I know that TR was probably the first to use the 30-06, on safari, in Africa. Although I believe that I read it could have been a 30-03. I believe that it is also refered to as the the .30 US or .30 Government. I am wondering how widespread its use was by professional hunters and or hunters on safari from the US, Great Britan and Europe, up to the beginning of WWII. I assume, after WWII, it would be fairly common. If some one knows or knows how I might obtain this info I would appreciate it. Also I would like to know if/when Knoch ammo for it was avaliable. Thanks, capt david

Kynoch listed .30-06 ammo in the 1920s, and Mauser and Steyr were making .30-06 rifles by that time as well, although they were not yet popular. Post WWII the .30-06 seems to be well known, based upon a reread of African Rifles and Cartridges. In my own case, I carried a .30-06 with 220 grain slugs as my main rifle in my first safari in 2004, and each of the four PHs we've hunted with has a .30-06 loaded with 180 grain bullets.
LLS

TR used a 30-03, Hemingway, Ruark, C.J. McElroy, Jack O'Connor's wife and many other gun-ignorant American shooters used 30-06s extensively. All left a bloody trail of shot-up animals across East Africa with the little peashooter. It took Americans many years to learn that German and British caliber rifles should be used in Africa, and obviously some have still not learned it.

There's really nothing wrong with the '06. It's just that the bullets available to the shooters at the time weren't up to snuff. It is favorably compared to the 7X57, 8X57, and some of the 9,3's. It's not say some failure in marksmanship is partially responsible for lost game either.

Some famous Americans using the .30-06 in Africa:



Stewart Edward White with his Wundhammer Springfield sporter


Osa Johnson pictured in the Serengeti with her new Springfield rifle, 1928
(see http://www.safarimuseum.com/ )


Ernest Hemingway, February 1934


Harry Selby and Robert Ruark


I have a Kynoch/ICI 1936 catalog reprint that lists both .30-03 and .30-06 ammunition.

-Bob F.

TR's Springfield was chambered in .30-03, but it is highly probable that at least some of his ammunition was .30-06 caliber.

TR notes in African Game Trails that he used some of the then new "pointed military bullets" in his rifle. These were undoubtedly the .30-06 caliber, 150 grain military ball cartridges.

A .30-03 rifle can chamber and fire .30-06 ammunition - apparently with little or no detrimental effect on velocity or accuracy - although I have never done it.

interboat, I don't know where you got the idea that the .30-06 has a bad track record in Africa. Nothing could be further from the truth. TR's shot and bullet selection could certainly be questioned, but that is no reason to blame the venerable '06.

Of course, no one these days would recommend using 150 grain ball ammo, or any pointed FMJ bullets, for that matter. But especially with the old 220 grain loads, the '06 established an enviable record, and is still very popular for use on medium to heavy plains game. One could certainly do a lot worse.

Stewart Edward White followed TR to Africa a year or two later, and killed all kinds of game with his Wundhammer-made Springfield sporter. White, unlike TR, was reportedly one of the finest game shots who ever lived.

quote:

Originally posted by interboat:
TR used a 30-03, Hemingway, Ruark, C.J. McElroy, Jack O'Connor's wife and many other gun-ignorant American shooters used 30-06s extensively. All left a bloody trail of shot-up animals across East Africa with the little peashooter. It took Americans many years to learn that German and British caliber rifles should be used in Africa, and obviously some have still not learned it.

What bullshit.

interboat:

In RSA (and no-doubt Zim/Nam etc) the .30-06 (and nearly ballistically identical .308, and to a lesser extent the .303) accounts for more game than probably any other calibre (barring spot-light culls).

Its imminently suitable for all African game except the big dangerous stuff. I have never seen a group of hunters without a .30-06 or two being present. Certain areas differ, depending on the most common type of terrain being hunted in, but the .30-06 probably rules the hunting rifle sales in RSA by a long shot (haven't seen PMP's latest ammo/case sales figures).

To say its unsuitable is not true at all. For one rifle owners, especially those who don't need 'specialzed' springbok/long range rifles, it reigns king in popularity.

The fact is that the wonderful old Euro metrics just aren't that common in the field, barring the 7x57 and 7x64 and those two are WAY behind the .30-06 (and .308, .270, .303) in popularity New rifles in the old classic metrics and Brit cartridges are not as easy to find, as affordable and most importantly ammo is not as common or affordable either.

I too am a fan of the metrics, but am not the majority of hunters in that view....the .30-06 is the average Joe's go-to rifle...

