{"id":755,"date":"2020-05-04T19:59:12","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T00:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lg-outdoors.com\/blog\/?p=755"},"modified":"2020-05-27T10:38:03","modified_gmt":"2020-05-27T15:38:03","slug":"308-win-or-30-06-springfield-boddington-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lg-outdoors.com\/blog\/308-win-or-30-06-springfield-boddington-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"308 Win or 30-06 Springfield? By Craig Boddington"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 308 Winchester<\/a> is based on a 30-06 Springfield<\/a> case shortened from 63mm (2.494 inches) to 51mm (2.015 inches). It was introduced in 1952, the year of my birth so, like me, is no spring chicken.<\/span>\u00a0W<\/span>e must never forget that<\/span> the 30-06 Springfield<\/a><\/span> is the most powerful cartridge ever adopted by a major military power. The 30-06 Springfield and its 1903 Springfield<\/span>\u00a0bolt-action<\/span>\u00a0rifle defined<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>what we think of as \u201cstandard\u201d action length. In part this was its undoing; i<\/span>ts later Garand rifle was long and heavy; we wanted a shorter and more efficient self-loading action.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"88<\/a>
An excellent blacktail from northern California, taken with a Winchester M88 in .308. The 88 is one of several lever-actions chambered to the .308. Able to fit into short actions, the .308 offers a much larger choice of both rifles and actions than the .30-06.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Well into the Fifties the 30-06 Springfield was not only America\u2019s service cartridge, but also our most popular sporting round. Unabashedly, I am a 30-06 Springfield guy. As such, I have huge experience with the 30-06 Springfield \u2026 and not nearly as much with the 308 Win<\/a>. In performance on game, the 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield are similar. Always it depends on who is doing the loading but, with greater case capacity, with bullets up to 180 grains the 30-06 Springfield averages about 150 fps faster than the 308 Win.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Superformance
Superformance 06-1: Hornady\u2019s first Superformance load was a165-grain .30-06, producing over 3000 fps. This was obviously a \u201cfast barrel,\u201d with velocity a bit higher than rated. No .308 load can approach this velocity, solidly into .300 magnum territory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Game animals are unlikely to discern the difference; there\u2019s really nothing you can (or should) do with a 30-06 Springfield that you can\u2019t (or shouldn\u2019t) do with a 308 Win. The gap widens with heavier bullets. These days few of us actually use heavier bullets, but with 200-grain bullets the 30-06 Springfield is about 200 fps <\/span>fast<\/span>, and with 220-grain slugs the 30-06 Springfield is nearly 300 fps faster than the 308 Win.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Co
Of several, this is the first elk I took with a .30-06, a Remington M700 using 180-grain Nosler Partitions. Both the .308 and .30-06 are superb elk rifles\u2026at moderate ranges.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, the 30-06 Springfield is a bit more powerful and shoots flatter than the 308 Win, and does better with extra-heavy bullets. Personally, I like the 30-06 Springfield better, but I begrudgingly admit the 308 Win offers significant advantages the shorter case is more efficient. Efficiency is conducive to accuracy, so, on average, a 308 Win is likely to be more accurate than a similar 30-06 Springfield.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMG_4100:
IMG_4100: Among our Kansas hunters and friends Bobby Dierks had the longest and perhaps toughest shot, a good buck headed over a ridge at something over 300 yards. Dierks used a .30-06, flat-shooting enough and plenty powerful.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That said, in my experience quality of barrel and ammo are more important to accuracy than case design. I\u2019ve never had a problem with 30-06 Springfield accuracy, certainly not for hunting\u2026but it depends on what you want to do. The 308 Win has been used for bench-rest competition; the 30-06 Springfield rarely. Also, because it\u2019s slightly less powerful, the 308 Win kicks less than the 30-06 Springfield.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"308
