cvillehunter703

Hey guys, Which gun should i choose, a 30-06 or.308,I will primarily be hunting deer.I hunt in woods, Thanks

hunt91

bothare overkill on deer. if your shots are going to be under 200 yards(they most likely will in a woods) i would sugjest a .270 or a 30-30. thats just my opinion. and your ammo will be a lot cheaper.

timbercruiser

Really anything between a .243 to an 06 will make a dependable deer rifle. I like the .270, but it's just a personal preference. Be sure to top it with a quality scope. Cheap scopes are close to worthless IMHO. Is the cville part of your handle for Coffeeville, Al by any chance?

isatarak

hunt91, you say a .308 is over kill but you would suggest a .270? What's with that? Both are fine guns, but I don't get that.

WV Hunter

Of those two, I would choose the 30-06. Both will be more than adequate for sure. Agree with TC...quality scope.

JagMagMan

X2! Deer are not that tough to bring down, with good shot placement!
Using the .243 as an "excellent minimum," I'd say go with what feels good to YOUR shoulder!
Some of the lighter calibers may actually perform better on deer sized game than the bigger ones!
So, don't get caught up in the "bigger is better" game, or the "brush buster" game!
Both are myths!
I have yet to see even those who are NOT recoil shy, that can actually shoot a heavy
recoiling cartridge better than they can a lighter one! Add to this, the fact that ALL bullets deflect upon impact
with foreign objects, I'd go with something in the range of .243 to .260! Anything above the 7MM-08 could arguably be considered "overkill!"

Bocajnala

of those two, take the .30-06. Lots of load choices, and you can easily use it on bigger game if the chance ever comes.
-Jake

UncleNorby

No deer will ever know the difference between those 2 choices. They fire identical bullets at similar velocities. The 308 is a bit slower, maybe 150-200 fps.

The big difference here is the cartridge length. The 308 is shorter, so the gun's receiver can be shorter, the gun is therefore lighter, and the bolt-throw is also shorter. What that all means is a 308 bolt rifle can be "handier" that a 30/06. I like a handy rifle for woods hunting.

If you can, check out a Browning Micro Medallion, a Ruger M77 Ultralight, a Remington Model 7 and other similar guns for fit. I really like the Browning and the Ruger. Something like a 2-7, 1.5-6, or even a straight 4x compact scope fits these rifles well.But, if you don't like these there are plenty of other options in standard size rifles.

In my opinion, most people buy guns that do not fit them well, especially when you factor in the clothes you will wear when hunting. One part of checkinga gun for fit is, when you have the rifle shouldered properly and a good cheek weld to the stock, see whether your eyes would be in line with a scope. On a lever action gun, your eyes should line up with the iron sights. On a bolt gun that will be scoped, the stock should have less drop, putting your eyes about 1.5-2" over the bore. The bolt should be comfortable. With your palm facing up, raise your hand naturally under the bolt handle. The handle should contact the center of your palm, not your fingers.

Something most beginners do wrong is grab the bolt handle. You should not do that. Work the bolt with your palm. Much faster and more reliable when done properly.

srwshooter

if i were buying a rifle just to deer hunt i'd go with something bigger then the 243,i've seen alot of big deer get away from a 243. it will kill them if you hit them right. you live in a area you may want to hunt bear.

not much differents in the 30.06 and 308 ,i'm a 270win man myself.

j2000

I would say go with the 308 because you said you would be hunting woods where their would be alot of brush,and the .308 is a good brush gun.