This post explores the reasons why the 30-06 is not your first choice of a hunting rifle for big game.

It asks you to share with us the specific reasons why you choose another caliber/bullet combination for your hunting needs. If you ain't givin' us specifics, you are missing the intent of this post.

I have been avoiding purchasing a 30-06 for 10 years, because "everyone has one" and "I want to be different" and the "30-06 is jack of all trades but master of none".

Hence, I have dabbled with the 7x57, the 6.5x55, and the 30-30 (OK, everyone has a 30-30!) Now, I only hunt white tails and black bear. Maybe someday I will get to hunt sheep, wild hogs, elk, moose, or antelope...

But darned if I ain't now thinking that I could do anything I will ever do in the lower 48 states with a 180 grain Nosler in a good shooting Mauser action 30-06... And jeez, if I forget my handloads, I can find 30-06 ammo in old coffee cans in abandoned cabins!!

Dogger,

A few years ago I have had the same idea as you... why a 30/06?

I have compared velocity with others similar cartridges. An all the time, I said the 30/06 is one of the best choice for bench and hunting.

But I haven't taken a 30/06, case too long and min 10 gr powders more than 308 Win. This fot nearly same velocity than .308 Win. The 308 Win is just a short 30/06, with a little bit more accuracy. You have a very good choice in bullet for these calibers
availability, more than 1 manufactor, great choice in weight from 110 gr to 200 gr.

A standard caliber for hunting in US, EU and africa (plainsgame) is the 30/06 (and .308 Win).

If everyone has this caliber is for a very good reasons.

Other choices could be a .270 Win, .270 Ackley,...or .280 Rem, 7X57 Mauser,...

But in this forum the most common choice as hunting caliber is 30/06 or 308.IMHO

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BER007
Keep the faith in any circumstances
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BBER007@HOTMAIL.COM

My reasons for not using a 30-06 are:

1) It kills far too well.
2) It does not have enough recoil.
3) It does not damage enough meat.
4) It's ammo is too inexpensive.
5) It is too easy to load for.
6) It is not loud enough.
7) It has proven its self in too many places on too many types of game.

Hint: If you really want to set yourself apart from the rest of your hunting buddies show up to camp without a rifle and hand out PETA information packets.

Jason

I don't have anything at all against the .30-06. I started out with one nearly thirty years ago at age fifteen. It's a great cartridge and widely-available, especially for once-a-year hunters who don't shoot a lot in the off-season, or else the recoil-sensitive shooter who wants a lightweight, moderate-recoil cartridge with enough punch for elk, moose, bears, and African plainsgame.

That said, I like the .300 Winchester better, simply because it shoots a little flatter, hits harder at all ranges, and I can shoot it. The extra recoil doesn't mean anything to me, so why not go with it over the .30-06?

AD

I already had a 6,5x5 and wanted something substantially bigger so I bought a 375 H&H

J Brown,

I understand your reasons for not using a 30-06. But what is your best caliber for big game hunting according to you? Not for dangerous game hunting just for big game hunting. Just curious.RGDS

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BER007
Keep the faith in any circumstances
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BBER007@HOTMAIL.COM

For Moose, I'll take my 338Wm, or my 45-70, depending on the terrain. I have hunted them with the 6.5X55, and The 303British. I intend to try the 303 Epps improved shortly.

Dogger
As to owning the '06 my reasoning is similar to yours. I like specific choices, not "do it all guns.

I guess I would sum up the 30-06 with:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I can't think of a reason not to use it.

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Good Hunting & Hunt Safe,
David

Well there are two cartridges I said to myself when I was younger I would NEVER own. One was the .270win, the other the .30-06. Why? The same reason as most, "Everybody has one" (and most don't know why) Well last October I broke down and got a .270win barrel for my T/C Encore to use as my Deer/Antelope rifle, but mine has a 26" barrel (hows that for different)
I am also slightly anti-magnum and keep finding myself wanting a 30-06 as a Elk/Bear rifle. I think I will learn to reload though so I can get a 338-06, and once again turn my nose up at the masses. LOL
But seriously though, Millions of hunters can't be wrong. The 30-06 is a keeper!

