Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Todays 30-06 - still the perfect round

Whatcha get?

ROFLMAO! What's her name, 300 Thous - Odd Six......

Gee, thanks. Could REALLY have done without that photo. I was just about to go out for dinner.

The world is just not right without a 30-06.

Pretty hard to beat a bolt action, scoped 30-06 shooting 168 TSX bullets in the vicinity of 2900 ft/sec. All the rifle I need for wolves to moose and bears.

Really easy to load for. Components readily available. Tough not to love. Started off killing a moose in 1965 with one, and haven't finished killing yet.

Perfect??? I don't know -- pretty darned good, though.

To this veryday still, if I like the rifle and it's a 30-06 I won't hesitate to seriously consider a buy. Honestly the only cartridge I can say that about.

To often the cartridge has sold the rifle. A big time 7-08 guy and falling for the 260. But niether of them can seal a deal like an -06. It's a sickness..

Honestly, what can intelligently be said about the 30-06 that hasn't been said in the last 104 years?

I still consider it the gold-standard, every-man's, all-around elk cartridge.

But that's likely been said

You said it!!!! Da Thuddy naut six can hold his own.

No such thing as "the perfect round".

And even if there was, it would be dangerous to admit it - no need for more toys.

Worked as designed.

BTW, the .338 Federal is better. No wait, the .280 Rem or the AI version is even better yet which are not quite as good the 7x57 or 7mm-08. If you throw in the .308 I think the "7 em em" might be OK unless of course you have a .260 which is almost as good as the 6.5x55 and better than the rest. Then again the .300 Win is better that the .300 Wby which are all surpassed by the .257 Weatherby unless you have a 24" barrel which is OK but not quite the same. If you don't reload I would try the .264 WM which is almost as good as a .270. All of which are OK within 300 yards if you know how to shoot. If you don't, then I'd suggest a 30-30 with a peep sight.

The 30.06 rules!!! But when hunting in the N.C. montains I still prefer my 30.30.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always avoided the 30-06 since my dad and all his hunting buddies used the 30-06 exclusively. I figured that I was more "sophisicated" and shot more "interesting" cartridges.
Then I got a 30-06 last summer in a deal on a Sako carbine that was too good to pass up. Shot a cow elk with it. She died. I like the rifle but it would be more interesting in an exotic chambering!
If I had only one big game rifle, it could very well be a 30-06, but I have no intention of limiting myself to one!

People say that if you have a .30-06 you don't need anything else.

There is a lot of truth in that and I always figured it was a good reason NOT to have a 30-06.

(Full disclosure: In the last several years I have bought two .30-06 rifles for myself and one as a gift.)

I've got a 338 Federal, it's not better unless your treestand hunting or not ever going to shoot past 300.

I did start with an 06, and it looks like I'm going to end up keeping it longest. I've had a entire run of different rifles in between the first 06, and this one...

Darn things kill elk alright, deer too.

Don't get me wrong I still own too many rifles (I'd like to cut down) but if I was going to keep one and only one it would be the 06.

For me, at the end of the day, I slightly prefer the 308. Does essentially what the 30-06 does in a smaller, noticeably lighter kicking package. And I've never seen a more eager to please round than the 308.

If you on the east coast especially - a shorter powder column is a good deal. If you hunting the big mountains of colorado, or plains of Kansas where shoots are often 300 yards a bit more omph is a good deal.

Aka - 06 powder column is only required if your west of the missipi (for me anyway). I've hunted both sides of the US...

Not so sure about that, though extra "oomph" is never a bad thing which is why I like the 300 WSM too.

However, I'm entirely happy with a 308 out to, say, 550 yards. That's plenty far, even here in Montana.

Brad,

Some of the guys I know load the 308 light or at leasst moderately, if your loading her hot your correct.

Spot

A 30-06 is THE one gun, no doubt!