The .30-06 Springfield and .308 Winchester are two of the most iconic cartridges in American history. Both have developed faithful followings after decades of military service, hunting trips, and shooting matches, but how do these two long-range stalwarts compare head-to-head?

The .308 vs .30-06 debate is a popular topic in the firearms community, and you can find classic rifles in each chambering at Rock Island Auction Company.

We'll examine the .308 vs .30-06 showdown through the decades, including the history, strengths, and weaknesses of each cartridge platform and some of the most famous firearms chambered for these classic rounds. You can learn more about each model by clicking on the images.

.308 vs .30-06

Today, both the .308 and .30-06 cartridges top the charts with American hunters. The .308 and .30-06 both use the same .308" diameter bullets and overlap in many areas, though the .30-06 round is nearly half an inch longer in terms of case length and has a higher case capacity. The result is the .30-06 is a bulkier round that requires a long action to operate.

The Springfield 1903 rifle, the first platform chambered in .30-06.

The .308 is a lighter, short action round. A short action bolt throw is preferred by many shooters and allows faster follow up shots. Though bullet weights vary widely, in general the lower capacity of .308 results in less recoil.

A Christensen Arms Classic Carbon bolt action rifle chambered in .308. Includes a Nightforce Scope and box.

While .308 is limited to 200 grains, the increased case capacity of the .30-06 allows 220-grain bullets. This translates to greater stopping power and penetration, clear advantages when taking on large game like elk, moose, and bear. .308 fans point to the round's edge in trajectory at long distances, its perceived accuracy advantage, and shot placement being the most important factor in hunting and battlefield scenarios.

.30-06 Development

The origins of both the .30-06 and .308 date to the turn of the 20th century. Service cartridges with lighter and faster Spitzer (or pointed tipped) bullets had become the emerging trend in Europe. These rounds offered higher ballistic co-efficiencies and thus greater accuracy and flatter trajectories at range.

A Spanish-American War era U.S. Springfield Krag-Jorgensen Model 1896 saddle ring carbine.

America’s .30-40 Krag cartridge had underperformed during the Spanish-American War compared to its 7mm Mauser rival, leading U.S. Ordnance to develop its own rimless centerfire smokeless cartridge, the .30-03 Springfield. The early M1903 rifles chambered in .30-03 were found to suffer from poor trajectory and quickly worn-out barrels thanks to excessively high pressure.

To rectify this shortcoming, the design of the existing .30-03 cartridge was modified with a slightly shorter neck, seating a 150 grain Spitzer tipped bullet that achieved an approximate ballistic co-efficient of 0.405, muzzle velocity north of 2,700 feet-per-second, and muzzle energy of roughly 2,430 foot-pounds. This resulted in a cartridge adopted in 1906 as "cartridge, ball, caliber .30, Model of 1906", but more popularly known as .30-06 Springfield.

The Model 1903 rifle, an iconic American gun chambered in the iconic .30-06.

The .30-06 Springfield would go on to become the primary rifle cartridge of the U.S. military. From the M1903 and M1917 bolt action to the semi-automatic M1 Garand and M1941 Johnson rifles, the .30-06 was a US military staple. The .30-06 cartridge also saw use in numerous automatic weapons like the Hotchkiss, Vickers, M1909, Browning M1919, BAR, and Johnson LMG.

A consecutively serialized pair of U.S. Springfield M1C Garand sniper rifles chambered in .30-06.

.30-06 vs .308 in the Military

The .30-06 cartridge continued to see major use with the U.S. military into the 1970s, and is still in active use with foreign militaries today, but its role has been largely supplanted by other cartridges. The first major challenger arose in 1954 in the form of 7.62 NATO.

Two U.S. M1 Garand rifles available this October. (Top) A U.S. Harrington & Richardson M1 chambered in 7.62 NATO. (Bottom) A U.S. Springfield Armory M1 chambered in 30-06 Springfield.

Introduced as a civilian round in 1952, the .308 Winchester was touted as a shorter version of the .30-06 and was developed to increase magazine capacity, save on costs, and allow a hunter to carry more ammunition. After WW2, the U.S. military sought to replace the M1 Garand with a more modern standard that could rival the capabilities of the German STG-44 and the newly introduced AK-47 but still chamber a .30 caliber round. The .308 Winchester presented a blueprint for what would become the 7.62 NATO.

The 7.62 NATO offered similar ballistics to its .30-06 predecessor, its shorter case allowed it to be chambered for a short action, and its lighter weight meant a soldier could carry more rounds. Adopted in 1957, the M14 became the U.S. Army's first standard issue rifle with select-fire capability. NATO platforms like the FN FAL and G3 would also chamber the round.

An early production pre-ban Springfield Armory Inc. M1A semi-automatic rifle chambered in .308. This example was made with USGI parts after the company was relocated to Geneseo, Illinois in late 1974.

Though changes in U.S. military doctrine would soon favor the M16 and its smaller 5.56 chambering over the 7.62, the larger round continued to see broad battlefield application with marksmen and snipers with platforms like the M40 and M21. Meanwhile, the 7.62 cartridge's civilian sibling was taking off in the hunting market and the world of competitive shooting.

A post-Vietnam era assembled Remington M40 pattern bolt action sniper rifle with a Redfield M40 type sniper scope, chambered in .308.

