The question we get from our gun buying customers more then anything else; is whether the best one gun for all hunting in North America is the .30-06 or the .300 of some make. My choice for just one would be the .30-06, as I view the .300 as a more specialized, long range rig. Wondering what the general concensis is from the forum memebers.

I think the 30-06 is probably the better choice for a one gun outfit especially if the person is a noob or hasn't already formed an opinion of the two.

However if said buyer is also a reloader then, they can down load the 300win to shoot like an '06.

For me it all comes down to whether you handload or not. If you handload you can load the 300 down to 30-06 performance levels. You will never make a 30-06 into a 300 Mag.

I am in total agreement with the above posts
I would also like to add that if a person was able to hunt all North American game they would more than likely have the means to to purchase more more than one firearm for the task

6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other. I would pick the 30-06 but in most situations there is little difference.

While I happen to have a pair of 300 Roys I swear by, 99.99% of the time, what's the difference?
Sounds like coke vs. pepsi to me.

Yep, I would going with .30-06.

I've shot a 30/06 for a lot of years and even though I have plenty of other guns to choose from it is my favorite Elk rifle. I've also shot a lot of Deer and Antelope with this rifle as well as a Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat and always felt like it was real overkill for most all of them. With that said for Elk I would never trade it in for a .300 mag of any variety and don't feel like I'm leaving anything to be desired by not taking that "slight" upgrade to the Magnum. After dropping an elk in his tracks at 425 yards and seeing an exit wound the size of a golf ball busted thru the shoulders I remember saying out loud "now why do I need a .300 Mag?" (This with 180 grain Sierra Boat Tails).
If I had a 300 mag in my hands I would never take a longer or different shot than any shot I shoot with my 30/06.
Tell the guys 30/06, cheaper to shoot, less recoil and performance almost imperceptably less than a 300.
A 30/06 is not a .300 but it is more than most people will need.

Never owned a 30-06, didn't need one. I started with a 30-30, went to a .308 for several Deer hunting years, then when I got my first chance at Elk went to the .300 Winny and never looked back. Say what you will, the 30-06 is not a .300, but with good loading the .300 can be a 30-06. Why not have the use of both with one rifle. Good shooting.

The .300 gives you a slight edge. Seldom needed, but it's there when you do.

I think the question was "all around rifle". To me, this means the cartridge which is best suited to the greatest number of hunting situations. That could be coyotes or moose. Given that an "all around rifle" will be used mostly for whitetails, an occasional elk or mule deer, maybe a pronghorn, some places for a black bear, and if the owner lives in certain states or provinces of Canada, then maybe a moose or two. Not one hunter in 500 will ever take his all around rifle in search of a brown bear, and although there may be better calibers, a .30-06 has served many brown bear hunters well. So, if you use the bell curve principle to determine which caliber is closest to a match with the game most often, the .30-06 wins hands down.

.30-06 ammunition is less expensive, guns for it are usually less expensive, it kicks less, is not as loud, comes in a lighter gun, holds one more round in the magazine, and ammunition can be found in almost any convenience store in hunting country.

I own four or so .300 magnums of various sorts. I like them just fine. But they are much less the all around rifle than the venerable '06 is.

It they're asking the question, they need a .30-06 or a .308. OTOH, there is ZERO that the .30-06 can do better than the .300 mag class. The differences aren't night and day, but they are real and they are there. Marginal ranges, unknown ranges, heavier bullets, etc the Mags get the job done better. So the answer is....it depends.......

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
It they're asking the question, they need a .30-06 or a .308. OTOH, there is ZERO that the .30-06 can do better than the .300 mag class. The differences aren't night and day, but they are real and they are there. Marginal ranges, unknown ranges, heavier bullets, etc the Mags get the job done better. So the answer is....it depends.......

I probably own a dozen .30-06s, can't remember the last time I shot one. I own quite a few .300 Mags as well, I carry one everyday. Last time I shot one was an hour ago to kill a down cow. Obviously I didn't need a .300 but that's what I use for my everyday gun. Have killed one coyote over 600 yards with it, one over 500, and several in the 400 yard plus area. All with a 200 yd zero. Most .30-06 shooters can't do that as easily. And yeah, I've missed some too. Most fun .30-06 I own is Springfield M1A supermatch.

