30-06??

[RiverShooter]

I have ordered a 30-06 custom from Weatherby about a month ago.
I plan on shooting for fun and mostly targets.
But I will be learning to hunt. At 67 I figure it's never to late to learn, and I have a very experienced stepson to help.
(ELK)
But with what I'm seeing these days i must have chosen the wrong cartridge.
Maybe I should have gone 6.5 Cm or the new 6.8.
Or the 270 weatherby.
Your opinions are the reason for the post.
Newguy

Tough to beat the venerable 06.

 

[StumpGrinder]

I started shooting 50+ years ago with a 30-06 O3A3 Springfield rifle in its normal configuration, steel but plate and all. Hunted with some form of 06 for decades. Now I am 65 and just built a custom 6.5 Creedmoor for deer hunting and silhouette matches. The 6.5 Creedmoor for fun shooting, targets and deer and the 30-06 for Elk. The 06 does kick and not that pleasant for targets and fun shooting as the 6.5C.

If your rifle comes with a threaded barrel like many do now, I would recommend getting a good muzzle break for practice time and load development. It will make range time much easier on the shoulder. Also many muzzle breaks come now coupled with a tunner which can help with barrel harmonics. This is real handy when shooting factory ammo where you can't tune the load during development.

 

[MontanaJack]

Good choice. If I had to own only one rifle, it would be a 30-06. It won two world wars. WW2 riflemen shot the M1 Garand out to 800 yards with open sights. My father, an WW2 vet earned his Expert Rifleman medal by hitting every target from 50 yds to 800 yards in timed competition by estimating the range and adjusting the sight and making the shot. Glad to have you aboard. Welcome to our sport. I'm 71. I've been shooting since I was 5. Great to see you chiming in at 67. You have friends here that are happy to share what we know. We all started somewhere and learned one thing at a time. I'm grateful for all that have helped me and continue to help me.

 

[swe123]

You will always be able to find ammo.

 

[model 700]

I have ordered a 30-06 custom from Weatherby about a month ago.
I plan on shooting for fun and mostly targets.
But I will be learning to hunt. At 67 I figure it's never to late to learn, and I have a very experienced stepson to help.
(ELK)
But with what I'm seeing these days i must have chosen the wrong cartridge.
Maybe I should have gone 6.5 Cm or the new 6.8.
Or the 270 weatherby.
Your opinions are the reason for the post.
Newguy

 

[caseroj]

I have ordered a 30-06 custom from Weatherby about a month ago.
I plan on shooting for fun and mostly targets.
But I will be learning to hunt. At 67 I figure it's never to late to learn, and I have a very experienced stepson to help.
(ELK)
But with what I'm seeing these days i must have chosen the wrong cartridge.
Maybe I should have gone 6.5 Cm or the new 6.8.
Or the 270 weatherby.
Your opinions are the reason for the post.
Newguy

Since you asked for our (biased) opinions here goes. I would have chosen something with less recoil like a 308 Win or a 270 Win rifle. For Elk sized game both of those will work but I suspect the larger 308 caliber might be more forgiving if your shot placement isn't perfect. Yes the 30-06 gives you more options to use heavier bullets but this might be a moot point since with modern bullet construction heavier bullets are not really needed. A medium weight Nosler Accubond or Partition is going to be just as effective if not more so as some of the older heavier weight bullet designs. I have quite a few hunting rifles in my collection but none of them is chambered in 30-06. The biggest non-magnum I have is a 308 Winchester but I do have a few 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag rifles. All of those come with a muzzle brake on them. Hunting in the mountains is tough on even on young hunters so my guess is you would like a light weight hunting rifle to carry around in the mountains. Something like a Tikka T3x Lite or T3x Superlite has an ideal weight for that sort of hunting but with light weight rifles the felt recoil is going to be higher which is all the more reason for getting a more tame cartridge like the 308 Win or 270 Win.

 

[R-Dog]

A few years ago, I decided it was time to treat myself to something that not only was accurate but also easy to look at and enjoy carrying in the field. I ordered a Cooper Custom Classic and threw my wallet up on the counter. I could have ordered it chambered in any cartridge that I wanted..... You guessed it - the old 30-06 !
Gary

Wow, a Cooper...more wallet than I had! Lol.

