30-06??

[Paladin300]

Welcome to LRH! So glad to have you on board. You will be fine with the 06. It is perfect elk medicine out to about 600 yards. I personally am partial to the 270 win, but that is just my own nostalgia. It was my first big game cartridge and I grew up a big Jack fan. I figured if it was good enough for ol’ Jack I couldn’t go wrong. Been carry one around for 30 years and it has never let me down. The 06 will do fine. I hope you enjoy learning this addiction.

 

[tooth doc]

Not helpful but thanks anyway.
Maybe new guys to the sport aren't allowed.
Or maybe they were looking for opinions on a longer range round.
P.S. been shooting since I was 7.

Last thing we need is to discourage or intimidate/ridicule newcomers, rather help, Encourage, applaud newbies. United we stand

 

[Paladin300]

If I am wrong someone please let me know but I recall hearing somewhere the 50 caliber BMG is just a scaled up 3006

Correct

 

[Paladin300]

Just to be clear, this is Long Range Hunting dot com and not Shooting 101.

 

[Paladin300]

No..I think you chose right...about 10 years ago I bought a Blaser R8 and a few barrels, to take on safari--as a friend of mine and I would be sharing a rifle. I was offered a great deal on a semi wight barrel in the good ol 30-06. I had never been a big fan of the 30-06--but took the deal and worked up a few loads, what I found was a pleasurable to shoot, hard hitting caliber--that hit game way harder than the soft punch to my shoulder seemed. Funny on that safari I used it for 5 one shot kills, on game as big as Gemsbok and Blue Wildebeest. I also used it on whitetail the next year. The 30-06 is one of those anywhere, anytime, anyplace kind of rounds...not much it can't do pretty good. Welcome and good hunting--wishing you years of hunting success!!!!

Nice Gemsbok!

 

[Huggy]

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

You are incorrect if you think that your choice of the .30-06 cartridge as somehow being wrong or insufficient for hunting elk or most ANY other game animal on this continent.
As one who has taken numerous elk with the .30-06 round (mostly using my reloaded 180 grain SGK ammo) I assure you that the round is PLENTY capable for the task as well as for deer, antelope and many other game animals, in addition to punching holes in paper targets as well.
Now that is not to say the other mentioned rounds aren't also capable as they are but they are getting a lot of press and claims that if you aren't hunting/shooting with them you are living in the distant past and should be shunned. LOL
Again, all of the rounds are fine for the expected task but you'll more easily find ammo for you -06 on dealers shelves (eventually) than you will all the Johnny Come Lately shootin' irons.
This coming from a 63 year old who has been hunting since he was 10 years old and does the majority of my big game hunting with my Winchester Model 70 in
.30-06 caliber.
Good luck to you, Sir.

 

[skipglo]

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

Disregard Jonsco...not sure who died and left him in Charge.... welcome aboard... sometimes hard to know where to post exactly....but I for one will do my best to answer any questions you might have for what is worth....been reloading for 46 years, guiding, and shooting for 59. Ask away!

 

[skipglo]

Disregard Jonsco...not sure who died and left him in Charge.... welcome aboard... sometimes hard to know where to post exactly....but I for one will do my best to answer any questions you might have for what is worth....been reloading for 46 years, guiding, and shooting for 59. Ask away!

 

[Bill in AZ]

I burn most of my powder target shooting in competition but just this past December I built up a 30-06 heavy barrel target rifle just because I wanted to do this for 20 years. It is too heavy for field carry use but **** this rifle shoots nearly like a benchrest rifle. I am getting 175 grain Berger bullets going 2950 fps with no signs of high pressure and the recoil is real mild (no doubt due the the heavy 29" barrel) I cut the chamber with a 30-06 Serengeti reamer from PT&G in a Bartlien 5R barrel and it is all I hoped for. My primary big game rifle is a Browning Stainless Stalker in 30-06 and it has served me well for at least 20 years. 30-06 still has purpose in hunting and beyond.

 

[R-Dog]

Since you are going to be a beginning hunter, I think maybe a little shooting 101 is a prerequisite to long range hunting. Assuming this is a beginning of a learning curve, many of us have learned to shoot at longer ranges. I dont think it would be beneficial to jump right in until you learn some of the "101" aspects. The 30-06 is a very good cartridge and would be best learned by shooting and to shoot good groups at 100 yards. I would reccomend 125 or 150 grain bullet as the recoil is much less with lighter bullets. Many long range hunting situations end up being 500 yards or less. If at some point your desire to go to longer ranges and a bigger bullet it might be best to realize recoil can be a detriment because if hunting long range, it is necessary to have experience and ability not to flinch. However, one would not be totally inept with 150 grain at much longer

Personall, I’d use 165 accubond, Sierra hornady etc, that will kill about anything you need, get a decent variable scope and you’re good to go. Good luck

Got my scope.
Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x40 CDS-ZL.

 

[Calhntr]

You made a great choice with the '06, 175-185 bergers will get the job done to 700 or so, up to you , Had an old lead aircraft mechanic told me about one time in Korea using a M1918 BAR in semi mode he took out an enemy out at what later ranged @1,000+/_100 yds open sights using ball 30-06, so don't be concerned about your choice.

 

[skipglo]

Welcome to LRH! So glad to have you on board. You will be fine with the 06. It is perfect elk medicine out to about 600 yards. I personally am partial to the 270 win, but that is just my own nostalgia. It was my first big game cartridge and I grew up a big Jack fan. I figured if it was good enough for ol’ Jack I couldn’t go wrong. Been carry one around for 30 years and it has never let me down. The 06 will do fine. I hope you enjoy learning this addiction.

You still drinking Jack....I lean more towards Rum....just me
.

 

[Scooter 45ACP]

Just to be clear, this is Long Range Hunting dot com and not Shooting 101.

Totally uncalled for statement, if you don't like what he's asking don't answer, no reason to scold an older gentleman for trying to get good information from the finest rifleman anywhere

 

[johngibbs222]

67 is young, I started back again when I was 6 years older.
I have a #1 ruger in 308 and never regretted it.
The only problem that I have is toting the stuff out hence I tend to shoot the smaller game. This has its blessings in that younger animals are juicier to eat than older ones, just less of it.
I've started using 130 grain barnes tsx which are fast and accurate in my rifle and should be adequate out to my limit of 300 yards. I have some speer 165 grain btsp loaded up that are about 400 fps slower than the barnes but if I need something to reach out a bit further they will do.
I know this is a long range forum but 450 yards is very long range for me and my scope is a zeiss 1.5 to 6 mag ffp so I'm not really equipped for longer distances.