Need a Caliber Recomedation
 

I currently have 4 rifles... a .22 LR, a .223 Rem, a 30-30 Win and a .35 Rem (that I had purchased for my now deceased Dad). I have the .35 Rem "on the market" (it's listed in the classifieds if you're interested) and would like to replace it with another rifle to round-out my collection. I am leaning toward a .308 Win, but I am concerned that I am underpowering myself with regard to what will be the heavier end of my rifle battery. In reality, this new rifle will primarily be used for whitetail and black bear, but I wouldn't want to regret the purchase should I ever get the opportunity to go after elk or moose (Maine NOT Alaskan). The alternative I would be considering, although I am open to other recomendations, is the 30-06 Sprg.

I'm interested in hearing opinions/perspectives on the choice I face.

Thanks,
Michael

The 308 and 30-06 will get stuff done, even though I'd greedily take a 7mmRM instead :)

There use to be a saying in the technology business that nobody ever got fired for buying IBM. So I would say the equivalent in rifles would be a 30-06. :) I got a 30-06 nearly 20 years ago just to have the one gun that could hunt anything in North America. Of course I haven't actually hunted more than whitetails with it so far, but hopefully that will change. :)

When I was getting that first "do-it-all" gun, I got a .30-06. I have since added a .223, a .243, a 7mm-08, a 7mm Rem Mag., and a .308 to the collection... If you're considering either a .308 or a .30-06, either will do what you've described. So will pretty much any modern cartridge of greater than .277 caliber... i.e. .270 Win, .280, 7mm-08, 7mm RM, etc., etc., etc...

First off that .35 Remington was built for deer and black bear.



Go with the .30-06 and you will never feel undergunned and always be able to find a wide variety of ammo.

30-06 would be perfect. A 308 would work but with the 06 wider bullet selection better yet get both lol

There ya go... I'll get both. But then I'll have the same dilemna - - which do I take into the woods...LOL!

You wrote that you bought the 35 Rem from your dad...once you sell it, you'll never get that gun back. i recommend that you keep it and sell the 30-30.

as for a new caliber, i'd go 7mag.

This sounds like a pretty good idea. I would agree to keep the 35 Rem, I have a special place in my heart for lever guns as well as the deal with your father being attached to it.

Now as for cartridge choice, 308 or 30-06 will both serve you well.
check out my 308 review of the new Marlin XS7 I just posted.
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/firearm-review-forum/329990-marlin-xs7-308-win-range-report-photos.html

Get a Marlin XL7 in 30-06 or a XS7 in 308. For the price I think hard to beat right now.

Um - my first rifle was a Remington Gamemaster 760 - 35 Remington - and it was a bolt action gun.

The 35 Remington and the 30/30 Winchester has almost identical ballistic's for a 150 gr bullet. There is no advantage of one over the other and there is no reason to hunt with a 35 Remington unless you are only going to hunt white tail deer at very close range. It would be almost worthless on Elk or Moose or Black Bears...

The .308 Winchester was a military round which was designed to replace the 30-06 govt, due to the fact that the 30-06 govt required the gun to have a longer action to accommodate the round and it kept the shooter from carrying as many rounds because the 30-06 round was longer and weighed more - because the shell held more powder.

The .308 uses a faster burn powder - but not as much to do the same job. Both has the same ballistics for a 150 gr bullet. The kicker comes in when you try to use a 180 gr bullet in the .308

Because the shell is shorter in the .308 and because when you use a bigger bullet, it displaces room inside of the shell, you can't put as much powder inside of a .308 and so it fails miserably when you move up to a 180 gr bullet. Also the 30-06 has a couple more feet of reach downrange then does the .308, which means if you want a good all around gun, you would buy the 30-06 and not the .308

This is not to say that manufacturers has not improved bullet construction over the past 30 years or that you couldn't use a 150 gr bullet to kill a elk or a bear, just that I wouldn't want to use it in my opinion. I had a model 88 - .308 Winchester rifle and it was a very sweet shooting rifle.

Probably the best choice for a all around rifle for doing everything would be a 7 MM Remington magnum or a .300 Winchester magnum.
I have had both and I can attest to the fact that I have made shots with both rifles that amazed even me. With the optics on my Browning pump rifle - 300 Winchester, I can hit a pie plate at 800 yards with no problems. It is not unheard of - to hear of people who have used the 300 Winchester Magnum to shoot as far as a mile away. The US Army used that round at one time as a sniper round with much success and their shooting teams had special purpose built 300 Winchester rifles that they used for competition.

