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So the question really is: when will a properly loaded 30-06 not work and we need something flatter shooting or harder hitting to hit/kill our intended game?
Daughter #3 will be going on her first big game hunt ever this fall, a WY doe antelope hunt. Although she has her own .45Kimber, Smith Bodyguard .380 and AR-15, she is not a frequent bolt rifle shooter. Rather than saddle her with a .30-06 and associated recoil, I will be loaning her my .257 Roberts with 110g AccuBond loads, which she shoots well and provides way more than is needed to cleanly kill doe antelope, even at 500 yards - which is beyond where she will be shooting. Sure, I could develop some 110g or 125g loads for a .30-06 but why bother? At best the .30-06 would not shoot as flat as the .257 Roberts and terminal effect would be no better. At worst it would provide more recoil and blast, neither of which are desirable. So yes, a .30-06 would "work" but given the other options available it is not the best choice, either.
Daughter #1 (aka Diablo Rojo) will be joining us on the antelope hunt, her 3rd or 4th. She will also be going on her 1st elk hunt. She is a fairly petite woman and, like her younger sister, also has her own .45 Kimber, Smith Bodyguard .380 and AR-15. In addition she has a Springfield XD 9mm, and two AR-15 lowers she is building. While she has been shooting on and off for over 25 years, she is not a regular bolt rifle shooter. In the past she has used my .257 Roberts for antelope hunts but this year we got her a lefty rifle of her own. (All mine are right-handed.) After a lot of consideration we ended up getting her a .308 Win rather than a .30-06. At the ranges she will be shooting a .308 Win is just as good as a .30-06 but is a tad lighter and shorter. I anticipate she will be using 150g loads, which provide a level of recoil with which she is comfortable. That said, we will also look at 165-168g for elk and probably use whichever she shoots best. Would a .30-06 have worked? Yes, but it would not provide any significant advantage, whether for this year's hunts or any she is likely to take in the foreseeable future.
