30-06 vs 308

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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion – the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me – from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.

Disclaimer
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.

[bartee]

The .308 was designed to mimic the .30-06 at 150 grains and be used in a autoloader. It does exactly what it was designed to do.

[andrewhobby]

When there’s an ammo shortage you can NEVER find 30-06 on the shelf. But you can always find .308

[jamesclark]

Man 165 out of my 308 seems to do the job just fine

[gulliver]

The .308 does what it was designed to do, perfectly. Debate settled.

[daveholyoak]

If a.308 is enough cartridge for deer, elk, black bear i made the correct choice

[Peter-cyn]

Love the one you’re with. 30 06 or 308. Both great!

[kinthelt]

Good to know that the 180gr bullets I've been shooting from my .308 don't exist.

[MTMILITIAMAN.]

The .308 does stuff better than the 06, too. The .308 is a more effecient case. It gets 95% of the 06's performance from 80% of the powder.
No game animal is going to notice a difference of 200 fps or less. But you might notice doing the same job cheaper with less fuss.
Furthermore, the .308's effeciency makes it perform much better from shorter barrels. Compare muzzle velocity from a 16 inch barrel and you might even notice the .308 edges out the 06. For a sportsman, this means you can put an expanding .30 caliber bullet on a game animal from a rifle that is shorter and lighter. This means quicker and easier to get into action in brush, easier to maneuver around blinds and tree stands, easier to get into and out of vehicles, ATVs, and horseback, and easier to get to the top of the mountain with balls deep in snow and climbing over blowdown. That adds a lot of utility to the .308 that the 06 doesn't have.
But wait, there's more. As a one gun solution for a survivalist or patriot looking for a rifle that can fight and put meat on the table, the .308 just makes more sense. Again, more options and better performance from a shorter and lighter rifle.
The bottom line is that if the .308 isn't enough gun, the 06 is unlikely to do much better. If you need more power from heavier bullets hunting large game, you don't need an 06. You need a .300 Win or a WSM. A shooter will appreciate the advantages of a .308 much more than the largely theoretical advantages of the 06 because there isn't a better option to cover the role of the .308, but there are better options to cover the role of the 06.

[LD-duxx]

I knew a lot of old timers, and back in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s they all liked the 30-06.

[ashesashes]

I like them both but the fact of the matter is 308 is cheaper and can still kill any threat most people are going to come across. That being said I love my M1 Garand😂

[achap]

308 seems to work pretty damn good here in Alaska 🤣

[jeffniderost]

1954 just called. It wants it's opinion back.

[cmfishing]

Used a 200 grain 308 round to kill my grizzly bear, moose, caribou, and black bear. Shot placement is what matters most

[NorthCountryOutlaw]

depending on the load .308 is only about 100fps slower, than 30-06. I've been using 165gr. 308, it can do anything a 30-06 can do.

[rgibson]

I have a 308 because i can use sub sonics over a dog, i can load it down to 110gr for my son, and can load up to 178gr and comfortably take deer out to 500y and its barrel life. Versatility is my preference.

[jamesunderdal]

Used both for years love them both and you know neither one has ever let me down in anyway.

[AngloCelt]

The 30-06 has been the goat for more than 100 years, that's not going to change.

[michaeldaltonsr]

A good friend hammered me for 35 yrs to go .308. My brother hammered me to go .270. I stuck w/30/06. We all are above avg deer hunters, all equally successful. My daughter/s.i.l. gave me a .270 several years ago.I bot Ruger SFAR last year. Yet every season, I hunt muzzle-loader, then Ruger GP 100 .357 magnum in rifle season. They all shake their heads, and laugh."When are you going to take a rifle, in case you see deer too far away??" I grin, and say, "that's why it's called hunting, not range practice!!".

[whatsthetruth]

I have never seen someone hate so much on.308. it was designed to be a more compact military round That still had sufficient weight to get through material like bricks and walls and doors, while lowering the weight and increasing load capacity. It’s everything the 300 blackout wishes it could be. It’s a great caliber.

[r.kilsby]

Over 100 years old and still killing it!