.30-06

midmo

midmo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
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188
Location
Columbia, MO
I know they are out there but you don't see them or hear of them much. Are a lot people still using their .30-06's?
 
I've got two of them and I use them for deer and hog hunting. It's not as popular as some of the newer calibers, but there is so much information out there on the round, I don't think it will ever fall out of use.

I love the round since you can use from 110g up to 220g bullets. Can't do that with a .308.

I can find .30-06 in any Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or hunting store anywhere I go. Can't say that about 6.5CM, .260s, etc.

There are other calibers that will push bullets farther and faster with less powder, but the .30-06 is a classic that's seen use for over a century and that is here to stay.
 
For a all around hunting rifle to 500 yards its hard to beat. I love mine for 1000 yard steel, but there are better cartridges suited for long range hunting. The 30-06 shoves the heavy high BC bullets fast enough to make it useable for 1000 yard steel, but not fast enough in my opinion for hunting past 600-800 yards with 800 being reserved for maybe whitetails and pronghorn.
 
I have never liked the .30-06 Springfield round, but I have always given credit where it was due. And that caliber started life as a military round for the M1903 Springfield rifle, but ended up being one of the most renowned whitetail calibers that has ever been invented. Go to any hunting camp in the southeast (with more than 5 people), and I bet you'll find at least two .30-06's and at least one .270 Win.

My personal deer caliber of choice is the 7mm RemMag, just because I've been stomping whitetails with one since I was 16, and it has never let me down.

With that being said, I had a spare 26" heavy .30 caliber barrel, and a spare donor 700 ADL sitting around my gun room last year. So I got a wild hair, and I built a .30-06 Ackley Improved 40*, and I shoot the Berger 185 VLD's out of it somewhere around 2,900 fps. It has REALLY impressed me. That rifle is surgically accurate, and a very smooth shooter. As much as I wanted to build a .280 AI off of that particular action, I just don't think I can bring myself to pull it apart, because it shoots so **** good. LOL

With the bullet weights and velocities that my .30-06 AI shoots, I don't think I would hesitate to shoot whitetails at 1000 yards. I haven't tried, but going off of the ballistics charts, it leads me to believe it could handle its own out to 1K hunting.
 
gohring3006 said:
For a all around hunting rifle to 500 yards its hard to beat. I love mine for 1000 yard steel, but there are better cartridges suited for long range hunting. The 30-06 shoves the heavy high BC bullets fast enough to make it useable for 1000 yard steel, but not fast enough in my opinion for hunting past 600-800 yards with 800 being reserved for maybe whitetails and pronghorn.
Click to expand...

I just bought a custom in 30-06 for many of the reasons already stated (ammo, etc)...my needs were 500 and in for hunting, mostly whitetail with an occasional elk. I am already debating getting a 260 rem or another 6.5 to go along with it, but for having only one gun it fits the bill (for me) very well.

I am getting a little over 2800 fps with a 180gr Nosler BT that groups very well.
 
The Oregonian said:
I just bought a custom in 30-06 for many of the reasons already stated (ammo, etc)...my needs were 500 and in for hunting, mostly whitetail with an occasional elk. I am already debating getting a 260 rem or another 6.5 to go along with it, but for having only one gun it fits the bill (for me) very well.

I am getting a little over 2800 fps with a 180gr Nosler BT that groups very well.
Click to expand...

Have you heard of the 6.5 Sherman? It's a long action 6.5 caliber that you use inexpensive .270 Win brass to form out of. It would make a nice companion to your .30-06, if you handload, and are familiar with forming brass for wildcat calibers.
 
The Oregonian said:
I just bought a custom in 30-06 for many of the reasons already stated (ammo, etc)...my needs were 500 and in for hunting, mostly whitetail with an occasional elk. I am already debating getting a 260 rem or another 6.5 to go along with it, but for having only one gun it fits the bill (for me) very well.

I am getting a little over 2800 fps with a 180gr Nosler BT that groups very well.
Click to expand...
My father in law gave me my first rifle its a TC Venture 30-06. I now have six high powered rifles, but the 30-06 is by far my favorite. It was my only rifle for several years.

I honestly believe with the 215 Berger and a max charge of RL 17 you could probably kill some of Americas big game at 1100 yards. Energy is the biggest factor in hunting, but I worry about time of flight, where is the animals vitals when the bullet arrived ....
 
The 30/06 is by far my favorite round in fact I just picked up a T/C Venture in that caliber. I have 3 other rifles in the 06 and would not hesitate to shoot anything in North America with any one of them. Including Grizzly or Kodiac Bear.
 
I have the respect for the 30-06. I have owned a few and have had great success hunting with them in my early years. One of my most chetished rifles is an all original 1942 A3 Springfield(Reminton) that shoots sub MOA with the stock peep sights. IMO, it's one of the best balanced rifles for offhand shooting ever ever made.
 
The 30-06 was the first rifle I ever bought and still own it, its a eddystone 1917. Shoots great but has been replace by my 7mm which is my main hunting rifle now.
 

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