.30-06 vs. .308

Which do you prefer, and why?

I have to say the rounds are about the same, having shot both. So I'd pick the rifle itself you like and be happy if it is chambered in either. I still shoot the old 742 30-06 I got when I was 12. I have killed deer in heavy cover, and I have killed deer at over 300 yards, one shot. And thats considered a "poor" rifle (mine has been flawless, must have made a few that worked).

Hard to argue the merits of the consistently #1 chambered cartridge by all US rifle makers for 50 years. You've got to make what the masses want.

Hard to argue the merits of the consistently #1 chambered cartridge by all US rifle makers for 50 years. But, it still offers Mr. Average Hunter "NOTHING" over a 308WIN outside of ammo availability

Neither.

Brush busting and ethical hunting should never be used in the same sentence. It's up to us as sportsmen to do everything we can to respect the game we are hunting. That includes practicing shooting skills and taking only ethical shots.

I would say the answer depends on if you are asking a home loader vs. a factory ammo buyer. If I had to choose between the two, it would be the 30-06. The 30-06 and the .308 have the same range of bullet weights and you can get about 200 ft/sec more out of the 30-06. That's a minimal velocity in the greater scheme of things which means the two caliber are essentially the same. To be honest with all the other more specialized calibers available, the 30-06 and .308 are pretty low on my list of must haves.

30-06 wins only because bullet/cartridge selection is better. 100 feet per second difference at the muzzle. By the time it gets down range the difference is minimal. The bullet is the same, the case is just a little shorter. The choice and availability of cartridges is better with the 30-06 though.

Yes because ballistics and physics have changed so much in 30 years! NO bullets "busts brush" in a way that could be called even remotely good or reliable but by a VERY small margin the pointed bullets do better than round nose or blunt bullets, but even a pointed bullet couldn't be called a good brush buster. 308 vs. 30/06 is pretty much just personal opinion and everyone is entitled to their own opinion but you are not entitled to your own FACTS!

NRA, American Rifleman conducted a test about 30 years ago on brush and bullet deflection. This was done by shooting at specific things from twigs and sticks to an inch in diameter. The conclusion was that the higher the rate of twist and the pointer the bullet the more it stayed on track. The flatter the nose the more it went off course. The worst were slugs, followed by things like the 3030, .35, .44. The reason these are called "brush guns" is due to fast handleing. The best were the .223 followed by the .243 and the .270. I shoot a 3006 and a .444 for deer, my choice based on game dropping ability and I just plain like them. The diffo between the .308 and 3006 is nothing. Hit any animal properly and they fall down, most of mine have the heart liquified and one shoulder trashed. I'm not very good at tracking wounded game, haven't had to do it. If I was given a .308 the results wouldn't change.

Ditto, I am with you on the troll idea. For the record, I shoot a .308 with handloaded Hornady SST 165 gr. bullets. Anything above a .243 will more than handle a deer. I lean toward short actions as they are just smaller guns. I shot a buck this year with my .308. Perfect shot through both lungs. Massive trauma. The deer still ran 75 yards. It would not have mattered what I shot it with. Sometimes we luck out and they just drop, sometimes not.

"Rounded nose for the bear. They seed to have less deflection in heavy brush." That says it all! Either bassmaster has no clue or is trying to be a troll.

it's impossible to say a 308 kills bear faster by seeing a few die. A bear is a strange animal. Some come in half a sleep and fall the second ya shoot. Some are all jacked up while coming to the bait and full of adrenelin. This makes them run much further, Other questions, how old was each bear? How big, were they sparring with another bear before coming to the bait, spooked, nervous coming in, did one that ran get a wiff of human scent? Were they hit with the exact same bullet, grain? All these things make a huge difference how far a bear will run. At 25 yrd there is so little difference between the two calibers it does not matter. I had 3 06's . Don't want another, they kick hard, burn more powder, burn barrels faster, more to reload and long action. Ironically I shoot a .270 win for deer, going to a .243 win. for deer, and a 45-70 for bear.

I caught that too... bassmaster said that the people shooting the bears were using the same grain and same bullet type in both the 06 and 308. Maybe a different bullet design? I have shot deer with core-lokts. NEVER had one drop in it's tracks. I know others that shoot them and out of their gun and with their choice of bullet weight they work great. Silvertips, ballistic silvertips, and power points are a whole nother story. They hit hard! 150 gr is all we use. My mom shoots a 308, but the rest of the hunting group uses 30-06's, one has a 243, and the other a 30/30. I personally like to kill them as dead as they can get (as dead as a .308 will get them.) I use a 300 WSM. Wanna bet which bullet hits harder and kills em faster? oh, I might add I shot a 30/30 for two years starting, a .257 Weatherby Mag for a year, a 8mm Mauser, and a 30-06 for many years before I upgraded to the 300 WSM. I have also taken dear with my moms .308.

.308 for the same reason .

30-06 because I have one.