Convince me otherwise! Just seems like all the newer chamberings over the years are trying to be what the good ol 30-06 always has been .... versatile and dependable as a chambering can be. I’ll never turn my back on the 06!

Within reasonable shooting distances the 30-06 is very hard to beat.I'd venture to guess most game is shot inside 200yds.At that distance and even beyond that a bit,The 30-06 hangs with the best of them.Wide range of powder and bullet choices makes the 30-06 a true winner.

Came home from the GS this past Saturday with my very first 30-06, I'm 65, is it too late to learn????

Really nice Weatherby Vanguard.....

Came with the Box and the factory 3 shot, 100yd target........ 2 holes touching, he did pull one though. Still, 3/4" out of the box ain't bad....


https://imgur.com/9dPMqcA

Prepare to be burned and crucified.....

I believe you're right. On top of that, most of that game is deer. So for the most part of the most part why do folks use as much power as a 30-06 provides when something like a 7mm08 or 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 Rem is plenty?

He's trolling for contrary views, so I ginned up one for him.

I got my first at age 62 or63, though likely I will never use it. I’ve loaded 30-06’s for friends and relatives for over 50 years.....yet never owned one. This rifle has been scoped, a load developed, and it’s sitting comfortably in the gun safe as a loner for friends or relatives, should it need to be put into service! memtb

Before anyone says something stupid, be aware the last 300 rounds or so that I've fired have been 30-06.

I have issues with recoil headaches so I load it like a 30-30 plus a little bit. But dinking around with different loads is fun and since it will kill nearly anything out there within 200 or 300 yards then the b.c. doesn't even matter and that nice big 30 caliber wound channel should do the job just fine.

Plus brass and bullets are everywhere and cheap. I have changed my opinion on this one

I've been doing some "300 Savage equivalent" experimentation among other things.

There is a reason that everything else is compared to it. It has been the standard for over 100 years. Besides, anyone who doesn't own at least one is probably a communist.

I've done some guiding for deer hunts.Many of those involve kids with small calibers and adults too shooting 270 Win or smaller.Sometimes it's very hard to positively tell if the deer is hit.A lot of times those hits are not well placed either and don't leave blood on the spot or not too much later either.Anybody that has ever hunted in the thick thorny bush of South Texas knows it's no fun looking either.I've never had to question whether a deer was hit with a 270 Win and larger.

From what I've seen with a 260 Rem and 125 gr. Partitions on deer, if a good hit can't be assessed with that combination it would take more than a 30-06 to resolve the issue for that particular deer.

I've repeatedly read the 06 is the most popular, most widely used cartridge in the world. I've used one on and off since 1972. A superb, do it all cartridge. What's not to like?

I agree with you.

ATST for some hunters, who are NOT loonys, and don't or won't have multiple rifles for larger game....

The 'venerable' 06 is a great round for deer --------> Moose. Maybe a guy is only going to hunt Elk a few Xs or
Moose a few Xs or Grizzly ONCE then the 06 makes a great choice.


Jerry

I've been thinking along that line. I've have said before, " I feel it's UN American NOT to own an 06 "


I plan to start a Thread Titled, "The Most American Cartridge". I'll do it now.

Jerry

Hee Hee. "Jack of all trades, master of none."

I've never owned one. Likely never will.

If I were to lay down the cash for an opportunity at a trophy elk, I'd want more than a 30-06.

For deer, hogs, and antelope, IMHO, the better BC of any of the 30-06's smaller-bored offspring, 25-06, 6.5-06, 270 Win, or 280 Rem, would be my preference.

And, for just sheer accuracy potential, I'd chose a 308 Win over the 30-06 any day.

Not saying the 30-06 wouldn't work, or that there aren't very accurate 30-06s out there. But 30-06 just wouldn't be my first choice for anything.

Load the 'ol 06 up with 165 grainers and IMR 4350 and go forth and kill stuff. Just one of the many loads that make the .30-06 a great round that has stood the test of time.

I pity you!

rabst,

Off the top of my head can think of 14 species of big game my wife and I have taken with the .30-06, pronghorns, whitetails, mule deer, caribou, bighorn sheep, black bear, elk, gemsbok, red hartebeest, kudu, blue wildebeest, red stag, feral goats and pigs, and no doubt some I've forgotten. Among mine were one of my biggest caribou at 450 yards, one of my biggest mule deer at almost 400, and my biggest bull elk at 250.

Now, we have taken quite a bit of other big game with dozens of cartridges ranging from the .22-250 up, but there isn't one I can think of that wouldn't have died pretty quickly when shot in the same place with a boring old 180-grain bullet from the .30-06, and that includes Cape buffalo.

As with boring old fixed-power scope, rifle loonies these days often think nit-picky details about cartridges, rifles and scopes make far more difference than they actually do. What does make a big difference is good bullets put in the right place.

The 30-06 needs no promoting.
If you travel to hunt, and your ammo doesn't show up you can usually find ammo for it anywhere in the world.

As JY Jones did in his book, One Man, One Rifle, One Land (I have if on my coffee table) he killed every species of North American big game with his Remington ADL in 30-06 with mostly 165 gr handloads, he did use 180s on occasion when merited for larger game. As I recall, he even had to have his rifle barrel trimmed back an inch or so when it wasn't shooting right. His scope was rudimentary by today's standard and I do think he replaced it once during his odyssey.

This is spot on.

Tradition dies hard in the rifle world, and that is what keep the 30-06 going. With modern powders and modern bullets, there is always a better cartridge than the 30-06 for any chosen application. People are free to shoot whatever makes them happy, and if that is the 30-06, then more power to them. But please spare us the "30-06 is the best cartridge" pablum.

JMHO

My first centerfire rifle was a 30-06. Had a choice between a Parker Hale Safari with way too much Euro influence for me, and a 700 BDL. The Remington got the nod. Ammo was cheap and easy to find. Shot out a couple of scopes. Would've been a good choice if I lived somewhere with moose and big bears.

My nieces new husband has been packing around a hand-me-down iron-sighted & butchered ariska and has decided to join the 21st century. He asked me what cartridge should he choose for the new rifle.

I told him to walk down the ammo aisle of his favorite sporting goods store and figure out the top 3 cartridges based on bullet weight offerings and vendor offerings. He reported back:

1. .30-06
2. 308 Win
3. 6.5 Creedmoor

I'm meeting him at the range this weekend with hunting rifles for all 3 on his list for him to shoot and get a feel for.

Both my 30-06's wear 4X scopes. That's the way my grandpa always did it. His Husqvarna 30-06 always wore a Leupold 4X. My dad on the other hand always had a 3-9X on his 7600 Carbine. My Grandpa even took pronghorn with just his 4x scope on the Husky 30-06. I guess that kind of swayed me in his direction. I have made my longest shot to date, a 300 yarder, on a buck with a 760 Gamemaster 30-06 and a Bushnell 4X scope.

I have four, my favorite next to a 7 mag. The 7 mag really ain’t no better.

Funny thing you should mention Husky 30-06. I just had a Husqvarna 640 barreled action D and T'd for a scope and bedded into a stock I had laying around. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet as die to a car crash my doc has forbidden me to shoot anything harder kicking than my .223 Rem. He's afraid it my worsen the damage on my fractured sternum. Looks I'll have to wait probably another 4 to 6 weeks before I can pull trigger on that one.
Paul B.

I have used a 243 and 338 along with starting out with a 308. I learned through field autopsies that all modern can and will cause chest cavities to turn to jelly. The 06 became my round of choice as I have loaded from the 125 to 220 but usually just keep 180s in my ammo storage. Pronghorn, mulie, whitetail and elk have all dropped on one shot, though the last elk took 2. As a bonus I have also learned to use plastic sabots to turn it into a 223 on steroids, the 30*06 remains a very interesting round.

I had a 30-06 a lot of years ago and never shot it. If I needed a big gun I took my 308. Have a 30-06 I inherited in 1995 now and finally starte using it about 4 yrs ago. It's my elk rifle! Wouldn't bother me one bit to load it up with 200gr bullet's and use it for Moose and Grizzly Bear. Eleanor O'Connor had killed one elephant in her life. According to Jack, she did it with a 30-06.

"Within reasonable shooting distances", are you kidding? A 30/06 can drive 200 grain bullets in excess of 2700 fps. When this is done from a modern short magnum, this is a long range, killing machine. Why, from a 30/06, is it suddenly a limited performer?
Now, while I believe everyone should confine their shots to reasonable distances, to call the 30/06 "limited" in this regard is just silly.
My 6.5 Creedmoor will drive a 140 to just over 2700 and this is considered to be a fine long range combo. My 30/06 will drive a 185 100fps faster but it's "limited". A 270 drives 150's in the mid-2900's. A 30/06 does the same thing with 165's.
150TTSX's at 3050 fps will shoot flat and kill anything. The 30/06 isn't just versatile and it's not a compromise; it's a damn fine cartridge. GD

If memory serves me correctly, he switched scopes when his rifle began grouping erratically. That didn't fix it and the problem was discovered to be a bulge in the barrel under the front site. He had the barrel shortened and I believe put the original scope back on to finish his quest.

"Greatness" is a matter of definition, and some folks will define it in different ways then others.

If greatness is a function of a cartridge having the ability to preform the most missions well, I would say the 30-06 is the greatest cartridge ever made and is likely to stay that way.

Any other cartridge that would duplicate it's versatility would shoot a bullet of the same SDs and BCs, and the same weights from smallest to largest, at the same velocity, and cover the same ground, to do all the same things. And playing "new guy" and being equal to the "old guy" with a 114 year head start in the race gives ZERO chance of winning that race.