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When I chose my current rifle, my short list was .308, 30-06, 280 Rem, 270 Winchester.
Couldn't find a 280 Remington. Everyone else I knew already had either a .308 or 30-06. Nobody I knew had a .270, so I picked 270 just to be different.

ZM

Main reason for not owning an 06 is you have too much money, and God is telling you that, allowing your human reason, or rationale, to take His choice, and forget, or deride it.

I have no doubt God is a shooter, and the 30-06 etc. are His favorite caliber.

gs

The only valid reason I can think of against the 06 is you could easily do everything the 06 can do, with a wider, harder hitting bullet, with the 375 H&H, and, be able to
use the 375 for anything, and never feel undergunned.

You can use 220 grain bullets in 375, and, while not the Ballistic Wonders of the 220
MatchKing 30 caliber bullet, I suspect at all reasonable ranges, the 220's would do the job, since they are all ready a pre expanded bullet.

gs

I've got a 308 and a 7.65 Argentine. They're almost the same thing. Then I got 9.3x62 for larger than deer animals. The next step is either going to be smaller, ie a 6.5 for varmint and antelope or a step up for big, mean, fanged and adversly opposed to being shot at.

I have nothing against a 30/06, 270 or 30/30. Hell, I'll recommend them to anyone who's not interested as much in guns as they are in hunting and only want to bring the gun out once a year, run 4 rounds through it and take it afield. For the 2 box of ammo a year man there ain't nothing around that's better. There's no reason ever to reload just stock a couple hundred boxes of ammo up once it's broken in and you're set for life.

Personally, I have no desire to own it at all and i may never at that. nothing more to add.

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When in doubt, do a nuclear strike.

If you had a 30-06, then use it. Based upon deer and bear, it is plenty of gun to do the job. It is not the fastest, flattest shooting .30 caliber, but it can kill quite effectively 200gr @ 2750fps. There are few situations that it cannot handle very well.

If you were looking for a new .30 caliber for deer and bear, I think there are more versatile cartridges available. For instance - .300 WinMag 200gr @ 2900fps. My personal preference would be a .338 WinMag. 250gr @ 2750fps is difficult to beat for bear, but a little much for your average deer.

Socrates - It would really be amazing if you came up with an original thought. Once again you have no concept of what you are spouting about.

My first centerfire was a .270, it has never failed me, if and when I need more gun .30 cal in any form won't do it, hence the reason I bought a .338!!

I was also "turned off" on the ole 06 by the people I compare to many of Dale Earnhardt's fans, they don't know anything about the subject, but know that the 06 is best! Just like many of the intimidated's old fans who knowing nothing about the subject just jumped on the ole bandwagon!

Mike

I have had a 30-06 for about 40+ years now, and have always had one or more at any given time in the rack.

It just always seems to get the job done.

What is a pre-expanded bullet?

When I was twelve years old (1949) I saved 60.00 dollars from my paper route for a deer rifle. My father (ex army) ordered a 1917 Enfield from the Dept of Civilian Marksmanship. He took it to the Aviation mechanic at our little airport who was an amature gunsmith. They cut off the ears beside the back sight, put on a lyman sight reblued it, stocked it with a Bishop stock all for less than 50.00 dollars. My father who had a WW II shoulder wound shot it some and put one of the early brakes on it so it wouldn't hurt his shoulder. I later had it drilled and tapped for scope mounts. I killed my first deer with it when I was thirteen. It weighs almost nine pounds and with the break it kicks about like a 223. It still shoots two inch groups with the old military bbl. I love that rifle and will never be without a 30-06. I have two others. I have some odd stuff like a 22 Cheetah but I always go back to the 30-06.

Buying your rifle calibers based on what your neighbors don't own is like a man wearing hot pants to church because everyone else is wearing a shirt and tie.

Robert!!!

That was too much!!

I about lost it on that one....

Mike

I cannot think of a reason to say no to the 30-06.

Besides being right in the middle of just right for game it has these subjective values.

The 30-06 Springfield is:
A. American. This is a major source of pride.
B. It helped win World War 1 & 11

Some good reasons for selecting the 30-06 are it's popularity and the ability to find ammo all over the world.

