.308 vs .30/06: Is One of These Classic Cartridges Really Superior?

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21-02-2025

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Hunters and shooters have been comparing the .308 vs .30/06 for decades. Some stand by the old warhorse .30/06 Springfield and others claim it's descendant, the .308 Winchester, is better. Both are .30-caliber battle rifle cartridges that won the hearts of sportsmen worldwide. Though they have lots of similarities, it's their key differences that give them their distinct advantages and disadvantages. If you're making the .308 vs .30/06 comparison yourself, your conclusions will depend on one of those few factors where they don't overlap.
The .30/06 name is a derivative of the cartridge's .30-caliber projectile and the year it was introduced, 1906. Its parent case is the .30/03 Springfield. At the time of its inception, the .30/06 cartridge was the pinnacle of modern ballistics, launching a 150-grain projectile 2,700 fps. The .30/06 gained its notoriety on the battlefield, playing large roles in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Since its adoption, the 30-06 has become one of the most common and capable big-game hunting cartridges in America and around the world.
Better performing ammunition has also improved the capabilities of the .30-06 with 150-grain bullets now regularly pushing nearly 3,000 fps. It can also leverage modern high-B.C. 225-grain bullets like the Hornady ELD-M. One of the many endearing qualities of the .30-06 is its ability to shoot a wide range of projectiles ranging from Hornady's 125-grain SST bullets clear on up to Remington's 220-grain Core-Lokt in factory ammo.
In 1952, half a century after the .30/06 was introduced, the .308 Winchester was born. Its parent case is the .30/06. The military version of the cartridge, the 7.62x51mm NATO, offered soldiers a rifle that nearly matched the ballistic performance of the 150-grain M2 Ball .30/06 ammo, but in a lighter, shorter package. The military saw the benefits of the new cartridge and converted some of, but eventually replaced, the M1 Garand service rifles, chambered in .30/06, with the M14 chambered in 7.62×51, aka .308 Win.
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Along with its rise in the military, the .308 Win. also became popular among hunters favoring short-action rifles and lighter recoil.
Ballistically, the .30/06 shoots the same bullets a bit faster than the .308, resulting in better trajectories and more kinetic energy — but don't put too much weight in that. The biggest edge the .30/06 has is being able to shoot bullets heavier than 180 grains effectively. Comparing ballistics of the two cartridges side by side, however, reveals the minimal gains made shooting the .30/06. Let's look at two examples.
Hornady's new Outfitter line includes a 150-grain CX bullet, which is a mono-metal (copper alloy) projectile. Here's what the ballistics look like from the two cartridges, given a 200-yard zero.
Muzzle velocity: 3080 fps
Drop: 6.4 inches at 300 yards
Energy: 1955 foot-pounds at 300 yards
Muzzle velocity: 2900 fps
Drop: 7.4 inches at 300 yards
Energy: 1712 foot-pounds at 300 yards
Another example that features even less difference in performance between the two cartridges is Federal's 165-grain projectile loaded in their Fusion Line. This is again with a 200-yard zero.
Muzzle velocity: 2,790 fps
Drop: 7.9 inches at 300 yards
Energy: 1800 foot-pounds at 300 yards
Muzzle velocity: 2,700 fps
Drop: 8.6 inches at 300 yards
Energy: 1660 foot-pounds at 300 yards
Inside 300-yards, the ballistics and terminal performance of these two cartridges would be nearly impossible to distinguish between. Yes, the .30/06 does provide a slight advantage in performance but that additional performance does come at a price in terms of felt recoil, more on this in a moment.
It's worth noting that the .30-06 starts to pull away from the .308 as you move up to heavier bullets. For example, here's how the two cartridges perform with a 180-grain Nosler Partition.
Muzzle velocity: 2,700 fps
Drop: 8.5 inches at 300 yards
Energy: 1865 foot-pounds at 300 yards
Muzzle velocity: 2,570
Drop: 9.4 inches at 300 yards
Energy: 1672 foot-pounds at 300 yards
The takeaway? The cartridges are very similar at typical hunting distances with moderate-weight bullets. But if you're interested in shooting heavier bullets (180 grains and up) at farther ranges, the .30/06 does provide an advantage in retained energy.
Recoil is a big deal to some and not so much to others (even though it should be). When I was younger, I paid very little attention to felt recoil, chalking it up to a necessary evil of shooting. However, the older I get, the more I shy away from heavy-recoiling firearms. Neither the .308 Win. or 30/06 are known for being light recoiling cartridges, but they are not exactly punishing to shoot in standard-weight hunting rifles. Like their ballistics, comparing recoil between .308 vs .30/06 is more about the rifle weight. Given the larger case capacity and increased powder consumption, the .30/06 will typically produce more recoil than the .308 Win. For some very basic recoil figures, a 7-pound .308 generates about 21 foot-pounds of recoil compared to a 7-pound .30/06 generating about 25 foot-pounds of recoil. But these numbers don't tell the full story, because the difference in felt recoil is more nuanced.
