By David Parris, Staff Writer

Although these two calibers are very close to one another, there are some slight differences between the 30.06 vs 308 Win. to look at.

The .30-06 Springfield has been around since 1906 when it was first adopted by the U.S. Army. It’s a long-action cartridge and stayed in service until it was replaced by the 7.62x51mm NATO round in 1954, officially fully replacing the venerable .30-06 in 1957. 7.62 NATO was developed to be a short-action cartridge that approximated the ballistics of 30-06 ammo but was able to be chambered in lighter platforms that had higher capacity than the M1 Garand.

The 308 Winchester came onto the civilian market in 1952 and was the basis for 7.62 NATO. As the 7.62x51mm NATO round, a distinct but very close sibling, the 308 has been adopted worldwide by military and police forces. One advantage is that you can use 7.62 ammo through a firearm chambered for 308 ammo. This combination of calibers typically means there are more total rounds of 308/7.62 available on the commercial market.

30-06 vs 308 Ballistics Charts

For this caliber comparison, we have the benefit of being able to use the exact same bullet, since they’re the same size, with a diameter of 0.308” (7.82mm). This allows for an apples-to-apples comparison of the two cartridges when it comes to bullet drop, energy, and velocity.

For the top sets of 308 vs 30-06 ballistics charts, we’ll use 165gr bullets, just to demonstrate the differences with a mid-weight bullet commonly used in both calibers. This is a popular bullet weight for deer hunters, both whitetail and mule deer, for example.

For the bottom charts, we’ll use a 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. It’s worth noting that this is on the very low end of bullet weights for a 30-06, which tops out around 220gr. 180gr is pretty much the max for the 308 Win.

308 Caliber vs 30-06 Ballistics: Velocity

308 vs 30-06 Ballistics: Energy

.308 vs 30-06 Ballistics: Bullet Drop

.30-06 vs .308 Ballistics Summary

As you can see in the above charts, the numbers are pretty close, but the .30-06 maintains a slight edge over .308 Win overall. Does this mean that the .306 is better than 308? Not necessarily.

As with all things guns, it’s really going to come down to what you want to do with it. If your primary intent is to do a lot of high-volume shooting and varmint hunting on an AR platform, the .308 is most likely a best fit for you. 308 ammo also tends to be a little cheaper, especially if you’re using mil-surp 7.62 ammo.

If you’re going to be hunting a lot of big game and want a caliber that can drop anything in North America, then the .30-06 could be a preferred caliber for you, and is definitely a stronger choice using a 200gr bullet if you’re going after moose or brown bear. Some have even hunted dangerous game with 220gr 30.06 loads. The 30-06 generally has 13%-17% more felt recoil. Of course, this can vary a lot depending on the rifle’s weight and design. Still, it is noticeable enough to be notable.

If you’re looking to do long-range target shooting, both calibers are used with great success, although you’ll see more 308s at the range than ought-sixes. If you have the budget, buying one of each rifle is never a bad way to go, and you can find plenty on GunBroker today!

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Tags: Ammo, ammo ammunition rifle, ammo basics, Comparison