The 300 win mag shines after 300 yds. Within 100 yds, the 30 cal bullets (usually designed for -06) often break up at 300 win velocities. Unless you live in a plains state, most would be better served by the 30-06.

John

Springfield M1A supermatch would be a 308.IRRC.and yes, they are fun... this years bull elk came easy/hard.. found him within 600 yds of my pickup but had to shoot 433yds to seal the deal.. felt pretty good about it with my Remington A3 in 300 Win Mag.. I don't feel underguned with an 06, but feel better on the bigger animals with a 300.. Les

quote:

Originally posted by white eagle:
I am in total agreement with the above posts
I would also like to add that if a person was able to hunt all North American game they would more than likely have the means to to purchase more more than one firearm for the task

What he said!

It depends on how old you are. If you are still full of piss and vinegar you "need" a .300. When you mature and don't feel like getting kicked as hard a 30-06 does just fine.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Bore Boar Hunter:
Unless you live in a plains state, most would be better served by the 30-06.

John

Or something less say .308 or 7-08 or.....

All good arguments.
My argument for the .06 over the .300 for all around, is that with the .300 you need at least a 24" barrel to realize the added velocity. With the .06 a 22" works just fine, and in the thick stuff I hunt in in the rain forrests, it does make a difference.
Also the cost of factory ammo for one that does not reload; .06 vs .300.
Recoil can also be a factor for the type of hunter that would have just ONE rifle.
Bullets for the .30 at under about 300 yards just work better from an .06 , unless of course you pay for premium TSX or. . . . cost more then standard Hornady's.
And the muzzel blast is gentler with the .06 for someone, again that would even consider just one rifle.
And loading down a .300 can be a difficult task to get the best accuracy with it's larger case. And besides; most that reload their own ammo; own more then one rifle! So this whole question would not be an issue to begin with. . . . . .

I have 7 06's and 2 .300's I use one particular 06 for 99% of my big game hunting. My wife says I have too many guns, she may be right. I would agree that if you hand load, the .300 might have an edge, but as with anything in shooting, the ability to put that one round where it needs to go is the most important factor.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
It they're asking the question, they need a .30-06 or a .308. OTOH, there is ZERO that the .30-06 can do better than the .300 mag class. The differences aren't night and day, but they are real and they are there. Marginal ranges, unknown ranges, heavier bullets, etc the Mags get the job done better. So the answer is....it depends.......

I probably own a dozen .30-06s, can't remember the last time I shot one. I own quite a few .300 Mags as well, I carry one everyday. Last time I shot one was an hour ago to kill a down cow. Obviously I didn't need a .300 but that's what I use for my everyday gun. Have killed one coyote over 600 yards with it, one over 500, and several in the 400 yard plus area. All with a 200 yd zero. Most .30-06 shooters can't do that as easily. And yeah, I've missed some too. Most fun .30-06 I own is Springfield M1A supermatch.

My god, Gato! Now you're quoting yourself? I talk to myself all of the time, but I try not to do it in public lest I be thought even more odd than I am.

quote:

Originally posted by DWright:
The question we get from our gun buying customers more then anything else; is whether the best one gun for all hunting in North America is the .30-06 or the .300 of some make. My choice for just one would be the .30-06, as I view the .300 as a more specialized, long range rig. Wondering what the general concensis is from the forum memebers.

Because guys are asking that question, I'd assume they do not reload. Anybody who does reload doesn't have to ask a question like that.
My answer would be, as for hunting big game in Oregon, a 300 WSM would be ideal. I think the 300 WSM is the best of all WSM's, and it doesn't kick as bad as a 300 Win Mag. But, an '06 will do the job for everything Oregon has to offer. I just don't like the recoil of a 300 Win Mag.
YMMV,

Don

I say the 06.If you think you need the little extra a mag would bring you could buy the new Hornady Superperformance Ammo and gain 200 FPS.

nice thing about 30-06 any hardware store in NA will have some for sale.
Had clients forget ammo & or lost luggage in flights over the years & surprising how hard it is too find other fairly common ammo in little towns.

quote:

Originally posted by DWright:
The question we get from our gun buying customers more then anything else;

is whether the best one gun for all hunting in North America is the .30-06 or the .300 of some make? .....