My Dad, Bud Boddington, took most of his game with this Winchester M70 .308. Dating to the 1950s, it has been shot little since Dad passed 20 years ago\u2014but it still groups extremely well\u2026like most .308s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The greater advantage to the 308 Win is its suitability to shorter actions\u2026and various action types. My dad did virtually all his hunting with a Model 70 Featherweight in 308 Win, a shorter and lighter bolt-action than was possible with a 30-06 Springfield. The .308 Win has been chambered to several lever-actions, including the Savage 99, Winchester 88, and Browning\u2019s short-action BLR. In lever-actions, only the long-action BLR and the 1895 Winchester have been chambered to 30-06 Springfield. Semiauto 30-06 Springfield sporters aren\u2019t as scarce: Remington\u2019s Woodsmaster series; Browning\u2019s BAR; H&K M940; and Sauer 303. Self-loaders in 308 Win are common, including Browning, Remington, and of course, the M14\/M1A series and the full gamut of AR10-based rifles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Although
Although first introduced by Winchester as a commercial cartridge, the .308\/7.62×51 NATO was designed primarily for self-loading actions. This semiautomatic AR10 was built by Doug Turnbull.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today not as many shooters handload\u00a0<\/span>as we did\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>while back<\/span>. To handloaders this doesn\u2019t matter, but for shooters<\/span>\u00a0of factory ammo<\/span>\u00a0there\u2019s a huge advantage to choosing popular cartridges<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>because, in both variety and availability, there\u2019s lots of ammo.\u00a0<\/span>Everybody<\/span><\/i> loads both 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield, with hundreds of factory loads to choose from, <\/span>featuring<\/span>\u00a0just about any bullet. Popular\u00a0<\/span>cartridges also benefit first from emerging technology.\u00a0<\/span>Hornady\u2019s Superformance line\u00a0<\/span>uses blended<\/span> propellants that increase velocity without increasing pressure. When Superformance was introduced in 2009 the first load was a 165-grain 30-06 Springfield. <\/span>In the test rifle we used, this load clocked over 3000 fps, which is creeping into .300 magnum territory.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"DSC_0292:
Left, .308 Winchester; right, .30-06. The .308 (7.62×51 NATO) was introduced in 1952 by shortening the .30-06 case. The result is a slightly less powerful cartridge that fits in short actions, is more efficient, and tends to be extremely accurate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is unlikely that a 308 Win load with a 165-grain bullet can ever be that fast. However, <\/span>today\u00a0<\/span>the .308 is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>more<\/span><\/i> popular than the 30-06 Springfield<\/span>, profiting<\/span>\u00a0equally from\u00a0<\/span>ongoing load development.\u00a0<\/span>B<\/span>ecause the 308 Win case is more efficie<\/span>nt and propellants continue to advance, the velocity gap between\u00a0<\/span>the 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield is narrower than it used to be.<\/span> For example, that same Superformance 30-06 Springfield load with 165-grain SST is currently rated at 2960 fps <\/span>in<\/span> a 24-inch barrel. The 308 Win Superformance load with the same bullet<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>barrel length is rated at 2840 fps. That is a very fast 308 Win load, just 120 fps difference from the 30-06 Springfield load with the same bullet.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"
Semiautomatic .308s are more common than .30-06 self-loaders. Browning\u2019s BLR in both short and long-action is chambered to both. This big aoudad was taken with a left-hand short-action BLR in .308.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is a difference: The faster 30-06 Springfield will deliver more energy and shoot a bit flatter. No matter what loads are used, the 308 Win is not quite a 30-06 Springfield. However, one thing the growing long-range crowd is teaching us: Trajectory, meaning bullet drop at a certain distance, is just a number. Know the number, know the range, know your equipment, and the solution is just a matter of dialing the range or holding the correct stadia line.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Because
