Think about it, you don't here of a navy SEAL sniper using a 30-06, or any military sniper for that matter.

if I did the ballistics right, the 308 is more powerful than the 06.

You didn't.

You didn't.

I didn't think I did, give me a few more minutes and I'll redo it and post what I get.

Yep, 30-06, 2700ft. 308 2500

The 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge started out as the experimental T65 cartridge. This should not be confused with the Incom T65 which is a much older & completely different military endeavor. The T65 was basically a lengthened version of the .300 Savage case & was a joint effort between the U.S. military & Winchester.

The whole purpose behind the T65 project was to produce a cartridge that was compatible with the military's ideas on a new rifle. The military planners wanted a select fire rifle that could fill the role of an assault weapon & a battle rifle. The .30-06 Springfield cartridge was to be replaced because the military planners felt that it was too powerful for use in a select fire weapon (in other words it made the weapon barely controllable) & that each .30-06 cartridge weighed too much. The T65 was viewed as a more controllable, lighter weight substitute for the .30-06. Because it was less powerful it could be used in select fire weapons with greater ease, & its lighter weight per round meant that a soldier could either carry more ammo for the same weight or the same number of rounds for less weight.

The T65 if you haven't guessed became the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge (actually the T65E3 was the final version before it was adopted. But Winchester introduced their version of the T65 in 1952 as the .308 Winchester. It was later on (1953 or 1854) that the military finalized the cartridge as the 7.62x51mm NATO. It wasn't until 1957 that the cartridge actually had a platform in the U.S. Rifle, Cal. 7.62 M14.

This is still being debated? Here's how it goes... You find an article defending what you prefer and I find one defending what I prefer, add a few comments and then repeat.

Never mind,this is entertaining. Keep it going!

When I saw the title of the post that's exactly what I saw coming. Same damn thing when someon posts "Savage vs. Remington" ".243 vs. xxx", ."308 vs. xxx" "best long range cartridge" I could go on.

Still entertaining to see the ruffled feathers.

You might want to research a little more and find some actual facts. Powder charge/ load density has more to do with accuracy than case design. Picking the right powder that fills the case the most will usually yield the best results in accuracy.

As far as the cartridges you listed 6.5-284 is run in a long action or a single shot. Jump up to F-Class open and you will find every thing from 243 to 300win mag with just about anything in between. Last record was set with a long action built 284 Winchseter with 180gr Bergers.

So, unless you are a top level competition shooter, it doesn't seem to matter that much. And, by reading the links and a lot more stuff, it "appears" that the .308 is a tad better up to 500 yards but can't compete with the 06 at 1,000 yards.

That's not right. I've shot a whole bunch of tactical matches. Most of them go out to 1000 yards or farther. I've seen scores of .308s and not a single .30-06.

So, unless you are a top level competition shooter, it doesn't seem to matter that much. And, by reading the links and a lot more stuff, it "appears" that the .308 is a tad better up to 500 yards but can't compete with the 06 at 1,000 yards.

No they do compete well at 1000 yards. The difference is a bit more energy and a slightly flatter trajectory with the 06. But at that range you are arcing them in anyways. Accuracy wise they are about the same. The reason you don't see the 06 in those comps is not because it can't hold it's own but simply because the 308 has gained a loyal following among modern shooters and because some comps dont even allow the 06 anymore. This is due to the 06 replacement by the military in the 50s. As a result millions of rounds were manufactured and more readily avail to rec shooters. More guns were chambered in it for competition purposes. Ex military who used the 308 preferred it because its what they used in combat so they took it to the range. Many shooters have a fascination with whatever the military uses. That seems to be the trend despite the fact that there are much flatter shooting cartridges out there.

50 years from now competitive shooters will most likely be looking back and saying I can't believe we used to compete with 308. There is a reason the military is now phasing it out of use. It will most likely be totally phased out within many of our lifetimes. Then shooters will start adapting to the new round. With time comes change. Some people can adapt to that where others cannot. Once upon a time 45-70s, 90s, 120s and 50-90,s were the rounds of choice for long range comps. My grandfather speaks of the time when he switched to the 30-06