There are those that love to say the old 30-06 does nothing perfectly.

Well I would disagree, but lets say just for the sake of this argument they were right.

Ok.............show me a single shell out there that does it ALL better ------with the same or better bore life -------and the same or less recoil ---------in a the same weight or lighter weight rifle!


In other words a shell that does 30 things 85% well is greater (to my way of thinking) then a shell that does 3 things 100% perfectly well, but is lacking in bore life, user friendliness, or ease of carry, and has even sight disadvantages in the other 27 things.

I own eight '06's, from lightweight skinny 6½ pound Mauser sporter up to and including a 14 pound bull barrel Type-S Springfield target rifle, with stops along the way for pre-64 M70's and other products of the old Springfield Armory. I load everything from 150 grain cast plain based bullets at 1100fps up to full snort 220 jacketeds (on occasion, mainly for use in the bull gun) and everything in between. The loads match the rifle du jour and the purpose at hand. Pretty darn versatile, and good for anything from backyard tin cans through Cape Buffalo, as Mule Deer said (although there aren't many Cape Buffalos left in my neck of the woods). Like Mathman, I load the '06 down to heavy .30-30/light .300 Savage levels to tame the bite of the little Mauser-- its light weight+very narrow butt plate makes for harsh pain in my neck and shoulder when fired with factory-level stuff-- and the deer I've killed with it failed the breathing test when shot with it. What's not to like about the venerable .30-06??

.308Win - real world ballistics are just as good and in a shorter action, making it better.

So you think the 308 will fire 180 190 200 and 220 grain bullets "just as good" as the 30-06?
Please show me how.

In my 50+ years of being a gunsmith and a hunter, a shooter, I have never seen one 308 I would rate as "better" then a 30-06 of equal quality workmanship. Not one.

I do not say the 308 is not an excellent shell. It is---------- and I have owned and used many of them. I have killed game with them from squirrels to elk and use the round in military designation to fight with. I agree the 308 is extremely good.

But the 308 are absolutely not better, and neither is a short action. Short actions are not in any way "better" ----unless it's an auto, pump or lever action and in some cases not even then. As good in the best cases---- but never better.

Besides, the post is about cartridges specifically. Not guns.
As an example an FN-FAL is a better rifle to fight with as compared to a Ruger #1 in 30-06 ----but that is NOT an argument of one cartridge over another. That's more about tactics which can be employed with one type of rifle that can't be used with the other. the cartridge is not really central to that comparison.

The .30/06 is never a bad choice for hunting.

Mine is currently shooting 220 grains. Maybe this fall I'll go with 130s.

-Jake

Every cartridge is a compromise, some too big, some too small, some too much recoil, some not enough range, some "not enough gun" - with the 30-06, you compromise less than any other choice. 100 years and counting, just about perfect for anything!

No argument here. Arguably the most sensible cartridge for a Mainah to use on large whitetail, moose, and black bear in cover and/or to reasonable distances.

Hmm. Lots of qualifiers there!

Suffice it to say that, for those of us that don't live in elk/bear/moose country, and for whom the opportunity to hunt any of the above incurs a significant financial commitment (out-of-state license fees, travel expenses, +/- guide and lodging expenses, time off work), barrel life and recoil are likely not foremost on our minds [and rifle weight is, likewise, of minimal concern, and, of course, varies widely]. Given even the remote possibility of having to take a quartering shot at 300 yards or more at a 400 class bull elk (yep, I know, dreaming!), versus maybe passing on the shot and hoping for a better angle, I can easily think of a half dozen or more .30 cal-plus rifles I'd rather be toting.

Similarly, for hunting the much smaller-bodied pronghorn antelope, or south Texas white tail, or even Axis, deer (yep, we have them here), for which a projectile weighing over about 140 grains is, in my estimation, wholly unnecessary, I can think of a number of rifle cartridges that are better suited. YMMV.

Punching holes in paper at 100 yards, or ringing gongs at 1000 yards? I'm pretty sure the 30-06 doesn't win any popularity contests there either. There are better choices.

Isn't your name really Pabst ?


Jerry

f**king A and if you asked one, he'd say, he sure would like too. I have 1st year 700 ADL and M110 Savage, 8 Springfields 03 & 03 A3 like them all even the 2 made into a 300 Win Mag and the other a 308 Norma Mag and a lone 1917 Eddystone. They work every time on everything. The magazine on 03's are the tits, they flawlessly will feed even empty cases. 2, 4,5 grooves don't make a damn they shoot. The best part is all you gotta do is hang out at your favorite gun shop and some damn fool will bring one in to trade for some wonder rifle and you get his Springfield that his grandpa or someone else sporterized for only a couple of hundred bucks. I rate a 30-06 right up there with mom ,apple pie, the girl next door and just looking at Old Glory flapping in the breeze. I've got Hunter and H4350 165 gr bullets as well as a pile of 200 gr NPT's and RL-19 & 22. Don't need to wonder about it JB and Phil S. all ready done the ground work on this. MB

Ha!

Nope, I was actually a Lone Star guy, back in the day. Nowadays, Shiner Bock.

[quote=szihn]So you think the 308 will fire 180 190 200 and 220 grain bullets "just as good" as the 30-06?
Please show me how.

In my 50+ years of being a gunsmith and a hunter, a shooter, I have never seen one 308 I would rate as "better" then a 30-06 of equal quality workmanship. Not one.

I do not say the 308 is not an excellent shell. It is---------- and I have owned and used many of them. I have killed game with them from squirrels to elk and use the round in military designation to fight with. I agree the 308 is extremely good.

But the 308 are absolutely not better, and neither is a short action. Short actions are not in any way "better" ----unless it's an auto, pump or lever action and in some cases not even then. As good in the best cases---- but never better.

Besides, the post is about cartridges specifically. Not guns.
As an example an FN-FAL is a better rifle to fight with as compared to a Ruger #1 in 30-06 ----but that is NOT an argument of one cartridge over another. That's more about tactics which can be employed with one type of rifle that can't be used with the other. the cartridge is not really central to that comparison.
-------------------------------------------

That's something else I like about you !!

The 308 is NOT as good as 30-06 !

308 is a 30-06 WANNABE !!

Jerry

I don't remember who said this " everything you need, nothing you don't ". Maybe Bill Jordan about the S&W K- frame. I think it applies to the .30-06 also, it's been getting it done for 114 years.
By the way, without the .30-06 there would not be a .270.

30-06 > 308

YES it is Mike.


Jerry

OR 308.


Jerry

Just as good = second best. Shorter action, having trouble puling back that last 3/8th of an inch? or the extra 1/4 # of weight hard to carry?

....................I for one will never try and talk someone out of a 30-06. And the reason is, is because there is no need to. It has always done what has been needed within most hunting ranges.

Offers a great selection of bullet weights for any occasion, 110 gr up to 220s and even a little heavier which are available. Nothing to complain about.

BUT!....It is bland, it is generic and imo and if me, not the likeliest candidate for either extended range hunting, extended range steel boink 'n or paper punch 'n .........

If one like me can handle increased recoil, and strictly from a ballistic and trajectory standpoint, I would take a 30 Nosler, a 300 PRC, a 300 Win, a 300 WSM or a 300 Wby vs the good 'ol 30-06.

Yeah I know! You can walk into any ma and pa gun store, into any gun store and get 30-06 ammo.

Too common. Too generic. Too bland. Too boring..........."Whatcha shoot 'n there?" A 30-06!.....Oh ok...........YAWN!.................lol

I get a kick out of guys who call whatever cartridge "boring". Critters don't know or give a damn what cartridge you use to kill them. Dead critters on the ground ain't boring and the '06 will put them there about as regularly as can be.

Me too. Found a pic of my most boring combination, which made me anything but bored. 1957 Rem 721 in .06, an old Loopy 3-9, green box 165s.
Not boring!

shinbone,

Evidently you missed 458Win's signature line: "Anyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship."

You may not know who 458Win is. If you don't, I can fill you in--but for now will just say that he's an Alaskan Master Guide who has used more than one .30-06 to stop charging brown bears. Is it is his favorite cartridge for the the job? No, that's the .458 Winchester. But he is quite happy to guide brown bear clients (and he has regularly been getting them BIG bears for decades) who choose to bring a .30-06. That's because, based on long experience, he's pretty sure they'll shoot well--unlike some of the clients he's guided who bring rifles in more "appropriate" cartridges.

30-06 is a great round. I have killed a pile of critters with it and the 165 NBT. But, IMO, bullets have gotten better and its really not needed anymore for deer size critters. I havent shot anything with a 30-06 in about 15 years. Still have one, just dont hunt with it anymore. I will probably never be without one, but never say never.

..................................Well I am thrilled that ya got a kick from my last post....Well of course critters do not give a damn what cartridge is used to kill them as you say.....My post mentioned nothing about CRITTERS or turning living things into dead things!

Us rifle/cartridge geeks, as you obviously are referring to me, prefer flatter shooting rounds with better downrange velocities and energies. Does that offend you? OH WELL!

As far as the boring, bland, generic and common part? In terms of conversation,,,,, IT IS!

And don't tell me that I care more about making a fashion statement than I do about dead critters.......Any of my preferred (fashion statement) cartridges will work just as good and better than the 'ol 30-06 for taking care of the CRITTERS!!!!........The term "fashion statement" YOU COINED in this case..... NOT ME!

However, you are entitled to your knee jerk and wrong opinions.

"As with boring old fixed-power scope, rifle loonies these days often think nit-picky details about cartridges, rifles and scopes make far more difference than they actually do."

