I have read that the 30-06 is the "life time rifle".
I think our generation owns a variety of guns in a variety of cartridges but I can tell my father owned just one gun, my friends grandfather owned one rifle, one shotgun and one 22. I sometimes look at my assortment of guns and wonder why I can't satisfied with just a few...I guess the marketing machine is more powerful than my resistance!
My only thing is that I have never gotten the idea that a .308 or .270 is a pussy cat to shoot and a 30-06 is a monster.
I agree. The most unpleasant rifle I had was 700 ADL in .270. I hated the muzzle blast and it was just downright painful to shoot for some reason. I've never noticed that the 30-06 is much of a kicker at all until you get up to hot 180 hand loads. Then it thumps a little more than some others.
All that said, yeah, for deer the 30-06 is probably overkill. But so what? It works, is easy to shoot, and can be had in relatively light and short rifles. If you are just a guy who hunts and not a rifle loony, it can't be beat.
The .270 was the logical evolutionary improvement over the '06.
It's about perfect for the '06 case.
Better sectional density means the .270 retains velocity and energy longer.....that's more efficient.
A quality 150 grain .270 bullet will take any North American game and most game on the planet for that matter. Same goes for the .280 which is almost identical.
The Tea Party Movement is pretty much the same as a bowel movement except that it smells worse and has far less in the way of intelligent content. --DancesWithGuns
The .270 was the logical evolutionary improvement over the '06.
It's about perfect for the '06 case.
Better sectional density means the .270 retains velocity and energy longer.....that's more efficient.
A quality 150 grain .270 bullet will take any North American game and most game on the planet for that matter. Same goes for the .280 which is almost identical.
Loaded to equal pressures, the 30-06 will get more velocity than a .270. So, it is about a wash. Start faster or start slower and slow down slower, it is all the same in the end.
IMHO if I lived in the west where I could regularly hunt elk and moose and possibly run into a bear then I would think the 30-06 would be the ideal all arounder. Here in the east as a deer hunter then yes it is probably a bit more than is needed.
I am a fan of the 30/06, it may be a touch much for East TN whitetails but it has been effective. I can not warm up to a .270 Win, no idea why I just can't like'm. I shoot 130's from my 30/06 Ti and 180's from my Ruger MKII when I use the 30/06.
From looking around
270 Win with a 150 has around 16lbs recoil 30/06 with a 150 has around 17.5lbs recoil 30/06 with a 180 has around 19.5lbs recoil My 20 gauge with a 3" turkey load has over 30lbs recoil My 12 gauge with a 3" turkey load has over 50lbs recoil
I don't really think a 30/06 is a good 1st gun for a kid unless they can get some good reduced loads but I've not seen an adult that can't handle one.
I mainly shoot my .243 Win for everything now though.
I don't think anybody can say the 30-06 is too much gun.
Yeah. I can...
And not for any particular game animal, but for many circumstances where critters are shot the 30-06 is simply too much rifle. Flat land where the rural roads are laid out in township grids, and a school bus or feed and seed truck can pass by anytime call for a rifle that has easily frangible bullets.
There simply is no reliably frangible bullet available in .308 diameter.
Thus my decades long affair with the .243, and more lately the 25-06.
Too much gun for some shooters, probably so. Especially younger or inexperienced ones.
I cannot agree more.
For the typical hunter who's not into all the silliness that comes with being a firearms enthusiast, a 30-06 could give a lifetime of excellent service, and keep the chest freezer filled each year.
THE CHAIR IS AGAINST THE WALL.
The Tikka T3 in .308 Winchester is the Glock 19 of the rifle world.
IMHO if I lived in the west where I could regularly hunt elk and moose and possibly run into a bear then I would think the 30-06 would be the ideal all arounder. Here in the east as a deer hunter then yes it is probably a bit more than is needed.
Very sensible. .30-06 (168 gr.) is my elk gun and if I ever draw for moose, just reload a heavier bullet. Recently purchased a .243 for deer and antelope.
Thanks Bearcat,I am going to run the chart using 3050 for the .277 130 and the .308 at 2900 for the 150 and 2800 for the 165 to represent factory ammo.
I used to use Handloads.com but cant get it to load today
I don't think anybody can say the 30-06 is too much gun.
Yeah. I can...
And not for any particular game animal, but for many circumstances where critters are shot the 30-06 is simply too much rifle. Flat land where the rural roads are laid out in township grids, and a school bus or feed and seed truck can pass by anytime call for a rifle that has easily frangible bullets.
There simply is no reliably frangible bullet available in .308 diameter.
Thus my decades long affair with the .243, and more lately the 25-06.
Nice, this will be the next liberal agenda. They will ban the 30-06 because it can kill school buses and seed and feed trucks.... Please elaborate with some stats that show school buses and trucks being shot with rifles, and the 30-06 being the most deadly/damaging...
