[WhaleNoises]

So I want to get a sniper type hunting bolt action rifle, I've been looking at the Remington 700. The question now is what caliber is better. I heard that 30-06 was used by military sniper for years and it can be used on most big game. I've also heard that the .308 has less powder but better accuracy, and that it replaced the 30-06. So I would like to hear what you guys think.

[Txhillbilly]

I have/shoot both calibers.
Ballistically,there's little difference between the 308 and 30/06. You can get a little higher velocity with the 06 because of case capacity,but both calibers are well proven in the field.
It is apples to oranges when comparing either.Recoil is probably the biggest difference,the 30/06 has more felt recoil.

If you want to step it up go 300 Win Mag,and for even more,the 300 Ultra Mag,but you will also have the inherent recoil that comes with them.

[JonM]

the reason that 308 has taken over on 30-06 in hunting is because 30-06 is a long action cartridge the 308 is a short action cartridge.

in terms of reloading he 30-06 wins due to the larger case capacity. makes it easier to get the most out of bullets in the 180+ range. if your going after elk or mule deer at longer ranges 30-06 is slightly better. for typical white tail there is no advantage to the 30-06.

for long range shooting again no discernable advantage for the 30-06

[Lindenwood]

If you don't need a particular level of terminal performance, the 6mms (i.e. .243) will beat them both. You can shoot higher-BC bullets at higher velocities and with less wind drift. What's not to like?

The meat starts at post #19.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=306625

[762]

i have a remington 700 Police sniper rifle in .308. so that's what i'd say go with. my first rifle was a remington 700 .30-06, i liked it, but i'd rather have a .308. less recoil is always a good thing.

like the other guy said, they're pretty close in performance. they're both 7.62 bullets, one just has a 51mm case and the other has a 63mm case and thus more powder, higher velocity and little bit more range.

[Lindenwood]

Now, I personally have a .308 and it's way high on my list for a general-purpose rifle that can do *almost* anything. However, again, if all you want to do is tag targets at long ranges (as in several hundred yards), the .243 is probably your best bet among the common choices.

[WhaleNoises]

Well I think it will mostly used o n targets, but I think I will eventually go hunting at some point. I think if I do end up hunting I won't be shooting a deer, the whole bambi thing. So it will probably be elk or some kind of predator. The only other thing it would be used for is a SHTF scenario, or zombie apocalypse, lol.

[axxe55]

Originally Posted by WhaleNoises

So I want to get a sniper type hunting bolt action rifle, I've been looking at the Remington 700. The question now is what caliber is better. I heard that 30-06 was used by military sniper for years and it can be used on most big game. I've also heard that the .308 has less powder but better accuracy, and that it replaced the 30-06. So I would like to hear what you guys think.

whale, sniper rifles and hunting rifles are two different rifles, with two different purposes. sniper rifles are built for extreme accuracy and are usually purpose built rifles that put together out the finest components by skilled armorers. hunting rifles that most people buy are bought off the rack and fitted with a scope, shot a few times a year. sniper rifles are shot a lot. not to say that some people don't spend large amounts of money on hunting rifles, as there are gunsmiths who build high dollar rifles for discriminating hunters who ant the very best. both the 30-06 and the 308 have been used as sniper rounds and both are very close in ballistics performance. with the powder capacity of the 30-06 casing, the edge would be in reloading at the heavier bullet weights. as for your comment about as a predator round, yes both would be able to do the job, but there are better cartridges for any type of animal intent on doing harm to you.

[texaswoodworker]

They're both really good accurate rounds. The .30-06 might get a slightly longer range though.

[WhaleNoises]

Another thing is I don't have a lot of experience with center fire rifles, I've shot a 300 win mag. After about 3 rounds my shoulder started hurting (I broke my collar bone when I was 18) so I think that much recoil is too much for me. I also plan on getting a .223, 5.56 eventually so I don't want to get another caliber too close in size.