Oh, WTH do you know?

Until I got on these kind of forums maybe 20 years ago, had no idea so many hunters looked down their noses at the Ought Six.

Years ago I acquired a minty US Remington 1903 sporter for cheap. Liked how it looked and handled, beautiful walnut stock, decent job of redoing it. Figure that had taken place back in the 1950s?

Put a 60s vintage K4 Weaver on it and killed some deer. Seldom use it these days, but two grandsons have borrowed it at various times. Both have killed deer with it. One is primarily a bow hunter and keeps telling me he is getting his own rifle. But each fall he'll call and want to know if I still have that old 30-06 and can he still borrow it in rifle season? Yep and yep.

In the thirty years I've had it and the boys have used it, every deer that ever came up in them skinny cross hairs, died when the trigger was squeezed. Killed my heaviest buck ever with it back in '93. One shot, drama over. I favor other cartridges, but there ain't a thing wrong with that cartridge. Given the price of more modern ammo, one can still pick up a box of 150gr soft points for less than $16 and have a pretty good chance of taking game with them.

Amazing to me, that a nearly perfect big game cartridge was designed for other purposes 117 years ago and is still going strong.

Amen! The 30-06 can always get it done...

Good man, finally coming to your senses... Gave up on the stubby wanna be huh? Where is Brad anyway?

Mule Deer - Just to clarify, I never said the 30-06 is not an effective or otherwise good cartridge. I have indeed noted 458Win's signature line many times. No doubt he is in the top 0.01% of skilled hunters and guides in North America, and probably higher than that. That he will let a client hunt a brown bear with a 30-06 says more about his level of backing skills than about the cartridge, itself. And I still say that the pull of tradition is strong in the rifle community, but tradition is not the same as rational thought for making a cartridge choice.

Again, I am not saying the 30-06 is a bad or ineffective cartridge. If the only cartridge in existence was the 30-06, I would happily go forth and hunt everything up to elk with it. All I am saying is that especially with modern bullets, it is no longer the best cartridge, as so many traditionalist claim. Modern bullets, especially all-copper bullets like the Barnes and Hammer bullets have caused the 30-06 to be supplanted by the .308Win, the 7mm-08, the 270Win, and probably a few others. Such cartridges will kill an elk just as well with an all-copper bullet as the 30-06, and will do so in a smaller/lighter/faster/flatter shooting package and with less recoil. And, those cartridges will not be unnecessary overkill on smaller animals like whitetail deer and antelope. If a person prefers tradition over "smaller/lighter/faster/flatter shooting package and with less recoil", then that is their choice, but that is getting back to the "tradition over rational thought" point, and certainly doesn't make the 30-06 the best cartridge.

If a person wants to hunt big bears, then unquestionably there are many better cartridges than the 30-06. For a start, I think most experienced big bear hunters would say a .338WM is a preferable minimum. And the number of people who will actually hunt big bears is a tiny fraction of the hunting community. That the 30-06 can be pressed into service on a bear hunt with a good guide backing you up I don't believe is relevant to the majority of North American hunters, nor is it necessarily an indication of a great cartridge.

If a person wants to hunt with a 30-06, then more power to him. But liking a cartridge, or that it has been around over a hundred years, is not the same as it still being the "best" cartridge.

And for all those that are now going to line up to say a Barnes TSX/TTSX failed them on their last elk hunt, please note that there are plenty of failure of lead bullets, too.

JMHO.

Nah. I have 100 pieces of virgin Lapua 308's and a box of Bergers ready to be assembled.

My signature line pretty well explains my view on the .30-06.

Got my first in 2006 after doing without since I started big game hunting in 1982. Currently have three.

What can they do that my other rifles cannot? Nothing.

What can my other rifles do that a .30-06 cannot? Not much.

But as an all-around one-gun solution, the .30-06 is still hard to beat.

So if I'm reading this right with the Barnes mono bullets the 270, 7mm-08, and 308 have all taken a quantum leap forward in performance thus rivaling the 30-06. But the 30-06 evidently gains nothing from these all copper projectiles and therefore cannot outpace these smaller cartridges? So in essence it's a draw between the 30-06 and the lesser cartridges?
LMAO!
The worst part is this guy is actually serious!
Do people even think about what they post before they send it?

Of course the 30-06 benefits from all the technology improvements. That seems so obvious I didn't think it needed to be explicitly stated. Sorry for not being clearer.

The point is, with the technology improvements, all cartridges got better. Now, the aforementioned cartridges function really well on elk on down to antelope, etc. And, the 30-06 is overkill in an unnecessarily heavy package. If folks want the heavy rifle overkill, that is their prerogative. But, that doesn't mean it is still the best tool for the job.

I am not trying to convince anyone who loves shooting their 30-06 to change to a different cartridge. All I am saying is that the 30-06 is no longer the best cartridge for the majority of hunters.

I think I've explained my position well enough that people who are open-minded have enough info to understand my point. Whether they agree is up to them. The close-minded people will never try to understand what I am saying, so there is no point continuing to explain to them. Consequently, this is my last post on this thread. Thanks everyone for the interesting responses.

shinbone
you said above,

"And, the 30-06 is overkill in an unnecessarily heavy package. If folks want the heavy rifle overkill, that is their prerogative. But, that doesn't mean it is still the best tool for the job."


I've been in this thread all the way. I don't think anyone BUT YOU are saying the 06 is the BEST. O P title is
"the 06 is still a great cartridge""

I think YOU need more exposure to new rifles today. The 06 does NOT have to heavy.

MY 06 is lighter than my 6mm Rem. BOTH are Rem Model Sixes.


I weighed this AM my

T 3 Lite SS 270 Win --> 7lb 6oz
T 3X Lite SS 7 RM --> 7 lb 9 oz............with IDENTICAL scopes.

Jerry

Yes , it is a great round- better than ever. We are surrounded by selection that might duplicate the 30/06 but they have flaws as well.
Adequate for our interior Grizzlies, Moose , Elk and beyond .
Bullets have improved so incredibly much, it steps up every chambering and we often don't the heavy recoiling rifles of the past .
Bullets like the TSX, Swift, and Nosler PT changed the rules completely. The only problem with the Nosler Partition in the 70's is nobody could afford them.
We also thought- just get a bigger gun, it became a fad.
Like all fads they are poorly grounded.
The 30/06 is the gold standard now( and then), and is better than ever.

This should help!!!!

Why this old cartridge is still the best

30-06: Opinion: the 30-06 is dead

Best cartridge ever: the 30-06

Classic cartridges: Is the 30-06 Springfield all you need?

The truth about .30-06

The 30-06 Sucks??

30-06 Springfield, If you could only own one rifle cartridge

Five reasons why 30-06 Springfield is best

The 30-06 is still a "great" cartridge, even as subjective as "great" may be. As someone else stated, modern propellant and bullet improvements have improved it beyond what it was in the past. These same improvements have occurred across the board and thus narrowed the gap which existed in the past. Some cartridges benefitted more than others from all of the across the board improvements. Some just needed less "improving" than others. The amazing thing is that most criticisms of the 30-06 (and other cartridges) are not directed at what it is or what can be done with it; rather, they are directed at what it is not. That's why there are so many other choices.

shinbone,

"That he will let a client hunt a brown bear with a 30-06 says more about his level of backing skills than about the cartridge, itself.'' This quote from you has a bunch of implications.

One is that you firmly believe the .30-06 is incapable of killing brown bears.

Another is that somehow Phil Shoemaker allows brown bear clients to use what YOU consider an inadequate cartridge, because he can then get in on the action.

The last time Phil used "his level of backing skills" with a .30-06 to follow up a wounded bear, the client had wounded the bear with a larger cartridge. He is willing to take clients who use a .30-06 (or 7mm magnum or even a .270) because they generally shoot well (unlike many who use harder-kicking cartridges), and Phil personally knows the .30-06 will work fine on brown bears if the hunter shoots it well.

I stopped reading right here.^^^. John's post sums it up perfectly. Thank you.

I usually don’t hunt with the 06 anymore but I don’t think there is a much better round out there. I killed deer out to 300 yards with my encore 30-06 pistol. 150 pro hunter leaving at 2650 FPS was deadly. Nothing fancy or newfangled but very affective. Ed k

And in closing, I will simply say I have tried a lot of the "newer" cartridges , some larger, some shorter, some flatter shooting , many newer and more fashionable but I have yet to find one any " better" for all around hunting than the 30-06.

130's are actually great WT bullets. At 3,100 fps or so, they hit like a magnum, will exit a WT, leave a lot of destruction between holes.

And, isn't the 220 NPT one of the best penetrating loads for big stuff?

I don't think there is a more versatile round anywhere.

.308 will do pretty much the same thing until you get to the heavier bullets. '06 is the winner with heavies.

Someone said the 7RM was about the same. To me the only advantage would be with LR where it's a bit flatter. Killing stuff, not really much difference, IMO.

DF

I think after reading everyone’s responses i may just order me a new rifle later today in the good ol 30-06 ... my other 06 needs company!

R B

And I'm going to hunt my 06 this Fall. 2016 was the last season I hunted mine. Killed 3 or 4


Jerry

THAT is as GOOD a verification as can be had. mic drop !!


Jerry

Y'all made up my mind for me as to what this weekend's range session will entail. Two Springfields, a Garand, and a pile of various loads are cased and ready to go. Supposed to be sunny and cold enough to justify recoil absorbing winter coat padding. (We had a saying: "Shoot Garands in the summer and Springfields in the winter.") Heck, maybe I'll throw a pre-64 M70 into the mix for a "civilizing" influence on the rest!

