DM

EXACTLY!!

If loaded to the same pressures with the same weight bullet, the 06 uses "more" powder to get to that pressure. And that equils more gas that equils more velocity.

When it comes to heavier bullets, the 06 really out shines the 308, and my favorite "one load for all my big game hunting in 30 cal." is the 200 grain Nosler partition, so it's a 30-06 for me.

As the targets show, the 200 NP's shoot very well,

Drilling Man

bigcountry

ought, I believe I could do it but not with optimal accuracy. I am kicking a 165gr bullet now at 2800fps with 46gr of varget in a 308.

Briman

The .308 is not significantly more accurate than the 30-06. This myth was started because M1 garands rechambered in the 1950s were much more accurate than m1s chambered in 30-06. The reasoning for this disparity was that the m1 was not originally designed for the 30-06 cartridge and could not use the cartridge to its full potential or even use the best propellants in the cartridge for that matter. A top end highly tuned long range bolt action rifle chambered in 30-06 can actually outperform an equivalent rifle in .308 in long range shooting as the bullet from the 30-06 starts out 100 fps faster. Long range competition shooters usually skip the 30-06 altogether and go right to the 300 wm to get additional velocity over the .308.

To answer the original question, the 30-06 can do everything the .308 and then some. I personally have rifles in both chamberings and don't particulary favor one cartidge over the other for what I use them for.

Roskoe

I didn't mis-type my post. Using WW748 anda 180 gr. Speer Grand Slam bullet, this 26" Shilen Select Match 1:12 stainless barrel could make 2792 fps when seated out to an overall length of 2.900". I'm sure this was a maximum load, but I have never seen a 30-06 get much past 2800 fps with any barrel in this bullet weight without showing obvious pressure signs.

Without the long action, the COL would have been limited to 2.800". The tends to raise pressures a bit with bullets heavier than 165/168 grains. The 180 grain bullets intrude into the case some when seated to 2.8", effectively reducing the case capacity.

Having said that, the regular off-the-shelf .308 Winchester rifle can normally be safely handloaded to no higher than the mid to upper 2600's.

Ought Six

Big, I have no doubt a .308 can push a 165 grain pill at 2800 fps. I do doubt a .308 can push a 180 at 2800 fps. I can push a 165 grain bullet at 2975 fps out of my 30-06 and can hit 2800 fps with a 180.

bigcountry

I know, thats what you have already stated. Correct?

Ought Six

As I stated before, action length has nothing at all to do with cartridge overall length. What does affect overall length is the distance from the bolt face to the lands. The chamber on a short action can be equal in size, or bigger, than on a long action.

In short, I still dont buy your story.

Roskoe

Action length has nothing to do with cartridge overall length? Think about what you just said . . . . . .

bigbulls

That's about like saying the size of the door has nothing to do with the size of the object that can pass through it.

Sure you can shoot cartridges that measure 3.6 inches long out of a short action receiver that measures 2.8 inches long but you will have to remove the bolt from the receiver every time in order to load one, effectively making it a single shot rather than a repeater.

Ought Six

Ok, lemme make this simple for you. Using a .223 as the example, since it is even shorter than a .308. We have 3 bolt action rifles chambered for .223....a long action, a short action and a miniature action. Which rifle will have the longest overall cartridge length? You cant tell by the action size, since the overall cartridge length has nothing to do with action length, but rather the distance from the bolt face to the lands.

Since we were discussing a .308, a cartridge which will fit in a short action or a long action, I assumed you would be smart enough to figure out what I meant. Of course I was not trying to say that you would want a 30-06 length cartridge in a short action. My poor judgement, I suppose.