Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game "The 30-06 is obsolete!"

Old and/or antiquated but not even close to being obsolete

From the Merriam - Webster Dictionary:
Obsolete: No longer in use or no longer useful...
Obviously not :-)

Well, to alleviate your pain, you can't donate that obsolete rifle to my obsolete rifle museum which at this time in history has 6 30-06s which would gladly accept a new member to their group. They're good friend with some 7x57 as well as they remember their daddy.
Paul B.

I play with quite a few cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the might .416 Rigby. When I go on a hunt though, regardless of what big game (deer & elk) and regardless of what cartridge I'm playing with, a 30-06 always comes along as a back up to whatever I'm hunting with, even if it's another 30-06. Obsolete? My aching rear end.
Been playing a lot with that even more obsolete round, the 7x57. Might even take it on an elk hunt.
Paul B.

I've only hunted elk with a .30-06 three or four times. So far they have only accounted for three elk. Clearly a poor option.

.30-06 isn't obsolete and works fine. It is fairly poorly designed by modern standards, but then again there was a lot we didn't know about interior ballistics back then. If done over, it would be shorter, with a steeper blown out shoulder and higher MAP. Coincidentally, that's what the .308 is.

300 whelen is as good as things get! that is my thoughts and i will stick to it.

Hmm. Quoting myself. Weird.

Add wolf and grizzly to the list for this spring:


Guy

Guy

VERY nice, even tho I'm jealous I'd still say Well Done !

Jerry

I'm calling BULL on that!! The 08 is in the 06s DUST !

Jerry

Not by much Jerry. Not by much.

Mike -

If you're not the lead dog,

The view never changes.

Jerry

Higher MAP, perhaps. Shorter and fatter with a steeper shoulder, not necessarily. In fact, it could end up pretty much as it is now. It is interesting that the "poorly designed".30-06 is one of the most used cartridge cases for necking up and down. The .25-06, 6.5-06, .270 Win, .280 Rem, .338-06 and .35 Whelen are among the most popular offspring but there are others. This throwback to a 111 year-old design remains among the most popular cartridges, particularly for hunting purposes.

The .30-06 fills a "niche" so large it is inappropriate to call it a "niche". I won't claim it is the most useful cartridge but I don't know of any cartridge that deserves the title more.

If the 06 is obsolete then give me obsolete.

The .30-06 eats the dust of the various .300 magnums so where does it end?

Yes it does, but this discussion is about the 06 being or NOT obsolete.

The 300 WM is one of my favorites but the 30-06 is an icon.

Jerry

Well, we know it's nowhere near obsolete.

DANG - I'm a junk collector - with six '06's.
I hope I can still buy ammo or components - they may be unobtainable!

I used to hunt with a 300 wby mag, but now I use the 30-06. Got maybe 10 or 12 of them.

Ab-so-posi-lute- ly ! !

For me -- there are 2 cartridges that COULD BE "all round", "do it all" rifles.

The 30-06 and the 7mm RM -- IMO, can easily be used for everything from Antelope, Mtn Goat, Deer,
Elk, Moose and Bears.

I really like too many cartridges. I'm not too much on the smaller rounds for larger game.
I really appreciate the 300 WM but the 06 & 7RM are so capable and dependable hunting rounds....
I'd HATE to have to choose between them for 1 rifle. I'm glad I don't have to choose.

I use the 270 W more than any other but I'd choose 1 of the other 2 for ONE rifle for everything.

I honestly don't see how the 06 could be considered obsolete.

Jerry