{"id":10974,"date":"2023-03-08T01:56:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T01:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=10974"},"modified":"2023-03-09T21:18:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T21:18:32","slug":"30-06-vs-308","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/30-06-vs-308\/","title":{"rendered":"30-06 vs 308"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Guy J. Sagi<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Though the .30-06 Springfield has reigned supreme over other whitetail deer-hunting cartridges for decades, its title may be in danger. There have been coup attempts before, certainly. Yet the overwhelming number of rifles chambered for the .30-06 is a stout defense, one deeply supported by owners comfortable with its performance. Still, a serious contender gathers momentum with each AR-10<\/a> fielded on opening day. Despite the ballistic advantages of some newer cartridges, it looks like the battle for the crown is destined to occur between old-timers 30-06 vs 308.<\/span><\/p>\n

Either cartridge is excellent for filling tags, punching paper, ringing steel at distance, or firing-line fun. Their military pedigrees guarantee unfailing performance, and they\u2019re both available in loads suited for every shooting passion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Cartridge Specs<\/th>\n.30-06 Sprg.<\/th>\n.308 Win<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Parent Casing<\/td>\n.30-03 Sprg.<\/td>\n.300 Savage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bullet Diameter<\/td>\n.308″<\/span><\/td>\n.308″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Neck Diameter<\/td>\n.340″<\/td>\n.3433″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Base\u00a0Diameter<\/td>\n.471″<\/td>\n.4709″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Case Length<\/td>\n2.494″<\/span><\/td>\n2.015″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Overall Length<\/td>\n3.34″<\/span><\/td>\n2.8″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grain Weight<\/td>\n125gr-220gr<\/td>\n110gr-180gr<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Pressure (SAMMI)<\/td>\n60,000<\/span> PSI<\/td>\n62,000 PSI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

Their similarities are striking. Both cartridges use bullets with a .308-inch diameter. When ammunition shortages happen, manufacturers put them on their high-priority list\u2014so they were available long before most others reappeared. There\u2019s no shortage of factory-fresh bolt-action rifles from major manufacturers, and only a rare gun shop doesn\u2019t have a nice selection of used models.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The case shapes are not identical, however. The .30-06 is \u201ctaller,\u201d measuring slightly more than 3 1\/3 inches long. A .308 comes in at 2.8\u201d. The latter runs in short-action rifles and is the most common chambering in AR-10s. The thirty-aught-six requires a heavier long-action. So far, only a few boutique manufacturers produce AR-10s in that chambering. Despite those facts, their performance downrange is well within the standard deviation of shooter skill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ballistics: 30-06 vs 308<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"a

King of the hill: Who comes out on top when comparing 30-06 vs 308 ammo?<\/p><\/div>\n

Both cartridges commonly wear the same bullets, providing a solid comparison without variables in exterior ballistics that might confuse the figures. Federal chose not to mix manufacturer methodology because they don\u2019t always use the same barrel length, rifling rate, or identical atmospheric conditions. Federal Premium\u2019s data provides a solid, side-by-side look at the pair. The company designed its Fusion line for whitetail deer<\/a> and offers only three .30-06 Springfield loads. However, there are four .308 Winchester offerings, another hint that a showdown is looming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n
Caliber<\/th>\nBullet Type<\/th>\nBullet Weight<\/th>\nVelocity (Muzzle)<\/th>\nEnergy (Muzzle)<\/th>\n100 Yards (Velocity\/Energy)<\/th>\n200 Yards (Velocity\/Energy)<\/th>\n300 Yards (Velocity\/Energy)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
.30-06<\/td>\nBonded SP<\/td>\n150gr<\/td>\n2,900 FPS<\/td>\n2,801 FT LBS<\/td>\n2,674 FPS\/2,382 FT LBS<\/td>\n2,459 FPS\/2,014 FT LBS<\/td>\n2,254 FPS\/1,693 FT LBS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
.308 Win<\/td>\nBonded SP<\/td>\n150gr<\/td>\n2,820 FPS<\/td>\n2,648 FT LBS<\/td>\n2,600 FPS\/2,252 FT LBS<\/td>\n2,391 FPS\/1,903 FT LBS<\/td>\n2,191 FPS\/1,599 FT LBS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

What About Muzzle Velocity?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"a

The .30-06 Sprg.<\/span> has the same bullet diameter as the .308 Win., however, its longer case length makes it a long-action cartridge.<\/p><\/div>\n

The muzzle velocity of a 165-grain Fusion soft-point bullet launched from the company\u2019s test .30-06 Springfield rifle is 2,790 fps. From the .308 Winchester, the same grain weight projectile leaves the gun at 2,700 fps. If we drop down to a 150-grain Fusion soft-point bullet, the .30-06 velocity increases by 110 to 2,900 FPS. In comparison, the .308 Win increases by 120 up to 2,820 FPS. All things being equal, these numbers are similar for any head-to-head comparison between various ammo types for 30-06 vs 308.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vintage VS Modern<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"a

The .308 Winchester is a short-action cartridge with a reduced powder capacity compared to the .30-06 Sprg.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The .30-06 Sprg. leaves the muzzle faster, and holds onto more energy as it travels down range. Of course, there’s more to the story. If you’re shooting an older .30-06 Sprg. military service rifle, like the M1 Garand, you should be using ammo that is safe for it to fire. The high pressure of certain modern .30-06 Sprg. cartridges can damage the rifle and be unsafe to shoot. Several manufacturers make M1 Garand specific .30-06 Sprg. loads. Hornady’s Vintage Match 168-grain ELD<\/a> features velocities more in line with the .308 Win.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern barrels and ballistics make the comparison even more difficult. The folks over at Bergara make some mighty fine rifle barrels and long guns. In their B-14 Ridge line of rifles, they offer both caliber options in 20″ (.308 WIN), and 24″ (.30-06 Sprg.) for hunters looking for an excellent bolt-action. Both barrel options have a 1:10 twist rate, making them ideal for sending stabilized projectiles in the 175-200-grain weight range. With similar optics and ammo, you’d be hard-pressed to spot a difference in performance between either option out to 300-yards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bullet Drop<\/strong><\/h4>\n

With both zeroed at 100 yards, the drop at 300 yards varies by 1.3 inches. The Springfield drops 13.4\u201d and the Winchester 14.7\u201d. The energy at that distance for the 150-grain bullet is 1,693 (Springfield) and 1,559 ft.\/lbs (Winchester). Slight advantage in drop to the Springfield at that distance, and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As expected, the .30-06 finishes first, though the margin is closer than most expect from its larger size. The .308 Winchester\u2019s additional drop of 1.3 inches at 300 yards is roughly .43 <\/span>MOA<\/span><\/a>. That\u2019s undetectable for most hunters, even when conditions are ideal from a solid rest. At 500 yards, the elevation difference (with 200-yard zero) is 4.1 inches, with the Springfield version dropping 46 inches versus 50.1 for the Winchester.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wind Drift Considerations\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At 500 yards in a 10-mph full-value breeze, both cartridges perform similarly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n