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One of Us |
Mike, I have the following center fire rifles that I hunt with: 22-250 Remington 700 Of all those rifles I use them in the following order: 1. 30-06 (far and away) This is mainly due to the fact the '06 was my first big game rifle. I have had it for about 20 years (just added them up, can't belive it!) and just feel most comfortable with it. I chose that caliber because I felt that it gave me them most selection in bullets and factory ammo. After twenty years I still stand by that decision. This is not meant to denigrate any other calibers. I don't feel knowledgeable enough to really comment on that subject. I do know that my Grandfather has killed more elk and deer with that .270 that I will ever with any rifle. In the right hands it is a deadly tool, as is the 7mm. -Steve | |||
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| <allen day> |
I've always owned at least one .30-06 since I was fifteen years old, which is almost thirty years. I started out with that cartridge, and I repect it highly. Even so, I haven't hunted with a .30-06 for the last five years, and really, for the last twenty years I haven't used it all that much for hunting. I like the .270 Win. better for medium-sized game; my prefered .300 Win. Mag. is even more versatile than the .30-06 is; plus the .338 Win. and the .375 H&H clobber the bigger animals a heck of a lot harder than the good ol' ought-six does. So I guess that's why I haven't hunted much with the .30-06 in a while...... Quite honestly (my opinion only) the .30-06 is something of an icon, and icons die hard. Lots of guys buy them because they've never heard of anything else, and other guys buy them because they've been sold on the often-repeated idea that "there's nothing more versatile" than the .30-06. (Jim Carmichel said it best: "There's no shortage of all-purpose rifles. Where are the all-purpose hunters?") I still hear it said once in a while that the '06 carries with it the "big" advantage of "cheap, readily-available surplus ammunition and brass". I must be a lousey snoop, because I haven't seen any fresh batches of such stuff for quite a few years, and much of which I used to see available is unsuitable for use, at least in my rifles! AD | ||
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| one of us |
My grown son prefers his .30-06 to practically any gun in our combined collection of two dozen or so hunting rifles. Why? (1) It is accurate. (2) With 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded to 3000 fps, in practical terms, it has virtually the same long range capability out to about 400 yards for deer and antelope (a capability that he has illustrated time and again). (3) With 180 grain Partitions at 2800 fps, it has plenty of power and penetration for larger game. (4) Most importantly, he is comfortable with this particular gun and shoots it better than any other -- two weeks ago he shot a pair of running coyotes at 275 yards across an open wheat field with consecutive one shot kills. His gun could just as easily be a 7mm Remington, or a 7 x 64, or even a .300 Winchester. The point is, if the gun performs well, the .30-06 chambering is capable of doing most anything that the more "specialized" cartridges will do. | |||
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| <Ol' Sarge> |
I used my .30-06 for everything until my wife started hunting. Now if she's along I have to use something else. That's the gun she insists on 'cause when she pulls the trigger things fall down pronto. ------------------ | ||
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| one of us |
Time to stirr the pot: I'll take a 308 over an '06 any day. ------------------ | |||
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| <Vek> |
Four rifles: Rem 700, formerly 280, rebarreled this fall to 35 whelen AI. Haven't shot it yet. Trigger still heavy but crisp, I'll work on that this winter. Win 70 post 64 30-06. Corked a reasonably nice 3x3 muley this year, 180 grain Corelokt handload. Unspectacular rifle in all regards - blued with wood (albeit decent wood), leupold 3x9, shoots nothing I've tried (165 and 180 CL, 165 Ballistic tip, 180 Speer mag-tip) consistently tighter than 1.5", but nothing larger than 2". It's spooky. And holds its zero. And has a very nice trigger pull. Savage 110 30-06. Bad crown (didn't notice until after purchase), haven't had a smith repair that yet, but shoots about like the Winchester. Trigger of medium pull, and is either creepy or unsafe, depending on where you turn the screws. Ruger 7mm, tang safety. Brother's rifle (I'm trading Savage for it), bore toast, throws patterns. On its way to Ruger for rebarrel. Anxious to work with it after, as it is light, trim, and easy to carry. Will wear a 3x9 leupold. trigger not bad but creepy. We'll see if there's a fix for that... Next year, I imagine using either the Remington or the Ruger, depending on which has more of my confidence. Winchester 30-06 will remain as a VERY capable backup which can be counted on to provide more than adequate hunting accuracy on command. The two others hold very slight advantages in either power or trajectory. If I were to start all over and buy one rifle, an 06 it would be, probably in a used but good post-64 Winchester or early ruger. | ||
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one of us |
I can't think of a time since I was 13 years old that I didn't have a 30-06. My wife uses one, and my son's first rifle (and the one he still uses) is a '06. Like someone else said earlier in the thread, I don't use it much myself as I have other calibers that do things better. Reminds me of an old comfortable pair of blue jeans that you hate to throw away no matter how faded and tattered they become. There's always a reason to keep them around no matter how dated they become. | |||
