Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles When will 30-06 not work?

In light of the “Is 30-06 too much gun” thread, thought I’d start a new thread titled differently to ask the question that popped up in that thread. Has anyone ever run into a situation where a larger caliber, faster bullet, or some other combination was required to kill an animal – that a properly loaded 30-06 couldn’t handle?

A look at ballistics indicates the 30-06 can cover a bunch of ground. Think a 270 Win or 7 RM ‘smokes’ the 06? Run the ballistics on a 30 cal, 150 gr Nos AB scooting at 3000 ft/sec – 31 inches low at 500. A 7mm, 160 Nos AB at 3000 ft/sec is 28 inches low at 500 (a 7mm 150 at 3100 is 27” low). A bit less wind drift with the 160 AB but not a huge difference (30-06 19”, 270 18”, 7RM 15”).

A 180 Partition at 2800 from an 06 drops 35” at 500 using a max rise of 3.2” above horizontal. A similarly sighted 300 WM (3.2” max Y) at 3050, typical 300 WM velocities, using the same bullet drops 28” at 500 and drifts 1.5” less at 500. Using an arbitrary 250 yard zero the differences are less (300 WM drops 6” less than 06).

Bullet velocity and associated inherent velocity/performance envelopes (~ 2000 ft/sec) are sufficient for the 06 out past 550 yards (750 yards if you consider a bullet velocity envelope of 1800 ft/sec).

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?

When the hunter f'ks up.

Nothing in NA that is currently, legally, a huntable species can sustain a single 180 grain soft point to the vitals.

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?
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The '06 will be totally worthless immediately after the Chicago Cubs win the World Series two years in a row.

The only question involves getting it there.

The thing the 30-06 does best is it just plain works. I could get by from now on with one.

It works everywhere except here and has been skullphucked up one side and down the other.

Was kind of thinking the same thing - but I am asking a serious question. I've been hunting close to 40 years and have killed my share of stuff. I've yet to shoot at any living animal past 350 and then only did so once and was successful. I've passed up more than a few shots because I didn't like the angle/wind/distance or something weird - but it wasn't because I had an inadequate weapon. My personal ethics/limitations kept me from shooting - not the weapon which is the point of my post. Thats my experience but know alot of guys on here have much broader and varied experiences than I, hence the serious nature to the question.

Coues deer? Caribou?

It only fails when the nut behind the trigger is out of adjustment.

With modern powders and bullets the 30-06 is truly better than ever. Until you get up to Cape Buffalo, there is no NEED for anything else. Truth is, that you can say the same for lots of rounds but the 30-06 is a great balance of power and shootability while being the most popular round in just about every corner of the whole world. There is nowhere that you can find shooting supplies that you can't find the 30-06.

Buddy wound up with a problem getting his rifle into Africa in 2012 and ended up hunting plains game with a loaner 760 pump and 180 RN .
He will tell you that its the beat trip Jes ever had.

Over the years I've been blessed to be able to play with a variety of different big game cartridges. For the first 20+ years I used a 7mm "shoot 'em again" RM. Because big game tended to drop at the shot or go no more than a few steps, I had no idea I was using a totally inadequate, shoulder-busting cartridge.

Fast forward to 2006, when I acquired my first .30-06, or 2014 when I reduced the number of 30-06 rifles in the safe back to three. As with the 7mm RM, game dropped quickly

When Daughter #2 got married, her husband got a .30-06 as a wedding present. It looks like Daughter #1 will be getting married this summer and her husband will also receive a .30-06 as a wedding gift. We hunt antelope, deer and elk and, based on experience, I see no reason to go bigger.

Like a gunsmith buddy said, 'there isn't much you can't do with a 180 grain bullet at 2700 fps. Just don't tell anybody about that."

do you think 6 30-06s are too many?

no such thing as to many or to much fun jrhweldon

Lol when you absolutely need a low ballistic coefficient bullet along with heavy recoil and inefficient use of gunpowder...30/06

That was mean.....

How does so much stuff get killed with it?

Sure it will kill. Can use a sledgehammer on flies if you want to.

That's the smell!

mj what have you used for most of your hunting?