mlaubner

NV,
I do own the T/C Encore rifle. This is what the barrel is for, not the pistol which you may be thinking of.

bigcountry

I have yet to have a problem getting great accuracy with a 308win. But have had to play alot with some 06's. But have got them to shoot great too. I like light guns. Light bolts to be precise. The main advantage of the 308 is short action and light guns. In an Encore, it would be a toss up. The 06 walks off and leaves the 308 past 165gr bullets. But with a good barnes I have yet to need anything past that even with moose. I think if I was you, I would get the 06 barrel for an encore.

mlaubner

Well, based on the possibility of loading heavier bullets along with larger case capacity, at this point it looks like the 30.06 is going to be the winner.
Might have to save the .308 round for the tactical/target rifle down the road. But hey, that gives me something to look forward to in the future.

Going once,...going twice,...anyone else?

bigbulls

Yes and Yes

For deer and average size hog hunting a 150 grain bullet is all you will ever need. If larger game is on the agenda like elk and moose, bear, and very large hogs a 180 grain bullets would be prefered. A good compromise if you only wanted to hassle with one bullet and load would be a 165 grain bullet of premium construction such a a barnes, or TBBC, or partition, etc.... With the superbly constructed bullets available today bullets over 180 grains are simply not needed to hunt big game any more like they once were.

If there is an istance when a 180 grain bullet is less desireable than a 200 or 220 grain bullet out of a 30 caliber rifle I can't think of one. Even when considering very large bears. I don't see where a shot at less than 200 yards would make any difference in the decision to choose a +180 grain bullet or not either.

Besides the only company that offers a bullet over 180 grains in the 30-06 or 308 is Remington and it's a 220 grain corelokt. So unless you are going to hand load these big bullets that won't give you any advantage at all this is a moot point.


Either one of these cartridges is a great choice I just started out making the point that you will be giving up nothing with the 308 compared to the 30-06. It's kind of like choosing the 300 Win mag or the 300 Weatherby mag. The dead animal will not ever know the difference.


One thing you did not make clear though. Is this encore the rifle or pistol? If it's the pistol there's even less of a difference between the two since the 30-06 can not burn enough powder to make a difference.

akbound

Unless Federal has dropped it they also offer a 220 grain loading in .30-06. And at one time or another they have cataloged premium 200 grain loadings.

When we were living in Alaska I frequently used a carbine length .30-06 as a truck gun. As such it was the go to weapon when opportunities presented themselves during my helter-skelter schedule days for moose hunting. As this hunting was primarily done in heavy cover where the possibility of long shots were dim, and the possibility of bumping into a big bear at hand shaking distance was too good I frequently loaded the .30-06 with 220 grain Nosler Partition semi-spitzers. I gave nothing up in performance under 200 - 250 yards on moose, but gained in confidence and the ability of that bullet to drive deep from less than good angles. Under the circumstances it was comforting to have a substantially heavier bullet than commonly in current use.

I know that is an exception, rather than a common use for the .30-06 today, but it is nice to have the option available! Not only was my .338 Win Mag at home, instead of riding in the truck, but the .30-06 was about 4" shorter than my .338 and a couple of pounds lighter, (and less expensive, thus it's being used as a truck gun). Now had bear been the primary target, or was I in an area that bears were more probable, (not just possible), I would of had the .338 or something heavier. Of which I had/have numerous rifles. But the .30-06's versatility is its largest virtue!

Dave

Highpower

I guess I'll kick this 'dead horse' too. I'd go with the .308. It'll do everything the .06 will do especially if you're a reloader. A quote that was in 'Shooting Times' years ago "Dead, Deader, Deadest" It doesn't matter in the end. The advantages of a shorter action (not in your case), better burn rate, comparable recoil and ballistics. The .308 just makes more sense. IMHO

Aught Six

You've all given some great advice, and I'll just chime in briefly. I like the .30-06 because of its capabilities with heavier bullet weights (180+ grains) and slightly flatter trajectories. Within 250 yards, though, it doesn't have too much of an advantage over the .308.

mlaubner

It seems things are just as I originally thought; the 30.06 is a "do-all" cartridge with an edge over the .308.
And though the .308 is a respectable cartridge in its own right, the 30.06 is still just that much more of a capable cartridge and in most hunting situations has the ability to edge out the venerable .308
I can only deduce from everyone comments here that the 30.06 will remain America's most beloved versitile cartridge. Good for everything as long as the shooter does his part.

Aught Six

Pretty much sums up how I feel.

8mm/06

Get the 308
Then, get the 7mm/08, and the 260 and a 243, and while your at it a 358! then just get 308 brass and load for them all.