The girlfriend is now involved in deer hunting, and at first I thought of getting a 308 for her to use. However, I already own a .270 that she's shot and really likes. Sooo...I was thinking of upgrading to an '06 or 300Winmag, in the off chance I might get the opportunity to hunt larger-than-deer game in the future. I've studied ballistics, etc on the two, however I've never shot a 300Winmag and was wondering what the recoil of a 300 vs '06 is. Anyone out there have experience with both? And thanks, all you 7MMRemmag and other caliber guys, but I'm only shopping for info on the 300 and '06.

A lot depends on what make of rifle you are looking at.  For the sake of arguement lets assume you want a Remington m700 BDL.  Currently hornady makes a 06 light magnum load that comes close to the ballistics of the .300. Since you are looking at the .300 for hunting I would say go for the .300.  I assume that you would only shoot the .300 9x before the season opens to check the zero and you rarely feel recoil during the hunt.  Personally I think a Remington .870 w/ 3 1/2 magnum turkey loads kick more than a .375 H&H.

Bottom line is if you can handle a 06 you should be able to handle a .300 IMHO

I'd say the 300 has about 40% more recoil.  It becomes uncomfortable more quickly at the bench, and it seems to induce flinching in a lot of guys.  I do not shoot 300 Mags very often, but the kick is always worse in my head than reality.  Of course, when you are actually shooting at a deer you will not notice the difference.  In any case, the 30-06 is no light kisser; it will kick worse than your 270 and is too much for many shooters.  With the 300, due to the recoil and cost of bullets, I doubt that you will practice as much.

After a day at the range, I always want to get a 25-06.  After a long hunt, I always want to get a 340 Weatherby.

From what I have witnessed, the 30-06 will kill anything.  Lethality is not an issue with either cartridge.  The 300 Mag gives you about 10-15% more range.  The difference is pretty marginal really, and it is difficult to say whether it is worth it.

Hey, thanks guys. The recoil IS an issue, mainly because I don't buy guns to let them sit and collect dust. I buy them to shoot them, which is why I like the .270 sooo much. I know the '06 has dropped everything in North America effectively, and I've read quite a few books by or about Vietnam-era Marine and Army snipers. All seemed to love the '06, and hated the switch to the 308. Besides, the pawnshops here are loaded with used '06s, so I oughta be able to get a nice one at a good price.

It really depends on you.  How much recoil you can handle comfortably.  I would look for a .300, but for you it sounds like a -06 will do the job.  It will also be less expensive, ammo is cheeper and you will be able to shoot it all you want. Also you can find a nice model 70 and setup an old school style sniper rig that would be a good addition to a collection and something you are not afraid to get dirty in the field. Good luck and happy hunting.  

Quoted: Hey, thanks guys. The recoil IS an issue, mainly because I don't buy guns to let them sit and collect dust. I buy them to shoot them, which is why I like the .270 sooo much. I know the '06 has dropped everything in North America effectively, and I've read quite a few books by or about Vietnam-era Marine and Army snipers. All seemed to love the '06, and hated the switch to the 308. Besides, the pawnshops here are loaded with used '06s, so I oughta be able to get a nice one at a good price.

The 30-06 and .308 have almost idential ballistics. The .308 was the replacement for the 30-06. The military was still satisfied with the performance of there 30-06 rounds, but the cartridge is very long. So the .308 was developed, equaled stoppping power, in a "smaller" package. (note the brass is shorter but wider)

So I don't know what these could be snipers are whining about, unless there's more to this change that I just don't know about (which is VERY possible)

I've shot both 30-06 and .300 meg, and to be honest, .300 just isn't a "fun" weapon to shoot. Hunting would be different but am going to be spending alot more time at the range shooting my rifle then hunting. You have to spend a good amount of time with any weapon to be fully convertible and proficient with it.

The 30-06 is an awesome caliber in my opinion, it is a great mix that is easy to shoot, yet will take down any animal in our "neck of the woods".  

Just don't use it for animals in Africa.

In the same day I shot my Mossy 590 2 3/4" full load 1oz slugs, then my buddies Browning bolt .300WM.  The .300 rounds were Federal silver box 150gr.  The recoil pad on the rifle was as thick as the one omy 590.  Both my friend and I concluded the the recoil from the .300 was about 1/2 as bad as the shotgun.  The rifle probably had about 2lbs. on the shotgun, so that may have had something to do with it.

