Looking for insight, 30 calibers

[SwampBuck]

Kicking around another rifle build in my head at the moment. The only thing that’s set is it’s going to be a 30 caliber (.308)
I’m looking for some other members thoughts and suggestions, real world experience on any of the below calibers.

When I built my 280ai I sold a 22” barreled little 30-06 that was for whatever reason a monster on pigs with a 165 grain bullet. I have no idea why but it killed and killed with some authority. So I’m already partial to having another 06

With the rifles I have currently a 30 caliber magnum just makes sense because it’s a decent jump from the .270’s and the 280’s I have. I just can’t buy into a magnum with distance not being part of the equation. I never shoot passed 300 yards (give or take) at game. And not into distance target shooting.

30/06 or 30/06ai
300wsm
300 win mag

[Pushbutton2]

Kicking around another rifle build in my head at the moment. The only thing that’s set is it’s going to be a 30 caliber (.308)

I’m looking for some other members thoughts and suggestions, real world experience on any of the below calibers.



When I built my 280ai I sold a 22” barreled little 30-06 that was for whatever reason a monster on pigs with a 165 grain bullet. I have no idea why but it killed and killed with some authority. So I’m already partial to having another 06



With the rifles I have currently a 30 caliber magnum just makes sense because it’s a decent jump from the .270’s and the 280’s I have. I just can’t buy into a magnum with distance not being part of the equation. I never shoot passed 300 yards (give or take) at game. And not into distance target shooting.



30/06 or 30/06ai

300wsm

300 win mag

I had a 300 WSM. Sold it on impulse

Here's my recollection of first and only time i shot a Texas sized white tail
It was a doe, broadside @ 100ish yds. Shot her in the left shoulder. Bullet shattered both shoulders & exited her right armpit. Her left shoulder blade was in small pieces, right shoulder blade was in tiny pieces and a lot of the meat looked like gel when i skinned her. It sucked trying to skin the front end.

My processor told me he's not doing anything with the shoulders, to much bone fragment thoughout the meat.
I agreed.

[bubba joe]

Kicking around another rifle build in my head at the moment. The only thing that’s set is it’s going to be a 30 caliber (.308)
I’m looking for some other members thoughts and suggestions, real world experience on any of the below calibers.

When I built my 280ai I sold a 22” barreled little 30-06 that was for whatever reason a monster on pigs with a 165 grain bullet. I have no idea why but it killed and killed with some authority. So I’m already partial to having another 06

With the rifles I have currently a 30 caliber magnum just makes sense because it’s a decent jump from the .270’s and the 280’s I have. I just can’t buy into a magnum with distance not being part of the equation. I never shoot passed 300 yards (give or take) at game. And not into distance target shooting.

30/06 or 30/06ai
300wsm
300 win mag

yipp 30.06 been doing that for 115 years

[xman59]

Kicking around another rifle build in my head at the moment. The only thing that’s set is it’s going to be a 30 caliber (.308)
I’m looking for some other members thoughts and suggestions, real world experience on any of the below calibers.

When I built my 280ai I sold a 22” barreled little 30-06 that was for whatever reason a monster on pigs with a 165 grain bullet. I have no idea why but it killed and killed with some authority. So I’m already partial to having another 06

With the rifles I have currently a 30 caliber magnum just makes sense because it’s a decent jump from the .270’s and the 280’s I have. I just can’t buy into a magnum with distance not being part of the equation. I never shoot passed 300 yards (give or take) at game. And not into distance target shooting.

30/06 or 30/06ai
300wsm
300 win mag

build a 30-06 with a long throat/ free bore and do some reading on the possibilities and velocity!

[xman59]

build a 30-06 with a long throat/ free bore and do some reading on the possibilities and velocity!

that way you can make some mild or wild loads for it along with any factory 30-06 ammo

[txagyotebuster]

I would do a magnum of some variation. WSM or win mag. I run 168 gr bullets in my 280 AI and it will do everything the 06 with 165s will. But it's your money and you do what you want to do. My rifle battery goes from 280 ai to 300 win mag to fill another "nitch"

[justletmein]

Never shooting past 300 yards you probably want to be a little slower anyway, 06 or 308. More fun to shoot and more shelf ammo availability. I have a 300 WSM, and I like it a lot, but it'll never get shot in Texas.

[SwampBuck]

I’m bad with rifles, I guess like some people I don’t need more than one, I just want more than one. I’m not really worried about filling a niche I just like having various calibers. Instead of having one rifle with multiple loads I’ll have one shooting 110’s, one 130’s, one doing 140’s, one doing 150-160’s and so on. I’ll go through a spurt where I like a certain one more than another.

Honestly my only real desire for a 30 caliber anything is to chunk 180-220 grain hunting bullets.

[McClain]

You can also chunk 200-220 bullets (and heavier if desired) with a 338 Win mag and that gets you something a little more different than your 280ai.

[S-3 Ranch]

300yards
.338-06 or 8mm-06 not a magnum but hell on deer- moose

[bloodtrail18]

338 Federal. Sort action with mild recoil and slings heavy bullets.

[Silentnight]

I’m bad with rifles, I guess like some people I don’t need more than one, I just want more than one. I’m not really worried about filling a niche I just like having various calibers. Instead of having one rifle with multiple loads I’ll have one shooting 110’s, one 130’s, one doing 140’s, one doing 150-160’s and so on. I’ll go through a spurt where I like a certain one more than another.

Honestly my only real desire for a 30 caliber anything is to chunk 180-220 grain hunting bullets.

If shooting 180g+ 30cal bullets I would definitely go magnum to keep the velocity up.. 300 win mag is what I’d do if I were you.

[jaime1982]

Never shooting past 300 yards you probably want to be a little slower anyway, 06 or 308. More fun to shoot and more shelf ammo availability. I have a 300 WSM, and I like it a lot, but it'll never get shot in Texas.

This.

lol at the magnum and 06 guys shooting at Texas game from a box blind 100 yards away then wonder why half of the meat is ruined....





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[SwampBuck]

Odd, last season I popped a doe behind the shoulder with a 30/06 shooting 165 grain core lokts. Rifle was the previously mentioned 22” barrel variety and distance was around 97 yards. Great entry and exit holes, a blood trail Ronnie Milsap could have followed and due to shot placement, not much meat was ruined. Deer piled up about 30 yds from where she was hit.

I’ll wager to say meat being ruined has more to do with velocity and shot placement…bullet type too, more so than caliber.

[Drycreek3189]

I have a .300 WSM, and I’ve killed several deer with it in the past, a bunch of hogs, and one elk. I mainly used it on the deer hunts because I liked the Browning A Bolt. Once I bought a 7-08 I laid the .300 in the safe and it hasn’t been back out. After I had my APR .280 Rem built, the 7-08 was sold. I’ll keep the .300 WSM because it’s a good shooter and I might want to hunt something larger than a deer some day. I also had a .300 Winchester Magnum. Not very enjoyable to shoot, but it was a shooter too. I don’t think an animal can tell the two apart if you do your part.