 

[Wallrat]

You should never ask if one cartridge is better than another, or if a cartridge is obsolete. The answers wil be something along the line of...You should get a rifle in; (insert every cartridge from .17 Hornet to .50 BMG, and don’t forget the wildcats.)

 

[R-Dog]

Since you asked for our (biased) opinions here goes. I would have chosen something with less recoil like a 308 Win or a 270 Win rifle. For Elk sized game both of those will work but I suspect the larger 308 caliber might be more forgiving if your shot placement isn't perfect. Yes the 30-06 gives you more options to use heavier bullets but this might be a moot point since with modern bullet construction heavier bullets are not really needed. A medium weight Nosler Accubond or Partition is going to be just as effective if not more so as some of the older heavier weight bullet designs. I have quite a few hunting rifles in my collection but none of them is chambered in 30-06. The biggest non-magnum I have is a 308 Winchester but I do have a few 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag rifles. All of those come with a muzzle brake on them. Hunting in the mountains is tough on even on young hunters so my guess is you would like a light weight hunting rifle to carry around in the mountains. Something like a Tikka T3x Lite or T3x Superlite has an ideal weight for that sort of hunting but with light weight rifles the felt recoil is going to be higher which is all the more reason for getting a more tame cartridge like the 308 Win or 270 Win.

Thank you, very well thought out.
I was reading on both .270 and .308 in my decision making...finally chose the 06.

 

[StumpGrinder]

You will always be able to find ammo.

Eexcept in a pandemic, real or imagined!!!

 

[Wolf01]

Give me a break! Everyone has to start somewhere, what better place than here for instruction and ideas.
We are loosing hunters and shooters at a alarming rate.

Ya sad to say. I wish every one would have grown up hunting and fishing at least as much as myself.

 

[tigerrose01]

Nothing wrong with a 30-06. The only thing is what is the twist rate of the barrel? Copper bullets require faster twist rates, than jacketed lead bullets. If you are hand loading I would look at 150 to 165 grain bullets, and get the velocity up it will flatten out the down range drop. If you have a faster twist barrel then I would look at Hammer bullets. At the same time you will need to see what it likes. Great luck to have a son-in-law that trying to get you into hunting.

My 30-06 has the 1 in 10 twist and gets fed 168gr Barnes TTSX bullets...accurate, fast and devastating on game out to 600 yards. Great on deer or hogs which is the bulk of what I hunt here in FL. Even the 180gr Barnes TTSX requires a 1 in 10 twist...I use those in my 300 RUM. Super accurate and DRT performance. I all boils down to knowing your limits and placing the shot. Practice, practice, practice! Welcome R-Dog!

 

[BEEMAN]

Nothing wrong with a 30-06. The only thing is what is the twist rate of the barrel? Copper bullets require faster twist rates, than jacketed lead bullets. If you are hand loading I would look at 150 to 165 grain bullets, and get the velocity up it will flatten out the down range drop. If you have a faster twist barrel then I would look at Hammer bullets. At the same time you will need to see what it likes. Great luck to have a son-in-law that trying to get you into hunting.

For hammers in what most guys shoot out of 30-06 weights and a 10 twist. He’s good up to the 178 AH. Steve got 3080 fps with a 178 AH and 26” barrel. To me, that’s impressive. If wanting to shoot heavier than that, then a faster twist is needed.

 

[Wolf01]

My 30-06 has the 1 in 10 twist and gets fed 168gr Barnes TTSX bullets...accurate, fast and devastating on game out to 600 yards. Great on deer or hogs which is the bulk of what I hunt here in FL. Even the 180gr Barnes TTSX requires a 1 in 10 twist...I use those in my 300 RUM. Super accurate and DRT performance. I all boils down to knowing your limits and placing the shot. Practice, practice, practice! Welcome R-Dog!

Of almost 40 yrs with the 06, I just feel right with it. It was my first love at 1200 yrds. And still able after all these years.