CaliberAtlas › Compare › .300 Win. Mag. vs .30-06

.300 Win. Mag. vs .30-06 — Ballistics Compared

.300 Win. Mag. shoots flatter with these representative loads: 39.7" vs 64.6" of drop at 500 yards. .300 Win. Mag. carries more energy downrange: 2188 vs 1099 ft-lb retained at 500 yards. .300 Win. Mag. drifts less in a 10 mph crosswind: 12.8" vs 27.2" at 500 yards. Expect noticeably more recoil from .300 Win. Mag. in comparable firearms — its muzzle energy is 30% higher.

Figures use each cartridge's representative factory load, computed with our validated G1 model at standard conditions. Full tables and every load are on the cartridge pages: .300 Win. Mag. ballistics · .30-06 ballistics.

Pick .300 Win. Mag. if…

you want the flatter trajectory (39.7" vs 64.6" at 500 yd)
you want more retained energy at distance (2188 vs 1099 ft-lb at 500 yd)
your focus is long range

Pick .30-06 if…

you're recoil-sensitive or shooting high volume

Side-by-Side Specifications

	.300 Win. Mag.	.30-06
Representative load	180gr Norma Bondstrike Extreme 180gr	180gr Federal Power-Shok 180gr JSP
Muzzle velocity	3084 fps	2700 fps
Muzzle energy	3802 ft-lb	2914 ft-lb
G1 BC	0.615	0.385
Case length	66.5 mm	63.3 mm
Overall length	84.8 mm	84.8 mm
SAAMI max pressure	64,000 PSI	60,000 PSI
Common twist	1:10"	1:10"

Drop Comparison (inches)

	.300 Win. Mag.	.30-06
100 yd	0"	0"
200 yd	-2.6"	-4.2"
300 yd	-9.7"	-15.4"
400 yd	-21.8"	-34.9"
500 yd	-39.7"	-64.6"

Retained Energy (ft-lb)

	.300 Win. Mag.	.30-06
100 yd	3422 ft-lb	2433 ft-lb
200 yd	3072 ft-lb	2019 ft-lb
300 yd	2751 ft-lb	1665 ft-lb
400 yd	2456 ft-lb	1361 ft-lb
500 yd	2188 ft-lb	1099 ft-lb

Wind Drift — 10 mph Full-Value (inches)

	.300 Win. Mag.	.30-06
100 yd	0.5"	1"
200 yd	1.9"	3.8"
300 yd	4.3"	8.9"
400 yd	8"	16.6"
500 yd	12.8"	27.2"

Hunting Energy References

.300 Win. Mag.: Retains at least 1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized energy reference) through 500 yd — the end of the listed data. Retains at least 1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized energy reference) through 500 yd — the end of the listed data.

.30-06: Retains at least 1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized energy reference) through 500 yd — the end of the listed data. Retains about 1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized energy reference) to roughly 355 yd.

A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.

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