.308 vs .30-06 in the Sporting Market

In Townsend Whelen's 1918 book 'American Rifle,' the famed soldier, author, and outdoorsman declared "The .30-06 is never a mistake.” The same capabilities that had made the .30-06 such an efficient battlefield round also translated to the sporting market. The cartridge has brought down every medium-sized and large game animal in North America and has a nearly twelve decade track record of success.

A U.S. Springfield Model 1903 NRA Sporter rifle in .30-06. Manufactured in 1932, this example includes a hooded blade front and Lyman peep rear sights.

"The .30-06 is the quintessential classic hunting round," declares Matthew Peake, Rock Island Auction Company's Digital Marketing Director. "When people like Ernest Hemingway and Townsend Whelen rely on it you know you can too. I took this Bull Elk with a Remington 700 chambered in .30-06 and self-loaded 180 grain Nosler Accubond bullets."

"I have used a .30-06 and many bullet weights to take medium and large game all over the United States and have never been disappointed with its terminal performance," Peake recounted.

The .308 hit the scene in 1952, the same year the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight was introduced. The Winchester Model 88 lever action rifle chambered the cartridge upon its release in 1955, and it wasn't long before nearly every sporting arms maker was manufacturing rifles that could fire the round. In 1966, the first Ruger No. 1 single shot rifle that left the factory was chambered in .308.

A 1956 manufactured Steyr Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1956 full stock bolt action rifle in .308.

"The .308 is a perfect round for African plains game," Joel Kolander, Rock Island Auction Company's Interactive Production Manager, attests. "I used Hornady ELD-X 178 gr and took more than one critter at 450+ yards."

The .308 is a proven round for both the whitetail woods and the African savanna.

Continual improvements by both military and civilian circles have resulted in a wide range of loadings for both the .30-06 and .308 cartridges. Each of these .30 caliber all-stars has options ranging from lighter 110 grain variants to 200 grain workhorses, tailored for a variety of ranges and animal sizes. As mentioned earlier, the ability of .30-06 to accept 220-grain bullets means a higher sectional density thus superior penetrative power. Both rounds are more than capable of ethically harvesting a bull elk in the hands of an experienced hunter, however.

A Cooper Arms Model 54 bolt action rifle with its box, chambered in .308.

.308 vs .30-06 Accuracy

Accuracy is one of the most contentious topics in the .30-06 vs .308 comparison. When .308 first hit the scene, the short action and lower recoil was predicted to result in higher accuracy rates and improved shooting fundamentals. Competition results in the 1950s supported those assertions. Despite decades of improved rifle technology and ballistics tightening the gap between the two rounds, .308 continues to hold the edge in competitive shooting.

An Ed Brown custom bolt action rifle with a Nightforce scope, chambered in .308.

Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, the most famous sniper of the Vietnam era, earned most of his 93 kills with a Winchester Model 70 rifle in .30-06. Three decades later, 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle employed a number of rounds in Iraq, including .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua, but his favorite target shooter in civilian life was a George Gardner Precision Gladius rifle in .308.

At age eight, Chris Kyle first learned to shoot with a Model 1903 chambered in .30-06, a round he praised as the ultimate long range specialist in his book 'American Guns: A History of US Firearms.' Kyle knew better than anyone that the most important factor in the .308 vs .30-06 debate was the shooter behind the scope.

A U.S. Remington 1903-A4 sniper rifle with a Weaver 330 scope.

.308 vs .30-06 Today

Due to their continued popularity and decades of use, both the .30-06 and .308 are chambered in a plethora of rifle types, from budget options, valuable curio pieces, sporterised examples, and everything in between. The .30-06, with its more than four decades head start, holds the edge when it comes to classic milsurp like the Model 1903, M1 Garand, and Johnson rifles, while the .308 can be found more frequently in modern semi automatic options.

A Colt Model LE901-16S semi-automatic modular carbine with case, chambered in .308.

In the .308 vs .30-06 showdown, the smaller .308 tends to hold a slight advantage when it comes to cost. At the time of writing, Federal Premium advertises a box of 20 Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing 168 grain .30-06 rounds for $53.99, with the same brand of 168 grain .308 cartridges priced at $52.99. While this difference is insignificant to the average hunter, the cost could add up for the competitive or recreational shooter.

Both rounds offer countless weight and propellant options and are accommodating to handloaders looking to squeeze as much speed and energy out of their chosen cartridge.

A T. Naka signed, engraved, and gold inlaid Browning Model 1895 "One of One Thousand" lever action rifle, chambered in .30-06.

.308 vs .30-06 Showdown

Both .30-06 and .308 have a long history of serving America and its allies in a military role, contributing to the collectability of platforms like the M1 Garand and M40. When it comes to target shooting and putting meat in the fridge, each of these long-range specialists are time-tested rounds, and the rarest and most collectible, curio, and modern examples of firearms chambered in either cartridge can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

Two upgraded pre-64 Winchester Model 70 rifles. (Top) A 1946 manufactured example with a replacement barrel chambered in .308 Winchester. (Bottom) A 1942 example chambered in .30-06.

Final word in the .308 vs .30-06 debate? The answer ultimately depends on the shooter. While some firearm enthusiasts will develop a clear favorite, there's no need to choose between the two since there's no such thing as owning too many guns.

An M1941 Johnson rifle chambered in .30-06.

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