Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 30-06 didn't impress me.

Well, I have a 35 Whelen I had in Alaska and I hope to use on Elk at some point, but I want a 30-06 because I believe its a great all around for North America and easy to find ammo. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Not to mention I can use the brass for either rifle.

I used to feel a battery without an iron-sighted .30-30 lever was incomplete. (Maybe too many westerns as a kid. and yes, I know the .30-30 was a latecomer.)

Now I feel pretty much the same way about the .30-06. If you can't get it done cleanly with a .30-06 the chances are you shooting into the next county. Since I started in 1982 I don't think I've taken an animal that couldn't have been taken with a .308 or 7mm-08.

The 30-06 shoots much flatter than some give it credit for.

https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/30...m_campaign=/blog/30-06-springfield-dead/

Impresses the heck out of me how easy it is to make 35 Whelen cases from 30-06 brass. I've shot all kinds of game with various 30-06's and have no complaints. other than maybe if you have a couple of them it makes it harder to justify having more than 20 ready to go big game rifles.

. If you were in Heppner I found a bloated spike, long spikes starting to fork on the right side. Looked like it had been hit through the lungs a couple days before I found it, thanks for the ivories as that was all that was salvageable. If not Heppner disregard this post!

Damn the luck, I wish you calm collectiveness on your next shot.

Get it in that out West altitude and she'll really lean out nice.

It sure was, about 4 or 5 years back now in heppner. Not far from OHV.
I re deemed my self next year opening morning and killed a spike (with any bull tag) about 200 yards from where I missed

I hate to see that happen. My buddy shot one a few years ago in eastern Oregon on private property with his 308 Winchester. The bullet failed to put the bull down pronto and they never recovered the animal. They did, however, find the bull a couple days later when they saw the birds circling. Bull was wasted and my buddy punched his tag...

Dear baby Jesus, please don't ever let this happen to me, and be with the starving pygmies in New Guinea, Amen.

Interesting exchange here. Perhaps 100 yards, even in snow is not far enough to trail an elk that was shot at, before deciding it was not a hit.

My first late season CO bull, a lot of years ago now, was shot broadside through the lungs, entry/exit with no ribs hit, at about 45 paces. He was walking, but at the shot bolted. I didn't see how I could have missed, so gave it a little time and started following the tracks. Unfortunately I had no snow, just dry pine needles. I could follow the tracks fairly well since that bull was running flat out after the 7 mag barked. But eventually I had to follow his line of travel and guess. In the quarter mile before I found him piled up, I found one single tiny drop of blood about the size of my little fingernail. He was running when he died. Hit a tree so hard head on that he broke a tine off. There wasn't even a pool of blood where he expired. The chest cavity was awash, though. That is the longest run I have ever had with an elk, normally they go down within view, but I have had them run out of sight in thick stuff. I have seen a number that went over 100 yards before expiring (mine and other hunter's).

I guess on that elk I used a lesson I had learned earlier about not giving up too easily or too early. I once had a little Texas whitetail go about 100 yards with a J-hook kind of trajectory. She and I were unlucky enough to have the bullet part before it got to her, so there were two wounds, neither where it should have been. No blood trail at all. That one took circling in a big spiral after following all the obvious trails did not pan out. She was in a different direction than when last spotted. It took about 2 hours to find her, but I knew she was hit, so I just kept at it.

Some animals may not act like they are hit, but still may be very dead.

Dre,. Could be the one, East and South of OHV heading for wall Creek,. I hope it was yours or there are others not finding their prey! We were camped between Bull Prairie and OHV a little East!

Back to the OP. The 30-06 didn't impress me either, but it has impressed most of the deer and elk I've killed in the last 50 years! My Model 98 in 30-06 has taken most of my game! My .338wm is a little heavy, my 7rem mag doesn't fit as well and my 99 savage 300 has no scope, which I need now days for my old eyes!

So I looked at the dates, it was 2010 season.
If he made it that far, thats a run. Close 2 miles as the crow flies.
I'm glad I shared this and others have chimed in.
I will not give up on tracking that easily AGAIN! I was upset with my self for a good year that I missed gimme, but now I hope that I did miss.
I'll be there this year 1st season with any bull tag. will you be there? PM if so, maybe come by camp and get a drink.
back to 06 impressing me

Mart, I like that one. Counter leaner. I'm gonna' have to steal that one from you.

Of course, you could quit easily substitute the word 'moron' for 'counter leaner' to describe that pot-licker.

I have always considered the 7 mag a glorified 30-06.

Is that also your opinion of the 7mm Weatherby?

I think that's what it was intended to be. When it was introduced, some people said it was designed to have the power of a 30/06, with the trajectory of a 270 .

(t's actually flatter shooting than anything you can feed a 270).

It's really no wonder people often comment they can't see much difference.

Because the others are fun!

Amen. amen, amen!!!!