When I hunt on opening deer and I sit a lot I like my 30-06 (Ruger #1A) When it gets tough going and I am ready to shoot at any legal deer, running or not I carry the .358 Winchester.

As for wildcats or the 30-06 Improved that I have. When I really want to kill a deer the thought of the 06 Improved never comes to mind. It has little to do with getting the game. Hunting is more hunting for the animal than cartridge selection.

I too avoided the .30-06 for years because it was so cliched.

Now that I am more mellowed and practical, my latest rifle is a Weatherby ULW in .30-06. There's nothing it won't do for nearly any big game hunt, and what it won't do, the .375 H&H handles.

I like the new .300 WSM, but the rifles leave a few things to be desired.

I like the fact that the .30-06 is an American classic, that has become a world-wide classic. Showing our flag around the world is a nice way to hunt.

I just got the latest Cabellas shooting catalog, and one of the books listed is titled "One Man, One Rifle, One Land" by J.Y. Jones. Here is the description:

Follow Jones on a 25 year journey as he tries to take all the huntable North American species and subspecies with the same rifle.

Now guess what caliber he used? Can you do this with a 375 or a 270? I will buy the argument that the 300 winmag offers a little bit more, and can be reduced down to the '06 power level, but you don't need that extra energy most of the time and you are paying a premium for it every time you pull the trigger whether you need it or not.

I don't use one much anymore, because I shot so much stuff with one that I got bored using it....It will kill anything.

If I had to live off the rifle for the rest of my life then I would choose the 30-06. I have had one since the Lord put dirt on this earth and will allways have at least one around...

It is the best all around caliber to come down the Pike....A 150 gr. bullet at 3000 (Enhanced factory stuff) and 180 gr. at 2900( again enhanced Fac. ) and a 200 gr. at 2600 and a 220 gr. Nosler at 2550 in handloads is pretty impressive stuff and I been shooting those loads for over 30 years......

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

because heaven forbid you only have one rifle i'll keeep my 30'06 till i shoot the rifling out of it, and when that's done, i'll pick up another one...it just gives me that 'warm fuzzy' and confident feeling that i always have an ol' reliable gun in the gun case...that way, if my other magnums fail me, i can always come crawling back to the boring, tried and true, proven 30'06.

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God Bless and Shoot Straight

Can't think of a good reason to own one. It doesn't shoot as flat or hit as hard as my 300mag, which I have carried everywhere and shot about everything with. For deer sized game I prefer the 270.

I have a 30-06 and quit using it mainly because the freakin thing kicks 2 much and I can't shoot it worth a crap. I made some great shots with it 1 was a 200 yard neck shot, but it is just to much gun for me.

I have never owned a .30-06, but I have nothing against it as a caliber. Growing up, we always had a couple of M70 .270s in the house, and that was that when it came to an American big game hunting rifle. In my late 30s, I reluctantly bought a M700 Rem 7mm Mag, shot an elk with it, gave it away in exchange (partly) for a bison shoot, and bought a .338. And I have sense kept gravitating to larger rifles and have never looked back. I shoot a .378 Weatherby now and I love it. It has a break on it and it is wonderful to shoot. I never have under stood all that is said about recoil. I expect my rifles to shoot big bullets relatively flat over hunting ranges (0 to 300 yards). And that goes for deer or impala or zebra or moose, or anything else. These are the reasons that I somehow by-passed the .30-06...historical accident and functional demands.

Robert Jobson

I have one, and I got my first deer with one too. but the reason for not using it much is it is a little on the heavy side for deer. when there is the 7-mm08, 260 remington, 270 winchester, and one of the best deer cartridges there is the 25-06. these all recoil substantially less than the 06 and are just as flat or flatter and will kill a deer just as well.

then on the other end they are just a bit light for elk and moose. a 338 win would provide that little extra punch needed.

also most people have enough money and also like to own multiple guns. so why not specialize for what they want to hunt instead of having one gun to do it all.

if I could only have one gun for the lower 48 it would probably be the 30-06 or maybe a 300win or 338win. but since I like having multiple guns I try to pick the best gun for the application, and the 06 does nothing best just everything good.

