ORIGINAL: saltfisher
I hunt in PA, and would like something with some knock down power. I sold a 30-30 which treated me well, but didnt have the knock down power I was looking for. I hunt all state game lands, so dont want the deer going far as people are always close by. One year I got a good shot on a deer with my 30-30 and it ran about 150 yrd. I heard a shot down the mountain, and another hunter claimed it. Already gutted and dragging by the time i got down there. So.... I want something with knock down power. Im thinking of a rem 760 pump in a 30-06. What do you guys think I should go with? I want to shoot accuratly as possable. I dont do alot of long range shooting, but some places I go I may have to shoot 100+ yrds. But most of the time it should be under 100 yrds. Hunt whitetail. Are there any differences between a 30-06 and a 308? Or are they basicly the same? Im looking to spend about $400. Consistant accuracy/knock down power is my main concern.
Thanks
Knock-doen power is mostly a fairy tale! No rifle you can fire from the shoulder can hit a game animal any harder than it hits your shoulder when you fire it. To do so, it would have to violate Newton's Third Law of motion.
What causes any game animal to "be knocked down" by a bullet isthe animal's nervous system's reaction to the trauma caused by a high-velocity bullet. In this regard, the .308 Winchester and the .30/'06 are pretty much identical. Both are excellent for all North American game except the great bears, of which they ain't any in PA. If you place a bullet from either one well, the animal will not travel very far, if at all. Both are quite superior to the .30/30. I recommend the 150-grain bullet in both calibers, and you DO NOT need a premium bullet for whiitetail deer.
In addition to the .308/.30/'06, the .280 Remington, .270 Winchester, and the .25/'06 are also good for putting a deer down quickly!