What's a better round for 200yds accuracy?

[IsaacGlass]

.308 or 30.06? not reloading yet but will be next year. Still reading up on it. Also which brand is better for accuracy, rifle most likely going to be a Tikka T3 Super Varmint with SS barrel. Thanks

[ar15barrels]

308 because of the shorter and fatter powder column.
Also, 308 will be chambered in a short action which will be stiffer than a long action that the 30-06 will come in.
There are more options in factory target grade ammo available for the 308 than the 30-06.

[Fjold]

Start with Black Hills match ammo and measure everything else against that

[30Cal]

You're going to have to look pretty hard and shoot a lot of groups (especially at 200yds--short range), to see a difference in accuracy given equal rifles and equal loads.

[Darklyte27]

308 is good out to 1k yrds according to a few sites ive read.
30-06 my guess is more around 2-500 yrds

[spareparts]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I've never done any high power or thousand yard shoots but I'm interested in this subject.

Doesn't it also depend on the ballistic coefficient and that a 30-06 can shoot a heavier bullet and thus potentially have a BC advantage with a larger selection of heavier projectiles?

[Bug Splat]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I've never done any high power or thousand yard shoots but I'm interested in this subject.

Doesn't it also depend on the ballistic coefficient and that a 30-06 can shoot a heavier bullet and thus potentially have a BC advantage with a larger selection of heavier projectiles?

No. Heavier is not always better. Between two bullets of the same diameter yes, usually the heavier bullet can perform better ballistically but not always. The 308 is a more accurate round due to the case design. The rate and direction the powder burns makes a huge different in the performace of the round.

Bullet design/length more dictates the BC of a round. Yes, more weight can fight off things like wind but a longer bullet will do it even better with less weight, powder, and kick. The 6.5 bullet is getting a lot of looks right now by 1000 yard shooters. No longer do they have to take the punishment of a hard hitting magnum to buck the wind or stay within MOA range of their scopes.

Take my smaller 6.5-284 round. I can shoot a 140-142gr bullet with a high BC and get similar ballistic performance as a 300 Win Mag shooting a much heavier bullet. Hell, the little 6.5 even passes the 300 win mag at somewhere around 1300 yards.

When you are looking at a long range gun look at the intended range you want to use it at. you would be shocked at some of the smaller calibers that outperform the larger rounds both in ballistics and knockdown power. I was dead set on a 308 because I figured bigger is better. Turns out the 6.5 rounds has much flatter performance numbers then some of the big boy rounds we normally look to for long range work.

[IsaacGlass]

Great replies, Thanks everyone.

[30 06 sniper]

the 308 is lighter and faster with less recoil .

the 30-06 has more recoil but can launch heavier bullets.

So i'd go with the 308 for 200yrds.

308 is good out to 1k yrds according to a few sites ive read.
30-06 my guess is more around 2-500 yrds

the 30-06 can reach out to 1k .

[ar15barrels]

308 is good out to 1k yrds according to a few sites ive read.
30-06 my guess is more around 2-500 yrds

30-06 is probably better at 1K than 308, but that's not the question asked by the original poster.
At 1K, 190gr or 210gr VLD's rule and the 30-06 can take advantage of it's extra case capacity to really push those long bullets.
Out to 600yds, the difference in 30-06 and 308 won't matter so go with the more commonly available 308.

[eaglemike]

308 is good out to 1k yrds according to a few sites ive read.
30-06 my guess is more around 2-500 yrds
Just out of curiosity, where or how did you come up with this bit of information? :confused:

[cassius]

308 is good out to 1k yrds according to a few sites ive read.
30-06 my guess is more around 2-500 yrds

The above post is why the internet sucks so very badly for folks that don't have a clue. The .30-06 and .308 cartridges are VERY similar in their ballistics, given equivalent loadings. Darklyte's post couldn't be more wrong / full of misinformation.

[Ahhnother8]

What's a better round for 200yds accuracy? .308 or 30.06?

.223
.22 PPC
6mm BR
6mm PPC
.30x47
etc....

There is no reason to get beat up with a .30 for 200 yard shooting. There are many better alternatives out there. If stuck on .30, the .308 would be the best choice of the two.

Any .30 rifle will shoot any .30 bullet, from 100 grains to 240 grains. The only real difference is the velocity, due to the case capacity. Granted, some cases seem to be inherently more accurate than others. Barrel twist also comes into play with the heavier bullets.

Just FYI, the Brits regularly shoot the .308 out to 1200 yards in competition. For long-range shooting, the .284 Ackley, .284 Shehane, or 7mm WSM are currently at the forefront.

Lane

[buffybuster]

.308 or 30.06? not reloading yet but will be next year. Still reading up on it. Also which brand is better for accuracy, rifle most likely going to be a Tikka T3 Super Varmint with SS barrel. Thanks


I'll play.

For 200yd accuracy you don't need anything more than a .223Rem AKA: 5.56x45mm.

If the .308Win is good to 1Kyds, then the 30/06 is going to be better. More powder capacity and the ability to shoot heavier/higher BC bullets is going to make it a better LR platform. Theoretically the .308Win with a shorter powder column is suppose to more accurate. However, I would challenge anyone to find the difference in accuracy between the .308 & 30/06. Load development for the 30/06 essentially ceased with the advent of the .308Win (circa 1960). If there was widespread load development for the 30/06 with today's powders, primers, bullets, cases; I'm quite certain it would crowd current 300WM loads and be just as accurate.

The reality is a "fast twist" .223Rem shooting 75-80gr VLD's does remarkably well out to 800yds. Which not much less than I would really trust a .308Win to shoot consistently.

[Beelzy]

.308 for the specific range you specify.

Great all around performance without to much recoil, less cost to cusomize
loads, and plenty of punch left for those infrequent +200 yd shots.

[Ventura Guy]

I load for both and shoot both. I find the 30-06 has a slight edge over the .308. Just my experience.