The inherent accuracy theory will not make much of a difference in hunting applications. I really like the 308 family of cartridges, but not so much more than the 06 family.
Inherent accuracy has much less to do with the cartridge length, but more to do with the typical rifling rates, bullet weights, bearing surface, velocity, and barrel length for a given cartridge.
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"When you tell a fellow to go to hell, you had better be sure you can get him there."--LBJ
In my eyes, the difference in weight between the .308 and .30-06 length actions is maybe an ounce or two and the difference in accuracy is unmeasurable and if it' s been measured, the difference isn' t usable to anyone except a benchrest shooter.
There are a few folks that believed that long actions have a larger risk of short stroking them (Karamojo Bell for example) and in his business that was a very bad thing. (Bell shot elephants)
The real differences are far more emotional than real.
The 308 will never break the record of game killed with the 30-06. Both are great cartridges. For most of my uses I would prefer the 308. Used one for years of steel silhouette shooting. Less recoil is one reason I prefer the 308. However as far as accuacy, as said above only a bench rest shooter would probably see any difference.
The industry should invent a new term called " usable accuracy" Somehow it needs to be understood that a " hunting rifle" that shoots 1/2" groups isn' t any better than a similar rifle that produces 1 1/2 inch groups.
For a varmint rifle that is a bold face lie and for a bench rest rifle neither is adequate.
However if I' m hunting elk with a .30-06 or similar hunting rifle, there' s no way I can use the additional accuracy....there' are no benches in the mountains to shoot from. The thing that counts is my ability to use the accuracy the gun has and what we do on paper has nothing to do with these hunting conditions.
The .30-06 bests the .308 very marginally with 150 grain bullets, but move up to 200 grainers (as I like for bigger game) and the .30-06 can move it almost 300' /sec faster. This translates to energy that is usalbe. Accuracy (as long as it' s not BS....and a lot of it truly is!!!) of 1 1/2" (5 shots) at 100 yards is fully adequate to anchor the target all the way to 400 yards and very few hunters are capable of making that shot. At 400 yards the (assumably perfect) bullet is still within 3" of point of aim.
I' d be absoutely estatic if I could hit within 3" at 400 yards with a big game rifle.
This same argument happens when a guy wants to use A-Max bullets because they are more accurate than his Nosler Particians.....a very bad trade in most circumstances.
I AGREE WITH YOU V-DOG. I THINK HUNTERS AND SHOOTERS SHOULD NEVER TALK. THEY GIVE EACH OTHER BAD ADVICE. I KNOW FROM MY EXPERANCE THAT I GO FROM MY BENCH RIFLE TO MY HUNTING RIFLE AND I WANT MY HUNTING RIFLE TO SHOOT LIKE MY BENCH RIFLE ,THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. WHEN I WAS IN THE SERVICE I WAS AMAZED AT HOW FAR A .308/7.62 COULD BE FIRED FROM AN M-60.BUT THAT IS NOT PLACING A ROUND IN A 1.5" CIRCLE AT 300YDS
The only advantage is to the gun and ammo makers they get to sell the latest and greatest to the hunting crowd. They hipe up new calibers but in reality there is very little diffrence. A dead deer is a dead deer weather you took it with the old reliable 30-30 or the latest lazer cannon.
Benefits of short calibers?