Take a bath once in awhile and maybe you won't need to shoot your critters from so far away.

I've had four different ought sixes over the last 40 years, that I can think of right now. Once had a M760 that shot tighter groups than I'd previously thought possible with a pump. That one liked 150gr Speers over 57grs of IMR4350 and accounted for several; deer..

That load also worked pretty well when I got the US Rem. and took about a half dozen whitetails. Although the 150+ pound buck I killed with that rifle, was dropped with a 165gr Btip. A tenant had tried them in his 300 Weatherby and couldn't get them to shoot, so I got the rest of a box. Used the 150gr Speers in another ought six I picked up in a multi gun deal. Zastava "M98"action w/pencil barrel. Very light weight rifle, pounded hell outta my shoulder. Scoped, it barely weighed six pounds and had a very narrow "butt" profile.

Picked up a box of Sierra 125gr Pro Hunter bullets, was gonna work up a milder load for that shoulder killer and put a better butt pad on it, but sold the rifle. Doubt I'll ever be without at least one ought six in the pile?

.......lol...lol......That kind of reply the best u can do azz hole?....Well Blackee. My first hunting rifle at 11 years old was a 30-06. Had it for many years...U have a problem idiot?...Cuz your knee jerk made up assumptions were not based on anything I stated. U like pulling crap out of thin air
don't ya?......Now GFY....

I like the old '06. 59 grains of reloader 22 and a 180 grain speer hot cor is the load I use.

I had two .30-06s. In 2007 I bought a NIB Model 700 SPS at Academy. I bought it because I'd always wanted an 06 in my stable. I put a cheapo Nikon Prostaff 3-9X40 with BDC Reticle on it. It was a great combo. I recently up graded the scope to a Loopy VX-3i 3.5-10X40. Actually, the Nikon served me well but the Loopy seems just a little clearer and brighter but not by much. I ended up putting that Nikon on an AR. It's still a great scope. All I've done with the Remington 06 since changing scopes is sight it in. Not hunted with it yet. But it killed more than a few with the old Nikon Scope on it.

About 10 years back, about three years after I bought the Remington, I bought a 1988 year model tang safety Ruger Model 77 used from my favorite LGS. I think I killed a hog or two with it. It was a nice rifle, but seeing I couldn't use but one .30-06 at a time I had it rebarreled to a 9.3x63 Mauser. When I bought the rifle my idea was to rebarrel it to a .25-06. Then I got the bug for a .35-Whelen. Then just before I pulled the trigger on the deal to build the Whelen a guy who's a member here talked me into making it a 9.3. I'm glad he did. I love that rifle too. My old .270 Winchester is still my go to rifle but like they say, variety is the spice of life and I like the ability to change things up now and then. I just LIKE GUNS!

My current favorite 06 load is a 200 Grain SGK over 56 grains IMR 4831. This load's pretty accurate for such a boomer and anchors hogs on the spot, DRT! A big soft Game King penetrates well on a hog and puts 'em down in a hurry. The 200 grain SGK is an under estimated overlooked bullet in an 06.

And when you get really bored, you dump them with a 9mm!

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with a good shooting 30-06!

Maybe we could all agree that the 30-06 is the 9mm of rifles 😜

Nah, just don't feel like arguing with any more ass holes today and you're a big one. I thought you were dead.

Oh Scheit! Does it ever end on here? LOLOLOL!!!

......................No Blackfart...I am still around................Big ass hole??? Lol........Look in a mirror idiot and smile. There is the true and "assumptive" ass hole......

liked my steyr in 06 so much I bought another just in case something hurt the first one. if it came down to just one rifle that would be it. the #2 would be the steyr in 9.3x62. getting old makes things work so much better than it should. yes best cartridge around.

For me the 30-06 is unnecessary powerful for deer and the like. I think it comes into its own with elk/moose sized stuff. But that's the nit-pickings of a rifle nut.

I've used the 30-06 on antelope, whitetail deer, mule deer, black bear and elk. Limited to one rifle/chambering for the world, my choice would be the 30-06.

I always find it amusing people don't think of the 30-06 as a "powerful" cartridge. In the post-Weatherby era, perhaps it isn't. But to me it's a very potent round, and perhaps the ideal, all-around, every-man's elk cartridge.

It works:

I'm not assuming anything. Your posts over the years filled with drama and bullshyt and little of substance confirm it.

If I ever get the chance to take an elk hunt in my lifetime I’m calling you! Lol. Awesome pics brother! I’m jealous we don’t have those animals to hunt here in Illinois.

.....................You lie thru yer teeth there Blackie cuz you did assume things which were not true on this thread....Assumptive? Yeah. You were...To imply otherwise is an outright lie!.....

Nice of you to say RB... I married a girl from Illinois so understand where you’re coming from!

I'm not the one who died and came back to life. You're a poser and that's easy to see. You may be able to fool the fans but you can't fool the players. Maybe you and Safariman should hook up. You might could ass shoot some bears in the next zip code and slap each other on the back, congratulating yourselves for being smart enough to use those big, flat shooting, hard hitting magnums to insure your success.

[quote=Brad]

Limited to one rifle/chambering for the world, my choice would be the 30-06.



-----------------------------------

First and foremost let me say........ FANTASTIC bull Brad. You can't know how envious I am. I've been applying for our Ark Elk hunt every year since 1998 or 99 whenever it began. NO luck.

I would not argue about the 06 for 1 rifle for the world IF we were limited.

However in recent years I've decided MY choice would be the 7 RM. Not that far apart and they share ammo availability.
I prefer its flattER trajectory.

Yes indeed the 30-06 is STILL a Great Cartridge.

Jerry

There ain't much a man can't fix with a pickup truck and a 30-06.

Damn right it's a great cartridge, the 375 H&H of the small bores, with a 200gr Partition at 2725 fps, I don't know of any conus game animal I couldn't tackle to a long 400 yards.

The 375 of small bores is relatively apt as a 220 gr Partition froma 30-06 will typically penetrate at least as well as a 300 gr Partition in the .375. And most times a bit better.

That says an awful lot about the grand ol cartridge. No wonder it seems like i always have at least 4 in the safe. I'll never be without one.

[/quote] I'm not the one who died and came back to life. You're a poser and that's easy to see. You may be able to fool the fans but you can't fool the players. Maybe you and Safariman should hook up. You might could ass shoot some bears in the next zip code and slap each other on the back, congratulating yourselves for being smart enough to use those big, flat shooting, hard hitting magnums to insure your success.
[/quote].....................Look you dumb lying SOB..... After my original post on this thread, you accused me of being un-ethical in the field by referring to do me as being more concerned with my cartridge as making some kind of a "fashion statement" rather than making sure I have a dead critter doing a proper job in the field...

There was NOTHING mentioned in my original post that warranted that kind of reply from you. NOTHING!.....Instead what you post in reply, is nothing more than knee jerk crap and assumptions accusing me of something that I have never done and would never do in the field.......

Seems to me there Blackie, that you just do not like guys who use magnums rounds? And you assume therefore that all we or I are doing is making fashion statements with our choice of cartridge without any concern for making ethical kills???

Well rather than accuse me of being un-ethical, why don't ya just come right out and say it...."I do not like guys who use magnum rounds for hunting because of,,,,and state your case rather than make a ridiculous and un-true accusation??? You obviously were not mature enough to do that right??? I guess not...

Using magnums triggers a lot of people on here.

Dang, good to know, I do use the 220 NPT's in an old 300 H&H with receiver peep, they loaf along at 2700 fps.

BSA, yes, I only have one '06 right now, but it's not leaving.

The 30-06 is old and boring, the same could be said about me too I suppose. I've owned about 6 in my life and pulled the barrels and eventually turned them into something else. The last rifle I had built, last fall, is a 30-06 on a Win 70 action. Just can't see not owning one for whatever I may encounter in the future. I debated about going 300 WM but the '06 will do what ever I need to do, I just may need to get a bit closer...they do call it hunting and not "shooting" right? A close friend just spend $210 on three boxes of 338 ammo for an upcoming brown bear hunt, if I were going, I'd be using my '06!

I first got a .30'06 in 1988 because I was going elk hunting that fall and wanted a new rifle. I killed my biggest elk both weight and antler wise on opening day of the season. A couple of weeks later I killed a coyote and my biggest W/T buck with it all with one shot each. I bought several more over the years just because of the rifles they were chambered in but all have been solid performers. I even found a pre '64 M70 Target and used it in Highpower Rifle Competition, even winning some medals and cash. I've since sold some so now I'm down to 7 if I haven't overlooked any. I can't remember using more than one shot per animal and the '06 has furnished me with one shot drops on both elk and deer, never loosing an animal, and won a match or two. I guess I could be called a fan huh?

I'm not the one who died and came back to life. You're a poser and that's easy to see. You may be able to fool the fans but you can't fool the players. Maybe you and Safariman should hook up. You might could ass shoot some bears in the next zip code and slap each other on the back, congratulating yourselves for being smart enough to use those big, flat shooting, hard hitting magnums to insure your success.
[/quote].....................Look you dumb lying SOB..... After my original post on this thread, you accused me of being un-ethical in the field by referring to do me as being more concerned with my cartridge as making some kind of a "fashion statement" rather than making sure I have a dead critter doing a proper job in the field...

There was NOTHING mentioned in my original post that warranted that kind of reply from you. NOTHING!.....Instead what you post in reply, is nothing more than knee jerk crap and assumptions accusing me of something that I have never done and would never do in the field.......

