My first bolt action centerfire was a 30-06 ruger tanger. Added a Browning Abolt hunter years later in 30-06. Both very accurate with factory ammo. Killed a lot of game with both. Still own both rifles but I moved on to 7mm08 and 270 rifles for whitetails. Sure are a lot of memories with the 30-06s. I never messed with different bullet weights. Always shot 165s coreloks out of both rifles. They worked so I used them.
Boarmaster123 or anyone who knows:
I have been told that 165 gr. is what the .30-06 was designed to shoot. Have you heard that as well, or is that a myth?
I have been shooting 180 gr. for over 20 years with my M1917, they are super accurate. I went to the heavier grain simply because I hunt moose with mine, and I figured more weight would be better.
Cheers ~
The 30-03 was meant to use a 220-grain bullet, so it has a 1:10 twist. After the Germans started using a 153-grain bullet in the 8x57 Mauser, we turned the 30-03 into the 30-06 by shortening 30-03 barrels and swapping in a 150-grain bullet. So it was “designed” to use a 220, went to war with a 150 which later got bumped to a 174, then back to 152 grains.
It happens to shoot a lot of different bullet weights well.