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| <Harry> |
Last used mine Sept 2000 to take a bunch of critters in Namibia. Guess it will go to RSA in May for more critters. It and 180 Nosler Partitions (Federal) seem to be a good partnership. I only have 4 or 5 30/06 at the moment. Was my first or second cneter fire rifle and I have never been without one. Use them each year for something. | ||
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| <graff> |
I agree with Mr. Curtiss le May, in stirring the pot and in preference of a .308 over a 30.06 My main reasons are practical - not much - and deeply subjective. The practical - with today's ammo, .308 does the same things a 06 does,outside paper split differences, except when using 220 gr. bullets, but the only guy that actually reported using 'em was Ernie Hemingway, and in his own quoting, he was not 1% a shooter as he was a writer. Please note that I don't mention accuracy. I don't shoot well enough to notice a palpable difference. well, if they do the same, why don't I just toss a coin and choose? Here comes the subjective reason: short actions. They don't have any advantage over the standard or long actions, and length of bolt travel is conversational stuff, except maybe for a talidomide victim. But a big rifle/action firing a cartrige whoose effects could be stuffed in a smaller pill seems to me...sort of an emasculation! A small ZKK601 is my idea of a .30 cartrige in the steps of the .06/308, while standard actions seem to my admittedly particular sthetic sense more fit with a .338. What are your reasons, Mr.le May? | ||
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| <Rifleman7> |
I'm with Curtis - I'll take my .308 any day. | ||
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| one of us |
The .308 is an excellent and efficient cartridge, but, loaded to the same pressures and from the same length barrel, will be about 200 FPS slower than the .30-06 with ligher bullets and 250 FPS slower with heavier bullets. In 308's with very short magazines (limiting overall cartridge length), the differnce may be more than this. If the situation does not require the extra velocity, the the .308 is just fine. But if you're trying to throw a long 180 grain partition or X-type bullet through an elk or moose, or trying to stretch out to take an antelope at 400+ yards, you will be at some disadvantage with a .308 as compared to a .30-06. [This message has been edited by Stonecreek (edited 11-30-2001).] | |||
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| one of us |
I have 3 bolt rifles in 30-06 but I used a 7mm Rem Mag for a whitetail buck last Monday. I considered taking a 30-06, but was simply curious about how the 7 Mag would perform on game. The results were devastating to say the least (of course my shot was at only 40 yards so that probably helped)... | |||
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| <Ol' Sarge> |
Well now fellers, Ain't got nothin' agin that shortened -06 'cept I ain't got one. Didn't set out to get a real one either. Went to the local hardware in '68 to order a Rem 700 in 7MM Rem Mag and the owner told me I could have a -06 for his cost if'n I could get it to shoot. Some o' ya'll said other cartridges do a better job. I take exception to that. I don't know how another cartidge could do a better job when everything I have ever shot with it falls down dead - and that includes several hundred deer, dozens of antelope, dozens of elk, plus a few moose and hogs. I also own several dozen big game cartridges from .243 thru .300RUM, and I LOVE my .25-06s but just have never seen any evidince that any will kill any farther, faster, surer, or deader than the -06 does. ------------------ | ||
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| one of us |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stonecreek: [B]If the situation does not require the extra velocity, the the .308 is just fine. But if you're trying to throw a long 180 grain partition or X-type bullet through an elk or moose, or trying to stretch out to take an antelope at 400+ yards, you will be at some disadvantage with a .308 as compared to a .30-06. Stonecreek- ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
There is some truth in the original statement. I have a great 30-06. It is a Ruger m77 MK II. I had it tricked out a bit and have it in a laminate thumbhole. Leupold 2x8. It is the mose consistently accurate rifle I own. I am haven't used it in about a year as I am getting as familiar as possible with a 375 for a trip for the dagga boys in the next year or so. I need to get the old girl out and dance a bit. I have had a couple lost animals using the Nosler BT's about a year ago. (Shot selection?) I think I may try out the GS HV's and see if they will group. Hmm a new project! Looks like fun! "D" | |||
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| one of us |
