308 or 30-06, your pick?

[orygun]

Oh. After all that, I almost forgot:

I like the .308 cartridge better. (with apologies to Orygun)

No apologies needed! I love it when someone who's opinion differs from mine gives some of the best validation for my choices!

 

[Spitpatch]

And I'd answer the original question stating why I like the .308 more, but my reasons are all completely subjective and personal preference, and if anybody challenged them, THEN We'd have us wunuvthemthar ARGUMENTS!!!

It's so much easier for me to defend the '06 on a purely factual basis.

 

[orygun]

Funny thing is, I grew up liking the British 303 and disliking the 30-06. Over time I realized that the 06 was extremely popular for many good reasons. (kind of like the small block Chevy, but I'll not convert!)
Craig Boddington has an article about the 30-06 in this months Guns & Ammo. In it he talks about the improvements over time, due to new powders and bullets. Also he does some comparisons between the 308 and 30-06. it's good read.

 

[coyoteman5]

.308 it's a NATO/military round so if shtf you could find ammo easier in the differences between the 3006 and 308 is minor or less you're going to shoot 180 gr or heavier bullets.
That's my thoughts anyway.

 

[coyoteman5]

Maybe the word easier to find/get was not the right term depending on how bad shtf but it will be in more abundant quantities since military personnel use that round. (308)

 

[kenjo]

Go to the gun store. Have the sales person place one-each identical rifle except for caliber (308 and 30-06) on the counter while your back is turned. Put on a blind fold. Approach the counter and pick up one rifle, and buy it. No matter which caliber you get you will probably be happy with it as long as you have already determined that either caliber and style of rifle will meet your needs.

I've owned and shot both, reloaded for both, but now only have the 30-06 cause I like it.

YMMV.

PS--I liked the 308 also and wouldn't pass up a chance to get another one if it was a good deal.

 

[Page.k]

Show me what major military uses 30-06 today and I will switch from 7.62 NATO

Our military still have and use a few 30-06' guns like the M1 Garand and 1903. File:M1 Garand competition.JPEG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://www.usnst.org/12 Documents/2012PacFleetAllNavyMatchProgram.pdf <broken link removed>
The 30-06 can handle slow, medium and faster burning powders with standard or magnum rifle primers. = cheap slow surplus powders.
If you reload why not get set up to reload the two?

 

[slimmer13]

Carlos Hathcock liked the 06. I am not him so either would suit me fine.

 

[gaucho9]

Most Police snipers will use .308...

 

[slimmer13]

Most police/swat sniper applications are less than 100 yds. Different tools for different uses. Depends what you are planning to use the rifle for.

 

[Mark W.]

I have never understood the idea that in some complete SHTF situation that people think they will be able to get ammo from the military.One the Military will have control of it and want it. Two the military only has ammo in a very few select locations. For instance the closest to me in little Silverton Oregon that the Military has ANY ammo is 15 miles away. At the National Guard Armory in Woodburn or Salem. Not to mention your going to have to be the first dude in the door of the armory to find a thing. Cause the first guy is going to load up his pickup and his buddies pickup and be gone.

In no SHTF situation I can possibly imagine short of 2 million North Korean troops landing on Cannon Beach after tactical Nuke strikes by China will any military tropps be handing out any ammo to anyone not in their unit. SO I would either stock up what makes you comfortable or learn to reload and stock up on powder cap and ball. Or just not worry about it.

Now between me and there are thousands of homes that deer hunters and shooters live in. And theres a better chance of finding 30-06 (100 years of history with sportsmen) compared to .308 (60 years since introduction) And since there have been almost NO surplus military rifles sold to the public in .308 as compared to Multimillions of surplus in 30-06 (1903's 03-A3's 1917's M1 Grand, to name the most common)

"Since the adoption of the M14 rifle in the 1950s, the US has not released any later model than the WWII/Korean War era M1 Garand and M1 carbine to the public. The reason is that the M14 has been ruled capable of easy conversion to full auto, or machine gun mode, and the subsequent M16 and today’s variant of that, the M4, are selective fire full auto weapons from the get-go."

So the chances of finding a few boxes of 30-06 in the civilian world is greater then the chances of finding .308 and as I stated earlier all it takes is a $25.00 chamber adapter and your 30-06 can fire the few .308's you might find.

And as to NATO adopting the 7.62 x 51 as a std round. GOOD luck with finding any stock piles of NATO ammo anywhere but maybe a BIG Military base like Joint Base McCord Lewis up in Washington.

 

[gaucho9]

Precisely my point. Not only the range, but also the lesser the recoil, the sooner you can take your second shot (IF NEEDED)

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I've always been kind of partial to shooting heavy for caliber bullets in hunting situations. I choose the 30-06.

 

[Ought Six]

.....

 

[Geol]

The 30-06 get's it done. It has more, and can be loaded down to .308 to have less.

 

[Spitpatch]

Jack O'Connor said he would not be afraid to walk across the entire African Continent with a .30-06 balanced over his shoulder. He was right.

But if he did it with a .308, his gun'd look so much tighter and cooler.

 

[jbett98]

Buy both.

 

[Spitpatch]

.....

Gawd how I envy brevity. Alas, I cannot ever possess it.

 

[orygun]

.....

Guess the name says it all!

 

[bernoulli0912]

My pick? If they were my only choices would be the .308. When I bought my pre-64 M70 in 30-06, I was very happy with it. After several decades hunting with it, I sold it. It was becoming to much of a burden to carry. I'd get a BLR in .308. It's lighter, accurate enough for my needs, and I was very happy with one I owned years ago.

Ballistics arguments are always interesting, but not always illuminating. When shooting my own reloads, sometimes the book worked for me and sometimes it didn't..... so, I don't think there is a better pick between them except for the individual and his use.