The goal should be to have a round that does not knock you into next week when you pull the trigger and that is accurate enough that you can hit everything that you aim at and that is economical to shoot as possible and a round that you can walk into most any Walmart at 3 AM in the morning, the night before hunting season and buy a box of shells.

This pretty much excludes rounds such as the .270 WSM and the 300 WSM and the Weatherby rounds that are out there.

That was a very informative post by Mr. Deer Hunter - Thank you! I'm getting differrent opinions regarding the .35 Rem in terms of what game it would be sufficient for, but the crux of my question pertained to the .308 vs the 30-06. From what I have heard on this site and what I have gleaned elsewhere, it sounds like the round that best suits my needs is the 30-06. Since I'd have the 30-30 for strickly deer in woodlots, the 30-06 would cover any "bigger" game needs should they arise (and I can only pray they they someday do).

Thanks,
Michael

Well, IMHO the 30 30 and the 35 Rem do differ. On low velocity rounds, the 30 30 is designed for a 150 gr bullet. The 35 rem for a heavier 180 and larger frontal diameter. Bigger is better till you get over 2800 FPS.
The old 270 was used for deer to moose adequately. One fine round, the 280 was IMHO much better than the 270, only due to the availability of bullet weights.
The by modern standards humble 7mm mauser was and still is a fine round as evidenced by the interest in tye 7mm/08, almost identical ballistics, especially in a modern 7mm mauser, as the shells are kept to a certain pressure level, due to the older guns still in existence.
The 7mm, 7mm/08, 280 all use the same diam bullet as the 7mm Rem mag. Must be something in that caliber as they all do a fine job. I personally like the 280 as it is almost the same as the 7mm mag, without the recoil and blast.. Interesting that the 7mm, 7mm/08, 308 and ought 6 all have the same case diameter. Probably as the 7mm was used as the basis of the ought 6 case, ought 6 longer. If you think that modern ammo is great, you should obtain a copy of cartridges of the world and see whay England and germany came up with in the 20's.

heck, go with a 338/06 or a 35 whelen (cept you'll have to roll your own more than likely), I sort of like the 338 fed and the 358 win they hit hard and critters seem to go down quick.

"Many years ago the .35 Remington was used on bigger game, but it is seen at its best when used on deer, black bear, and wild boar at ranges not exceeding 150 yards or so."

The Reloading Bench


I forgot about boars...........................and now there is Hornady's leverevolution ammo (200 yards).

BTW - in the old days every hunter had a 22lr, .30-30, .30-06 & a 12 gauge and felt they had everything pretty well covered.

I thought the 760 Gamemaster was a pump? Yes, I know it has a "bolt" assembly and carrier, but it's not a bolt action, is it?

You are absolutely correct. The Remington 760 is a pump, not bolt action rifle.

I'm a little puzzled as well regarding the comment about the .35 Remington being "worthless" for elk or moose, and would completely disagree if it's being implied that the .30-30 is better.

And, having used a .308 with 180 grain CoreLokts twice on elk, I'm afraid I'd also disagree about that combination "failing miserably" on elk. That statement drips with drama, but it's not true. There are quite a few statements in this post that, in actual practice, can be disproven or excepted.

Armed with a .22LR, a 12-gauge, and a .30-06, you're set to hunt anything on this continent. Invariably, the argument here will ensue that the .30-06 is inadequate for big bears (the big bears are in AK and Canada, if you have money to arrange a hunt in either, you have money to buy yourself a specialized rifle). I'll go one more and suggest that most of the magnums I see down here set up for "elk" are handicapped for an Alaskan hunt by having too much magnification on top of them, anyway.

My recommendation would be this: Keep the .35. Even if your dad never used it, it has sentimental value. It's more functional than you may have been led to believe on deer and bear, even on moose and elk. Replace the .30-30 with a 30-06. Top it with a fixed 4x or a variable 3-9x scope, no more. If there's a "jack-of-all-trades", workaday caliber out there, it has to be the .30-06, IMO.

