.308 Win vs .30-06 Comparison
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to compare and contrast the
.308 Winchester and
.30-06 Springfield cartridges today. These two cartridges may share a similar projectile size and grain weight, but they ultimately differ in many regards. We are going to compare aspects such as the background of each cartridge, uses for each cartridge, and more in this blog post. Without further ado, let’s delve into the differences between the .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield.
What is .308 Winchester?
The
.308 Winchester is an American cartridge that was introduced in 1952. The cartridge served as the basis for the
7.62x51mm cartridge, a long-standing military cartridge utilized by many countries. The .308 Winchester is derived from the .300 Savage and was designed to provide ballistic performance similar to the
.30-06 Springfield in a smaller package. Both the .308 Winchester and subsequent
7.62x51mm were designed with a length conducive to reliable cycling in autoloading mechanisms. This made the cartridge well suited for use in everything from rifles to machine guns.
When compared to something such as the .30-06 Springfield, the .308 Winchester features a tamer recoil impulse than the longer cartridge. The .308 Winchester will exhibit more recoil impulse than intermediate rifle cartridges such as the
5.56 and
7.62×39 due to higher velocities and heavier projectiles. As a full-sized rifle cartridge, the .308 Winchester boasts a great effective range than the intermediate rifle cartridges mentioned earlier. Depending on the specific use case, firearm, and
ammo used, one can employ .308 Winchester effectively out to distances exceeding 1,000 yards.
What is .30-06 Springfield?
Like the name suggests, the
.30-06 Springfield was developed by Springfield Armory. The cartridge made its debut in 1906 and was adopted by the military that same year. The “06” in the name refers to 1906, the year of the cartridge’s introduction. The round was borne from a desire to replace the .30-40 Krag cartridge which was being eclipsed by other service rifles at the time. Unlike spitzer-tipped (pointed projectile) cartridges such as the
.303 British and
8mm Mauser, the .30-40 Krag featured a round-nosed projectile. The cartridge has been utilized in rifles and machine guns in conflicts across the globe since its inception. Beyond use in armed conflicts, the cartridge has been enjoyed by hunters and target shooters.
As mentioned above, the .30-06 Springfield has a stouter recoil impulse than the .308 Winchester does. Recoil and energy transfer associated with a .30-06 Springfield easily dwarfs the values of intermediate cartridges such as
5.56 and
7.62x39. As a full power rifle cartridge, the round’s authoritative recoil is accompanied by a potent effect on target. Because of this, it has become a favorite among hunters even in the modern era. Like the .308 Winchester, one can reach out to distances exceeding 1,000 yards with the right
.30-06 Springfield ammunition and equipment.
Purchase .308 Winchester Ammo
What is .308 Winchester Used For?
Shooters employ
.308 Winchester for a wide range of use cases and purposes. Plentiful
ammo stocks and
cheap .308 Winchester ammo make the cartridge well-suited to recreational shooting and training. Simply put, the cartridge is appropriate for a wide range of shooting such as plinking and precision shooting. Shooters can easily employ the
.308 Winchester recreationally or to help develop their skills.
The
.308 Winchester is also commonly employed in competition and match roles. These types of matches range from rapid fire multigun competitions to long range precision-oriented matches.
.308 Winchester ammo of all types is utilized in this type of use case. Everything from ball
ammunition to specialty match grade loadings are employed in matches depending on the course of fire and requirements of the event.
Many hunters also employ the cartridge in pursuit of various game. The
.308 Winchester is commonly employed in hunting applications and is capable of dispatching medium and larger-sized game with the right loads. Game such as hog, whitetail deer, elk and even some types of bears at the right ranges and with proper loadings can be ethically taken with
.308 Winchester. As always, use appropriate
ammo, equipment, and practices to ensure an optimal and humane hunt.
What is .30-06 Springfield Used For?
.30-06 Springfield ammunition is used for a myriad of purposes. Widely available
ammo and
cheap .30-06 ammo make the cartridge optimal for recreational shooting and honing one’s skills. Beyond recreation, the cartridge is appropriate for a wide range of shooting such as plinking and precision shooting. Shooters can easily employ the
.30-06 Springfield recreationally or to help develop their skills.
The .30-06 Springfield is also commonly employed in competition and match roles. These types of matches typically involve vintage service rifle such as M1 Garands, M1903 rifles, and M1917 rifles. These matches are also much more static than their multigun counterparts. .30-06 Springfield ammo of all types is used for competition. Everything from ball
ammunition, match grade ammo, and even surplus ammunition is employed in matches depending on the course of fire and requirements of the event.
Of course, hunters also employ the cartridge in pursuit of various game. Like the
.308 Winchester, the .30-06 Springfield is also capable of dispatching medium and larger-sized game with the right loads. Game such as hog, whitetail deer, elk and even some types of bears at the right ranges and with proper loadings can be ethically taken with .30-06 Springfield. As always, use appropriate
ammo, equipment, and practices to ensure an optimal and humane hunt.
Availability of Ammunition
At this point in time, shooters will be able to find
.308 Winchester ammo and
.30-06 Springfield ammunition with little difficulty. This is due to the fact that loadings for either caliber can easily be found at most places where
ammunition is sold. Shooters will find that everything from general-purpose loadings to specialized ammunition for hunting or match purposes tend to be commonly available on shelves. The two cartridges are two of the most popular .30 caliber cartridges in America, with available ammo being reflective of this fact. Manufacturers such as
Federal,
Barnes,
Winchester,
Sellier & Bellot,
Aguila, and
Norma are among the producers of
.308 Winchester ammunition and
.30-06 Springfield ammo.
Ammo for either caliber can be found in the form of individual boxes or in
bulk ammo quantities.
Purchase .30-06 Springfield Ammo
Availability of Firearms
Like
ammo availability, shooters will find that there are plenty of options for firearms in either caliber. Currently, the market has no shortage of firearms chambered in either
.308 Winchester or
.30-06 Springfield. Firearms which accommodate either caliber are readily available at most places that sell firearms. Typically, these types of firearms can be found in the form of bolt action or semi-automatic rifles. Additionally, single shot rifles and other manual action firearms and even pump action and lever action rifles can be found chambered in either caliber.
Of course, shooters can often find vintage and surplus firearms from military and law enforcement inventories in either caliber. Naturally, due to its military history, shooters will find a wider range of surplus rifles chambered in .30-06 Springfield than .308 Winchester. Companies such as Ruger, Remington, Tikka, Springfield Armory, and many more produce firearms in either caliber. Of course, one can also build a rifle of their own in either caliber due to the wide range of designs which have been chambered in either round. In short, shooters will have no issue finding a firearm chambered in either .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield.
Conclusion
And there we have it. Both the
.308 Winchester and
.30-06 Springfield cartridges are well-known and employed by shooters of all types in the United States for a myriad of purposes. One cannot go wrong with either cartridge if they are using them for their appropriate use cases. We here at True Shot Ammo carry both
.308 Winchester ammo and
.30-06 Springfield ammunition for sale in our large inventory. Whether you want to
buy .308 Winchester ammo or
purchase .30-06 Springfield ammo, we have you covered. Regardless of whether you want to
buy bulk ammo or individual boxes of either caliber, we can help you get stocked up. As always, happy shooting.
