.308 or 30-06
 

Argh! I'm heading up to Maine for deer in November, and looking to buy my first rifle. I think I've narrowed it down to either a .308 or 30-06 (personal preference is lever action)....now I'm looking for input from the pros - you guys. What are your thoughts?

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Ballistically they are pretty close. Doubt that the critter would know the difference with few exceptions. It could be hard finding a lever action 30 06. I think the 308 is inherently more accurate, but that is not to put down the 06. Both were used as sniper rifles. The 30 06 can load up a bit heavier bullet. Ammo for both is very easy to find.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

You cant go wrong with a 30-06, it is everything a .308 is and more. This a good question but with a 30-06, you can get a much wider range of bullets, and is probably more accurate in most situations. Plus you can probably get a better deal on a 30-06 than a .308. Just my opinion.

NRA

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

In a lever action I would go with the 308. It is a shorter cartridge and will probably cycle better, in addition lever guns are not known for their accuracyand the 308 has more than enough power out past 300 yards for deer. This is probably as far you will be accurately able to shoot a lever action anyway given the size of a deers vitals. Also many lever action guns have shorter barrels which are better with the 308 due to its smaller case capacity. It is kind of expensive but take a look at the browning lever it uses a rotating bolt to seat the cartridge similar to a bolt action.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Browning BLR 30-06,much more than a 308.Top it off with a 1.5-5 scope and hunt away.
BBJ

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

I would vote for the .308. Cheaper ammo and plenty powerful for most game including elk. I don't know if I would go with a lever though in either of those calibers. It is strictly a matter of preferance and assumed performance.

Tom

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

NJ - I've been having the same dilema, but I'm still waiting on the cash flow to buy my rifle. For a lever, unless you go used, your only option is a Browning BLR. To echo what others have said, I don't think you can go wrong either way. My understanding of the difference is that with the -06 you can go a little futher with a little heavier bullet. The .308 BLR is limited to 180 grn (based on barrel twist), but you get slightly less recoil and weight, a shorter barreland a shorter action. I've handled both and the difference isn't staggering.

You can look at it two ways - 1. If they're that close you might as well go with the most versatility and get the -06. 2. If they're that closeyou might as well get the lighter weight and shorter lever through.

Either one is the right answer depending on your preference. Personally I tend to lean toward #2 because I won't shoot that long of a distance and I'm OK with 180 grn limit.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

30/06 - Win. 1895, pretty nice but real pricey, and BLRs.I don't know of any others.

308 - Savage 99's and BLRs.

I think you can find used 99s, but they can cost a bit. Some of the lesser quality ones may be cheaper, and they all seem to shoot well.

If you like levers, you should also think about Marlins and Winchesters in various other calibers. I'd buy the first goodMarlin I found in something bigger than 30/30. 35 Rem., 356 Win., 444 Marlin, 375 Win. are all good as far as I need to shoot.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

30-06 or .308 are in my opinion the same. 7.62 NATO or 7.62x63mm, you be the judge.
I prefer the 06 but thats just my preference.

As far as a lever action goes that is another can of worms. You might consider a bolt action or maybe a pump gun.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Both are very good calibers, however anything the 308 will do the 06 will do better. The only real advantage to the .308 is the short action. The 06 will shoot the medium weight bullets very well and will do a much better job on the heavy bullets. The 06 has the largest bullet weight range on the market and can be found in every little gun shop in the country. If I could only have one rifle it would be a 30-06, only in a Ruger 77 Mk II. As far as the lever action rifle goes, I don't know a whole lot about them, I like bolts and the #1.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

If you want the lever for fast follow up shots, I would suggest a Browning BAR in 30-06. It is semi-automatic and is a dream to shoot. My dad used to have one and it was very handy and accurate. Even with just iron sights on it, I could easily hit pop cans at 100 yards all day long. Amd when he put a scope on it, it only got better. Good luck

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Like everyone said they are basically the same. The '06 has the advantage of a little more velocity and a wider bullet selection. The .308 is shorter and in most cases more accurate (perferred military sniper round). So either one of those choices will be fine but if you are set on a lever action then I would have to go with the .308 because it is 12 mm shorter and when that big buck in running through the woods (possibily the only deer you will see on your hunt from what I have read) you are going to want the shortest reload time you can have. Thats why i would go with the .308, plus the fact that I have a .308 doesn't hurt either:D!!

Either way that deer won't know what hit it when the bullet finds it's mark behind the shoulder.:):)

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

308 or 30-06? Do you want a short action rifle (308Win.), or a standard/long action (30-06) ?
There's really not much difference between the two when it comes to practical ballistics. The '06 has a slight advantage of about 150fps in velocity (+/-), and of course, this translates to a little more downrange energy at the target, and a little flatter trajectory.
In both cases (energy & trajectory) the advantage is VERY little.

