.308 vs. 30-06 for Cast Boolits

[lightload]

I know that the 30-06's longer neck is ideal for cast boolit reloading. Soon I will buy an Axis for cast boolit shooting only, and my choices have been narrowed down to 30-06 or .308 Win. Is one better suited than the other for this purpose?

[Lonegun1894]

I use both, and to be honest, I would be more concerned with the twist than the case being used in this instance. Like you said, the '06 has a longer neck, but the .308 with it's smaller volume is slightly more efficient. It evens out. If there is a difference in twist rate, for example my '06 has a 1:10" while my .308 has a 1:12", so the 12" twist is a bit more forgiving for higher velocity loads, but both shoot great. Another factor I would keep in mind is that during the last panic, and the one before that, .30-06 was a LOT easier to find since it's a "hunting rifle" caliber, as opposed to everyone scrambling for any .308 round cause it's a "fighting rifle" caliber. I should have asked this at the beginning, but what exactly is it you want to do with this rifle? I mean, a target rifle isn't the same as a hunting rifle.

[lightload]

I will use it for occasional hog hunting but mostly for informal plinking with cast bullets.

[kungfustyle]

06 is great at rattling teeth especially in a light Axis rifle. Plan on getting a better recoil pad if you want to shoot jacketed ammo out of the Axis. For cast both are very good, but my 06 will have 5 rounds touching w/ Dacron taking up the slack space. Both have plenty of good cheep brass available. So I guess the question is do you want the ability to go about 200 fps faster at the cost of more recoil, or do you want more comfortable shooting?

[Scharfschuetze]

I like the Ought-Six, mostly due to it's longer neck. The 308 has some advantages due mostly to that calibre's rifles having a 1 in 12 twist v. the standard Ought-Six's 1 in 10 as well as its slightly less powder capacity.

Both calibres will launch cast boolits as fast as you want to shoot 'em. In fact, faster than most cast boolits can go accurately with normal loading techniques and rifles.

My choice? I shoot most of my cast boolits in old Springfields, US 1917s and M1 Garands, so the Ought-Six is my favorite of the two. I've also been able to get more consistent results with it than with the 308 in most civilian rifles (Model 70s and Model 700s) over the years.

By the way, I helped a friend sight in his new Axis rifle in 30/06 earlier this year. It seemed like a good enough rifle. We used his factory Ought-Six loads and it zeroed up easily and clanged the gong at 200 yards easily. It was about a 2 MOA rifle with the factory ammo. Between you and me though, had he spent a little more money on a quality scope, it would have shot better.

In the end, it's probably six of one and a half a dozen of the other between the two.

[Char-Gar]

I know that the 30-06's longer neck is ideal for cast boolit reloading. Soon I will buy an Axis for cast boolit shooting only, and my choices have been narrowed down to 30-06 or .308 Win. Is one better suited than the other for this purpose?

For pity sake you answered your own question in your first sentence. Some 308s come with 1/12 twist vis-a-vi the 1-10 twist in the 30-06. All this means is you can push the same bullet a little faster in the 1-12. In my mind this comes at the expense of the longer cast bullet friendly neck and that is not a good exchange.

[quilbilly]

My Rem. 308 gets under MOA groups at 100 yards using the Lee 160 gr. RNGC so neck length has not been an issue for me. I just seat the boolit's gas check at the bottom of the neck. I have gotten great accuracy with a couple other size boolits as well as a 180 plain base boolit. Velocities for the various boolits have been all the way from 1300 with the plain base to around 2300 for others and all have shot well. Best accuracy has been at around 1900 fps. Best powders have been 2400, 4198, and, for the plain base, 5744.

[Bigslug]

You get more options with the '06. Longer neck and longer magazines. Longer throat may or may not be in the offing, depending on the manufacturer's mood, but it IS a good way to bet, as it's more generally accepted that the .30-06 at least has the potential for being a launch platform for bullets over 180 grains. Going there with a .308 takes you into "specialty" territory, at least in the minds of the unwashed masses.

And that pretty much steers it for me. With cast, you usually aren't going as fast, so there is some attraction to compensating with extra bullet mass. I am in the early stages of a love affair with NOE's copy of the Lyman 311299 - 200 grain. Even with smallish charges of 2400 rattling around in the big case, it's scary-accurate in my 1917 sporter. Though I've had extensive positive experience with the .308 over the years, more and more, I find it offers me very few attractive flavors of Kool Aid to drink.

[randyrat]

O6 brass sure is easy to find, fresh new brass laying on the ground almost every time i go to the range.
Hands down for occasional hunting, some range time, easy to find components. Not too long ago 308 brass was tough to find, but I was still finding fresh 06 brass on the ground. Everyone should own at least one 30-06

[guicksylver]

Randy....Thanks for the Wax.

Quality and price were excellent and the shipping was laser fast.

Made my first batch of Bens Red.

Back to topic '06 my choice for a reason not yet mentioned, throat length.

.308 is a good round for cast but throats run all over the place, often restricting the
choice of cast boolits one can use.

Savage in particular.

The '06 will normally take anything from 115 gr on up.

My 1903's and 1917 are approaching the 1/2" @ 100 yd groups
both scoped and iron sights with a wide range of boolits and powders.

The Axis is good but I think the Tikka out performs it in quality and
accuracy.

So once again J -boolits .308, cast 30-06.

Dan S.

[Larry Gibson]

A .308W with a 12" twist is my choice. It will stabilize most any cast bullet from 77 - 220 gr. Actually for cast bullets up through 180 gr I prefer a 13 or 14" twist but those are available only in Palma model commercial rifles.

Over the years I've found the supposed "advantage" of the longer neck of the '06 is only an advantage with a very narrow range of cast bullet designs. What I have found is if you want the best cast bullet accuracy in the 1850 - 2300 fps range then the 12" twist is the best choice.

For "regular" cast bullet loads up through 1850 - 1950 fps there isn't a nickel's worth of difference between the two cartridges with 10 or 12" twists.

Larry Gibson

[sundog]

I have to agree with Larry about a good 12 twist 308W bolt gun. Like any other cartridge, uniform brass, fire formed, maybe turned if needed, and a decently fit boolit, minimized runout, etc. Shoots as well as any 06. The neck length thing is not really that big an issue.

I've been shooting 03/03A3 (as issued) for a long time, and close to 20 years in military bolt matches. Ten round groups at 100 yards under 1" are uncommon. I've shot and seen A LOT of targets over that time by many very good shooters.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My take on it is there is so little difference it isn't worth worrying about. It's more about the gun you will buy to shoot these in than the actual cartridge.

Same Bullets, Same Boolits, Same Powders and Charges, Same Primers, Same Velocities. The .308 was originally designed to be a shorter .30-06 and it pretty much worked out that way.

The only advantage that the 06 has, is that it can push heavier bullets if you really need to. I have 220 gr Sierras just incase something exceptionally big invades my yard.

I like both the .308 and the .30-06, I personally think they are the two best rifle cartridges ever made. They are certainly the most popular.

My .02

Randy

[jmort]

^^^ This makes sense.

[skeettx]

.308 works well for me in a Rem 700 BDL Vt.

[Ithaca Gunner]

They're both excellent choices and I'm sure you'll be happy with either. The .30/06 has been my favorite since I was a lad and I've owned twice as many rifles chambered for it as .308's and have many times the brass to work with. My first rifle mold, a Lyman 311332 was intended for a .30/06 Mauser I built with a 26 inch long #5 Shilen barrel, the results were and still are very good with that rifle and boolit combination more often than not shooting 1" groups at 100yds. I don't consider it a "target" rifle as such, more a heavy sporter and aside from my M-1 it's the only '06 I routinely shoot cast in. For .308's I own two at either end of the spectrum, a 90's vintage Winchester M-70 Feather Weight that aside from the addition of iron sights and bedding is factory, and a totally redone Remington 700 short action with a 25" Hart #7 barrel 1:11 twist, Summit Technology Kevlar stock, and Shepherd PS-2 scope. The .30/06 Mauser will far out shoot the Winchester, but it does the same with jacketed bullets. The rebuilt Remington .308 will normally out shoot the Mauser with jacketed or cast. For me it's the rifle with good carefully loaded ammunition, more than the cartridge chambered for.

Just my .02, go with the one you like, or the one you feel you feel you can get more brass for. I like both, but my '06 gets more range time simply because I have much more brass for it, (heck of a reason, but that's about it).

[MT Chambers]

The .308 dominates CBA benchrest competition in the production class, these folks shoot cast bullets only and could use any factory rifle/chambering, good enough for me. Most use 700s or Savages in .308 with the 1-12" barrels.

[SSGOldfart]

I have and shoot both,if your going with a bolt gun get the '06if your choice is a single shot then I vote for the 308 yep both will do the job with cast boolits
Maybe get both and give them a try one will grow on you while the other will sell either has a good resale.

[SSGOldfart]

.308 works well for me in a Rem 700 BDL Vt.

Sir nice group what was your distance?

[skeettx]

100 yards, and powder oriented towards the bullet and not the base
Mike