Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ask John Barsness Questions About "GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR .30-06"

This thread is crazy. I just read it and don't see where there is even an argument. Stardard cup and core bullets kill deer quicker in general, period. Semi auto's throw hot brass, period.

Mule deer, I would be interested to see what the folks at Remington have to say about the auto's hot brass. I have polished a lot of chambers for these rifles and stressed to the owners to use that bent handled brush Remington supplies to clean the chamber after shooting. I also wonder about timing on these rifles. Does the case start extracting while there is still pressure/heat in the barrel. When pressure is low enough but hot gas can slip along the outside of the case?

Bravo, for the voice of reason. RTFI and clean the chamber....no problems.

As a good article on push vs controlled feed in the new Rifle pointed out, AR type semi autos extract and eject perfectly,
WHEN THEY ARE MAINTAINED. I have run 500 in an afternoon through my DPMS 308 16" TAC without a hiccup. Same with a REM/UMC, I'm sure.
Same is also true of gas op. semi shotguns, let your 1100 get all nasty and it will stop working too.

Let's hear something from folks who actually run semi gas operated rifles. All I know is my pile of them are always cleaned and always work. (So does my buddy's 270 WCF Johnson but.....)

I started my highpower shooting with a DCM Garand and we were told by our coach to wear a hooded sweatshirt under our leather shooting jacket.
One of the reasons was that if you are shooting your rapid fire at 300 yds. and hot 30-06 brass goes down the back of your collar it is a little distracting to say the least!
It is not just the brass that gets hot either!
After two strings of rapid fire I got up once from prone and used the barrel as a walking stick to stand up. The barrel was nice and toasty as well.
I don't have any figures to back it up but after the Garand is fired the brass is not in the chamber long enough to transfer much heat to the chamber of the barrel, which is already hot anyway in rapid fire.
We were also taught that at 600 yd slow fire if we did not fire the rifle within a few seconds we should eject the round because the heat from the chamber would cause the round to change impact on the target. It would keep you out of the 10 ring in other words.
I was always amazed by how well iron sighted rifles can shoot at 600 yds and all the deer rifle shooters need a scope?

Anyone who has never tried it should try a Garand at six hundred yards sometime, it is a hoot!
PS I won a match using Nosler Ballistic Tips once.

whelennut

IMO, you get the most out of a 30-06 by shooting it. No question, it can and has handled every game animal in the Western Hemisphere and certainly in the rest of the world. Use proper bullets and decent loads and you can't go wrong (if you hit the target).

Two things,

1. I have a burn scar on my arm in the shape of a .30-06 case from my M-1 Garand. Does that make me an expert on how hot cases are from autoloaders?

2. I have a Remington LA that started life as a .30-06. Over the years, I have replaced almost everything that can be replaced, and when I was deciding what to rebarrel to, I realized that I didn't have another .30-06 hunting rifle. The choice was made. There is no way I will ever be without one. If I have to sell all my other rifles, the last one left will be an '06. Thanks for a great article.

Fast Ed

Glad you liked it!

Thanks,
John

Mule Deer,

I did come up with one question last night when going over my loading data that I have developed over the years. What barrel length were your velocity figures derived from? My '06 had a slow 22" barrel before I changed it. I now have a 24" that hasn't had enough ammo down it to determine if it is fast or slow. My velocity from my old barrel, however, doesn't come close to what you get, with the same or very similar powder charges and bullets. Losing 40 or 50 fps per inch of barrel would put my velocities at least in the same neighborhood as yours if all your data is from 24" barrels.

I have also started using some of the Ramshot powders, but not with the '06 yet. This article gives me all the motivation I need for a winter loading project. Thanks again.

Fast Ed

My .30-06 data is almost all from 24" barrels these days. I don't have anything against 22" barrels, that's just the way my collection of '06's has worked out. I do have one 21" barreled .30-06 but don't shoot it as much as the others.

I have owned at least one really slow .30-06 that I can recall, an FN Mauser military rifle that got 150-200 fps less than most commercial .30-06's with the same loads.

Mule Deer,

I am about to start reloading for my BAR 30-06 Lightweight with a 22" Bbl. I read your article "Getting The Most Out of Your .30-06" and noticed that you had a BAR in the .30-06 could you give me any ideas about loading for one. I guess I am probably more concerned with pressure signs and it being an automatic. I have read some conflicting threads from folks saying that they would stick to factory fodder only and not try to reload for one.

Thanks,
Jeff

I've never had any trouble with factory ammo in BAR's, but have had a little trouble with handloads when I got over-enthustiastic with slow-burning powder once or twice. BAR's are fine rifles but aren't bolt actions. In .30-06 they work great with factory-equivalent loads, especially using medium burning-rate powders.

How about actions like the 760 Remington ? I presume they are similar to a degree. By which, they would be OK with any powder, even the slowest butning, as long as the pressures are kept at the factory levels ?
I'm currently working up loads wuith 220 gr. bullets. Have been using H4350, and will be trying H4831.
Any ideas or comments ? E

I have never encountered problems loading for 760's. I have only owned 3 (.270, .30-06 and .35 Whelen) but they all handled loads that I've used in bolt rifles, such as 60 grains of H4831 and a 130 in the .270, or 57-58 grains of IMR4350 and a 165 in the .30-06.

Then again, I long ago quit trying to make a .30-06 into a .300 magnum.

Thanks JB. E

Hi,
Friends.
Jennie
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John,
i am a fan of the 30-06 also but here lately i have tried without any success at reloading .223 with sabots i my 30-06.
the best pattern i can get is about 4" at 100yds.
i am using hornady .223 vmax polymer tip @ 55gr. my powder is imr4831 with win. large rifle magnum primers. i have loaded all loads with 50gr of powder---4 inch group, then loaded w/52gr----4inch group, then 54gr----not even on the paper.
do you have any loads for this round or any suggestions.

John,

I'm already compressing loads with my 06 but would like a tad more speed.

How much more speed will I get (approx.) if I go to a mag primer? I'll make sure to back the load down and work back up to max to see if she shoots ok, I just am wondering if it's worth trying.

Spot

Barry,

Sorry, I've never tried to handload saboted bullets in the .30-06, or any other centerfire rifle round.

Where are you getting the sabots?

spotshooter,

In my experience magnum primers don't produce all that much more velocity, maybe 20-40 fps, depending on the load.

You'd probably gain more by going to a denser powder.

JB,

Which one's do you recommend I'm using RL 22 for my 06 today.

Thanks!

Mike

Any large rifle primer will work.