Cartridge Sizes .30-06 verses .338 (2024)

FAQs

Is a 338 bigger than a 30-06? ›

The most striking difference between the 338 Lapua and 30-06 is case capacity. The 30-06 can hold 68 gr of propellant while the 338 Lapua has a cavernous capacity of 114 gr (a 67% increase).

338 cartridge is 8.6 mm (0.34 in) in diameter (rim) and 93.5 mm (3.68 in) long. It can penetrate better-than-standard military body armor at ranges of up to 1,000 metres (1,090 yd), and has a maximum effective range of about 1,750 metres (1,910 yd) with C.I.P. conforming ammunition at sea level conditions.

The . 308 Winchester looks like a pretty puny round with a case capacity of only 56 gr H20 while the . 338 Lapua has a cavernous case capacity of 114.2 gr H2O. That's double the case capacity!

338 Win. Mag. isn't too much for deer and antelope, and with a heavy-for-caliber, tough bullet designed to break heavy bones and penetrate deeply, it's an outstanding choice for big bears. A broad array of projectile types and weights enables the hunter to tailor it to the specific task.

338 Federal launches 180-grain bullets more than 100 fps faster than standard loads in the . 30-06 and packs an additional 300 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle. Downrange, the '06 bullet reels in the . 338 Federal, thanks to a higher ballistic coefficient.

338 Lapua he used, but it was likely the Macmillan TAC-338. Kyle achieved his longest reported sniper kill with the . 338 Lapua.

The . 300 Win Mag has over 35% more case capacity than the 30-06, allowing for larger powder charges and higher velocity that lends itself to long-range shooting. As far as pressure, the . 300 Win Mag is capable of handling over 3,000 psi more pressure than the 30-06.

338 Winchester Magnum is most commonly used for the hunting of larger deer species such as elk and moose. It is quite popular with elk hunters, with bullets ranging between 200–225 gr (13.0–14.6 g) generally preferred for large class 3 game such as elk or moose.

The first thing you'll note is that both the 30-06 and the 308 shoot the same caliber bullets, . 308”, however, this is where the similarities end. The first distinct difference is in the case length of each cartridge.

What caliber is close to 30-06? ›

308 Winchester cartridge offers similar performance to standard military . 30-06 loadings in a smaller cartridge.

A bottlenecked cartridge (. 30-06 Springfield) inserted into a chamber. The rim and extractor groove stick out of the chamber so that the cartridge can be extracted.

338 is a hard-hitting elk cartridge. Close or far, thick timber or wide-open, the . 338 Win Mag is an elk cartridge!

338 Lapua has a whopping 2,170 ft-lbs more energy than the 6.5 Creedmoor. This gap starts to close, but still stays fairly significant out to longer distances, with the . 338 Lapua still leading by 1,278 ft-lbs as we get out to 500 yards.

In addition to firing a heavy bullet, a benefit of the . 338 Lapua's mild velocity is that some of those heavy match bullets perform quite well on big game. That 285-grain ELD-M I keep mentioning happens to make a fantastic moose bullet.

The basic difference between the two is that the . 30-06 is a long-action cartridge with a case length of 2.49 inches and an overall length of 3.34 inches. The . 308 is a short-action cartridge with a case length of 2.01 inches and an overall length of 2.8 inches.

30-06 produces more energy and velocity than the . 308 Win., and it's also more commonly loaded with heavier, harder-hitting bullets. Midway USA, one of the nation's largest ammunition dealers, offers 36 varieties of . 30-06 cartridges loaded with 180-grain bullets but only 16 options for .

The 308 Winchester has a shorter case length 2.015” while the 30-06 Springfield has a longer case length at 2.494”. The overall length of each cartridge is also quite different, 2.8” vs 3.34” for the 308 and Winchester 30-06 ammo respectively.