30'06, first big game rifle I ever owned, I got it for my 15th christmas. Thought it was the coolest thing ever, cuz it was so big (I was used to a .243). It was nothing special, just a used ruger M77 (tang safety)but I thought the world of it. I got bit by the velocity bug by the time I was 17, and was convinced that the '06 was too slow and wouldn't kill anything. The reason for that was that I only shot 180gr bullets through it, not exactly a flat shooting bullet. Once I realized that I could get bullet weights ranging from 125-220gr, I started to realize that the '06 was a little more versatile. I found the 150s to shoot very well, and when antelope season rolled around this year and I didn't have any 180gr Ballistic tips loaded for my 338 ultra mag, who did I go running to? Trusty ol' 30'06 w/ 150gr federal hi shoks. Bagged me my biggest antelope yet...just a shade under 15inches. If I were to have one gun for everything under the North American sun, I would choose the '06, no ifs ands or buts. Mike Dettorre, you make a good point...while I have many guns, I usually use my other guns first before falling back on ol' reliable (as I have named her). But it's just a cartridge I think everyone should at least own for fallback purposes. You could never go wrong. ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
I currently have two .30-06's in my safe and one .308 Winchester. To tell you the truth, I hunted with the 308 once twenty years ago. One of my 06's I bought 25 years ago and shot just one deer with it, the other a New M70 that had been reworked, I shoot 165 gr. TBBC in that, its been to Africa twice. I find the .30-06 to be neither fish or fowel. I could never understand the idea that you can use a lot of different bullet weights with a lot of differnent trajectories, and still be able to hit things at will, with the lack of shooting skill most hunters have these days. I like the one good load and leave it at that. When its all said and done, there is not a wit difference between any of the 30-06 base cartridges. For my light game hunting I use a 6.5 x 55 or 7 x 57 most of the time, If I need more I shoot a 338 Winchester, and if it still need more that that there's the 375 H+H and then for the dangerous stuff there is my 416. If anything I got to many rifles, I could do just fine with a 338 Winchester and a 416 Remington and leave it at that. Add a 22 rim fire and a 12 ga shotgun and I would have it all covered from squirrels to pheasants to elephants. You have to remember that here in the States, the .30-06 was the Military Cartridge from WW-I to Korea and Viet-Nam. A lot of guys shot it in the service, and it sort of stuck for hunting and a lot of target shooting. Besides, there is not a rifle maker in the world that dose not chamber for it. Yea its going to be a round for a long time to come. | |||
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one of us |
quote: George, WyoJoe | |||
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| Moderator |
I've owned three 30/06 rifles over the past 30yrs, don't have a single one at this point and doubt I will again. I much prefer the 270 for deer/antelope and my 300mag does everything better than the '06 ever could. I don't like "fish nor fowl" cartridges, guess that's why I don't like the 30/06 or the 375H&H!  | |||
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| <Don Martin29> |
The 30-06 is right there in the middle after all these years. And now that rimless is fashionable again it's modern once more. Since it's the winning military cartridge over the last century is obvious it would be popular. I carried one of my 06's opening day. It was a 7mm mag that I wore the bbl out on and had Ruger rebarrel the #1 to 06. For hunting of whitetails and black bear what is a better choice? | ||
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| one of us |
The first thing I do with an 06 when I get one, is turn it into something else. The 06 does not appeal to me. But all the others based off of it do! | |||
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| one of us |
quote: e-gods I'm getting as bad as other members who use quotes all the time anyway, i responce to your post, i ask this: what ranges are typical where you hunt? how close/far away do you generally take game? how close or far away would you like to take game? see I'm a right tool for the right job kind of guy, 30/06 always turned me off because of the "general purpose" nature of the round. if your hunting grounds are similar to the ones I'm used to, ie, shots are capable at coming in a 350 yds or 2 feet in front of you, I'd go w/ a 7mm Rem Mag. for white tail or black bear. that's just me, a low down no good sh*t disturber, and d*mn proud of it. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Curtis_Lemay (edited 12-01-2001).] | |||
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| <Daryl Elder> |
The first one out of the safe is my Steyr-Mannlicher Model M Professional in 30/06. Five shot rotary clip, open sights, Kahles 3-9x42 w/ TDS reticle in Warne QD rings. 3 shot 5/8" group with Nosler 165 Partitions @ 2900+ fps. It doesn't get any better! | ||
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Moderator |
I think George S hit the nail on the head, as everyone posting here has more than just one centerfire, so we can be picky. I think that most hunters maybe aren't as enthusiastic as we are here, and many will own just one rifle. I'd say that the 308 and the '06 are essentially identical in bullets up to 180 grains, but over 180 grains the '06 definately has the upper hand. So if you shoot stuff that you need heavy bullets for then definately go with the '06, otherwise go with whatever gun you like. | |||
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| <Reloader66> |