Seems to me there Blackie, that you just do not like guys who use magnums rounds? And you assume therefore that all we or I are doing is making fashion statements with our choice of cartridge without any concern for making ethical kills???

Well rather than accuse me of being un-ethical, why don't ya just come right out and say it...."I do not like guys who use magnum rounds for hunting because of,,,,and state your case rather than make a ridiculous and un-true accusation??? You obviously were not mature enough to do that right??? I guess not...




[/quote] I didn't accuse you of anything you presumtuous, stupid, lying cock sucker. Now eat shyt and die *again* ass hole and lets see if you can make it stick this time. Despite your grandiose self image, you aren't nearly important enough for me to waste any more of my time on.

.....................Look you dumb lying SOB..... After my original post on this thread, you accused me of being un-ethical in the field by referring to do me as being more concerned with my cartridge as making some kind of a "fashion statement" rather than making sure I have a dead critter doing a proper job in the field...

There was NOTHING mentioned in my original post that warranted that kind of reply from you. NOTHING!.....Instead what you post in reply, is nothing more than knee jerk crap and assumptions accusing me of something that I have never done and would never do in the field.......

Seems to me there Blackie, that you just do not like guys who use magnums rounds? And you assume therefore that all we or I are doing is making fashion statements with our choice of cartridge without any concern for making ethical kills???

Well rather than accuse me of being un-ethical, why don't ya just come right out and say it...."I do not like guys who use magnum rounds for hunting because of,,,,and state your case rather than make a ridiculous and un-true accusation??? You obviously were not mature enough to do that right??? I guess not...




[/quote] I didn't accuse you of anything you presumtuous, stupid, lying cock sucker. Now eat shyt and die *again* ass hole and lets see if you can make it stick this time. Despite your grandiose self image, you aren't nearly important enough for me to waste any more of my time on.
[/quote]........You did not accuse me of anything?? U are a lying slimeball and scumbag....U have a memory issue?...Go back and read again what u typed you idiot....Right there in black and white to see slimeball....So u would like me to die again??..lol...lol...lol..Fine azz hole...Come to Calif and go for it...Let us all see if u can be more successful than I was uh???.....lol..lol.....U are such a liar when confronted....You implied things and were accusatory..... Go ahead and lie some more clown!

There it is retard. Do yourself a favor and go get a psych evaluation.

Yes there is. See my signature.

Agreed. I've been known to use my "elk loads" for deer and antelope on more than one occasion. Unnecessary, maybe, but they worked. For the one-gun guy it is still hard to beat the .30-06 for all-around versatility.

Col. Townsend Whelen said it best. "The 30-06 is never a mistake." I couldn't have sais it better.
Paul B.

............Well I see that you deliberately deleted a sentence or two from your above post.....You said that I cared more about making a fashion statement than I do about dead critters.....You deleted that part and then reposted your comments.....You are quite the liar and manipulator.....You know as well as I do that you deliberately deleted your accusation......You are damned liar......Nice try azz hole.....

............Well I see that you deliberately deleted a sentence or two from your above post.....You said that I cared more about making a fashion statement than I do about dead critters.....You deleted that part and then reposted your comments.....You are quite the liar and manipulator.....You know as well as I do that you deliberately deleted your accusation......You are damned liar......Nice try azz hole.....

I didn't delete anything retard. Go look at your first response to my post where you quoted me. What a complete and utter moron you are. Time to put down the bong and step away from that can of paint chips dickhead.

.........I did exactly that to make sure....And there was a deletion...Ya know what there Blackie..That was quite cute. Yep.....A deliberate deletion...And how do I know? Simple...Because after u made that accusation towards me, I responded while looking at your accusatory CRAP directly above.....So I know damned well that your accusation towards me was in fact deleted........Again...Nice try.......

East side vs. West side. Yo!

Well you know what there bigsleaze. Now you're a goddam filfthy liar and fuggin insane or delusional to boot. I certainly did not delete anything from your quote of my post.

......Yeah ya did liar......You deleted your accusation towards me about,,,,,,,that i was more concerned about making a fashion statement with cartridges than caring about having dead critters....I did not pull that CRAP out of thin air azz hole....I saw exactly what ya typed and typed my response to you while LOOKING DIRECTLY at it......U can deny it all ya want Blackie. But that was exactly what ya did..........

Blow it out your ass. Moron. I doubt like hell you could make a quick, humane kill on a chipmonk with a .340 Weatherby.

I have one of those. I need to try that.

Maybe I have a weird outlook but, 'squeeze and blakfart sound like a debate among democrats.


mike r

..........Lol....lol.....lol......yeah but I hate demcraps......lol...lol....lol...

.......Do not own a 340 Bee....lol...lol

I believe Jack O'Connor said it best when He was asked what cartridge would he choose the hunt all of North America while restricted to that one cartridge? He said without hesitation, "The 30-06!" I think that pretty much says it all.
Paul B.

Back in the 60's I started out wanting flatter shooting rounds for wide open spaces. However, now days with evolution changes in scopes, speed is not needed as much and I now like shooting the 06 a lot.

I read all these threads on the forum and all they do is convince me that the 30-06 is the perfect round. I don't buy into the obscure size interest. If the laws would allow I would have only one caliber.

Does anyone besides me think they should either kiss and make up or just STFU? They're contributing nothing to the discussion.
Paul B.

I have rifles in a number of different calibers but the Remington 700 30/06 (165 gr Hornady Interbond) seems to be the one I grab most often. I sometimes wish it shot a little better than it does but it's never failed to deliver and will continue to be my main go to hunting rifle.

I may have to try those new fangled TTSX bullets and see how they shoot but that's more curiosity than anything else as the Interbond does everything asked of it.

For a lot of years my Mod 660 308 with 165gr Hornady Spire Point was my go to rifle. There wasn't anything it would do that a whole lot of other cartridge's wouldn't do as well with one exception. I was extremely confident in it!

.......................How about neither...

I tend not to interfere in what appears to be a buddin' online bromance, PJ.

..............Send me no flowers.......LOL>>>LOL>>>LOL

Couldn’t agree more!

I couldn't agree more. I have reloaded for all my rifles for 30 years. 22-250, .243, 30-30, 30-06, .300 Win Mag, and now 6.5CM. I have taken deer with all except 6.5. When it comes to the smack down stop them in their tracks the '06 gets the nod. My favorite load is Hornady 165 gr BTSP Interlock loaded to 2820 fps..Great B.C. and down range velocity and energy retention. I shoot a Rem 760 Carbine, 18", hot load I know but chrony doesn't lie. Longest shot to date by laser rangefinder is 562 yard on West River South Dakota Mule deer. The thump is always audible and they always drop, no need to worry about blood trailing. It is my go to because I know it, comfortable with it and it shoots so well.. All calibers listed above are great and will take down a deer, but a responsible hunter will focus on ethics and ability, shoot what you shoot well and get good shot placement..

A lot of cartridges have come and gone over the years, but I have never owned a .30/06 until 2020! This NH six digit M70 is probably going to earn a permanent spot in my safe! I have some 130gr TTSX loads ready to test as I type.

Jwood
Those 130 grain ttsx @3200 FPS are wicked in the 30-06
Enjoy 👍

I started hunting in the 70’s. Back then it seemed that if you weren’t carrying something with a belt on the cartridge, there was no way you would ever kill anything. Of course my Gramps always carried his 30-06, and usually always filled his tag. In the early 2000’s I bumped into my first JC Higgins chambered in 30-06. I’d never owned a 30-06, but my growing love for Mausers and pre-64 Winchester’s caused me to start using one. Today it’s without question my favorite cartridge. Most of my hunting today is in an area that requires Shotgun slugs only. But if I go anywhere else, I grab a 30-06. It just works. So do many other cartridges. But I can’t think of a better “all-round” cartridge than the 30-06.

A twelve gauge shotgun, a 9mm pistol, and a 30-06. Not much more is needed. Of course where’s the fun in that!

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.

maybe we need a campfire member vote on all time campfire favorite hunting cartridge ? my vote is 30-06

I don't know what it is, but I just like reading about 30cal rounds. All of them seem to have a redeeming quality about them.

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

Give me an 06, thank you.
—————————————


[quote=Rossimp]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.
——————————————



Congrats !! I dangled the bait man.

You’re killin me Jerry, just killin me.

Certainly the 30-06 is a great cartridge and I consider it overpowered for much of the big game it is used on.

No argument from me. I do most of my big game hunting with an '06. Whitetails, blacktails, muleys, elk, sheep and antelope as well as coyotes and other misc.

Like a lot of all arounds it is a compromise of sorts.

It is a bit more than needed for deer. I have used smaller and larger rigs but the platforms my '06'sare on draw me back. Among others, I have used a .308, .300 savage, .243, .250 Savage, .35 Whelen and hopefully soon a 6.5 Creedmoor. Of those, I think a .300 Savage 150 gr is near ideal.

For branch bull elk seasons I usually take my .338.

And I'll never understand why that is a negative?

Yes, but it's boring as heII...just as the 243 and 270 are. Just about every jackleg in the deer camp has one.

Then why not just use a 416 Rem Mag and be done with it?

Both correct statements! Shoot what pleases ya.

Really ?


Jerry

Ever notice that these debates about "best this or that" or "X is better than Y" tend to occur during the winter doldrums here on the 'Fire? Must be the "Cabin Fever Virus" at work!

That's right Gnoahhh and while they are all arguing and jerking their meat over the how boring the 30-06 is. I'll be working on the press fixing the last of my virgin LC52 & LC54 brass primer pockets. MB

Why should I get a 416 when i already have a 375?

Then why not just use the 375 and be done with it?

Why waste your time with a 30-06?

I wanted to do just that this past year but my brother begged me to borrow it. He's infatuated with the 375 H&H and didn't have a rifle. I was dumb enough to let him and he dropped the rifle and scratched it up. Maybe this year but I have too much that's begging to be used. Part of me would like to ditch everything and just use the 375 though. Scratches and all.

I would not try to convince you otherwise. There are three 30-06 rifles in my collection. I am still considering adding another.lol. For some folks I guess old habits die hard and there is nothing new under the sun. Nor is there that much better I may add. Modern day regulations aside,30-06 has taken every animal on the planet-and probably still does. Sure there are better performing cartridges at long range. And I even deviated from tried and true cartridges once and bought two 325wsm rifles. Yet every time I consider another cartridge, I find myself thinking: maybe I should just get another 30-06. I just can't seem to get away from that cartridge. Who knows maybe I'll get myself to buy a rifle in a 6.5 caliber. But I already know the 30-06 will haunt me while making the final decision. Seriously-lol.

I would love to hear some real life stories about the 300 Savage. It might be the perfect deer hunting round for closer quarters.


Attached is a link to a pretty stupid, but entertaining 30 cal article.
http://mikestexashunt-fish.com/a-30-caliber-is-a-30-caliber-is-a-30-caliber/

Vinootz, I purchased a really sweet Browning Carbon Pro Tungsten in 6.5 Creedmoor about a year ago and that chambering just isn’t doing it for me. I’m still crazy about the 30-06! Creedmoor just don’t have the punch like the ol 06!

I will say the 06 is the best middle of the road chamber there is. It will do just about anything, anywhere.

I have been cogitating this a while. I've killed deer with 243s/6mms (223s were not legal for WT when I had one) --
and many cartridges up thru 8mm RM, or 35 Whelen depending on how you consider 'bigger or larger'.

I cleaned/dressed virtually ALL the deer I've killed + some others have.

FROM my personal observation -- the 8mm RM did NOT do noticeably any more physical damage than a 270 - 308 -
7mm RM - OR 30-06. That's probably because of bullet construction. I have made NO secret that I'm not particularly
a fan of Speer bullets for deer hunting.

AFTER killing WT with the 8, I read that Speer designed that 200 Spitzer for Elk. I'd say they did a good job.

HONESTLY - I can NOT say that the 30-06 is excessively destructive > with proper bullets <. NOTE I have never shot a WT with a N P (Nosler Partition) or other premium bullets >. IM estimation, 99 % of the bullets I've used have been
Hornady I Ls.

I have another question: Why would we seek to find the cartridge that does the 'minimum' fatal damage ?

That would lead us to be absolutely certain of only shooting under ideal circumstances.
I'm not being sarcastic nor facetious, Can we kill them TOO dead ?

I choose to be overgunned. I read that somewhere? lol

Jerry

I very rarely hunt with anything bigger than a 22-250 or a 243, we just don't need em around here, but if I had to get rid of all my rifles but one, the 30-06 would stay.

Dead is dead. While we can’t kill them “too dead”, the bullets we use can cause unnecessary and unwanted destruction of meat. Judicious selection of the bullets used and impact velocities can pretty well eliminate that problem.

I loaded up some A-MAX for a SIL to use at the range, along with some TTSX for hunting. Unbeknownst to me, he loaded the AMAX for antelope. It was bad choice that caused extensive destruction and meat loss. Same rifle, a .30-06, works fine on antelope with TTSX, as we've proven multiple times.

Totally Agree


Jerry

Great cartridge? Yep.

Just not mine. Owned several and primarily hunt with a 7-08 these days.

Someone once said that if I need more than an 06, legitimately? You're in 375/416 territory, sorry 300wm and 338...

I just don't see me needing more than my 7-08 right now and if I did need more, I doubt the 06 is far enough of a step in that same regard.

I'll likely never hunt big bears with Phil or anyone else so that doesn't factor for me.

That might be more of a case for the .358 Win., no pun intended.
Paul B.

Dead is dead. While we can’t kill them “too dead”, the bullets we use can cause unnecessary and unwanted destruction of meat. Judicious selection of the bullets used and impact velocities can pretty well eliminate that problem.

I loaded up some A-MAX for a SIL to use at the range, along with some TTSX for hunting. Unbeknownst to me, he loaded the AMAX for antelope. It was bad choice that caused extensive destruction and meat loss. Same rifle, a .30-06, works fine on antelope with TTSX, as we've proven multiple times.
————————————

Again I agree. As you ‘ NO ‘, we can use wrong bullets in other cartridges too.

Yrs. ago I killed deer w/H 150 sp and they did well. I shot ribs/lungs so....

Quite a while back I switched to the 165 HBTSP primarily for the advantages of
the BT and retained vel / E.

I haven’t kept a record of deer killed but it’s a fair no. I’m completely satisfied w/the
performance of the 165 BTSP.

Jerry

Nearly every hunting cartridge is always compared to the 30.06. That should tell you something right there.

I've shot everything from rock chucks, coyotes, mule deer, elk up to a Shiras moose. Bullets have ranged from 110gr to 220gr and all shot admirably. I have pretty much settled on 150gr Interlocks for mule deer and 180gr Interlocks when I have an elk tag in my pocket. Never felt under gunned.

FWIW: My rifle is over 80 years old and still humming along just fine.

I made my longest shot with a Ruger 77R .30/06 at roughly 400 yards (one quarter-section fenceline to another), using Federal Premium 165 Sierras. I got a deal on some water-damaged ammo (just discoloration) and bought 100 rounds. Seemed like it took forever to shoot it all up). That Ruger had an old K-4 Weaver on it. I should have kept that rifle......................

Have had and still have a lot of rifles in various calibers, but still favor the good old 30-06 for the most part. Recently acquired this J C Higgins (Husqvarna) in 30-06. I mounted a 2x7 Leupold. Rifle as pictured weighs in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces . Loaded up a couple different loads last week to sight in, and was very happy with the results. My best was a 3 shot (100 yds) 7/8". Was using some older stock Nosler 180 gr Partitions, with 57 grains of R-22,cci 250 primers. Really looking forward to hunting this rifle!

I’ve had 4 JC Higgins model 50’s and they all shot well. Great guns. Made my best shot ever on a 3 x 4 Mule Deer with one in 30-06.

And where did I use the word or imply it was negative? "Overpower" and "negative" are not interchangeable.

The 358 looks interesting. Anytime I start thinking above 35 I default to the 45-70.

I'm not going to knock either. However, I do have some experience with both-- well, sort of. Two of my favorite deer rifles of all time are a Savage 99 in 308 WIN that I downloaded to 300 Savage levels and a Rem 7600 that I downloaded to 358 Win levels. The latter one was my top deer killer for about a decade.


What I can tell you is that the Whelenizer did not kill any better than the Savage. In fact, I had better DRT-type performance out of the Savage. The Whelenizer made a bigger noise, created more recoil, and didn't go losing any deer, but whitetail deer ran further with the Whelenizer than the Savage.

I use a 165 grain bullet in the Savage, and a 200 grainer out of the Whelenizer. I used H4895 for both.

I use the Savage as my Opening Day GOTO rifle. I've been hunting the same stand for the Opener since 2003. Shots are normally inside 80 yards. Some are inside 5. The Whelenizer did most of its work on the ground at distances out to 150 yards.

This all may sound counter-intuitive, but the way I see it, the 30-something rounds tend to open up better inside a deer's innards. Normally my shots are aimed to take out both lungs and the top of the heart. An 06 or a 308 or a 300 Savage will turn the chest cavity into jelly. The bigger 200 grain .358 tends to just poke big holes. After I retired the Whelenizer in 2014, I started using a 30-06 bolt gun again I've seen more poleaxings.

Inside 80 yards, I'd say a 300 Savage-type round is the best mix of power versus recoil. Beyond that, I favor a 30-06.

While I don't have a dog in this fight, I will make the observation that, from my experience, 'overpowered' and 'underpowered' are generally adjectives, as was the usage under discussion, denoting less than desirable attributes to the object they modify.

I agree that 'overpowered' and 'negative' are not interchangeable, but it is common to see people denigrate a cartridge as "overpowered' for a particular usage. In that manner, even a .22 Short can be called 'overpowered' for some applications. (I prefer one pump on my BB gun for mice.)

I personally don't consider a .30-06 to be 'overpowered' for any North American big game - there are simply too many off-the-shelf loads to make such a statement, from .22 sabots to subsonic and reduced recoil to 'standard' big game loads and 240g behemoths Handloaders have, of course, many orders of magnitude more options.

A lot of elk have been taken with a .243 Win and bullets 105g and under. Does that mean a .30-06 and 180g or heavier bullets are 'overpowered'? No. If a .30-06 is a good choice for elk, does that mean a .243 Win is 'underpowered'?

How about antelope? A .243 Win is considered a good cartridge for antelope. So is a .25-06, and .270 Win and a bunch of other cartridges in .308" and smaller., including a .308 Win. If a .308 Win is considered a good choice for antelope, how would one decide a .30-06, shooting the same bullets at essentially the same velocities, is not?

Case in point. Barnes lists 130g TTSX loads for the .308 Win going up to 3248fps using a 24" barrel. I load that same bullet to 3045fps in Daughter's .30-06. Daughter has used that .308 Win load to take a number of antelope. Barnes specifically recommends that bullet for antelope, for both cartridges. If the .30-06 is 'overpowered', then a .308 Win is equally 'overpowered' for antelope. How about a 7mm-08 with a 120g TTSX @ 3198fps? Or a .270 Win with a 130g TTSX @ 3173fps? A .260 Rem with a 120g TTSX @ 3027fps?
A .257 Roberts with a 100g TTSX @ 3152fps? a .243 Win with an 80g TTSX @ 3451fps? Or a .22-250 with a 77g LRX @ 3396fps?

