullet weights off, bottom 3 are all 165, middle 5 are all 150s.

30.06 has more case capacity and the ability to shoot heavier bullets up to 220 grains, 250 grains if you have the specified twist in your rifle to handle them, if a person cares too?

the 308 tends to be more streamlined towards target/precision shooting rifles and cannot handle the heavier bullet weights.

That being said the newer bullet technology and powders I would feel pretty confident in shooting a 168TTSX or Partition at anything in N.A.

I have a 30.06 that shoots a 165 grain bullet at a slow 2680 fps but it has killed anything I put the bullet through. A 308 could surely match and or surpass this velocity.

Nothing wrong with the 308, and I'd have one if I didn't have the 30-06! I see some guys shoot their 308s as fast as I do my 06.

I'm curious for the guys running production 308s.. Any issues with mag box length vs getting the 155s to lands? Thanks!

BC of .350. Not too flat..(grin)

I don't need a 30/06 for most of my hunting.. but I'd still never be without one.. not having an 06 is like not saluting the flag when they play the national anthem....

the 308 on the other hand is a great case to make other cartridges from that are better in my opinion.. like the 243, 260 and 7/08....or the 338/06...

I love the old 30/30 round over a 308...

when I need less , I grab a 30/30... when I need more, I grab an 06... when I need a lot more.. I grab the 300 Win Mag..

I don't own a machine gun, so I don't need a higher cycle rate....

If I need flatter shooting, I grab my 260....

just never saw the need for a 308 in my life...

if I did have one, it would be heavy barreled, but short ( say 18 inches).. and knowing me.. my load would be shooting a 170 grain 30/30 bullet with a speed between 2200 to 2400 fps..with a 1 to 4 power scope on top...close to a 307 Win equiv...

I don't hate the round, I just don't need the round..

I can't get near the lands with magazine length cartridges in any of mine. Half MOA five shot groups aren't impossible though, even with the bullets jumping 1/8".

Oh well...thanks