Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 30-06 is still a great cartridge

I would have to add a .22 rifle to that and then I could completely agree!

And you could insert a dozen other cartridges in the 30-06's place, including Campfire favorite, the 270 Win.

Who the heck ever said the 270Win is the “Campfire favorite” ??


Now you’re just talking crazy talk! 😂

There's this thing called sarcasm

I'm not sure what you consider reasonable shooting distance, but I shot a doe at 406 yards, and she dropped like a fat boy on a sea-saw. I was shooting a custom built 30-06 springfield. load was 165grn Nosler Accubond over 58gns of H4350 in win brass lit with win primer. Muzzle vel was 2850ish FPS.

That combo in a 30-06 is a stone cold killer on anything I've pointed it at. Never failed to fetch anything I sent it after.

“That combo in a 30-06 is a stone cold killer on anything I've pointed it at. Never failed to fetch anything I sent it after.”


Same could be said with similar load in a 308 Win. They are more similar in every way than different. No knock on the 30-06.

Yeah but the -06 is more powder capacity. As my dad used to say about engines, there is no substitute for more cubic inches.
Who doesn't like an extra 100-150fps?

Right On! Never could understand why someone would want a slower round? Oh wait, most claim the short action is better. Lol

Agreed

Blacktailer,

The version I like is, "There is no replacement for displacement."

However, there's another factor in the .308/.30-06 comparison--recoil. The .308 gets around 5% less velocity that the .30-06 with around 20% less recoil.

TNRifleman,

I also prefer another version of that thought as well, from Townsend Whelen:
"The .30-06 is never a mistake."

Believe he was referring to North American big game, since he never hunted in Africa. But the African PH I have hunted most with killed around 500 Cape buffalo with a .30-06 and 180-grain Partitions, during culling on a big ranch in what was then Rhodesia, as other ranch workers pushed herds in his direction.

That one is close.

Jerry

Mule Deer posted a load years ago that I used in my 30-06’s that would push 150 grain TTX to 3050fps. I could have gotten more. But it was super accurate. I used H4350. Not sure you could do that with a 308.

I’ve said it before, and will say it again. Chevy 350 small block = 30-06 Springfield. They just work.

Same bullet in 308 Win with 49 gr of BL(C)2 gives about 2,960 fps, not much difference. As Mule Deer stated earlier all with 20% less recoil and my guess is better accuracy on average in a 308 Win cartridge. Again, no knock on the 30-06 just trying to indicate their pretty similar in ability in the hunting fields.

Until you want to use big bullets, like 200 grain Noslers....

Thats why I own a 338 Win as my next step up. However don’t sell the 308 Win short at hurling 200 gr bullets at 2,450 fps. It will produce nice kills on very large game out there at 250 yards. Very similar to the 358 Win with 225 gr and 250 gr loads. I think Mule Deer wrote an article in which he described many opinions on the 308 Win as the Rodney Dangerfield of cartridges. Never gets much respect, just kills game neatly without much fanfare.

I own a 338 Win Mag, and have used it extensively. It works just fine. Big Bears, Elk, Deer and Coyotes. But the 30-06 does to. The 308 is a great cartridge. But the 30-06 loaded to its potential is far and away a better round. The bullets today have changed how we view what’s enough. I think the 30-06 is perfect. I wouldn’t hesitate to use a 30-06 on a tundra Grizzly Bear. The right bullet = a dead bear. Just my opinion, and I’ve hunted them 4 times and killed 3 of them.

Well....... that's not too far from a 170 gr bullet from a 30-30


Give me an 06, thank you.


Jerry

True but with that logic why do we have 300WM, 300Bee, 300RUM, etc.
Besides, any time recoil is a factor, you can always load down but when you need it you can't load up.
No knock on the 308, my wife shoots one but I prefer the -06 in all cases.

Yeah Jerry they are pretty close a .308 Spitzer out of the 308 WCF at 2,450 fps has more energy at 200 yards than the 30-30 WCF 170 FP at 2,200 has at the muzzle. At 250 yards the 308 WCF maintains 1,960 fps, 8" of drop and 1,700 ft-lbs of energy. Of course the 30-30 WCF is close by at 250 yards with 1,330 fps, 14" of drop and 690 ft-lbs of energy. Yep two peas in a pod. C'mon man.