30-06 or 300 wsm

[jp308]

Currently use a 308 win for deer. Looking for an elk rifle. Using the federal premium ballistic chart, the 30-06 shooting a 180 gr Accubond has a 13% advantage in ft/lbs at the muzzle increasing to 40% at 400 yards over my current 308 shooting a 165 gr bullet. In comparison, the 300 wsm only has a 20 - 26% advantage in ft/lbs from the muzzle up to 400 yards over the 30-06.
This is shooting a 180 gr accubond or a 180 gr Barnes TSX out of both calibers.
FYI...I will be handloading my own ammo.

My question is, is it worth the 20-26% increase in energy to pick the 300 wsm over the 30-06, or should I just choose the 30-06. Not too much worried about the recoil. Your opinions would be appreciated.

 

[grit]

I'd say it depends on what you like, and wether we're talking factory or custom.

My choice would be the WSM in a long action. I'd run a 27" barrel and a muzzle brake.

I'd feed it 215 or 230 Bergers.

For a handier rig, or without a brake, the 06 AI is a neat round.

 

[USMCSSGT]

I have an 06, and bought the 300 WSM. I hunt with the 300. Love it. I reload, so I don't have to pay $50 box of ammo.

If I didn't reload, I would go 300 WM. Cheaper ammo, avail everywere.

 

[winmag]

Currently use a 308 win for deer. Looking for an elk rifle. Using the federal premium ballistic chart, the 30-06 shooting a 180 gr Accubond has a 13% advantage in ft/lbs at the muzzle increasing to 40% at 400 yards over my current 308 shooting a 165 gr bullet. In comparison, the 300 wsm only has a 20 - 26% advantage in ft/lbs from the muzzle up to 400 yards over the 30-06.
This is shooting a 180 gr accubond or a 180 gr Barnes TSX out of both calibers.
FYI...I will be handloading my own ammo.

My question is, is it worth the 20-26% increase in energy to pick the 300 wsm over the 30-06, or should I just choose the 30-06. Not too much worried about the recoil. Your opinions would be appreciated.

Well, first off, welcome to LRH!
Now, we can get down to the business of ballistics.
We all know that you don't "need" a 300 to kill a deer. But the advantage comes at being able to launch higher weight, higher BC bullets with A lot more authority, which extends your effective range by massive amounts when comparing -06 to 300WSM. The other Huge benefit to launching higher BC bullets is the DECREASE of wind drift. In some cases by over half!

Google JBM ballistics calculator, & use your load book to run the numbers.

My first big game rifle (a Win Model-70, 30-06) is now at Teds Custom Shop in Oklahoma (former LRH sponsor, & Awesome gunsmith) being converted to a 26" barreled long action 300WSM. I should be able to launch 180's at around 3100fps, & ill be around 2900 with 200gr Accubonds. Those 200's will get me to 850+yds on Elk with 1500+ ft lbs/1800+fps for the "recomended min for energy, & recomended min for propper bullet expansion of Accubonds. They'll smoke a deer hundreds of yards farther than that.
Don't get me wrong, I love the ol -06 cartrige, but it doesn't even come close to those numbers. In fact, those numbers match or exceed my 24" barreled 300 Wby with A LOT LESS powder. Less cost in components for the same or better numbers, is hard to argue with. Plus its not way oberbore, & doesn't have freebore issues for loading, & seating depth issues.
The 300WSM is, in my opinion, the most cost effective way to attain those numbers with a 30 cal.
That's my 2 cents anyway.

 

[Longbullet]

mtn 300,
Will you be able to seat to the lands with that combo?
From my own experience 1250ft lbs of energy is plenty on a mature elk with a 168 .284 vld.

 

[Gunpoor]

I have owned both the 06 and the 300wsm and they are both good cartridges but I would favor the WSM because less is more when it comes to carring a rifle in the field. The WSM can be bought in a shorter, lighter rifle and that is where it gets it's greatest advantage over the 30/06 but does have a little edge ballistically also.

 

[Sully2]

'-06 for me.

 

[backwoods83]

I have been able to get close to 2900fps with 185 berger hybrids in a 24" barreled 06, but on the other hand I can do the same in a 24" barreled wsm with a 208 amax and hybrid100v. The 06 is cheaper to load and find ammo for, but the wsm has a 250fps advantage.