.308 vs .30-06 in rem.700?

Question

I know anything closer than 500 yrds it will be hard to tell even with a trained eye, but at 600 - 1000yrds which is more accurate using average ammo in a rem. 700

i know you all probally buy different types of ammo per different person but any experience with remington 700 in these catagorys who would be willing to share would be much appreciated

Thanks

Answer 1

In comparing accuracy between the .308 and .30-06, folks who used each quickly agreed on one thing: .308s were two to three times more accurate than the .30-06. In the early 1960s, it was also observed that competitors with lower classifications using .308s were getting higher scores than higher classified folks using .30-06s; at all ranges. By the middle to late 1960s, all the top highpower shooters and virtually all the rest had switched to the .308. The Highpower Committee had received so many complaints of ties not being able to be broke between shooters using the .308 and shooting all their shots in the tie-breaking V-ring, something had to be done to resolve this issue. In 1966, the NRA cut in half the target scoring ring dimensions.

At the peak of the .30-06's use as a competition cartridge, the most accurate rifles using it would shoot groups at 200 yards of about 2 inches, at 300 of about 3 inches. The 600-yard groups were 6 to 7 inches and at 1000 yards about 16 inches. As the high-scoring ring in targets was 3 inches at 200 and 300 yards, 12 inches at 600 and 20 inches at 1000, the top scores fired would have 90+ percent of the shots inside this V-ring.

Along came the 7.62mm NATO and its commercial version; the .308 Winchester. In the best rifles, 200 yard groups were about 3/4ths inch, at 300 about 1-1/2 inch. At 600 yards, groups were about 2-1/2 inch and at 1000 about 7 to 8 inches. It was not very long before the .30-06 round no longer won matches nor set any records; all it's records were broken by the .308 by a considerable margin. Some accuracy tests at 600 yards with the .308 produced test groups in the 1 to 2 inch range. These were 20 to 40 shot groups. No .30-06 has ever come close to shooting that well.

Answer 2

I think you might find out that the .308 is shorter, and (when it was introduced) took advantage of better powders which allowed it to be lighter.  Both of those are more important to a guy humping ammo on patrol than .24" at 1,000 yards accuracy.  I have a 30-06 but the .308 seems like a pretty good rifle.  Some handloaders like the 30-06 because with the longer shell casing you can use a heavier bullet - the .308 has a smaller upper limit.  If you hunt elk that might be a consideration.  My uncle uses a .308 and my dad used a 30-06.  The both did pretty well.  Interestingly, my uncle fought in Korea and my dad was Vietnam-era.  You shoot what you were trained to shoot I suppose.