It is not likely any cartridge can produce the results the venerable 30-06 round does. It is the most well balanced cartridge ever designed in velocity with any hunting bullet you seat in it's case. It has been necked up, necked down, shortened, to about any bullet diamater the mind can imagine. The fantastic thing about the 30-06 case is how versatile it has been since first being invented for military use. Say what you will, like the 30-06 or not, no cartridge has had more impact on the sport of shooting than the 30-06 cartridge. The 30-06 case is the father of many children and they to also perform very well because their father is the 30-06 case. As a final note to all 30-06 users who use it to harvest deer. The 30-06 loaded with the 125gr. bullet is the most devastating deer getting combination you will ever fire at the wily whitetail. My 06 loaded with the 125 gr. controlled expansion bullet, shooting a charge of 54.5 grs. of Rel-15 has no equal when used to harvest deer, caribou, antelope, along with many other game species. | ||
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| one of us |
About 10 yrs ago, I joined a hunting club in Miss. I showed up with my Browning A-Bolt in .270. Every redneck there had a Rem pump 30-06, they looked at my bolt action .270, as not an adequate deer rifle. A month later they were talking about kicking me out of the hunting club, for killing too many deer! | |||
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one of us |
I have owned three 30-06 but only one currently inherited from Dad.It's a Sportized Springfield very heavy gets good groups with 150 and 220gr.180gr are at 2" at 100. I hunt with my 6mm Rem and 7 mm RM mostly Deer, Coyotes and Hogs. My new toy is a 338-06. The 30-06 just stays in the safe taken out once a year to clean. | |||
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| one of us |
Although this is not exactly an answer to Mike's question, I think that if an investigation were made, you'd find that for every big game species native to North America, that species has been shot more often with a 30/06 than with any other caliber. (Maybe we'd have to confine it to the 20th century, because I suspect that more buffalo were taken in the 19th, before the advent of the 30/06. And perhaps more eastern whitetail have been taken with the 30/30.) | |||
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| one of us |
a bit of food for thought: how many of the rounds talked about in this thread are based on the 30-06. Also, when the sadist asks the question: what if you could only have one gun, everyone grabs their 30-06's and locks themselves in their rooms. Finally, the 30-06 is the benchmark against which EVERY round is compared in some manner. It may not be my first choice depending on what and where I am hunting but I know I'll always have one on stand-by. | |||
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| <sure-shot> |
Has anyone tried RL-22 behind 165-200gr bullets in their 30/06? Definitely a testosterone boost! sure-shot | ||
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| one of us |
I have had a 30-06 for years and I have shot tons of game with it...But I suppose I qualify for your statment in that I seldom use it anymore... To argue the difference in a 30-06 and a 308 is like argueing which is better a 270 or a 270... I have both and a 180 gr. bullet at 2660 or a 180 gr. bullet at 2700 is not much to get upset over....I supose you could load a 06 to 2800 and that doesn't deserve much..Both come in Inhanced ammo so its a tie.... ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
Sure Shot: what are your results w/ RL-22 and the '06. Inquiring minds want to know. ------------------ | |||
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| <sure-shot> |
In my old Browning A-Bolt I could push 165gr Noslers at 2995fps out of it's 22" tube. I could also push the 180s in the upper 2800 range. I used Fed 210 primers and WW brass. I also had high velocities with WW760 ball powder but gave up on it- too temp sensitive. These loads were safe in my rifle. sure-shot | ||
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| one of us |
I shoot both my .30-'06 rifles every other month, same as my other rifles. | |||
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| <1LoneWolf> |
OFTEN! Hunt varmits with, let me say a 22-250! Hunt African Game, and even huge Brownies with a 416 Rigby. Okay, you can use a 375H&H, but the 416 is too cool and classic. Everything else "can" go to the 30-06! | ||
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| one of us |
If you want a real testosterone boost in the 30-06 then try H414...It beats RL-22 by a good deal in my gun. ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
I agree H-414 works great in the 30-06, works gun in .270 with 130gr bullets too. It flows so well thru a powder measure. | |||
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| one of us |
quote: I admit that I haven't tried it that much, but my experience with H-414 in the 30/06 has been that it didn't give as good accuracy as IMR 4064 or H 4350. Are my results an anomaly, or have other people gotten them too? | |||
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| one of us |
The late great Col. Whelen once said, "The 30-06 is never a mistake." When pushed to the wall, the .270's greatest admirer, Jack O'Connor even admitted he'd go with the 30-06 rather than his beloved .270. I think that has to say something. Me? I hunt with a variety of different rounds, depending on my mood at the time, phase of the moon or whatever. But! A 30-06 always goes along as back up, and I even use it as the first choice at times as well. As for the big and the bad? I doubt that I'd ever get the chance to hunt them anyway. I will say this though. If a Grizzly or Kodiak bear ever came my way, I would not worry too much with a good 30-06 and 220 gr. bulleted handloads. There's been an awful lot of those critters laid low by the lowly 30-06. Of course, I would feel a lot more comfortable with a good .338 or .375, but again, I would not worry overmuch. Paul B. | |||
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