Chuck,
I think you're thinking of Grancel Fitz, author of "North American Head Hunting." He took every major big game animal - many of them placed in the B&C records of the day - with a .30-06. If you can find the book on the used shelves it's worthwhile reading.

That is indeed him. I'm a little to far from the bookcase and for some reason lost his name in my built in computer. Thanks.

Chuck

What wouldn't you hunt, in North America, with a 30-06 shooting 1" three shot groups at a 100 yards using the 180gr Barnes X Triple Shocks at 2650fps? Every thing but Brown Bears? How about Bison?

There is nothing I would not hunt here with that combo.

It would not be my first pick for Brown bear or bison.

AD is that an answer or an advertisement?

We all know your very fond of the 300 win mag.

But you didn't answer the question. Is there anything in N.A. that you would not hunt with a /06 combo above?

My 300 rum shoots 200's @ 3200 and I would pick it for elk over an /06 too. And a 375 or up for brown bear too.

I'd feel confident in hunting anything thing that walks in North America with a standard 180gr. cup and core bullet out of a 30-06. I only take shots that I know will kill the animal whether its a deer or grizzly, an x-bullet isn't going to kill it any faster for me.

I've pretty well gone to the 30-06 exclusively... it works.



This past year I took a Black Bear, Antelope, Six Point Bull Elk and Mule Deer with the 06' at ranges from 175 to 300 yards. While not "ideal" for anything it's not inadequate for anything in NA either. If that sort of versatility makes it boring so be it. In my mind its middle of the road (read: consistant) performance is a virtue.



A couple of years ago while bear hunting I picked up a 30-06 case high up in the Bridger Mountains within view of our ranch. It was marked with a Hoboken, NJ Arsenal headstamp dated 1917. That kind of history adds a bit of "aura" to the cartridge while creating a connection to those that have gone before. As the saying goes, "everything old is new again" and an X bullet only extends the old war horse's verstility.



Regardless, as rifle nuts we're inclined to make entirely too much of ballistic minutia. Game sense, fitness, rifle familiarity, binocular qulaity (etc.) are much more important than the brass cylinder a rifle is chambered for.



Brad



PS... my 06 will run 180's at a bit over 2,750 fps and give moa accuracy.

If that's what I've got, that's what I'll use, just place my shots well. There are better rifles for the job, but you use what's available.

Sevens

Sounds like a winning combination. THe 30-06 has taken every game animal in North America. Is'nt there a book about a guy that hunting everything with his 30-06? Bet he would have liked to have a Barnes-X when he did though.

My preference would be for something bigger on the Big Alaskan Browns. But the 06 will get her done.

I am a big 06 fan. Hunted with one for years. Having a Springfield 03 action sporterized and chambered for the good old 06 naturally.

J.Y. Jones and.........crap his name escapes me at the moment. I own and have read both their books on the subject. They're a good read.

Chuck

I'd much rather carry a .300 Winchester for all N. American hunting (except for coastal brown bear) rather than the .30-06. In fact, I really don't hunt with the .30-06 much any more because, fundamentally, I have no reason to.

Pushing a good 180 gr. bullet out at 3100 fps. and zeroed for 250 yds, the .300 not only shoots flatter than the .30-06, but it delivers more energy at all ranges. It's better as an open country rifle for mule deer, pronghorn, and Coues deer, and it hits the bigger stuff such as elk significantly harder. Yes, it kicks harder than the .30-06, and the rifle might weight about a pound more, but so what?

AD

I wouldn't use that combo for Polar Bears on open ice.

Just got back from Africa where an '06 with 180 Partitions took Kudu, Gemsbok, Zebra, etc with one shot each. The Hartman's Zebra is bigger than any NA animal except the Polar bear, Bison, and Walrus (excepting really big Brownies), and probably tougher than any of them.

Of course, it isn't as likely to eat you if you F it up...

Oh, make no mistake, that's my answer alright! I started out with the .30-06 as a kid back in 1972, hunted with it off and on for 24 years, and quit buying into the iconic "most versatile" mantra of the '06 just as soon as I started gaining some mileage with the .338 Win. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag.

For my purposes, a 180 gr. bullet at 2650 fps. does not constitute an "all-around" N. American hunting load, and it's unlikely that I'd use it for the "all-around" rifle role. I doesn't deliver the velocity, thus energy and trajectory I'm looking for true "all-around" N. American use, nor for African plainsgame use. Since my .300 Win. Mag. delivers over than 400 fps. more velocity with the same bullets, it's pretty obvious that it'll do all that the '06 will do, plus a whole lot more, and without a whole lot more recoil.

AD

You have to be more specfic with your language. I wouldn't hunt anything in NA with your combo only because I have other ones I prefer. If it was your combo or nothing I would be ok with it for everything except the big bears. I saw a really big black bear take 7 chest hit from a combo like you described before quitting. He was half the size of a big brown bear.

I think you are set for everything but the really big brownies. An 06 is just not enough margin of error for me.

The Alaska F&G did a study of bison hunters. Those with the '06 consistently took the fewest shots to take their animal. Although I'm no fan of the Barnes X bullets, you've got a winning combination there.