I think this post has gotten slightly off target from when I orginally posted my question. The info that Homers Brother provides comes closest to what I had understood about the viability of the .35 Rem prior to my original question. When it comes to calibers, so much is based on personal experience and opinion. That's exactly why I posed the question on this forum in the first place. There is truly a wealth of experiece out there that I wanted to tap into.

If I can refocus the thread...

I'd like to keep my Model 94 30-30 because of its light weight for use on smaller tracts when strickly hunting Deer. I am/was considering selling-off the Marlin .35 Rem for a caliber that would serve me when hunting in areas that have Black Bear BUT that would also allow me to hunt Elk or Moose (again, not Alaskan, but Maine). I don't imagine that I'll ever get to Alaska or the NW Territory so I am not concerned with the big bears and if I do win the lottery, then I will be able to afford another gun (just as Homers Brother suggests).

So... Would the .35 Rem suit my needs? I'm thinking it wouldn't have the reach possibly required for a longer shot. If so, then does the .308 have the punch needed or is the 30-06 the better choice. I'm thinking strickly about the merrits of the calibers, not the easy availability of ammo in any Walmart, etc. Some other calibers have already been suggested, but please remember that I really don't want to carry a cannon.

Thanks Again!

for the shots that about of 75% of people take, a 308 or 30.06 is just fine. Don't sweat it. Either will do the job. Personally, i have the 30.06 but would like a 308 as well but just can't justify it. Overall the 30.06 is probably better.. this is my opinion. The fact is you can get ammo at 150 gr, 165, 180, 220 which makes this a true work horse gun. Its great for whitetail but could be used on anything in the lower 48 with the right bullet. With the 308, you are limited a little more but it doesn't make it bad for hunting. I just know that if i go elk hunting, i will take my 06 with a good 180 gr bullet.. harder to do with the 308 but then again you could go with a 165gr.

Given that clarification, consider that the .35 Remington (and for that matter, the .30-30) have been around for an awfully long time. They may have been state-of-the art back then, but today are probably not seen so positively in terms of capability. Some of that gap has been compensated for lately in the development of Hornady's FTX bullets.

By Hornady's data, a 200 grain, .35 Remington FTX drops just over 17 inches at 300 yards. In comparison, most "standard" calibers (.30-06, .308, .270, etc.) are dropping that amount 100 yards farther downrange. At 400 yards, the .35 has essentially become a mortar.

But, unless you're absolutely certain your shots on moose are going to be 300 yards or greater, there's little for you to gain in replacing your .35. And, if you can't hit a target at 300 yards with 17-some inches of drop with your .35, you're probably not going to do it at 400 or beyond with any of the standards.

Additionally, your .35 OR your .30-30 are adequate for black bears (I know many people who've killed them with .243s and 7mm-08s).

Now, mind you I'm not a fan of the .35 at all. It's probably one of the last calibers I'd consider adding to my collection. But, let's be objective here, unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket, I don't think you necessarily NEED a different caliber. What's a "longer shot" to you? - REALISTICALLY. If you can honestly say "over 300 yards", then you might want something different. And in that case, between the .308 or the .30-06, I'd take the .30-06.

You (Homers Brother) make very good points about questionning what is long range. Living in the Northeast, long range "ain't that far" - - LOL! I have honestly never taken a shot over 100 yds either in the field or at a range. While I may not be compelled to replace the Marlin, if it sells, I will have sufficient funds to purchase another firearm (I've sold a number of other firearm related items toward this same cause). I'm leaning toward a Winchester Model 70 if the gun sells (hey, there's another thread if I ever saw one ) OR a Marlin XL7C if I pull the trigger before it sells. Given everything I've heard above, I see no downside to the 30-06 and that was the point of this thread.

Thanks to everyone for your input!

I would like to say this. The 30-06 was not replaced because it weighs more than .308 and certanly not because it had more powder. It was replaced because its over 100 years old and powder technology has advanced leaps and bounds since then. The Ammunition Manufacturers were ready to shut down production of the old powder formulated for 30-06 gov. 30-06 was originally just a update to smokless black powder from the 30 40 kraig and its true black powder charge. This is essentially correct. The .308 can use 150 grain and 165 grain bullets. With the bonded bullets we have now it should not matter at all. 30-06 does not have more reach than .308 though. 30-06 does have a draw back. It has to much unused cartridge capacity. At 300 yards you will see this in your groups. They will be bigger than .308 and just wont shrink, this happens when you back down to about 90% capacity which is where the "oght 6" is at. That is why the Mil. dropped it, actually modified it. They solved the problem by reducing capacity by shortening the cartridge. you are essentially correct on the bullet consideration aspect. For now .308 is low on bullet selection. That will change as powders continue to improve and the manufacturers have already stated there is LOADS of room for improvement. You might notice the 30-06 loads that dissapear the quickest are the 180 grain and up loads. That is because that bigger bullet can be used to take up that extra space that is giving us fits with our 300 yard groups. The last thing I will touch on is the "Light Magnum" 30-06 loads. Some times folks like hornady filled up the 30-06 case and capped it with 150 grain bullets. Then stated to only use it in new rifles rated to handle the load. The Pressure exceeds the old 30-06 pressure so its not some trickery with a new powder, its just more. In europe they still use the 7mm mauser. But it does loads more speed than what it used to do. The reason is they load cartridges to capacity and go shooting. When new powders come out they buy new rifles in the same caliber. The thing is they rate their rifles by PRESSURE as well as caliber. In America we don't do this because some dumb arse would put light mag loads in a old rifle that probably shouldn't even shoot reg. loads then they will sue and ruin it for all of us. I haven't seen any "light mag" 30-06 even on the internet ammo places lately so that might have died a quick death.

The .35 remington is totally adequate for anything except maybe grizzlies. Buffalo bore makes a 220 grain jfn at 2200 fps and 2364 foot pounds of energy, that'll punch a hole right through a moose. I'd keep that great heirloom and just save a little at a time until you can afford to buy 30-06 or whatever you decide on when the time comes.

Great post, Switchback_XT! Very informative...

Thanks!

dan

the 30-06 is imho the best there is for a can do caliber.big enuff for moose and not expensive to shoot.i use mine for elk and have never felt undergunned

30.06 does it all. It's my ONE high powered rifle.

My heavens, I'd like to start seeing the cites for some of the information floating around here this week?! Believe it or not, there's a rather significant difference between the .30-40 case and the .30-06. For one, the .30-40 is rimmed, the .30-06 is rimless, My manuals list the length of the .30-40 case at 58.78mm, the .30-06 at 63.34mm. The .30-06 is descended of the .30-03, which was in turn loosely modeled on the 7x57mm and 8x57mm Mauser. As its nomenclature suggests, the .30-06 was fielded in 1906. The .308 (aka T65, 7.62x51mm) came on the scene in 1952. Let's do some math: 1952 -1906 = "more than 100 years old". Hmmm, must be that "new math"?

.30-40 used black powder? No - incorrect. It used the blackpowder designation ("40"), but was distinctive in that is was the first cartridge adopted by the U.S. military to use smokeless powder.

.30-06 an update of the .30-40? No - incorrect. More specifically, it was an update of the .30-03, which was the replacement for the .30-40.

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/3040k.html

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/3006s.html

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/308w.html

Even the normally questionable wiki tends to be corroborrate reloadbench.com/Hodgdon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-40_Krag

I don't mean to pick apart the details of every post here, but when a post includes such gross inaccuracies, the errors begin to overpower any valid points that may have been included. I think most of us cut a lot of slack here when it comes to what are clearly opinions, but please check your facts!

I too am shopping a "new" caliber. I am leaning towards the .308 myself. I will use it on Lopes, Deer, Elk, Bear ( given the opportunity). Here's why . . . First of all, it is the most popular round for bench shooters. My first criteria is the rounds ability to drive tacks! Second is killing power. According to several articles, a round should have at least 1500 pounds of "Energy in Foot Pounds " to ethically take down an elk sized animal. According to the Federal website a 180gr. '06 and .308 round are only 2 hundred FP's difference at 300 yards! 1865 & 1672 respectly.
Also, there are lots of ammo choices for the .308 if you don't roll your own like me. Yes there are more '06, but still plenty for the .308!
Lastly, and maybe most importantly . . . I'm tired of beating myself up at the range with magnum this or that. First rule in good shooting is you have to practice, practice, practice! Pounding your shoulder makes your shots go afoul. Mine anyway. So the .308, with 17.5 pounds of recoil energy and the '06's 20.3 pounds, less is more in my opinion.
Bottom line, a well placed .22 will kill an elk . . . 10 feet away! So all these guns will do the job.
My conclusion: I am willing to shoot a lighter round at shorter distances (300 & under) in order to shoot more, shoot better, shoot ethically, and save my shoulder. After all, the military can't be wrong when they preferred the .308 for their sniper round (as well as bench shooters) for so many years.
Oh, the .35 . . . Federal only shows ONE round offered for that gun, , , sell it.

