First hunting rifle, .308 or .30-'06?

[Jamie6.5]

I reload, so I chose the 30-06 because I could get better ballistics with the lighter bullet weights I shoot. I bought a Winchester Model 70.

Both the caliber and the rifle fall into the "Never A Bad Choice" category.
Well done.

 

[tahoe2]

either - or, will serve you well. I've witnessed first hand the killing ability of both on animals up to Elk, there really is no discernible difference on game, with those two or about 30 other calibers as well. Buy what you want !!

 

[Hrethgir]

Looks like I'm going to go with the Ruger American in .30-'06. Sounds like a nice gun, especially for the money, and the extra variety in the weights of the projectiles in the -'06 give it a little more flexability. Never a bad thing to have! Of course, I just got engaged, so my money is otherwise tied up at the moment, guess I won't be getting anything too soon. Oh well, something to look forward to!

 

[eldbillbo]

.308 vs 30.06 close one I would go with the 30.06 not much dif in recoil and 30.06 will give you the edge for heavier bullets against elk but a .308 is still a good choice also.

a lot of guys mentioning cheaper .308 thats pretty much non existent now a days and the .308 flew off the shelf faster than the 30.06 when the panic hit because its what is used in sporting rifles like the Ar10 FAL and G3/PTR something about semi autos and hi cap mags tend to cause people to burn through ammo as a faster higher rate.

 

[jluck]

my money is otherwise tied up at the moment.

I had a good laugh....

"Your"money is tied up forever now.

 

[Joe13]

+1 ^^^

Took me almost 20 years to get back to the point where I am able to start "throwing away" money on guns & ammo

 

[AMProducts]

So a few things I'll throw out....

First, hunting deer is a really poor way to start your career as a hunter unless you've got some people to take you out your first time. It's too easy to get in over your head. Since it sounds like you already have a .22LR, go shoot some rabbits, get some practice determining what's the difference between good meat, meet that's been shredded by bullets, and what's internal organs. This is going to be important once you've killed something, getting the bad stuff out quick before it spoils the rest is a key concern.

Sounds like you already have a 20ga shotgun, go take some upland game, limit out on doves, quail or whatever is in season.

Getting your feet wet is an important consideration. And also, deer know when it's deer season better than you do, so while they may be everywhere today, that's going to change once guys wearing orange camo start shooting at them.

As far as calibers... both the .308 and .30-06 are very capable. I'll be honest, I'm not at all a fan of ruger rifles, I've never found them to be particularly well built or accurate. My suggestion, check out the savage 110's, howa 1500's, or even the mossberg MVP series. Another thing is, for the game you're thinking about hunting, I think you should open up your potential calibers more. I would highly recommend checking out your local pawn shops, any rifle that fits your shoulder, has a nice trigger, and is chambered in .270, '06, .308, 7mm rem mag, or even 300winmag should be on the menu if the price is right. In all honesty, I really like the long range capability of the .300wm over the .308/.30-06 especially if you're going to get over to the dry side for elk. 7mm rem mag is something of a compromise between the hard hitting .300wm and the .308, it's still hard hitting and flat shooting, but isn't quite as tough on your shoulder. Combined with a barnes X or a hornady GMX, I would trust that caliber to penetrate and kill everything short of kodiak and polar bears.

 

[jluck]

Good choice on the '06. It should serve you well. Take a look the the Thompson Center Dimension too. More money but more flexibility when another caliber is desired, but then again two Ruger Americans might be cheaper.

 

[Joe13]

.308 vs 30.06 close one I would go with the 30.06 not much dif in recoil and 30.06 will give you the edge for heavier bullets against elk but a .308 is still a good choice also.

a lot of guys mentioning cheaper .308 thats pretty much non existent now a days and the .308 flew off the shelf faster than the 30.06 when the panic hit because its what is used in sporting rifles like the Ar10 FAL and G3/PTR something about semi autos and hi cap mags tend to cause people to burn through ammo as a faster higher rate.

I disagree somewhat.

I have found there to be quite a bit of .308win/7.62x51 cartridges available thru FTF sales, as long as your willing to shop around on forums and websites.

In fact, I would say I find .308 vs 30-06 at about 10:1 in classified ads.

Granted, lots of it is mil surplus or stuff guys shoot out of ARs; that being said - I have found them to be great for target shooting, just so I can be as familiar with my rifle as possible.

Do I get better accuracy with hunter or match grade ammo? Yup, but those run me around $2 a shot and I have found the "plinking" .308 rounds to be plenty accurate at 150 yards or so that I generally shoot. Plus I've found those rounds from $.75 down to $.50 per round.

Just two penny's from a guy who rarely has two to rub together.

 

[ak56]

This is nothing but a Chevy vs Ford type of thing. Can't go wrong with either.

FWIW I've killed a bunch of deer and elk over the years with the same old Winchester model 100 chambered in .308 I've had since I was 11 years old.

Hey, if this is a Chevy vs Ford type of thing...

I took my first (and only) deer with an '89 Toyota Camry.

 

[eldbillbo]

I disagree somewhat.

I have found there to be quite a bit of .308win/7.62x51 cartridges available thru FTF sales, as long as your willing to shop around on forums and websites.

In fact, I would say I find .308 vs 30-06 at about 10:1 in classified ads.

Granted, lots of it is mil surplus or stuff guys shoot out of ARs; that being said - I have found them to be great for target shooting, just so I can be as familiar with my rifle as possible.

