Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why Do Folks Call the 30/06 Boring?

It's cousins (270, 280, 308 etc) are never branded boring so why the 30/06?

Because it's been around for so damn long and we've all had one. Kind of like the neighbor girl that makes her rounds..

The 30-06 is like driving a 4 door sedan. It gets the job done but most of the time it's bigger than needed. Yes, I have owned a couple, years ago.

For YEARS I had no desire to even mess with one. After messing around a bit with the 200+ grain stuff and newer powders I’m a little more excited to hunt and shoot mine.

To justify their feeling of superiority.
Because they use a newer round that isn't much different.
But because THEY use it it's better.

"30-06 is just sooooo boring. Not worth a crap really.
I, ME, #1, use a 270, 280, 33-06 35Whelen......
to hunt deer, bear, elk. Out to 250 yards!
It does soooooo much better."


It is the boring baseline.
But consider that.


Flatter,
Faster,
Bigger hole,
Than the 30-06

People try to justify their choice by telling you what it does better
than the Old Warhorse.


The funniest is something like a 338 Federal,
Or the 30TC.

"As good as the 30-06!"


Well?
They fizzled out in less than 20 years.
Actually they never ever burned bright.

The old stalwart?
115 years old.
And still a standard chambering in sutible guns.

Strangely enough, I bought my first one in 2020 after swearing I would never own one - childhood biases from those I was around led me to those vows.

Then, I came across a DEAL on a rifle I had been wanting for quite some time... problem, that danged ol’ caliber. I bit anyway - and turns out, I love it!

Its kinda like a 350 Chevy. There are several mothers out there ( 283 & 327 Etc) and there are bigger more powerful mothers as well (427 & 454 and such) but its hard to go wrong with a 350

Probably because it's so darn old. The marketing guru's are always harping on all that's "new and improved" and that older stuff is just gonna become relics, Right? When I was real young back in the 1950's I can recall old timers talking about the "aught-six" and in my childish ignorance I thought it must have been some kind of super powerful dangerous game cartridge or something. So its had a good reputation for so long that its competitors just have to promote themselves in any manner possible even if it incudes bad mouthing one of the old classics. " A .30-06 ?.... Nah; Maybe grandpa liked it but we got something better right here on the rack"..... And so goes the marketing & sales hype. Funny part of it all is that with modern powders & bullets the old .30-06 is better than ever but old stereotypes still persist.

Col. Townsend Whelen once said, "The 30-06 is never a mistake."I think he he was right.
Paul B.

The 30 '06 is easily the most versatile cartridge commonly available. There are numerous cartridges that will accomplish some tasks slightly better than the 30 '06 but none that will match it for all around performance.

It can be loaded with heavy bullets for large or dangerous game.

It can be handloaded to make reduced loads for beginners and still be an effective hunting tool at moderate range.

It handles cast bullets well.

Lighter, modern bullet designs allow velocities and trajectories that nearly match the .270, 280AI, 7mm Rem, 300 win mag etc. to ranges beyond what most hunters can utilize.

Factory ammo is available anywhere you can purchase ammo in a wider selection than any other cartridge.

It can be housed in nearly every rifle design and is chambered by all manufacturers.

A wide variety of reloading components work suitably, thus giving flexibility when shortages occur.

I am sure there are other attributes I have neglected to mention. Use what makes you happy. I enjoy using some rare, uncommon and obsolete cartridges but would never suggest anything is BETTER than a 30 '06.



sorry... not a gun writer so I rarely respond in this area of the forum. All of the above has certainly been stated previously by others whose writing I have enjoyed over the years

It would become MAGIC if they changed its name to 30 creedmoor !!

Extremely effective round but every body and his brother has one.
GreggH

That pig sure does blend in to its surroundings.

No surprises, which makes it boring.

Just does what it's always done.

I don't know why for sure, but I have 3. I have a count of 1 for each of the other calibers I have. I haven't used a 30-06 for a few years trying to learn more about the other calibers, but the quickest elk kill I had was with the 30-06.

Nowadays it is a tweener round. So many people trying to shoot as small of cartridge as possible to take animals to those with large cases shooting long distance.

One thing about it a person can never go wrong with a 30-06.

I've had one since I was 12. I've used every bullet weight conceivable. I even have some old 250gr barnes originals on hand. I just keep them to say I have them and you can't find them anymore. As for heavies, I love the 200gr partition. They sure do work well on deer and elk. Complete pass thrus and drt's. I've never tried the 212's you've been messing with, but I'm sure they are great bullets in the ol 06. I know all of mine have really liked the 200gr partition. For the longest time I believed the 165gr bullet was the perfect bullet weight too. This was written by many gun writers back in the 90's and I tried them and only used them for years. One of my favorite pills was the 165gr SP interlock. Extremely accurate and great on critters. But after switching to the 200 pt, I don't think I'll go back to a 165..

Oh please, if the 06 is boring then the 308 must be cold stone dead. Both are great cartridges

Or the 30 Whelen!

It's called boring because it is boring....

Boringly effective, boringly efficient, boringly deadly on most any critter short of BG and would do a job on most of them with the right bullet.

Old, not some hot new roll out, so not much press, not much excitement.

And who wants to be seen with such a curmudgeon of a round...? Well, me for one. One old curmudgeon toting another old curmudgeon. Sorta grow on each other.

DF

They call the .30-06 boring because they've drank the Creedmore/Grendel Kool-aid. The .30-06 is as capable0 a cartridge now as when it was designed, those in the know will continue to use it as other cartridges come and go.