Ok in reading the Big Game Thread there are way more votes for 30-06 than 308.. I just don't understand the obsession with the 06 and it's neckedown compadres... Yes they are great ballistacally and served well in both wars.. But the millatary switched to the 308.. What was the basis for the switch?. Personally I like the short action of the 308, 7mm-08, 260 and 243. Just curious on why you like the 06...

Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.
Well what more do you want?

The military switches to other cartridges usually to allow the soldier to carry more ammunition that what they use to carry. Aside from all the political BS. A soldier can carry quite a bit more 308 rounds than they could a 30-06 and since most combat was fought at relatively close distances the extra power of the 30-06 simply wasn't needed in military applications. The 308 recoil is also lighter so a soldier can sustain accurate fire beter than he could with the 30-06.

You also have the advent of better powders, better bullets, etc... that make the modern 308 better than the 30-06 before these improvements in propellants

Basically what the military desides in the way of what cartridge they are going to usehas about zero correlationto what is useful in the hunting world. Take the 5.56 as an example. They switched form the .308 to the 5.56. Does that make the 5.56 a better big game round???????? Of course not.

Part of the preference might be related to the fact that there are a wider range of factory loads for the .30-06, from 55 gr.up to 220 gr., whereas I think the largest bullet you can get in a factory load for the .308 is a 180 gr.

I believe that the .308 is more efficient than the 30-06 because ofits smaller case volume.The 30-06 will always be better for heavier bullets though.

According to my handi dandy ballistic chart you are right there are lot more bullet weights for the 06.. But the 308 ranges from 110 - 200 grains.. But you don't hear of an 06 for a varmit weapon or target gun. Where you do as a 308????

see below

That's because the .308 is much more efficient because of the smaller case capacity. As a NRA high-power shooter, shooting the .308 was a no-brainer. Mainly because of the choice of bullets that I had. I could load the 125 grain BTHP's for200 yards, the 155 Palmas for300 yards and the 168's or 175's for600 yards. I could also put enough Varget in the case to make a compressed load for all of my bullets. I believe that if you need to make an accurate load, you should try and find a powder that will let you make a compressed load for whatever bullet you'll be using. It's very hard to do that with a 30-06 because of the much bigger case capacity.

That is why I am perplexed by the popularity of the 06 over the 308.. Seems to me that the 308 would be a more accurate round.

"Seems to me that the 308 would be a more accurate round."

All other things being equal, perhaps that is true, but the fact is neither all guns nor all shooters are equal. I expect that the greater portion (for most of us average shooters) of error lies with the shooter first, with the cartridge and firearm following after. I expect that most factory cartridges, with most factory firearms, in the hands of a competent shooter, will be quite sufficient for hunting applications.

When someone sees the two cartridges side by side, especially a new or uninformed hunter, they will almost invariably choose the 30-06 for deer hunting because of its size in comparison with the .308. While I know for a fact that either will do the job, most people will choose to go the "bigger is better" route. Either cartridge will be as accurate as one can make it, but the .308 is easier to make accurate, in my opinion.