The .30 Army was the first smokeless powder round adopted by the U.S. military, but its civilian name retained the "caliber-charge" designation of earlier black powder cartridges. Thus the .30-40 Krag employs a .30 caliber (7.62 mm) bullet propelled by 40 grains (3 g) of smokeless powder. As with the .30-30 Winchester, it is the use of black powder nomenclature that leads to the incorrect assumption that the .30-40 Krag was once a black powder cartridge.

The 30/40 Krag Jorgensen rifle was the only rifle adopted by the US Military that was only used for 9 years and then discontinued. The fact that most service rifles had 13 or less years of use only helped to spawn a interest in the guns long after production was discontinued and the guns were sold to the public at a very reduced rate. 500,000 of them were produced in this short period of time and they were used to fight battles in such places as Northern China, Cuba and the Philippines.

One other fact was that as powder technology improved - the need for a larger case and rimless design was very important for the military - since there was constant skirmishes and wars going on around the world and the fact that the next big war was imminent.
The German Mausers held a unfair advantage over the underpowered Krag rifles.

The one thing to remember was that these rifles were designed to be used as a fighting tool and not just a firearm. They were big, long, encompassed in wood and did not hold much ammo - 5 rounds compared to 10 rounds of some other military guns of its time.
It was easier to load and did not require a clip and did not require the user to open the bolt to reload. It had a limiter ( magazine cut off) which would allow you to use it in single shot mode - a feature that was carried over to the Springfield rifle and one that is still incorporated into some semi automatic rifles and shotguns even today...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krag-J%C3%B8rgensen

Since the speed of the bullet coming out of the barrel was about identical to our present day 30-30, that was about the same performance that could be expected out of the 30/40 rifle.

The 30-06 - being roughly 1000 or more fps faster - was a big improvement over the 30/40.

One reason for not upgrading the Krag was due to the fact that it only had one locking lug on the bolt. It could not handle the chamber pressure of the 30-06 round.

From what everyone has said, it sounds like either the .308 or the '06 would suit my needs, it's a question of distance to target more so than anything else. As was stated, a relatively close shot with my .35 Rem will take down a moose, BUT the question is "do I want to equip myself with a rifle that can reach out further".

If I am interpreting correctly, the .308 will do the job just fine on elk and moose to a certain distance, while the 30-06 will be effective even further out.

Is anyone outright disputing that conclusion?

As a general guideline, what distances would be considered "max" for each of the 3 calibers on elk and moose? (I am assuming I am totally covered for deer and black bear with any of the 3.)

See bottom of page for their recommendations;

http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm.308winchester.html

http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm....ringfield.html

.35 Remington not available.



FYI on .30-30

http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm....inchester.html

Mr Deer hunter you said
Um - my first rifle was a Remington Gamemaster 760 - 35 Remington - and it was a bolt action gun.

If you had a Gamemaster M 760 it was a pump gun and not a bolt action.

I have rifles from 17 HMR to 375 H&H including a 458 Win Mag. I usually hunt with a 7 mag or a 7mm08. I also love the 270 Win for deer size game.If I were to pick one rifle for the type of hunting you mentioned. I'd go with a 30-06. There's all kinds of bullet weights and choices. That cartridge is over 100 years old. It would be obsolete if it wasn't such a versatile cartridge with many uses.

After seriously pondering all that has been written above and the data provided and realistically considering my options for future hunts, I've decided that I will be purchasing a Winchester Model 70 in .308 Win. Should I be fortunate enough to go on an elk or moose hunt, it is most apt to be in relatively dense forest (Northeast) as opposed to open range (Western US). As a result, I do not anticipate taking any 200-300 yard shots. Moreover, having a caliber that wil not give me a pounding means I am more apt to shoot this firearm on a regular basis at the range. I subscribe to the theory that the gun/caliber will not make me a better shooter, rather practice will!

