308 or 30-06?

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hargroderauto

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I am contemplating the Savage axis or Remington 700 for deer hunting and target shooting. I have several shotguns and pistols, but this will be my first rifle to start hunting and target shooting with my twin 13yr old boys. I actually bought the savage 30-06 today at walmart for one of the boys Christmas presents and will purchase another tomorrow for my self and the other twin boy. What would be a good general purpose caliber? which one is cheaper to shoot? Thanks in advance for your comments.
 
They are both cheaper to shoot and better than the other. The '06 is longer though. I keep a variety of both around as my .30 caliber love knows no bounds.
 
Recoil shouldn't be a problem as they have been shooting 12 ga shotguns for a couple of years now. Also what about the 270?how does it compare between the 30-06 and 308?
 
.308 is inherently more accurate with about 20% less recoil while being in a short action, and will do just about anything a 30-06 will do till you get to the heaver bullet weights 180 and up. if you are shooting 165 grain bullet in both there is only about a 200 fps deference 30-06 being faster. i have both and i tend to use the .308 more because its lighter and more accurate. but if im going for bigger game such as elk i would probably take the 06. that being said i don't think you could go wrong with either. but for target shooting i think the .308 would be a little easier on the shoulder, not that the 06 has a lot of recoil anyway. good luck! (forgot to say .308 is one of my favorites :D never had a deer run very far, most of them are bang flops)
 
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Big Bad Pigg

the post from BBP got it right on. I concurr.

.308 is really a great calibre.
And when it comes to hunting it is all about shot placement and Bullet construction. Good Luck JD
 
If you don't reload, there's no practical difference in performance between the two cartridges. Reloading can give a bit of an edge to the '06, particularly with a longer barrel.
 
Im with BigBad Pig also. 308 is just unbelievably accurate. 06 is a nice rifle ,but 308 is a awesome rifle and more accurate.
 
.308 is supposedly more inherently accurate than .30-06, but it is more a function of the rifle in real world shooting. If you are buying two or more rifles you would be better off to standardize on one ammo choice, especially if you are hunting with young boys who tend to forget stuff in the truck. I am a big fan of shorter actions but it doesnt make a huge difference in weight and balance. I am a bigger fan of more power, every last drop helps.
 
I would go with the .308 for deer because of the lower recoil.

I would shy away from Remington products until they get they quality control back on track. I sent two new Remington rifles back to the factory in the past three months, one of which was a Model Seven with head space issues. You might want to look at Savage or Weatherby Vanguard.
 
My favorite hunting round is the ’06. One shot has always done the job for me. On the other hand I often use a 308 for target punching although I have shot ‘06 to 600 yards without problems. I would lean more towards the ’06 because it is still a tad more versatile than the 308. '06 will keep a 168 gr SMK supersonic out to 1000 yards where a 308 has a little trouble. In a hunting rifle I doubt most people could see a significant accuracy difference between the two.
 
'06 will keep a 168 gr SMK supersonic out to 1000 yards where a 308 has a little trouble.

Tim R-- Not true at all. It will push a 168 out to a mile supersonic. At 2630 FPS ,where i shoot my 175's it will stay supersonic out past a mile.
 
Already have a 30-06 might as well get another. Cheaper to have 2 of the same I would think for reloading and purchasing ammo in bulk.
 
I went to Walmart tonight and bought the 308. I couldn't wait until tomorrow since the wife gave me the green light. So now we have two new deer rifles, both Savage, a 30-06 and a 308. I bought both with scopes already mounted on them for $399 a piece. Now I just have too wait until Christmas to shoot them and sight them in. Thanks for the suggestions, they are appreciated.
 
4runnerman said:
Tim R-- Not true at all. It will push a 168 out to a mile supersonic. At 2630 FPS ,where i shoot my 175's it will stay supersonic out past a mile.
Click to expand...

Where you shooting 4runner? My load on my 175gr BT LRs even at 2700 doesn't stay super sonic but out to maybe 1250yds.

As for the topic on the thread. Either or. I usually cater to short actions, but i have both.

Pretty awesome video of a garand hitting steel at 1000yds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34RqMoyMZmI&feature=player_embedded
 
.308 or .30-06

"Tim R-- Not true at all. It will push a 168 out to a mile supersonic. At 2630 FPS ,where i shoot my 175's it will stay supersonic out past a mile."

Tim_R,

I find it hilarious when a wanna-be expert tries to tell a REAL expert like you that you are wrong!!!:rolleyes:

T.
 
30-06 Domination

People like to say the .308 is almost as good as the 30-06 and they are right. Almost. I load the 30-06 and it will outperform the .308 in every bullet weight from 150gr. up. People say they like the short action better. A half inch difference in how far you have to cycle the bolt back. Really? That actually matters to someone? Come on man. The 30-06 is better than the .308 all day every day. Dont even get me started on accuracy. Like I said I reload. I know how to make a round accurate.
 
You're probably better off with the .308. It is inherently more accurate than the 30-06 and has milder recoil, which will be appreciated in an extended target shooting session. The '06 does have the edge with bullets of 180grs. and up, but with current bullet technology, you don't need a bullet that big to bring down a deer.
 
I've got them both, shoot them both, like them both. My true love is the .30-06, it's a game taker. However, this morning the .308 gets the nod. I haven't "made meat" with that rifle yet and I hope to kill one deer before I pass it along to a son or grandson.

Take your choice, they're both proven calibers.
 
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