The Firearms Forum banner

Long range .308 or 30-06

3K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  Big Shrek 
#1 ·
What's a better round to shoot steal plates at 500-800 yds. .308 or 30-06?
 
#2 ·
Take a look at the reloading data for both. In the maximum case the 30-06 gets a 100 FPS or so more velocity due to a larger powder cavity. That extra velocity MAY flatten the ballistics enough to reduce the bullet drop a tiny amount. So on the face of it it might seem that 30-06 is the one to use but people who shoot at those distances don't use either of those cartridges but one of the 30 caliber magnums or other cartridges that give a whole lot more velocity. In long distance shooting speed of the bullet shortens the time to the target. The less time gravity has to work on the bullet the less the drop. Also with these magnum cartridges you can use heavier bullets which through inertia reduces the effect of wind on the on the bullet.

I have shot at larger plates at 800 yds with 308 with limited success. The gun was not prepared for this kind of shooting (no super powerful scope with mounts that help to compensate for long range bullet drop) and the hold over was tremendous. I'd not want to defend my life with my setup at 800 yes but for fun shooting it was OK. People who want to shoot at these distances regularly have specially prepared guns. 500 yd targets are much easier than 800 yd targets. I have shot 308 and even 8mm Mauser at 500 yd deer sized steel targets with good success with nothing more than a 3 to 9 scope with lots of hold over. Great fun and more fun than group shooting at 100yds for me. My ideal range would use steel target plates at 100, 200, .300, 400, 500, an 800 yds with no provision for paper targets. I use to belong to a range set up exactly like that but the club management changed as did the rules and it got stupid so I left the group. Also I no longer have a reason to travel 2 1/2 hours to that area. My local range is paper only limited to 200yds to which you have to hike to change the targets. Too much for my old body. I just shoot at paper at 50 and 100 yds any more.

LDBennett
 
#3 ·
You're basically comparing apples to apples with those two choices. They're both very close in performance. The 308 is only 1-200fps slower than the 30-06. The 30-06 has more recoil than the 308. For me, I would choose the 308. I'm just not a fan of the 30-06.
 
#4 ·
If your rifle is set up as a sniper rifle, you can stretch either cartridge out to 1,00-1,200 yards. Military snipers used Remington 700s for many years before a dedicated sniper rifle was built to military specs. A lot of it comes down to the glass on top and the finger on the trigger and lots of practice. I am not trained as a sniper and my 30.06 is not a top of the line weapon, however, I feel comfortable taking shots out to 600 yards. I could probably ring a gong at 800 with a little practice. .308 performance should be very similar.
 
#5 ·
As others have said already, there's not much difference in the velocity of the two cartridges. Remember they ARE the same exact .30 bullet. Just the 06 has a little more ooomph behind it. I myself don't have much experience with those two cartridges past the 200 yard mark, but I am a member of Sniper's Hide which is a long range rifle forum and when I read posts about the .308 or .30-06 taken out to ranges of 1,000 yards and beyond, it's the .30-06 that seems to get favored the most.
 
#6 ·
it's the .30-06 that seems to get favored the most.
Unfortunately, I believe you would get that answer comparing anything to a 30-06.

A 308 loaded with a 168gr Nosler custom comp bullet at roughly 2700fps has 371" of drop at 1,000yds according to my Nosler ballistic app.
A 30-06 with the same bullet at roughly 2850fps has 327" of drop at 1,000yds both with a 200yrd zero.
 
#8 ·
As said above the external ballistic difference between the two is minimal, however if you are a re-loader, the stress difference on the brass is significant. I believe the biggest advantage the .308 has is that you will probably get 20%-30% more reloads than with the 30-06.
 
#10 ·
I haven't a clue as I don't own either but have read that the competition choice moved from 30-06 to 308. You might find more articles and be able to visit some tournaments more readily with 308. I don't know if that move was regional to some location or everywhere so check your area out.
 
#11 ·
If you want an inexpensive, yet sub-MOA .308 heavy barrel rifle,
look at the Marlin X7-VH, starts at $379...
they really do better on these than the price shows...
its got features that some much more expensive rifles don't have,
and shoots better than many costing 5 times as much.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top