TUK101

.308 is virtually identical to the 30.06 and even has a bit better ballistics with certain loads up to 165 grain. That is where the 30.06 starts to seperate itself from the .308. The .308 is pretty much limited to 180 grains or less, where the .06 can go as high as 220 grains which gets you some better performance on bigger game. I myself shoot the .308 better, at least with the guns that I have shot the 2 in, but then again I much prefer lighter recoil.

vabyrd

Bullet offerings is about the only difference. Browning BAR in my book.

homers brother

A .30-06 will do better with heavier bullets than will the .308, should you ever decide to chase something larger than deer.

However, autos can be very particular about ammunition, particularly in terms of overall dimensions. Your old .308 caliber bullets for your .30-30 are likely to cause you nothing but trouble used in an autoloader. As well, start playing on the light or heavy side of what bullet weights are available, and you're likely to have feeding problems as well.

My .308 reliably chews through anything in the 147-168 gr range, as long as it's seated to factory specifications and loaded between 2700-2900 fps. I once loaded some 190 gr for it, which ought just as well have turned it into a single shot for all the feeding and cycling problems I had with it. Lesson learned.

On the contrary, my bolt guns could care less what I'm loading. The .30-06 comes in many more "flavors" of bullet weights in factory loadings for a reason - the .308 only has so much case capacity, and when you stuff a looooong 200 or 220 grain bullet into a .308 case, it comes with an associated loss of powder capacity.

Nomercy448

Yeah, they're heavy, but they're both incredibly accurate, pick your poison for .308 or .30-06, Springfield M1 Garand in .30-06 or Springfield M-1A in .308. I've used both in the past for deer, both are quite mild on recoil, and both are incredibly accurate, not to mention both offer a lot of flair for historical value.

That said, you'll never notice the difference between a .30-08 or .308. Yeah, the ballistic charts show better performance for heavier bullets with the longer case (.30-06), but who really loads 220gr slugs in a .30-06? Anyone that regularly hunts anything big enough to need a 220gr pill from the .30-06 would know enough to just buy a heavier cartridge.

Plus, there's no animal on the north american continent that will argue with a properly placed 180grn pill from either of them. For deer species, you'll never notice the difference in performance at the business end. The short action .308 is a little milder on the shoulder, but neither are killers. My girlfriend uses a .30-06 for deer and a .308 heavy barrel for coyotes and benchrest target shooting, she doesn't have any problems taming the recoil of either.

Ol'Mongo

Both calibers are good (I prefer a 25-06). You might want to check your reloading manual, and I may be wrong, but I think the 30-30 is a unique bullet. If you're going to reload, you might want to try Remington Core Lockt's or Barnes .30 cals

kbrow

I have a 308 in a newer BAR - with handloads, it is the most accurate rifle own at 1/4 inch MOA (I think it is a fluke). I also own a 30-06 in an old 742 Woodsmaster. I can only get it just under 2" (which is just fine for most hunting situations) but this gun has been very reliable. For one gun I would go with the 30-06 due to how versatile it is.

sconnyhunter

Having owned both calibers in bolt and sime-auto weapons. My choice would be the .308 in the Remington. Though with that said dont discount the newer Benelli Rifles.
The Browning Bar is a superb weapon though it has shown itself to be very tempermental where quality of ammunition is concerned (based on personal observations).

Sheridan

+ 1 Browning Bar in .30-06

Nalgi

I have 3 BAR's and love them all. I would go with the '06. More variety of loads.