If your premise is that the .30-06 is all you need and the magnums don't improve on anything, then why not just forget about the .30-06 and stick with a .30-30?



I started hunting mule deer, blacktails, and elk thirty years ago with a Remington 700 ADL .30-06 that I bought with summer hay money at age fifteen, and I still own that rifle. I started hunting with the .300 Win. Mag. in earnest back in 1993, and I've always loaded 180 gr. bullets to about 3100 fps. in that cartridge, which provides a good 300 fps. edge over thge best .30-06 loads I've been able to come up with with the same bullets.



I noticed right away that the .300 not only shot flatter, but hit harder at all ranges and just-plain dropped stuff a lot faster, and in a much more decisive manner than the .30-06. When Bob Hagle stated that "no cartridges kills any better than the cold, hard ballistic figures say it will", he was absolutely spot-on.



I harbor no romantic notions about he .30-06 at all. It's a good cartridge of course, but in many ways it's an icon, and a lot of guys simply have no experience with other cartridges in order to make a meaningful comparison. It is not as versatile as the .300s or even the .338s for that matter. In a nutshell, the .30-06 will not do what the .300s will do, but the .300s will easily eclipse anything that the .30-06 will do.....



AD

Nothing here either.

What have you killed with a magnum, hit in the same spot, would you not have killed with a 30-06 and a bullet designed for your game? OK, I'm talking about in America, not Africa. Now don't flame me!!! capt david

I really liked my 300 WinMag even if it would only shoot about 1.5 MOA (but it held that consistantly out to 500 yards on paper) but it was longer and heavier than any 30-06 I ever owned. I have shot both over the past 20 years on deer and elk and similar sized game. I also carried a 300 WinMag hunting with my father, who carried a 30-06, during a 10 days plains game hunt in RSA a couple of years ago. I shot mostly 180 Partitions (I did shoot 2 190 grain Interlocks that gave very shallow penetration) and he shot 180 grain SSTs at the same or similar game at similar distances with similar bullet placement and I could not tell one bit of diffence. I never had a shot I felt I made with the magnum that I couldn't have made with a 30-06 and never made a kill that had the "WOW" factor with the 300 WinMag that I expected when I bought the rifle. I did have one bullet blow up with a 190 grain Hornady that failed to penetrate on a close bushbuck and made for an interesting few minutes. That incident may not have happened with a bit less velocity or it may have just been a bad lot of bullets.

All of my shots on game have been right at 300 yards or less with 150, 165, 180 and 190 grain loads. I couldn't say a 300 magnum is any added benefit for me and sold it to purchase a very accurate Winchester M-70 in 30-06 that is a bit shorter, lighter and a perhaps shoots a bit more common ammo if needed in an emergency.

However, I have sufficient respect for Allen's reputation and experience that I almost regret selling the magnum in light of his post. It must be remembered he used his rifle to kill cape buffalo when his heavy was unavailable and that would cause me to think very highly of my magnum.

Perry

Gentlemen



Magnums are good for shooting heavy bullet for the caliber fairly flat, they also buck the wind a bit better.



I like magnums, 3006 is not my favorite caliber.



Cheers



/ JOHAN

Only having killed about 80 plus deer, my experience is limited. I have shot a few, maybe 10 with the 06 and I have to tell you there is a world of difference given the same impact point which in my case it's the shoulder between said caliber and a "tiny" 100gr 257 Weatherby. The 300s kill with much more authoruty also, albeit significantly more meat damage. But since the meat is secondary, I'm happy with the quicker kills and less shoulder meat. orge

A magnum just gets you a flatter trajectory.

If you want a better killer, go up in bore diameter and bullet weight.

You shouldn't get flammed, because you asked a legitimate question.
The short answer is "I don't know". I have taken a couple of Elk at long distances that may qualify. I had one huge deer that I hit and lost that I wish I would have had a magnum, and a few deer that I wish I would have used something other than a 22-250.
Your point is valid though.

I really can't add much to what Allen Day and Jon A have said, and they said it very well. I shoot all rifles and don't care whether it is a Magnum or standard, UNLESS IT IS WHERE BEARS LIVE, or OTHER LARGE DANGEROUS ANIMALS LIVE, and I hope you heard that. I started with a 30-30, graduated to a .308 BLR still shoot them and love them. I have also worked my way up the ladder to .300's, '340's, .358STA's and .416's. The reason I worked up the ladder is because I started hunting the larger and dangerous game and Africa. You 30-06 guys can go blow your horn somewhere else because I have a good buddy six feet under in Alaska because of his beloved 30-06 and a dieing Brown Bear that killed him before it died, and I am still mad as hell at him for not packing something bigger. In my opinion the Magnum's were invented so to speak to shoot the larger bullets faster. The 30-30's, .308's and 30-06's will shoot the 150 and 165 grain bullets fairly fast the the Magnum's will shoot the 180's grain bullets and up extremely fast, thus more damage and penetration for large game and dangerous game. If you want to call me a Magnum Man so be it, I beleave in them, at the same time shoot them enough to become instinctive in their use. Good shooting.