308 or 30-06 for cast boolits?

[davidheart]

I'm looking at getting a bolt action within the near future and I've centered down to the 308 or 30-06. I'm leaning to 308 for my availability in ammo and the short action. Simply put, which one is better for cast boolits? I know you can't load cast to full speeds. I load 30-30 currently very happily.

Personal preference aside here's what I see. The 308 has less case capacity which I would say translates to better powder position for low velocity loads (and possibly more consistency) but the 30-06 is capable of larger boolits (up to 200+ grains).

Thoughts? You guys are smarter than I am.

The rifle would be used for hunting mainly deer and hogs. I'd like to have a reduced load for popping squirrel or coyote. Black bear do roam the woods I hunt in, but I don't "go" for black bear. I would like to be able to have good accuracy easily to 200 yards. Obviously more, but this gun won't be an exclusive cast gun. My 30-30 is now exclusively cast.

Occasionally I'd like to use it to target shoot as far as 400-600 yards (Appleseed and range fun with some friends) but I may use jacketed for those shoots.

Thank you for your time.

[quilbilly]

The 30/06 is a classic with cast boolits and shoots amazingly well for anyone who has one (I don't). On the other hand, last fall I bought a new bolt 308 at an incredible price on clearance at Walmart with the intention of dedicating it to cast boolits. With cast 160's at 1850 fps it groups under 1-1/4" at 100 yards and I plan to take it to NCBS to try it beyond 300 to see what it will do. Having used the same boolit in my 30/30 at 1550 fps in a terminal ballistics test at 40 yards with impressive results, I have no doubt that in the 308 at 300 fps faster the 160 gr boolit would do just fine on black bear out to 125 yards. You can't go wrong with either and with CB's, you don't need all the velocity that "conventional wisdom" says you do.

[RickinTN]

I like and shoot both. Accuracy also came easily in both chamberings. I do like short action rifles as they are a little lighter and easier to carry. The one difference to be considered is that most 30-06's have a 1-10 twist and most, at lest my 308's are 1-12. The slower twist should be a little more cast bullet friendly if one wanted to push the velocity.
Good Luck with your choice,
Rick

[3leggedturtle]

You need to get one of each. :D

[Char-Gar]

I have four 308s and six 30-06s and like them all. If I could only have one it would be a 30-06.

[DeanWinchester]

I prefer the short action. When it comes to cast boolits, there's nothing one can do the other cannot. Even with jacketed loads, you have to be pushing things a little to see much difference.

[trapper9260]

I have 30-06 and a 308 and 30-30 and I have no problem getting them to shoot cast and the 308 is a semi auto.i just got that with a load that works good in it.As for what you ask i say and 30-06 you have a wide range of what you can do with it.The one I have is a pump model Rem 7600.

[davidheart]

Wow some great response. Thank you. Would you want to shoot the heavier (200+ grain) boolits for any reason? What's the heaviest boolit you could shoot using the 308?

[DeanWinchester]

It depends upon how short the action is. I HAD a REM700VS that was too short, IMO, unless feeding singly. My Ruger Gunsite Scout doesn't suffer from a too short magazine/too long throat that the Remington had.

I have several '06s and a couple of 308s, and all are 1-10" twist, and ALL get fed cast.

Now that IS a good point I have ran into OAL issues with .308 magazines. It's been my intention to build a .308 on a long action just for said reason.

[nanuk]

I'm down to one 308W, sold my last 30-06 yesterday.... I'd say get a 358Win, or 35Whelen.

[454PB]

Theoretically, the longer neck is an advantage with the 30/06, however I shoot a variety of cast boolits wearing gas checks through my .308 with good results and no problems with gas checks being below the neck.

[Bohica793]

Somewhat off topic, but is 270 Win just not consider viable any longer, especially for cast? I, too, am in the market for a new bolt action and was looking at 270 instead of the crowded 308 or 30-06 market. Just curious why 270 is never really mentioned anymore.

[DeanWinchester]

The .270 is a spectacular cartridge. Jack O'Connor would be rolling in his grave at the comment of "No longer viable"

....but, it's NOT as versatile as the two king thirties. EVERY BIT as capable, just not as user friendly to the casting reloader.
I love my .308 and it'll do just what I need it to do but if I were faced with the task of having ONE rifle to travel the world with, it'd probably be a bolt action 30'06. THere's just nothing it cannot do. As it is, I'll stick to my .308 but neither will disappoint you.

[Larry Gibson]

308 or 30-06 for cast boolits?

If that is the question then the answer is the .308W has the definite advantage for cast bullets IF the rifle has a 12" twist. Many .308W rifles are available these days (always have been) with the 12" twist. The '06 is available only with a 10" twist currently (A couple in the past were made with 12" twists) and many .308Ws are also. If you only consider the 10" twist then the '06 has the definite advantage. It is more suitable because the longer neck provides better support for most all cast bullet designs from old to new. The slightly smaller space of the .308W in reality provides minimal advantage over the '06 if they both have 10" twist barrels.

Contrary to the opinion of some the .308W with 12" twist will handle 200 - 220 gr cast bullets very well, especially at 2000+ fps. With the availability of modern cast bullet designs for the shorter necks the .308W with a 12" twist is the best of the 2 cartridges for cast bullets.

Larry Gibson

[HARRYMPOPE]

If both are sporter weight guns there is no accuracy difference.Its a gun to gun thing.unless you compared them in full benchrest rifles side by side over a long series of targets saying one is better is just oppinion.

I have had 308's with 1-10 and 1-12 and both shot 180-200g bullets with equal accuracy.in matches,not just plinkinking.

[TXGunNut]

If I were to chose one for cast boolits it would be the .308 as the '06 has little if any advantage and has the disadvantage of a longer action and needing more powder to perform as well as the .308. Quite honestly my '06's shoot j-words, probably always will.
Another nice thing about the .308 is that if you decide you like fatter boolits there's a nice man named Jess up in Oregon that can convert your rifle to fire one of the finest CB cartridges around, the .358 Winchester.

[davidheart]

.....convert your rifle to fire one of the finest CB cartridges around, the .358 Winchester.

This just sent me on a 15 minute google sprawl. Ah sometimes I wish I lived in an "ideal" world.... Thanks for the dreams.

[TXGunNut]

This just sent me on a 15 minute google sprawl. Ah sometimes I wish I lived in an "ideal" world.... Thanks for the dreams.

It's not all that farfetched, don't tell yourself it can't be done. My 30-06 spent several years retired to the back of my safe before I realized it could come out and play again as a 35 Whelen. Fresh bore, stock and scope and she's got a new lease on life for less than the cost of a comparable new rifle. It took me awhile to work out all the details but it was well worth it.

[OBIII]

As I do not have a .308, I can only speak to the 30-06. Not only can you shoot full power loads with cast, you can have some nice accurate plinking rounds using 10-11 grains of Unique.

OB

[jaysouth]

After thinking about the matter for months and paying attention to posts here, I bought my "cast" rifle. It is a Weatherby Vanguard S-2 in .308.

For $500, I got a rifle with a 24" barrel, 1:12 twist, adjustable trigger, MOA accuracy guarantee, AND a hinged floorplate. I don't get MOA with cast bullets but I am very pleased. My other calibers for cast reloads are .30-06s and .30-30s. Without getting into calibers, it could well be that the Vanguard has refinements that my born in 1917 and 1952 06s do not have.