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best 30 caliber?? #5971469 10/11/15 12:54 PM
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bholland Offline OP
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I am looking to acquire a 30 caliber rifle for long distance shooting and elk hunting, since some states require that caliber. I have narrowed it down to the venerable 30-06 and the 308. I have shot neither one very much so I am looking for suggestions. Which one would you go with and why?

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971470 10/11/15 12:59 PM
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rickym Offline
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I own both but for long distance shooting I would shoot the 06. I don't know that this is true but I feel like it's flatter shooting and hits the animal harder out past 300.



Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971471 10/11/15 01:00 PM
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What is long distance to you? To me, it requires a step up to the 300 Win mag. But if your idea of long distance requires something less, then I see no reason to choose a 308 over the 30-06. Why? More powder capacity to push heavy bullets.

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971509 10/11/15 01:32 PM
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When I say long distance I mean 300-400 yards. The longest shot I have ever taken successfully is currently 245 yards and that was on a coyote with my 22-250.
90% of what I shoot is with my bow at close range, i just want the ability to rifle hunt elk and in some states that requires a 30 caliber so....

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971512 10/11/15 01:36 PM
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In that case, a 30-06 will do nicely. A 308 will get it done, but heavier bullets are ideal, and the 06 will handle them better. It also gives you more room to stretch out a little further if you're so inclined, at some point.

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971514 10/11/15 01:37 PM
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For the use of elk hunting alone I would still get the 06



Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971541 10/11/15 02:10 PM
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You could go retro and choose Holland's Super .30 ( .300 H&H ).

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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971566 10/11/15 02:25 PM
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Elk are tough animals and they can go a very long distance if not hit just right. For lighter animals, both are fine calibers. I have a 30-06, and my brother uses a 308. Both shoot about the same at the range and both shoot the same sized bullets. Neither are what I use when I go elk hunting. If the elk is standing perfectly still, broadside and the weather is calm and perfect, then it doesn't matter. But if he is feeding, quartering away or towards you, or the weather isn't ideal, then the odds increase dramatically that you might be off an inch or two when you shoot and instead of making that perfect one shot kill, you wound him. I put too much money and effort into my trips to take chances or not do everything I can to ensure I have the best odds of success. For elk, I use a .338 win mag. Every one I've shot with it has gone down with one shot. I've shot them as close as a hundred yards, and as far out as 500 when my buddy started shooting with his 7mm mag and he didn't drop after three shots. There is a lot to be said for what a 250 grain bullet does at those velocities!!!!! I used it for my first safari to Africa and felt it was far better to put them down, then to have to look for them in the bush. I would rather lose a couple pounds of meat to bullet damage, then lose the entire animal.

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971569 10/11/15 02:26 PM
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First, I'm a HUGE fan of the .308 and my knee-jerk reaction leans towards that. But, when I apply a little gray matter to the process there's no reason to not go with .30-06 of the two choices. I've been shooting .308's for about 40 years and, if you already had one (or several like me) I'd say dance with the one who brung you, but the .308 does fade faster than the .30-06 and since you currently have neither the .30-06, in my opinion, would be the wiser choice. The benefits are two-fold if you're a reloader. It's much easier, cheaper, and safer to load a .30-06 down to .308 performance than attempt .30-06 performance with a .308. That's just me, though, take it for what it cost you. Best of luck in your decision and future hunting endeavors! Be safe, always.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971590 10/11/15 02:42 PM
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...and a "Super 30" would be so Super Cool you'd prolly grin about it in your sleep...and can downloaded to everyday '06 speeds too....if you are into handloading. IMO the Cool Factor alone is worth the jump...just harder to find shooters though.

However...the 30 WSM is a scootch faster...and real close to the 300WMg in 150'er's with less felt recoil, but the only down side of the 30 Whizzum in bigger bullets is that it does not have the case capacity to handle 200gr'ers very well for the xtra shoulder thump...at MV's about like a '06 does....and 200gr'ers have more juice than the lighter bullets at the "business" end and more retained velocity at past 3-400 yards too when the lighter bullets get blown around more.

The WSM does handle elk capable 180's & 165's boolits noticeably faster than a '06...and just a tad better than than the H&H, with lots more ammo choices available.
Ron


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971594 10/11/15 02:47 PM
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I would happily hunt 99% of the legal game animals in the world with a 30-06. It has been killing game and men for over 100 years. When I would need something bigger than an 06 I'd pick up a 375 H&H. You could hunt any mammal on earth with the 375 H&H but since this is about 30 cal my vote goes to the 06.

By the way, I'm not aware of any state that requires 30 cal for elk so I'm hoisting the B.S. flag on that. I grew up in CO and have hunted a lot of elk. Is the OP really trying to say that in some places a 30-30 would be legal for elk but a 270 or a 7mm Mag wouldn't? Sorry, not buying it.

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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971658 10/11/15 03:48 PM
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Between the two choices you gave I'd say 30-06 because of wide choice of bullet weights. However, I'd really look at a 300 win mag. That being said, my two hunting guns are a .308 using Hornady Match 168 gr boat tail hollow points and 300 win mag using 180 gr Winchester ballistic silvertips. Great success with both.

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971681 10/11/15 04:06 PM
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I am curious about which states require a 30 caliber or larger.

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: Slow Drifter] #5971722 10/11/15 04:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: Slow Drifter
First, I'm a HUGE fan of the .308 and my knee-jerk reaction leans towards that. But, when I apply a little gray matter to the process there's no reason to not go with .30-06 of the two choices. I've been shooting .308's for about 40 years and, if you already had one (or several like me) I'd say dance with the one who brung you, but the .308 does fade faster than the .30-06 and since you currently have neither the .30-06, in my opinion, would be the wiser choice. The benefits are two-fold if you're a reloader. It's much easier, cheaper, and safer to load a .30-06 down to .308 performance than attempt .30-06 performance with a .308. That's just me, though, take it for what it cost you. Best of luck in your decision and future hunting endeavors! Be safe, always.


I was going to post a reply, but this one says exactly what I would have said. My .308 love aside, I would go with the .30-06 given those two choices under your parameters.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971753 10/11/15 05:27 PM
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Thank you for questioning the 30 caliber rule I referenced. It is indeed wrong. I was talking about elk hunting with a friend who has hunted in Colorado and New Mexico "many times" and he told me that the hunting regs for those two states require 30 caliber or larger. I now question many other things he has shared with me in the past. we all know what happens when you assume....
keep the opinions and info coming, you all are a great source to help me decide which caliber to go with

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971768 10/11/15 05:39 PM
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I did a search and found some outfiteers that require .30 caliber and some that require 160 grain bullets. The highest minimum caliber requrement from a state was .270.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5971792 10/11/15 05:54 PM
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Some Indian reservations require a minimum of .270 win, I don't know of any that require a 30 cal.

I vote 30-06. Elk are big and tough so bigger is better. It doesn't take a cannon to kill them but I wouldn't consider any 30 to be overkill. In Africa they use 375s on the same sized animals.

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5972403 10/12/15 12:36 AM
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Not that big a fan of the 06 but even less of a fan of the 308, it plays second fiddle to the 06 performance wise.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: Sneaky] #5972410 10/12/15 12:38 AM
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Originally Posted By: Sneaky
I am curious about which states require a 30 caliber or larger.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5972585 10/12/15 01:58 AM
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30-06 out of the two.

Of all calibers I would get the 300 WM

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5972758 10/12/15 03:10 AM
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I have a.308 and love it for deer, for elk I use a .300 wby mag. Just have your Huevos ready

Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5972769 10/12/15 03:17 AM
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Wasn't it Jack O'Connor that said there are two type of people that shoot the 30-06. Those that know nothing, and those that know everything.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: A.B.] #5974548 10/13/15 02:38 AM
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He was a huge .270 fan. Nothing wrong with the caliber, just can't take everything ol'Jack said seriously.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: bholland] #5974604 10/13/15 02:59 AM
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The 30-06 will push the same exact .308" bullet about 150 fps faster than a 308 Win, all else being equal. More speed equals more energy on target and flatter trajectory with less wind drift. If you can get a round on target with a premium bullet from a 308 Win, it will do the job just fine. 30-06, same thing. If you were comparing a 308 Win to a 300 WM, there is a big difference between the 2. Not so much with a 308 Win and 30-06.


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Re: best 30 caliber?? [Re: ChadTRG42] #5974650 10/13/15 03:30 AM
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The OP had it narrowed down to .308 or .30-06. Throwing in the Win Mags just muddys the water. Just my opinion.


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