Do I get better accuracy with hunter or match grade ammo? Yup, but those run me around $2 a shot and I have found the "plinking" .308 rounds to be plenty accurate at 150 yards or so that I generally shoot. Plus I've found those rounds from $.75 down to $.50 per round.

Just two penny's from a guy who rarely has two to rub together.

yes there is more .308 in the classifieds usually it cost more than buying it bimart or walmart off the classifieds. Last i looked it was like a buck a round and the good deals don't last long so unless you want to pitch a tent and spend your days looking for a good deal on .308 rather than enjoying life then go for it.

Yes more .308 but its also mostly FMJ or steel core which is illegal to hunt with in Oregon and Probably Washington too. OP is looking for a hunting rifle and from my impression a dedicated hunting rifle or i would agree with you fully to get a .308.

Because of the popularity of the .308 for sporting rifles it does fly off the shelf faster than the 30.06 and usually gets jacked up in price a lot higher .

Just my 2 cents and you can spend it any way you like or mark it up to a nickel if you want.

here you go true story during the pre panic hunting season friend could not find any .308 but there was still 30.06 on the shelf

 

[BAMCIS]

Hey, if this is a Chevy vs Ford type of thing...

I took my first (and only) deer with an '89 Toyota Camry.

Well, if we're counting those, the last one I got was last this January, right in front of Black Butte Ranch with the wife's Chevy Tahoe. Don't know how I didn't make it a "multiple kill shot" with the others that were with it. Best of all her Tahoe had NO damage. (I'd have caught hell if it did.) I told her it was my naturally occurring talent and superior driving abilities.

 

[Joe13]

yes there is more .308 in the classifieds usually it cost more than buying it bimart or walmart off the classifieds. Last i looked it was like a buck a round and the good deals don't last long so unless you want to pitch a tent and spend your days looking for a good deal on .308 rather than enjoying life then go for it.

Yes more .308 but its also mostly FMJ or steel core which is illegal to hunt with in Oregon and Probably Washington too. OP is looking for a hunting rifle and from my impression a dedicated hunting rifle or i would agree with you fully to get a .308.

Because of the popularity of the .308 for sporting rifles it does fly off the shelf faster than the 30.06 and usually gets jacked up in price a lot higher .

Just my 2 cents and you can spend it any way you like or mark it up to a nickel if you want.

here you go true story during the pre panic hunting season friend could not find any .308 but there was still 30.06 on the shelf

No harm in agreeing to disagree.

I just happen to have gone thru a similar quandary as the OP and thought I would share my perspective.

I also will be using my gunsite scout as a dedicated hunting rifle. I just like my guns to be an extention of my arm and the only way I know of to do that is to put a few hundred rounds thru it. It's to practice with not to hunt with... You really think I'd run around with FMJ mil surplus to hunt with?


Practice can be quite expensive if your paying $1 a round (at least for my income).

I've found and shot half a thousand rounds thru my .308 and havn't paid more then $.70 a round, and have enough left to last another year or two.

I've yet to see 30-06 for less then $1 even from people selling it in bulk. However there are at least 3 people with ads on this forum for .308 less then $.80. It's also been available from at least one of those people for a couple months, cuz I've gone back for more 2 more times.

I guess if your only going to shoot a 5 group to sight in a scope and then 1 in the game once a year, price of ammo is not very important.

And if your waiting till opening day to buy a box of 20 - you might want to rethink your ahead of time planning and preparation.

 

[jluck]

I'm going to shoot my hunting rifle (A lot) with the ammunition I plan on hunting with, I don't see the point otherwise . At .46 a round for my 7mm Rem mag I will shoot a bunch and can print 1/2 minute groups. I personally wouldn't shoot milcrap or random stuff unless I was just making brass piles.

YMMV.

 

[Joe13]

Jluck > all

I might have to look at buying a new gun in that caliber

 

[jluck]

Jluck > all

I might have to look at buying a new gun in that caliber

Nothing to do with caliber Per 'se....Just reloading with "proven" (Inexpensive) but not "trendy" (Expensive) components.

 

[Joe13]

Ahh, gotcha!

I've been saving my .308 brass but have not made the financial and mental plunge into that facet of the sport yet.

When I have the funds, I think I'm just going to ask around to see if I can find someone who wants to school a beginner on what's worth buying and what is a waste of time and money.

 

[BAMCIS]

Ahh, gotcha!

I've been saving my .308 brass but have not made the financial and mental plunge into that facet of the sport yet.

When I have the funds, I think I'm just going to ask around to see if I can find someone who wants to school a beginner on what's worth buying and what is a waste of time and money.

Now's the time to study up on it. Hit the reloading forums, youtube and even buy a manual or two. A good one to start with is The ABC's of Reloading. After awhile you'll have a good idea of the direction you want to go and when you do "pull the trigger" on all things reloading then you won't have as steep of a learning curve.

 

[Quacky88]

I'm on the fence between a .308 or a marlin 336 to prepare for my first season this fall down here around eugene. Wanna get in the 308 game but I figure for a decent rifle and glass set-up I'll be paying more than double what a new marlin will run. So many guns so little money..... I'll have both eventually but leaning 30-30 to get out there this season without breaking the bank

 

[Liberty97045]

308 for deer, 30-06 for elk or deer.
308 will allow more bang for the buck with surplus ammo