308 vs 30-06

[AWS]

A couple of thoughts 308's are built on a short actions which are stiffer and a little easier to build an accurate rifle.  If you have a weight limit as in most target disciplines you can put more weight in the barrel making it stiffer.   With a shorter powder column  and sharper shoulder they are more efficient making smaller SD's easier to obtain and they are powerful enough to shoot nearly as fast and do as much damage when they get there as a 30-06.  With the same weight bullet they recoil less do to the slightly lower velocity, smaller powder charge(less stuff going down the barrel) and less jet effect of a smaller powder charge.  

AWS

[chef bama]

http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/AccuracyFacts.asp
(says .308 more accurate, seems plausible)

I got a Savage .308 at a pawnshop for half what the 30-06's were going for. Pawn shop guy said because in our area everybody wanted an '06 and not a 308. 

[Viszla]

think the biggest advantage to the 308 is the ability to shoot 7.62x51 military surplus ammo for cheap practice.  no other "big" centerfire rifle can be fed as cheaply as the 308, except maybe the 7.62x54R.

You can shoot 7.62x51 in a 308??  If you can that is nice to know as all my rifles are 308.

[Bob33]

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-440516.html

308 Win vs. 7.62x51--The Straight Scoop
Before we go much further, we want to address the oft-posed question "Are the .308 Winchester and 7.62x51 NATO one and the same?" The simple answer is no. There are differences in chamber specs and maximum pressures. The SAMMI/CIP maximum pressure for the .308 Win cartridge is 62,000 psi, while the 7.62x51 max is 50,000 psi. Also, the headspace is slightly different. The .308 Win "Go Gauge" is 1.630" vs. 1.635" for the 7.62x51. The .308's "No-Go" dimension is 1.634" vs. 1.6405" for a 7.62x51 "No Go" gauge. That said, it is normally fine to shoot quality 7.62x51 NATO ammo in a gun chambered for the .308 Winchester (though not all NATO ammo is identical). Clint McKee of Fulton Armory notes: "[N]obody makes 7.62mm (NATO) ammo that isn't to the .308 'headspace' dimension spec. So 7.62mm ammo fits nicely into .308 chambers, as a rule." You CAN encounter problems going the other way, however. A commercial .308 Win round can exceed the max rated pressure for the 7.62x51. So, you should avoid putting full-power .308 Win rounds into military surplus rifles that have been designed for 50,000 psi max. For more information on this interesting topic, read the following articles: Gun Zone's 30 Caliber FAQ; Cruffler.com Technical Trivia, June 2001; and last, but not least, Steve Redgwell's .308 vs 7.62x51 Analysis, which really provides a definitive explanation. Reloaders should also note that military ammo often is made with a thicker web. Consequently the case capacity of 7.62x51 brass is usually less than that of commercial .308 brass. You may need to reduce recommended .308 Winchester loads by as much as 2 full grains, if you reload with military 7.62x51 brass, such as Lake City or IMI.

[chrisb]

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm not much of a long distance shooter myself (hunting or benchrest) but wanted to understand the difference in the two rounds a little better.


Good to know that i can get surplus 7.62 for my 308 now as well.

[ADAMS]

Here are a couple of articles that tackle the subject:

http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/308_vs_30-06.html

http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/AccuracyFacts.asp

[bobcat]

This is a key quote from one of the above links ADAMS posted:

Outside of competitive shooting, the difference between these two
cartridges is miniscule.

[BigGoonTuna]

think the biggest advantage to the 308 is the ability to shoot 7.62x51 military surplus ammo for cheap practice.  no other "big" centerfire rifle can be fed as cheaply as the 308, except maybe the 7.62x54R.

You can shoot 7.62x51 in a 308??  If you can that is nice to know as all my rifles are 308.

yep, just don't shoot 308 in a 7.62x51 chambered rifle(308 has a higher pressure spec IIRC).

i think we're splitting hairs comparing the 308 and 30/06.  best way to decide is to find the gun you want and compare the 308 and 30/06 models.  then go home with the one with the nicer piece of walnut

[BPturkeys]

I shot my first elk back in 1971 with a Savage 99 in .308...damn...he thought he was shot with an '06 and fell right dead! :

[Curly]

 

One of the elk I shot with my .300 Win mag thought he was shot with a .300RUM. 

[Bofire]

 :)ahhhhhh ignorance is such sweet, sweet bliss.
Carl

[Bob33]

I don't believe the 308 is "inherently" that much more accurate than the 30-06.

That is true.  The operative question is how much more is "that much more"?  It is probably measured in a few inches at 1000 yards.  However, if you are a hunter the question is not how well you can shoot at 1000 yards.  The 30-06's increased velocity will result in less drop, and more retained energy at distances that you should be more concerned about like 300 to 500 yards.  That gives it a leg up as a hunting rifle, in my opinion.   If you like to shoot lots, the 308 will be cheaper.  If you want to punch paper at 1000 yards, the 308 might give you a slightly smaller group.  If you are extremely recoil sensitive, the 308 has less recoil.  Other than that, go for the 30-06 or flip a coin.

[Bofire]

out to about 300hunnert yards er so they be about the same then them  new fangled miliytary powders kick in and the comparison is all over.
seee about 3hunnert er so the blend kicks in and the 308 speeds up oh about 247 fps er so. she runs about the same out to bout 600 er so then the 06 catches on up see? so youse need a couple range finders.
so, when them elks see that 30 callybur  bullut comin at em they time it, an iffn its a 06 they just fall over and die, if its a 308 they wait until it misses em.
BUT iffn its a MAGNUM, they die at the camp fire!
hope youse is all eddycated up now
Carl

[duckaholic]

i think the biggest advantage to the 308 is the ability to shoot 7.62x51 military surplus ammo for cheap practice.  no other "big" centerfire rifle can be fed as cheaply as the 308, except maybe the 7.62x54R.

i thought that the m1-grand was in 30-06, am i wrong? 

[chrisb]

i think the biggest advantage to the 308 is the ability to shoot 7.62x51 military surplus ammo for cheap practice.  no other "big" centerfire rifle can be fed as cheaply as the 308, except maybe the 7.62x54R.

i thought that the m1-grand was in 30-06, am i wrong? 

You are not wrong there.