Ruger American in 308 or 30-06 for my needs?

Since elk is the question, I'm gonna vote 30-06 for the answer. It fares better with heavy bulleted loads than the .308 does, and it wallops a tough bull just a bit harder. Carries the mail a bit farther, faster, and flatter, and none of these are bad.

Would I hunt elk with a .308? Sure! Choose it over an '06? No deal.

WHOA! Edit time. I just saw that your young'uns might use the rifle. Now here is where I get goofy and recommend something outside the OP: get a .270 Win. It's 150s will penetrate as well as an '06's 180s, but be more plesant to shoot. With 130s it will be softer shooting than the .308/180 for the kids.

I own and shoot magnum rifles, but I also just sold a 6lb 2oz Savage in .308 because it kicked too hard.
 
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You are better off using the 165 gr vs the 180 gr. At 500 yds energy on the 165 is around 1625 lbs of energy and if you are using the soft point 180 gr it is only 1200 lbs. if you use the 180 gr pointed soft point bullets than it will. Do about 40lbs more than the 165 gr.
 
I know you want Ruger American but my tikka t3 in 30-06 is what I use in Colorado for elk. Very very light rifle and sub moa shooter out of the box.
I too use the Remington cor lokt bullets.
 
There is no reason not to get the 308. The 30-06 will give you about 100 fps more speed (about 3-4%), but about 20% more recoil."

If 100 fps is 3-4% of your total .308 velocity, that means that you are getting 3000-4000 fps out of that bad boy.
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Not quite... let's say 3.5%

0.035 * Velocity = 100

Velocity = 100/0.035

Velocity = 2,857 fps

So the 3-4% (closer to 4) estimate is about right

However, the recoil increase would be closer to 10% than 20% (according to every recoil calculator I've checked).
 
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"You are better off using the 165 gr vs the 180 gr. At 500 yds energy on the 165 is around 1625 lbs of energy and if you are using the soft point 180 gr it is only 1200 lbs. if you use the 180 gr pointed soft point bullets than it will. Do about 40lbs more than the 165 gr."

Most of my shots are in the 60 yard range. Would the 165 grain perform better at those distances?
 
I own hunting rifles in both 308 and 30-06 and I handload for both from 140grn to 200grn (for the '06). With your shooting at game under 100yds, there really isn't any advantage to having a 30-06, even shooting 180grn bullets at elk or moose.
 
30 miles a day you say? If you can actually do that in mountainous terrain, you are a better man than any of us and can carry whatever you want!
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And he's dragging an elk through that stuff! Still, I understand the want to keep the rest of your gear light if possible.
 
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