Just where does 'overpowered', or 'underpowered' for that matter, kick in?

I’m excited to get my hands on some of the Barnes TTSX in 130gr and play around with them in my 06 ... I sure hope it likes them because it seems like lots of folks prefer them!

I always heard the 30-06 was our military's copy of the 8mm Mauser, any truth to it?

No, contrary to some here.

You CAN make an 8X57 from the 30-06...

You Can NOT make a 30-06 from an 8X57

And the 30-03 developed 3 yrs. earlier was even longer than the 30-06 so...
30-03 > 30-06 > 8 X 57

8mm WAS .318 changed to .323

30 cal IS, & WAS .308


Jerry

Anybody ever load and shoot 250 grainers in the 06? Might try some out tomorrow.

Thanks for the story. My late hunting buddy loved his Savage 300. I agree with the comments about the 30 cal bullet performance. They start and end in the sweet spot.

Heaviest I've load in '06 is 180 gr. Had to go that heavy to find a combo that would group less than 1/2" in my rifle.

250 gr is big 'ol bullet in 30 caliber. What are planning to do with it?

Maybe take down some trees ? No, actually just wanted to test the accuracy for the hell of it. I have a couple boxes of older Barnes 250 grain rn softpoints.

Don't know about 250's, but I have a nice load for the 240 gr. Weldcore using H4831SC that groups well in my '06.

Then again, seems all my loads group well in the '06....

It's complicated. We had all kinds of influences and biases and prejudices.

The fact that we picked .30 (.308) has something to do with the .30-40 Krag being a predecessor. We had all the tooling to make .308 bullets. The fact that we were thinking Mauser-style and Mauser rounds has something to do with the 7X57 Mausers the Spanish were shooting at us in Cuba. The Mauser action was licensed from the Germans for our Springfield.

Once you've picked a Mauser-style action, the back half of the round pretty well dictates itself. The front half all has to do with the range at which you want to be effective. The middle has all to do with the propellent you can stuff behind the bullet. Somewhere in there, you have to figure out how much recoil the soldier can take and how much weight (rifle and rounds) he can effectively schlepp all day.

The Germans took all those factors and came up with 8X57. Remember: they licensed the action, they didn't give us the recipe for the powder. We took the parameters we had at the time and cranked the number and came up with 7.62X63. If you look at the evolution from .30-03 to .308 WIN over a half-century the propellents we used became more and more efficient. The nitro-cellulose we were burning in the 03 eventually gave way to the IMR powders Dupont developed during and after WWI. The "I" in IMR stands for Improved as in "Improved Military Rifle" This begs the question: Improved from what? The answer is the powder we were using when we adopted the .30-03 and 30-06. The '63' in 7.62X63 comes from how much of the old powder we needed to burn to get the .30 cal bullet to move the way we wanted.

Just an thought: the 7mmX57 is very close to the 7mm-08 in performance. The 7mm-08 is based on the .308 WIN which is a shortened 30-06. However, the US did not have powder for it in 1900, so we might have mixed things up differently and fielded something closer to the 280 Remington in WWI, or even (gulp) a .277 caliber. I'm sure the guys at the Springfield Armory would have staunched the idea-- they realized that the resulting buggery in the ranks would have depleted the Army's ability to fight.

shaman - "we", "we", "we", sounds like you were there.

Jerry

I have some too. I only keep them for nostalgia's sake. Good luck trying to get those big cigars to fly straight....Let us know how they do for you. Like the lightest weight bullet you could find back in the day (55gr accelerator), I never had much luck getting them to shoot accurately...

What surprises me about 30-06's is they always seem to shoot 220's well.

And they really shoot 200gr partitions well

I hadn't heard that one before...The case is 63mm long though...63.1mm technically...

Well.... actually in fact the longer length was not needed with a shorter bullet in the
30-03.....so 63 mm was determined to be sufficient length FOR the lighter bullet.

THEN the 30-06 was designed w/the 63mm length case IN 1906.
It was MORE the bullet size/length that determined the length of the case THAN
the space need for the powder




uh huh, ummm Well Apparently, "Shaman" was NOT there.


Jerry

That explanation was handed to me by a Marine armorer that was answering my question as to why the 30-06 was the way it was.

Jerry was my best friend at the time. That was about 1982 or 83. I'd ask him for clarification, but he died in 1992. Any mistakes or ommissions are the result of time and age.

At the time, we had my other buddies, Bob the outdoor writer and John, the infantryman in attendance. The main issue that night was powder. The trigger for the conversation was that I'd picked up a round of 30-40 Krag brass at the range.

John had mentioned that the reason he'd been given for the difference between the 8mm and the '06 was that it kept the other side from using your ammo, but he'd never bought that. John said that he'd encountered strange stuff being shot by Germans in Belgium in 1944-45. He'd heard rumors of wooden bullets being used. These he'd never seen. However, he did encounter ammunition that, when you banged the bullet out, held long little sticks. He also had seen stuff with what looked like the paper you wrap chocolates in. They kept a few rounds of this stuff in the pocket of their overcoats, because you could supposedly use it as an emergency fire starter. John was a wonderful source of G.I. Apocrypha.

Yes, the bullet made a huge difference. What's more, shortly after selling the license to us, Germany decided to switch to a smaller, spire-pointed bullet in 1903. We followed suit in 1906.

I'm not going to defend my explanation much more than that. Suffice it to say that the 30-06 was our own creation, but it borrowed heavily from German ideas at the time. I had not had much exposure to 8X57 until I acquired The Mauser from Hell, my K98 project rifle. Up against a round of 30-06, there are visceral similarities.

One other issue: I'm wracking my brain, but I seem to remember that the powder we used in the .30-03 was the same as the 30-40 Krag. We just used more of it. Can anyone corroborate that? If so, it would go along with the idea that our design for the .30-03 was at least partly a function of the powder we were using compared to the Germans.

The 30-06 was the US's answer to competing with Germany's move to the 154 gr spitzer load in the 8x57. OUR M1 ball ammo gave a similar performance on the battlefield this was our military objective to achieve.We also found in WW1 that the 150gr loads did not give the long range that was needed for LR machine gun fire. Hence the development of theM2 load But I'm not going to review " Hatchers Notebook" here. ALL OF YOU WHO ARE 06 FANS SHOULD HAVE A COPY. It's a a factual and fascinating history of the 30-06. MB

I've loaded the Woodleigh 240RN in the last few 30-06 rifles I've owned. Never hunted anything with it, but it was easy to get an accurate load in each. I settled on H4350 mostly. 2400fps from a 24 inch barrel.

What would you all consider the best hunting bullet for the 30-06 that also has the best ballistic coefficient? I’m just kinda curious

165 GMX

Best hunting bullet and best B.C. are often at odds with each other.


My .30-06 rifles get loaded with the following:
165g North Fork SS (B.C. unknown) - no longer available but I still have a good supply
168g TTSX (B.C. .470 claimed)
150g Nosler BT and AB (B.C, .435 claimed)

Since we don't shoot past 600 yards, B.C. is a secondary consideration.

If working up new loads, I'd look at these:
168g Nosler AccuBond LR (B.C. .525)
175g Federal Terminal Ascent (B.C. .536)
175g Barnes LRX (B.C. ,508)

I would chose the 180 grain Nosler Partition.

Looking like Nosler gets the nod

While I would never fault someone for choosing a Nosler Partition, neither do I consider it, for my purposes, the best hunting bullet for a .30-06. Or any other cartridge.

Accuracy is one issue. I’ve never had a rifle where a Partition provided better than acceptable accuracy. Other bullet designs have consistently provided excellent accuracy in multiple cartridges. These include the Nosler BT, AB and ABLR, Barnes MRX, TTSX and LRX, Swift A-Frame and Scirocco II, North Fork SS, SS/HP and FP and Hornady SST.

Cost has never been a primary factor in my choice of hunting bullets, but it is not one I totally ignore, either. Partitions tend to be more expensive than most other bullets I use and, when less expensive, don’t provide the advantages the more expensive bullets provide.

One reason to choose the Partition - and the best reason in my book - would be on-game performance. If there is a detectable difference between the Partition and the bullets I use, I haven’t seen it. I guess that’s why the Partitions on my loaded ammo and component shelves have been sitting there for years – and in some cases decades.

In the past, I never loaded a Barnes under 165gr. My next '06 is going to get a tryout with some 150 TTSX I have on hand. But, being the OCD tinkerer I am, I will try all I have on hand of other makes/types/weights, ha.

BC should be of little concern unless you are planning on shooting past 500 yards consistently. Accuracy and terminal performance are usually much more of a consideration. That said, I prefer the TSX or TTSX in 150 to 180gr depending on the application. I have found them to consistently provide near match grade accuracy in a number of rifles and stellar terminal ballistics.

Coyote Hunter,
My 06’ did not give me great accuracy on all partitions from 180 grain and smaller.
Groups were certainly “ok”, but weren’t great.

Then, some of the threads on the fire highly touted the accuracy of the 200 grain partition....
I tried the 200 grain spitzer, and it was dead-nutz accurate!

You might pick up 50 blems from Nosler and give it a whirl.

Cheers to you and yours!

I have three of them. But, they are all stamped 300 WSM.

You have my deepest sympathy

I love ‘em.