Given the usual bullet weights used (150gr., 165gr., and 180gr.) either will perform about as well as the other for a wide variety of big game including deer, elk & moose. Advantage to the '06 if you need to use heavier bullets (200gr. and up).

Personally, I've always liked the shorter action in most bolt action rifles, and have picked the 308Win. For a lever action, barring selection of a used Savage 99, you're pretty much going to be stuck with the Browning BLR - a good rifle for sure, but not my pick. I'd look to a bolt action. Anycase, between these two cartridges, as popular as they both are, just pretty much pick the rifle you want as it will likely be available in either chambering.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Ballisticly the .308 and 30-06 are equevelent up to 180g. After that the big case and slow burning powders give the 06 the nod for heavy projectiles. If I was going after grizz I would prefere the 06 but with deer I too have to chuck my hat in with the .308 crowd.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Ditto,Pitts.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

I took two Mule deer with the 30-06 last year and two with the 308. Could not tell much difference. The two with the 308 went down a bit quicker but thats because I shoot the 308 better. Either will do the job very well.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

I have owned both and taken game up to moose with both. There is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE in how they perform on game. Been there done that. As for rifle choice to get a BLR in 3006 turns a nice short handy lever action carbine into a long and heavy rifle. If you just sit in a box blind I guess it doesn't matter but if you hunt on your feet a BLR in .308 win is just about ideal and will handle bears and moose every bit as well as an 06 especially if you only shoot factory loads as 3006 loads are routinely underloaded compared to .308 loads.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Thanks to all of you for you input-- I think that I'm going to go with the BLR in a .308with 180gr. I'll be doing a ton of walking in Maine and the weight of the .308 will be more conducive...especially since there is nominal performance difference.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Excellent choice !

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

NJ, it depends on what bullet weight you are shooting. From 180 gr. down I would recommend the 308. If you are using grain weight above 180 gr., the 30:06 would be the better choice. My choice is the 308 Win for just about any hunting situation.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

If you are going with a lever action rifle, your bullets will more than likely be round nosed bullets (lever action rifles stack cartridges in a cylinder, bullet tip of one cartridge contacting primer of another cartridge -- hence round nosed bullets are advisable to avoid recoil causing the sharp point of one bullet touching off the primerof the next cartridge) which are not very ballistically efficient. Thus, considerations of which cartridge performs better at longish range -- 300 yards or greater -- probably don't count for much, as the round nosed bullets aregoing to limit the long range effectiveness of either cartridge.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Alsatian,
The Browning BLR does not have a tube type magazine. It has a removable clip so spitzer bullets function exactly like a bolt action rifle. In fact they also chamber the BLR up to the .300 WSM cartridge. It also has a rotary lug bolt lock system which makes it extremely strong and accurate. This is not a win 94 or Marlin. Totally different rifle.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

both are great choices, I got both calibers inbolt action rifles andthere isno difference in performance ongame in my opion. The 308 puts them down every time as does the 06,the 30-06 is about 75-100 feet faster then the 308 but if i had to choose one i would pick the 308

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

hope u got enough money to buy a bigger gun when u get the fever to go for big game. in my opinion i would get the do it all rifle, the 30-06. sure u can shoot deer just as good with the 308 as u can with the 06 but when u get the fever to go do some big game hunting like moose or elk, ull want something bigger and ull say hmm i wish i had got an 06 so i can hunt all the game in north america.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Hope u don't think 100 fps will make that big a difference

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

Either one is a terrific deer cartridge. just buy one and have a good hunt....stay clearof the lever actions....the bolt action is the way to go. Regards, Rick.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

The .308 has somewhat less recoil than the .30-06 in a given bullet weight. That might be something to consider in a light lever action rifle. My choice would be the .308.

RE: .308 or 30-06
 

To say that an 06 is good for "BIG" game and a .308 is a deer gun makes me laugh. With the exact same 180gr bullet the 06 in theory gives you around 100 fps extra. The reality is that the 3006 never comes close to its advertised velocity because they routinely underload that round because of the thousands of old military beaters still in use. Up here in Ontario the .308 win is one of the most popular moose rounds in use. My uncle hunted for 30 years with one and killed21 moose with it. I have used it to kill 2 moose myself. I have also killed moose with a 3006, .338 mag and 7mm mag. I have seen them killed with .300 mags and .35 whelens also and believe me a .308 does an excellent job on a moose. The 60-70 fps difference between it and the 3006 mean nothing in real life hunting, only in magazines.