DW, Well...keep it simple and answer:

"The .30-06 is the best one gun for all hunting in North America"

And if they ask "Why is it the best?"

"Because it has been for over 100 years"

If recoil is an issue and most likely going to try downloading a 300 Win. Mag. then I would buy the 300 WSM. Short fat case does better for downloading.

Even though 30-06 does well in 22" I would still buy 24" Less muzzle "crack" that the 06 has.

I got a .300 'cauze when I was shoppin' for a rifle,,I bought the one that fit me the best,,,and it "just happened to be" a .300!
And compared to my '06 handloads,that are pretty stiff,,,I can't tell the diff. in recoil,,,but with factory ammo,,it out shoots any '06 I've ever owned.My .300 is a 26",,but the rifle is so well balanced,, for me it is perfect!!

quote:

(Is) the best one gun for all hunting in North America is the .30-06 or the .300 of some make?

For the average hunter who probably doesn't reload and who's primary game animal is whitetail deer, but who maybe will do a mule deer, antelope, elk, and caribou hunt someday, my recommendation would be a .30-06.

My first centerfire rifle was a .30-06. I used it for about ten years, taking all of the animals that I listed above, and taking many of them each year.

I then wanted something new and different so I "upgraded" my .30-06 to a wildcat that approached .300 magnum ballistics. This gun became my elk and moose gun, and I got a smaller caliber (.257 Ackley) for deer, antelope, and sheep. It's almost un-American to have just one gun.

Last year I completed building a rifle that I've dreamed of for over 40 years, a .300 Weatherby. I'm turning 64 next week, have 10 centerfire rifles from .22-250 to .375 RUM in my safe, I've hunted big game animals almost every year for the past 40 years in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana and have made multiple hunts in Canada and Africa. I've only shot 3 big game animals with my new .300 Weatherby, but it is now my most favorite rifle.

Despite my user name I lean towards the '06 as the one "all around" cartridge in North America. Couple of reasons - 1) It's easier to handle. (Believe me, as a one time instructor (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I saw the effects of recoil -and obvious flinching is not the principal one. (It's the batting of an eyelash right before the trigger is squeezed and the tensing up of neck muscles -and,yeah, you can see the shooter tense up if you are right beside him or behind him -all in a mere second)I don't even mention what stock formation might do (Ever shoot a Springfield '03? It was a deadly accurate rifle in its time - but anyone who shot it had to learn to guard against the rifle jumping up against the cheekbone) Recoil, recoil, recoil, is the name of the game and the 300 Win. did have a kick (unlike the 375 which has a push -or that's how I saw it.

Inside of 250 yards there is no difference except the 300 is going to spoil more meat. If you don't own a 30-06 you are probably a communist or some kind of deviant. Seriously, for a one gun or all arounder, there is no substitute for an -06.

To be honest, I think the .300's are a bit redundant. If my .30-06 is "marginal" I go to a .338 or a .375.

The recoil on a fast .30 is too sharp for my liking, and if I'm going to get slapped, I want a big hole in what I'm shooting.

I prefer the 300, handloaded. I would feel comfortable on anything in North America.

I personally can't feel much difference in recoil between a .308, a .300, and a .375. I'm in a zone when I start the squeeze.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
It they're asking the question, they need a .30-06 or a .308. ...

Completely agree. And tell them to buy all the promotional ammo they can afford, then go practice with it.

Well for a quick update, the customer bought a Tikka .30-06! We put a Leupold 2-7 scope on it.

Blacktailer:

I'm very happy to see that the rifle of my youth has such great support! (When did the people who stopped using the '06 not be communists or deviants?)

I believe that the key to the retirement system is a 180 gr bullet leaving home at or above 3,000 fps. That said, it is easier with the .300 Win Mag than with the 30-06 although not impossible. Keep in mind that you have to hit what you are shooting at and if you can do that well, it makes little difference between the two regardless of the muzzle velociety.