The overall weight of the rifle, stock dimensions, use of a suppressor or muzzle brake, and load combination all contribute to the amount of felt recoil a rifle produces. Due to its short-action design, rifles chambered in .4308 Win. are typically a few ounces less than the same rifle chambered in 30-06. For example a Browning X-Bolt Medallion in .308 weighs 6 lbs. 8 oz. The .30-06 version of the rifle weighs 4 ounces more.
More importantly, there are a variety of light mountain rifles available in .308, and fewer of these guns are chambered in .30/06. So if you're looking for a light hunting rifle in .30-caliber (and don't want the punishment of a big-booming .300 Win. Mag.) then the .308 is a good choice. Light rifles are great for backpacking but do generate more recoil.
There are certainly ways to reduce felt recoil. While I loathe muzzle brakes, they do serve their purpose and reduce the amount of felt recoil for both cartridges. Even better, suppressors provide the same benefit of recoil reduction while saving our ears from the abuse of a muzzle blast.
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Both the .308 Win. and .30/06 are capable of producing accurate results for hunting purposes. In competition, .308 vs .30/06 isn't much of a comparison. The .308 quickly replaced the '06 in high-power and service rifle rankings after it's introdution.
From a purely anecdotal point of view, I have had better success getting rifles chambered in .308 Win. to shoot sub-MOA than I have those chambered in .30/06. But remember, that's an anecdote, not hard data. I think the reason that the .308 consistently out shoots the .30/06 in terms of accuracy is because of its more efficient cartridge design.
Given the modern advancements in rifle and ammunition manufacturing, there are plenty of factory rifles chambered in both cartridges that will shoot factory ammunition sub-MOA in three-shot groups and near MOA in five-shot groups. In Tyler Freel's test of the best mid-priced rifles, he found that the best rifles shot about 1.3-inch, five-shot groups (this was done after averaging the 10 best groups from each rifle).
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The vast majority of rifle companies all chamber and sell rifles in both .308 Win. and .30-06 due to their widespread popularity. The same can also be said for ammunition companies with .30/06 and 308. Win. ammo being among their top selling SKUs every year.
We already established that the .30/06 shoots a tad faster and subsequently packs more punch than the .308 Win. However, dead is dead and the buck or bull you settle your crosshairs on this fall will not know whether they were shot with a .308 vs .30/06. Instead of cartridge choice, hunters should focus on bullet construction when trying to maximize terminal performance. Thanks to the booming popularity of both of these cartridges, hunters have a smorgasbord of killer bullet options to choose from.
For maximum penetration on bigger game, shoot solid mono-metal bullets. Some of my favorite mono-metal projectiles include Hornady's CX, Nosler's E-Tip, and Winchester's Copper Impact.
For an all-around capable big-game option, you can't go wrong shooting a bonded bullet such as the Nosler Accubond from either the .30/06 or .308 Win. Thin-skinned deer and pronghorn can be hunted with ease with both cartridges with just about any hunting bullet, though many prefer a rapid-expanding projectile to maximize internal trauma.
One of the biggest advantages to shooting both the .30/06 and .308 Win. is that ammo is almost always readily available. Even during the recent ammo shortage, .30/06 and .308 Win ammo could still be found. Cost varies based on ammunition brand and bullet type, but generally the .308 Win and .30/06 ammunition share similar price tags. For example, a box of 20 .308 Win. 150-gr. Remington Core-Lokt is listed on Midway USA for $28.99. That same box of ammo for the .30/06 is listed for the exact same price of $28.99. Average price for a box of 20-rounds for both cartridges will hover between $35 and $40.
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No, the .30/06 is more powerful and can shoot heavier bullets
The military adopted the .308 because it produced similar ballistics to the .30/06 but was shorter and lighter, allowing soldiers to carry more ammo.
No, it's not overkill. The .30/06 is an excellent deer cartridge, but smaller cartridges do work well too.
The truth is that you can't go wrong with either of these cartridges when selecting your next big-game hunting rifle. Both carry ample killing power and provide hunters with a wide range of ammunition options. Given a similar rifle configuration, the .308 Win. will exhibit slightly less recoil and is inherently more efficient than the .30/06. But the .30/06 will edge it out slightly in velocity. That difference is somewhat negligible, but if you want to shoot bullets heavier than 180 grains, go with the .30/06. For any game in North America at modest distances, either is a good choice