The 175 LRX in the good ol 06 would be a pretty good pick, if you could work up a good accurate load for said rifle. Hell, I might just do that...

Great advice. I should have picked up more than 500 the last time they were $13.45/bag!!!!!!!! Damn, now you are lucky to find them under $20/bag...

+1 for 175g barnes lrx. I have had great results with them.

Curious. What would be the difference in performance out of the 30/06 between a TTSX & LRX bullet? They sound like they are damn near identical from what I just read over on Barnes website. Maybe the LRX is just a bit more streamlined? Not sure.

My most consistently accurate loads in two ought sixes, were with Speer 150gr Hot Cor spitzers, over 57grs of IMR 4350. Shot great in a M760 I had and the US Rem 1903 sporter. That was probably 35 years ago, but at the time that bullet was fairly inexpensive and those were my primary deer rifle choices over several seasons.

Performance on whitetails was great. Loaded hundreds of them for a farmer cousin back then, no complaints from him.

I've used the '06 with a 150 driven just past 2900 fps--usually by H4895--for decades now. I've used basic Sierra, Hornady or Speer bullets along with Nosler BTs, all of which will flatten deer 30-300 yards with a good hit.

I picked up a late production Remington 7400 Synthetic and have been wringing it out. Runs fine with factory loads and the above reloads. So far it's looking like 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 for three shots cold; and that is with the old Tasco that came on it. Plenty good for a beater farm gun that just might get aperture sights anyway.

FWIW I've used something similar for quite some years: a plain vanilla 150 gn (most often a Winchester Power Point, but I've used others) at about 2900 fps. I've killed literally hundreds of pigs with it, a good number of fallow and the odd red stag, and sundry other game. It has proved very reliable. I've used other loads too, from 110 gn to 220 gn, and seen 240 gn used, but that 150 gn load is my go-to.

Supposedly the LRX opens up slightly better at lower velocities... Thus, making it a better longrange barnes option..

The LRX are more streamlined and have a higher Ballistic Coefficient as a result. Both have been very very accurate in every rifle I've tried them in. Easy load development for both as well.

I had great results this past season with 150 gr. TTSX in factory ammo. Very accurate and devastating terminal performance. I only wish Barnes had factory .30-06 in 130 gr. TTSX as they do in .308.

I was thinking the exact same thing on those 130s

Otherwise, I may have to purchase a .308 😂

nothing wrong with the 30-06. I've shot more deer with an '06 and a 270 than every other cartridge combined.

Could you define the correct power for those big game animals? It would make it easier to decide if a cartridge is overpowered or underpowered.

Well well I guess if you just go around and skull f**k everything you shoot it probably is. So go pass go get a 223 collect the ego trip and shoot a bunch of deer thru the ears or the lower jaw shot off or just tell every one it was a clean miss when in fact it wasn't. When you get asked how you missed just tell them you farted caused by all the smoke that got blowed up your ass by some one who only believes what they think to be the only answer. MB

Sincere ? Bob.

Are you dissing the 06 as a Great Cartridge ?

I did NOT go back to see if you were referencing another post per the .223.

Please clarify for me.


Jerry

No. He's bashing the .223 for deer crowd.

Mike - I ?thot? so but.....

I'm NOT a 223 Deer Hunting Rifle fan either. I've killed WT with a 22 M (euthanasia), and COWS & HORSES with a
22 rf. They will kill em but.

I don't choose to go the 'minimalist' route.


Jerry

never without a 30-06 may not hunt with it every year but always have one, current 30-06 is a tang safety Ruger 77 in a Bell & Carlson stock and a 3x9 Leupold, just like Finn Aagard thought was perfect.

Finn spent the last years of his life with the 308 Win. He liked that it kicked less than the 30-06, while doing the same thing.

It doesn’t do the same thing though ... it’s slower

No J Wall I'm an 06 fan but that crack about it being over powered I thought was somewhat ludicris. I also think one needs to place a 223 slug pretty damn carefully if you are going to use it on deer. I've used a lot of different cartridges on deer and first and foremost is proper bullet placement of adequate bullet. MB

Thanks Bob


Jerry

In the real world (on game) it does the same thing... I've used both extensively on a fair bit of game bigger than deer, and have found that to be the case.

And I've heard many times the .300 Savage is just as good on game as the .308 so in essence the .300 Savage=.30-06. And of course that would hold true on all game at all ranges.

Fresh popcorn is needed.

Well, the .300 Savage was designed to offer .30/06 ballistics (those of the original military load at least, which was on the mild side compared to some more modern loads) in a more compact form. So for that matter was the .308. With something like a 150 gn bullet on medium game the actual difference is really more theoretical than actual, it seems to me. The difference in recoil is more theoretical than real too, and any of them can be throttled back if recoil's an issue. The larger case of the .30/06 seems to put it ahead by a significant margin with heavy bullets, for those who use them.

Make mine a 300 savage then. Its every bit as good as the 308 and the 30-06. Those bigger rounds are far too over rated.... Hell, the 300 savage may even put a good whooping on the 300 magnums as well...

1917, What have you been smoking!!!!!!!

17, Looks like you were joking..
Finn spent the last years of his life shooting stuff in Tx.. probably over bait... Nothing wrong with that, but you can sure place a shot under those conditions..

I think it's called sarcasm ...:)

If an American doesn't like the 30-06, they wouldn't salute the flag either!

I have said before, here.....

“I feel it is UN American to NOT own a 30.06”


Jerry

That's what I'm thinking! Hell, Brad said as much and that's good enough for me.

I have two.

I only have 1 at present but at one time I had 5 (FIVE).

IF the word venerable is appropriate anywhere it's Venerable 30-06 !

Jerry

Yep ! ALL HAIL !!


Jerry

I have moved some but, I think I have 7 left to use.

95% of the hunting I do is in grizzly country. I opt for the 308.

Seems that those that have the loudest opinion on this subject have mostly shot deer. In Arkansas, or Pennsylvania.

My observation for a long time has remained - “cartridges are more alike than different.”

Are you just going to run around copying and pasting this same post all the while editing to add states?

Mike

I don’t know about Pa but in. SW Arkansas we are USED to the wind blowing.

Jerry

More than one right answer!

Only as long as you run around pretending to have a clue...

Keep going then. You'll need to list a bunch more states just to cover me.

States maybe, clues none.

Cute. I mean the premise that if one doesn't agree that the .308 is equal to the 30-06 that that means one doesn't have a "clue" about anything.

Show me multiple species of actual big game you’ve taken with each the 308, 30-06, and 300 Mag... you talk a big talk, let’s see the animals (bigger than deer) taken with each three.

Oh wow. Games. And I "talk a big talk" by believing that more case capacity is equal to more performance! Even Captain Obvious could come up with that. Well I've never hunted with a 300 mag of any flavor and have only used the 308 on deer and antelope. And that's because when the animals get big I tend to take a 30-06. But even at that, I believe a .300 magnum has an edge over my beloved aught six.

The .30-06 is a cartridge that has stood the test of time, can't say I believe many of the rounds shooters are currently infatuated with will be around as long as the '06.

Let’s see the animals with each since you have such a strong opinion...

FWIW I've seen substantial numbers of pigs, deer (including a few sambar, which are close to elk-sized) and other medium game killed with both .308 and .30/06 and, assuming a suitable bullet and shot placement I haven't noticed any difference in effectiveness. A couple of people I know have used the .30/06 on buffalo, and it seemed to me based on how they went that there are better choices, though it is true to say that the .30/06 is better able to handle the 240 gn bullets they were using than a .308 would be.

No doubt the '06 is a great cartridge. Whatever that means. Arguments about which cartridge is better seem cabin-feverish though.

I feel that is a safe bet.

Jerry

I've always been a fan of something different. I own a 30-06, and keep it because it was a gift. I've shot a couple or so, whitetail deer with the '06, and consider it to be a fine elk cartridge. That said, my little brother, who is sorta late to the game, as far as hunting and buying hunting rifles is concerned just bought himself a 30-06. He bought it because it was a favorite of our grandfather, who was a WWII veteran. I could not argue his choice. Factory ammo is lying everywhere. You could argue, that a person could buy 180 grain Federal Fusion, and kill everything on the NA continent. It isn't my choice, but the point has been made, many moons ago, "The 30-06 is never a bad choice."

Crickets...

30 cal is overkill. I'd use a bb gun...now grasshoppers that's another game entirely.

I dont dance to your tune.

Bickering and personal oxen aside, the fact is that the .30-06 is still a very good cartridge with more flexibility than most.

My SILs got .30-06 rifles as a wedding present. Except for the last one, who already had a .300WSM. He got a 7mm RM.

38 years of big game hunting and a .30-06 would have worked just fine every time I've squeezed the trigger.


Still, not my first choice most of the time. Too many options, too little time.

Mr. Dan

We know that MULTI, MULTI heads of big game have been taken (killed) with 308 W & 30-06...NO question.

IMO - IMO - some guys get their 'feelers' hurt when someone or others don't choose or like their PET.

Ex. One of MY pets is the 300 WM ***not that I need it, I just like it***. Some, no names mentioned, DON'T even like the 300 WM and 1 guy thinks the 308 Norma SHOULD have been the WIN mag. Ok, Ok.
It doesn't matter to me IF NO ONE likes the 300 WM but me......
I don't lose 1 minute of sleep over it. I sleep just fine.

There are several cartridgeS that I have NO use for and others LOVE. OK OK !

I 'could' list few members *on both sides of that* that obsess over someone ELSE's choice. NOT me.

I don't let ANYONE live RENT FREE in my head.

Jerry

Do you by chance have any single daughters yet?