I'll have agree, a lot of folks don't talk much about some of the brutal shotgun loads that are out there. I've got some 12ga Remington Nitro Express 3" magnums to use for my 3rd shot when turkey hunting (use 2 3/4" Federal supermags for the first two shots) and let me tell you, these suckers ain't for "just shooting". It's a good thing adrenaline hides the recoil of those SOBs when you're shooting at something. To "just shoot" one of them is pure TORTURE.

My 12yr. old son shoots a Rem, .270, And has had no problems,But he does not care for the recoil from my .06,I wonder what the cost dif is between a box of .300 vs a box of .30/06?

Quoted: My 12yr. old son shoots a Rem, .270, And has had no problems,But he does not care for the recoil from my .06,I wonder what the cost dif is between a box of .300 vs a box of .30/06?

That being said, Surplus .308 can be had anywhere, 06 surplus is mostly dried up.

I own both an '06 and a 300 win mag. The '06 is fun to shoot and the 300 is a beast. If you want to hunt deer 400-500 yards or further or big elk and bear then go for the 300. If you are shooting closer and you like to shoot alot definatly go with the '06. The is cheap surplus ammo out there for as little as 8 bucks a box of less where almost all 300 is 20-30 bucks a box.

Yeah, I DID notice that the 300WM rounds were pretty pricey. The '06 rounds are about the same as the .270. And I also agree that the '06 kicks noticeably more than the .270. Guess I'll just have to cowboy up.

Have shot both.  The one caveat is the 300 WM had a muzzle brake on it.  With the muzzle break recoil was surprisingly mild.  But it was LOUD! Without the muzzle break it was a beast, definitely not something you would sit at the range all afternoon working up loads for.  The 06 is about all I want to mess with in a bolt gun and even that can get tiresome in a hurry.

But neither are as bad as 12 ga magnum buckshot. Now that is a painful load even with a recoil pad.

Hunting rounds are about the same price as the 270 but just for plinking you can get really cheap ammo.

im sort of having the same dilema i want to get started in deer hunting. i shot my friends 300wm then another friends 06. i think ill get the 06 it gets the job done and didnt knock the crap out of me like the 300wm. granted the 06 wasnt mild either

A lot of elk, caribou, moose, and bear have died at the hands of riflemen shooting rifles chambered for the 30-06. I own two (one a standard 30-06 and the other a 30-06 Ackley improved) and I have been very pleased with performance on game. Honostly, I don't think people practice their marksmanship well enough to consistently take game at longer ranges where a 300 winch would outperform the reliable 30-06. Yes, I have shot several hundred rounds through my dad's 300 winch mag.

Karl

Crazy Karl is right. For ALL practical purposes the 30 06 is all you need for North America hunting. The only reason not to if you were hunting Brown Bear in Alaska / Canada. (800 lbs or greater / and only for margin reasons)

Though I own many 3006, 308, and 300.

If the question was a flat shooting cartridge out to longer ranges. (ie. past 500 yards) I would grab my 300 in a heartbeat. Even the 200 to 400 fps difference between 308 and 3006 becomes pretty big past those ranges and the 500 to 600 fps difference of 300 comes into its own.

By the way, I have a 8 lbs. Carbon Fiber Barrel on a 300 with a comp that has recoil like a 243.

I like the .308 in military guns and with 146, 150 to 168 grain bullets.As a rule a .308 winchester round is more accurate than the .30-06.
The .308 vs the .30-06 look pretty close with 150 grain bullets,but the 06 starts kickin ass with 165-200 grain spitzers.The .308 does not have enough case capacity to push these bigger slugs to velocitys that the 06 can.
with 150 grain slugs and 22 inch barrel the .308 push's about 2,800 fps,the 06 generally push's that same slug 2,950 fps,150 fps does not sound like much but when you one step up in bullet weight it drops 200 fps less than the 06 so on and so forth its a viscous cycle.
I dont own a .300 win mag,but for my 18th birthday my dad bought me a Weatherby Mark 5 Deluxe in .300 Weatherby and it has a brake on it,and I love the gun but its not a Plinker even with a break its a beast.But with any magnum round bullet selection is vital unless you plan on taking your shots over 300 yrd or more,ballistic tips and plain jane soft points tend to just blow up on game at close range particulary on Boar or heavier game.
Premium grade bullets like Nosler Partition,Trophy Bonded,Swift,Winchester Fail Safe,and others do a really good job in magnum calibers.
Trophy Bonded Bear Claws seem to do good in all calibers.I use Federal Premium 180 grain TBBC and they are Viscous on game.My cousin broke both shoulders on a 340 pound feral hog with my rifle and this load and the damage was herendous.The distance was about 85 yards.