Of course you can read my signature and see my opinion. The question was "hunt". I'll take that to mean "sucessfuly take." I would never consider the 30-06 to be a big bear charge stopper. It's certainly capable of killing big bear as has been proven. But anyone who hunts big bear must have a guide, for the times something goes wrong. Bell, hunted and killed a thousand or more elephant with a 7x57, but he used a much bigger gun as back up. Sometimes we just must be a "sportsman" and not take marginal shots. capt david

Wow! how hot are your guys' loads?! My 06 puts 165's out at 2600fps. True I haven't plaid with it at all, but 2700+ with a 180 sounds rippin'. Course, I have a springfield with military barrel that has lost 2" to a brake (not my idea).

shoots great though.

to answer the original question, I couldn't use that one gun to shoot all game in NA. It would leave the others neglected and without a purpose. Nobody likes to see a sad gun. BUT, I would feel comfortable using it for anything up to Elk. Moose would get a bigger selection from me, and of coarse bears.

Red

I would hunt anything in NA with an 06, including the big brownies. But I wouldnt do it with a Barnes X. Dont like um.



I dont think too many folks really know just what a 220 grain slug @ 2600 fs can do to stop a pissed bear because not too many want to find out. They'd rather listen to the drivel about needing a 375 H&H minimum, and err on the side of caution. Which isnt all bad, but I have no doubt that the 06 is up to the task. After all, theyre bears, they bleed and they die.



Dago Red, 2700 fs with a 180 is not hard to do from an 06. I used to get that from a 22" bbl. My Springfield shot rather slow too, its getting remedeed though.





R Miller, still LMAO!!

Captdavid, there are those of us who don't necessarily require the services of a guide to hunt the big bears and many also hunt without backup, some with rifles smaller than 30-06's, they just make sure their shots go where they are supposed to go. Some hunt the big bears with archery tackle without the help of guides or backup rifles. They aren't that hard to kill.

Chipmunk.

Leighton

"Chipmunk"

Yeah, you need at least a 338 when things go wrong and they charge

Nothing....it is the rifleman(woman) not the rifle that matters

Absolutely agree.

If that's so, then why not just forget about the .30-06 and just go with a .243 Win. for everything?

AD

Allen, I'm sure I could take anything in N.A. with a 243 Winchester although it wouldn't be my first choice but the original question was what wouldn't you hunt in N.A with a 30-06 NOT what would you prefer over the 30-06.

I have no doubt that you have hunting knowledge but as stated before, it seems like you try to turn most topics you post on to EVERYTHING VS. 300 WIN. MAG.

We all know you realy like the 300 mag. but it is not ever going to be everyones "Holly Grail".

With that combo I wouldn't feel ill-equipped for anything at all in NA - it's not ideal, but will get the job done if you do your part. It's all in the shot placement and doing all your hunting BEFORE you take the shot. The 30-06 is a truly classic cartridge in every sense of the word. I'm thinking of getting a lightweight stainless/synthetic Ruger M77 MkII in 30-06 one of these days myself.



I'm a big advocate of the "one rifle" philosophy myself. It's crucial to "know" your rifle inside and out and the fellow with one or two rifles is many times a far better shot with them than the guy with a dozen rifles in the safe that he keeps switching in between. This year I've sold off quite of few of my rifles that I found I was not using and were just taking up space in my safe. More and more I'm inching towards that simplified battery of just a few rifles for all purposes.



I've recently acquired a beautiful safari grade Ruger M77/MkII .375 H&H and am very impressed with it in every way - beautiful wood, fit and finish, accuracy, features, etc. Recoil is very manageable and yet it packs a serious whallop and is surprisingly flat-shooting for a heavy rifle. It is quickly becoming a favorite as I am currently working up loads for it for this fall's deer season and a black bear hunt in Montana in May of '05. South Africa for plains game is my ultimate goal and this rifle will be my choice without question. The way things are looking this may well become my "one rifle" of choice for all purposes in fact.



Whether it's the 30-06 or whatever else, learn the rifle, work up a good load and stick with it and then use it and "train" with it frequently and you'll be deadly on any game animal you'll encounter.

As other have said the 06 would not be my first choice for large game, simply because there are other calibers that perform better balistically with little or no down side. I don't think anyone has mentioned the 300 Fatboys from Win&Rem which are more powerful than the 06, almost as powerful as the 300 mags mentioned and with light rifles and not much more recoil. Just because a caliber is a classic does not make it better than the new kid on the block.

I will hunt all NA game animals with any weapon you choose as long as it is your treat
Unless you cannot pass on unsuitable shots (ie a shooter not a hunter) the 06 will do the deed with ease.

Mark-I would hunt anything in N.America except the big bears with the 30-06.I am a .300 Win Mag user but the 30-06 with lets say 180 grain Bear Claw at 2880 fps isn't to shabbie.The same velocity as the old .300 H&H Mag.The 06 is hard to beat for an allaround caliber for the states even though I don't own one.The Trophy Bonded is a bullet that I love.I use it in my .270 and may try it in my .300

Good luck..........Jayco.

There is nothing anywhere that I would not hunt with that combo. But I'd rather carry a 375, even for the little bunnie rabbits

That combo should work for all American game, but I would still go bigger for many of the animals. I'm not sure how many marksmanship trophies the late, great Warren Page won, but I can show you several instances where he missed, or wounded game animals. The fact is that shit happens, and especially out in the field. I wounded and lost a B&C mule deer with about the same combination that you have (I was using a X instead of a triple shock). The range was 50 yards, and I made the perfect shot. I never saw the animal again. I still don't know what happened, but I suspect I might have hit a unseen branch. I wish to this day I was using a 300 Win. Mag. It might not have made a difference, but I suspect it would have. Regardless, the results couldn't have been worse.
Now days I hunt with Magnums, and I have no regrets.