I was looking to get a new deer rifle for next year, I shoot a 7mm mag Browning right now but it is as heavey as a chair. I was thinking of the Kimber 84M in a .308 or possibly a 30-06 in a Weatherby or sako Finnlite.
what do you think???

The .308 is a great round and would be my choice if deer were the only thing on the menu. Since you already own the 7mm, you can use that for anything larger than deer.

Advantages of the 308 over the ' 06 is a shorter action, thus a lighter rifle. And if you reload, the .308 makes a great flat shooting varmint gun with light bullets, and less kick than the ' 06.

I' m pretty partial to the .30-06, so here' s my opinion.

1. I don' t notice much difference in felt recoil using a Remington 700 ADL synthetic in either caliber.

2. The .30-06 is time tested and proven, and is available in weights from 125 gr. varmint loads on up to 220 gr. deep-penetration big game loads.

3. It also shoots a bit flatter than the .308 due to its higher muzzle velocity (and thus is also has higher muzzle energy).

I' m no rifle guru, but that' s my two cents. Keep in mind that both the .308 and .30-06 are great calibers for deer, so either way you can' t go wrong.

I like em both. I shoot a Savage 30-06 myself. I think you will be happy either way you go. Either of them is capable of taking game beyond the average huter' s ability to hit his mark.

David

308 no dought

Carried an old model 70 30:06 for years,and harvested a lot of deer with it,until I tried a Browning BLR in 308.Sweet little rifle,and a lot lighter.

Joe

I' ve always said that if i could only own one caliber it would be a 30.06 and i' ve killed more deer with that caliber than any other. I started shooting a 25.06 several years ago and have absolutely fell in love with it and now for deer hunting the 25.06 is all i use. I know you didn' t mention the 25.06 but like Danny said the 7mm will cover anything bigger than deer and if you' re looking for a deer only rifle i wouldn' t overlook the 25.06

Well said, Mykey. It's one of the most versatile calibers ever.

P.S. I keep noticing spaces after each apostrophe in a post. Is this due to the forum software upgrade? Please send me a private message if you know.

It doesn't matter which one you pick. When it comes to deer hunting the 308 and 30-06 are virtually the same thing. However, you will probably find more light weight rifles available in 308 than 30-06. My personal pick would be a Browning Micro or Remington Model 7 in 308. Find a rifle that you like, at a price that you like, then purchase which ever round is available in THAT rifle.

hey man i have the weatherby 30-06 and haven't looked back.

i got the black synthetic and it is a sweet shooting gun. not that much kick
for a man to handle

don't know about the others but i know that i love that 06