Thanks to everyone above for having offered their experiences and opinion. It is truly appreciated!

- - Michael

I would disagree on the 300WSM.
Yes, with heavier bullet weights, it kicks like a ticked off mule, but sticking with a 150-168 grain bullet, it's fine.
Add a muzzle brake if you feel the need to temper that recoil some.
Mine will reach out and touch whatever I need it to, out to 450 yards while keeping sufficient energy to make the kill.
I'm very confident that there isn't anything in North America I can't take with it, including moose and grizzly.
If you reload, there's no end to the bullet/powder combination you can check out in your rifle to get your desired results.
Ultimately, it sounds like a 30 caliber is what you're looking for.
Whether you choose a 308WIN or 30-06 or 300WSM, or anything in between, I suspect you'll be happy with the results.
SD

"Winchester Model 70 in .308 Win."


Nothing wrong with that !!!

All the best.

Fine choice. A nice rifle in a capable round with lots of off the shelf loading choices and easy availability of ammo.
And you couldn't be MORE right about being able to practice with it comfortably contributing to your ability to make your shots.
Come on back with range reports.

I don't ever remember writing it was a bolt action gun, I might have had a brain fart, but someone on here today was changing my posts - so it wouldn't be hard to believe that someone might have changed my posts.

I have 4 Remington Gamemasters on the rack right now and they always were and always will be a pump action rifle. At the hunting camp I went to - there was 9 Gamemasters on the rack and one Winchester / Ted Williams and all but two of them were 30-06's..

Mine and my dad's which were either 270's or the old 35 from back in the day.

You are right about the 30-06 being the best all around gun for deer and elk and bears with the proper loads. I even used them before for hunting groundhogs.

The funny thing was - the 100th anniversary of the 30-06, Remington came out with a special edition 7600 and model 700 for the anniversary. The one point that no one realized was that the .35 Remington came out the same year as the 30-06, yet no one really made a anniversary gun to commemorate the occasion.
As a matter of fact, Remington came out with a anniversary edition of the 300 Savage and they still have a bunch of them left over at Grice Gun shop that they have been trying to get rid of for the last 3 years.

If they would have made the 7600 in high gloss RKW Walnut stock and forearm and blued finish and not laser etched the stock with the anniversary crap, they would have sold every 30-06 that Remington made to commemorate the occasion in about 3 months instead of 2 1/2 years.

[quote=clayshooter25;3687236]After seriously pondering all that has been written above and the data provided and realistically considering my options for future hunts, I've decided that I will be purchasing a Winchester Model 70 in .308 Win. Should I be fortunate enough to go on an elk or moose hunt, it is most apt to be in relatively dense forest (Northeast) as opposed to open range (Western US). As a result, I do not anticipate taking any 200-300 yard shots. Moreover, having a caliber that wil not give me a pounding means I am more apt to shoot this firearm on a regular basis at the range. I subscribe to the theory that the gun/caliber will not make me a better shooter, rather practice will!

Thanks to everyone above for having offered their experiences and opinion. It is truly appreciated

The .308 will work fine on elk, moose and anything smaller up to and including 300 yards.. It ain't like 300 yards is a real long shot, as long as you have a steady rest..The cartridge certainly shoots flat enough for 300 yard shots.. I would MUCH prefer to take a 300 yard shot with a steady rest ( with a .308 or many other similar rounds) than to take an offhand shot at 75 yards...

rh stage 2
 

well i think the best of both worlds would be to get a rem 300 u mag the rifles a shooter fer sure , but u can go from 06 loads back up to 300 rem u mag what couldnt be better than that :woot:

The 30-06 is a great choice, but so is the .308. Both will do the same thing. On paper they might be a bit different but in real world hunting scenarios, no difference will be seen neither by you or by the game that you are shooting. Both rounds measure in at .308. Both rounds can be found in the same weight in grams. The 30-06 casing will have a bit more powder, but like I said, the results in a hunting scenario could not be seen. 90 times out of 100, stopping power comes from the diameter and weight of the bullet "BC" ballistic coeficiant than it does a few extra grains of powder. Thats why I wouldn't sell off that 35 Remington anytime soon as it is a PERFECT choice for the game you intend. Either way the .308, 30-06, or the .35 Remington will NOT leave you undergunned.