Because of required action length, semiautomatic sporters in .30-06 are fairly uncommon. One of them is the Sauer 303, used to take this big Texas boar at last light.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have more confidence in the 30-06 Springfield because I\u2019ve used it much mor<\/span>e<\/span>, and I like its higher velocity and increased energy. Fans of the 308 Win probably like its legendary accuracy, its ability to be housed in <\/span>shorter<\/span>\u00a0actions<\/span>, and its lighter recoil.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>All arguments are valid, and we\u2019re<\/span>\u00a0really\u00a0<\/span>splitting hairs. Although\u00a0<\/span>decisively<\/span>\u00a0effective, both cartridges are needlessly powerful for deer. Despite what I just said about trajectory, neither shoot as flat as I like for mountain hunti<\/span>ng or serious long-range pursuits. However, the two are close enough in power to be redundantly effective on game larger than deer: Elk, moose,<\/span>\u00a0black bear, larger African plains game.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Namibia
Namibia kudu donna: Donna Boddington used a Ruger M77 in .30-06 with 180-grain Interlock to take this excellent Namibian kudu. We\u2019ve used the .30-06 to take a wide assortment of non-dangerous Africa game\u2026but at normal African shooting distances the .308 works equally well.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oddly, I\u2019ve never hunted elk or moose with a 308 Win, although my Dad\u2019s 308 Win accounted for both species. I\u2019ve taken several elk with the 30-06 Springfield out to about 350 yards. The 30-06 Springfield is still, always, and forever a great elk rifle\u2026but at reasonable range, so is the 308 Win. In Africa I\u2019ve used the 308 Win a bit. Like I said, of the two cartridges, I\u2019m mostly a 30-06 Springfield guy, so I\u2019ve used the 30-06 Springfield a whole lot more. Both are extremely and identically effective on tough animals such as 500-pound wildebeest and 800-pound zebra, at normal African ranges.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"
An advantage to \u201cpopular\u201d cartridges is wider choice of loads. Both the .308 and .30-06 (shown) are loaded by everyone, literally hundreds of factory loads, with every imaginable type, style, and bullet weight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The long-distance shooting that we bandy about\u00a0<\/span>as if routine<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>rare<\/span>\u00a0in Africa. Over there<\/span>, one drop of blood is considered a wounded animal, counted against the license with all fees payable. African hunting teams work hard to secure close, near-certain shots; anything much over 200 yards is considered \u201cfar,\u201d and shots beyond 300 yards are rare. At these distances, both the 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield are powerful and effective for almost all non-dangerous species. The 2000-pound eland is an exception\u2026but I\u2019ve seen eland bulls taken cleanly with both <\/span>cartridges<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"My
My friend Ron Silverman is a staunch .308 guy. A careful and picky shooter, Ron loves accuracy and chooses the .308. It is probably needlessly powerful for deer-sized game, but it performs with decisive results. This 2019 Kansas buck was downed in its tracks with a single Berger bullet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield have also been used effectively for all thick-skinned African game. The 30-06 Springfield with 220-grain solids was once considered acceptable for elephant, and expert wildlife officers often use 7.62×51 NATO rifles and ammo for elephant control. To me there are much better tools, but the power of these versatile .30-calibers should not be underestimated. When I hunted in the Philippines, we couldn\u2019t bring in firearms, so we borrowed a vintage M14 in 7.62×51 and some military ball ammo from the local garrison. My partner and I each shot multiple water buffalo at very close range. It wasn\u2019t something I\u2019d like to make a habit of, but we had no problems and the \u201clittle\u201d .308 was impressive.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"This
This Asian water buffalo is the largest game I\u2019ve taken with either .30-06 or .308. Firearms can\u2019t be brought into the Philippines, so we used an old M14 and military ball ammo borrowed from the local military. For close-range jungle shooting it worked just fine!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Take your pick: Both the 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield are useful and effective cartridges. If you place a premium on accuracy and want a bit less recoil, you\u2019ll probably prefer the 308 Win. The 30-06 Springfield, with more velocity and energy, and better able to handle heavier bullets, is slightly more versatile.<\/span>\u00a0Both are excellent choices, two classic all-American .30-caliber cartridges<\/span>, almost certain to remain popular and available for many years to come.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

LG Outdoors Caliber Dictionary<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n