Is Interboat actually calling Jack O' Connor gun ignorant? I believe any bloody trail left would be due to shot placement on the first shot. A gut shot impala with a 30-06 or 460 wby is still gut shot. After reading Roosevelts African Game Trails, I am a little astonished at the fact that he was shooting an open sight rifle at game 300 yds plus. There is no way at that range that you can put a bullet where you want.

Paul C

Lighten up guys! I think Interboats just messing with you.

quote:

Originally posted by interboat:
TR used a 30-03, Hemingway, Ruark, C.J. McElroy, Jack O'Connor's wife and many other gun-ignorant American shooters used 30-06s extensively. All left a bloody trail of shot-up animals across East Africa with the little peashooter. It took Americans many years to learn that German and British caliber rifles should be used in Africa, and obviously some have still not learned it.

WOW! This is a very angry man.

My, my sounds like the good old '-06 is an undesireable piece of trash.
I haven't used it a lot in the last 55 or so years, but enough to know that the 220 grain slugs kill big moose, elk and bear well enough and I've shot enough African game to know it dies just like NA game. Furthermore, that was without todays prem. bullets.
If Hornady still made the old 220 grain steel jacketed FMC it would certainly brain and elephant.
Just because I have used the old outdated .300 H&H more than the '-06, doesn't mean I look down on it when properly loaded and SHOT. Besides if you lose your ammo (which is a big worry of many, so I read) you will find good old '-06 ammo in strange places, but no Whiz-Bang-Whatca-Call it-Mag! And it will be properly headstamped as well.

it's still all about shot placement-an '06 with premium 200-220 grain bullets in the right place will and has taken all of Africa's plains game and some DG as well

quote:

Originally posted by interboat:
TR used a 30-03, Hemingway, Ruark, C.J. McElroy, Jack O'Connor's wife and many other gun-ignorant American shooters used 30-06s extensively. All left a bloody trail of shot-up animals across East Africa with the little peashooter. It took Americans many years to learn that German and British caliber rifles should be used in Africa, and obviously some have still not learned it.

My personal experience in Africa watching others use a 30-06 does not even come close to this description.....I must defer to this flag:

I doubt you'd find a more popular mid-range calibre in RSA. With the possible exception of the .308, and that's only because ammo was easily sidelined from the good old Defence Force, of which every able-bodied male over 18 was a member, in the days of the FN/R1

I think interboat is just stirring the pot. I've hunted for 27 years with a .30-06 and never had a single animal complain, because they went down too fast to think about it! In Africa I use 220 grain Nosler Partitions which have worked perfectly, first time every time in a load made to duplicate the old USA factory 220 load. My PH uses 180 grain factory loads with the same results. I think we all know the problem with interboat.
LLS

I thought Interboat's post was hilarious!

Gentlemen, there is on doubt about the popularity of the old Ought six! Not only in it's home land but in every country in the free world. There are reasons for that popularity, but some of the reasons are a little nebulous, and hard to find good reasons for! I own several rifles chambered for 30-06, and every one of them, save one, was inherited from my father, who thought the old 06 would take the moon right out of the sky, and was simply beside himself when told he couldn't use his old FN Supreme Mauser 30-06 to hunt Cape Buffalo.

I think the simple fact that most country people who own a 30-06 also own a 22 lr, and a 12 ga shotgun, and maybe an old lever actioned 30-30. As far as theose people go they are the owners of the two best "BIG BORE" rifle ever invented, and that the 30-06 is a magic rifle!

Like any rifle in the class of the 06, if the shots are placed in the right place, and the proper bullet is used, for the target being shot at, it will kill well, and when you add to that, the man who always hunts with one rifle likely knows how to put that bullet where it belongs. With that in mind, the 06 has an advantage over many other chamberings, but it has more to do with the owner's ability, than it does the cartridge being any better than a number of other cartridges in the same class.

Place the 06 in a basket with the 308, the 7mm mag, the 270 Win, the 280 Rem, and even the old 30-40 Krieg, and 8x57mm,303 Britt, and the like, and the animal you shoot, with any one of them, will do a yoman's job, and he will not know the difference, with equal shot placement.

It would be tantimount to in the Pope's corn flakes, on Easter Sunday, with the flameing you'd get, if you put her down!

I am not one of the all time best fans of the 06, but I certainly will not commit a crime against nature by saying it is more myth than anything else, and can't be adiquately explained, as Showbart did, but I do prefere the 9.3X62, and have just pulled the barrel on a perfectly good 30-06 FN mauser to have a 9.3X62 barrel installed!

The 30-06 is one of the most boring calibers ever invented. Shoot something with it and all that happens is ... it dies.
Of course I could say the same thing about my 7X57 and my 375 H&H.

TerryR