It's too fat for deer,too skinny for moose, so I have four 30.06s.

[This message has been edited by downwindtracker2 (edited 01-30-2002).]

If I had it to do over again the reason why I would say no is because I would rather have a 270 in one hand and a 338-06 in the other. But since I have a 30-06 its hard for me to justify the others.

This is easy to answer! REBELLION. Yes, That is the truth. My first Big Game rifle was an inherited .30-30. When I got older and was to be allowed to go after Elk my Dad brought home a used '06. It worked but it was used and if someone else had gotten rid of it there must be something better. When I was a little older I decided to buy a rifle specifically for Deer and Antelope. I bought a .257 Roberts. When I decided to get a real Elk rifle I bought a .338 Win Mag. I have not used the '06 since then for a single hunt. It would work if it had to and I haven't traded it off but I like rifles taylored to what I am hunting. The '06 is just a middle of the road gun and I don't care for the middle.

It's funny, but I have never shot a game animal with a 30-06, even though I have owned several. There are 2 in the safe now, my wife's custom job which she's taken almost every game animal she's shot with. The other is a CZ-24 I've been building which will be my daughter's rifle. I've shot deer or elk with various .22, .24's, .28's, .30's, .35's, .37's', .44's, 16 Ga, 12 Ga., and arrows, but never with a 30-06. I don't know why I've said no the 30-06, just guess I've always had something I liked better. Another interesting fact is I've never owned a .25 or .27.

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JD

Wait until you are back of beyond somewhere, you need ammo, and you're in the parking lot of the only store in 500 road miles wondering if they can help you. If you're packing an '.06, they can.

I quit hunting with my 30/06 2 years ago, for a few reasons. I figured out that my 30/30 was plenty enough rifle for the whitetails that I go after, and it doesn't weigh or kick as much as the '06. The scope crapped out, so now it just sits idling, waiting for new life. I thought I might use it when I get to go elk hunting, but a 338 recently caught my eye, so I will use that when the time comes.
As to everybody already having one, its funny that nobody around me uses a 30/06. Everybody uses some sort of super mag to shoot the same deer that my 30/30 is almost too much gun for.

There are other calibers that do a better job for me.I own 7mmstw's and 300 ultramags.Both shoot much flatter than the 30-06 and develop a lot more energy.

I think it was sometime back in the 60's when north american big game started to get tougher and meaner. I guess all the soft, complacent, and dumb animals got shot off. Now, the only ones left for breeding stock are the ones that require a belted magnum to kill.

Sorry, that's the best argument I can come up with. Oh wait, I got one more.... the magnums will extend your effective range 100yds or more. Then again, I'm sorta picky about the game I shoot, so I'd prefer to get a closer look anyway. But maybe that's just me.

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Toxophilie and carry a bent stick.
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I had a new Model 7, with synthetic stock and stainless barrel,on layaway so as to be made into a 284 Winchester. When I went in to make the last payment and pick it up I saw an almost new Model 700 Mountain Rifle with a laminate stock and stainless action that they had just taken in trade. I asked "What caliber?" "30-06". "Damn"! I swore that I would never own that ubiquitous caliber but I realized in the space of about 5 seconds that this beautiful package would do and do well for anything that I wanted to hunt. I bought it on the spot and it will put 3 180gr Barnes XLC-BT's into less than an inch at 100 yards as fast as you can aim and shoot. I've noticed in this forum that there are many arguments and opinions about what is the best caliber for hunting, but for anything that walks on the North American continent or for most of the game on any other continent for that matter, the 30-06 will do quite nicely,thank you!!!

The first rifle, other than a .22, I owned was a sporterized Mauser, Argentine if I remember correctly, in .30-06 and it wouldn't shoot a lick, but I loved it. I still own one '06 but haven't shot it in years. I shudder to think how many whitetails it has accounted for over the last thirty or more years. There's no GOOD reason for not using it, but I have other specialized calibers that do the job a bit better IMHO. I would not buy one now and I have absolutely no GOOD reason for saying that other then it's my money. Yeah, I guess...............(: