30-06

[Thankful Otter]

Guy's hunt's last fall and this spring prompted this thread.

As many here know my 1st rifle was a 30-06 and it accounted for all three bear colors ( white, brown, black ) caribou, moose, sheep, goat, buffalo, muskox, wolf, etc

who else has or has used the 30-06 ?

Also, what weight bullet would you choose if you were to choose just one for all your hunting. I chose the 180.

 

[6mm Remington]

My father gave me a 6mm Remington as my very first rifle for hunting big-game. The first rifle I purchased myself when I turned 18 was a 30-06 and I have had a 30-06 ever since. I have used nothing but a 165 gr. bullet in my rifle for everything from coyotes to elk and black bears. I would feel comfortable using that bullet on moose and bison if I should ever be so lucky to have a tag, but if I were so fortunate to have the good fortune of being able to include polar bears and brown bears on that list I probably would go with the 180 gr. as my do all bullet. Nothing wrong with the 200 gr. bullet either as Guy proved, but if I were hunting the smaller stuff and were able to hunt the larger game also on a somewhat regular basis I think it would be a 180 gr.

My choice of bullets wouldn't change in any of these weights. It would be Nosler Accubonds, Partitions, or E-tips. I have complete confidence in any of those three.

David

 

[FOTIS]

Currently using the 165 Partition at almost 2900 fps with H4350.

 

[26NosFan]

My first deer was taken with a Ruger#1 30-06. It was my learning tool on reloading as well. loaded everything from 110gr half jacket squibs to 220 RN freight trains.

 

[Guy Miner]

I was happy with the 165 at around 2900 fps, but went up to the 200 gr Nosler Partition for the Alaskan hunt. That 200 sure turned out to be a sweet shooting load at 2600 fps!

Could have done it all with a good 180 gr bullet. I did work up a good load with the 180 gr Partition at 2800 fps. Won't be surprised if that becomes my standard load for a while, as I bought a mess of 180 Partitions from SPS on a good sale.

Guy

 

[DrMike]

I have a 30-06, though I had said for years that I wouldn't have one because they were too common. I acquired one of the (then new) FN production Model 70s in 2008. I shoot 165 grain Hornady Interbonds at ~2900 fps. So far, it has accounted for one mule deer. It still doesn't get carried afield enough (too much competition). However, when recommending a cartridge to new shooters, this is one of the cartridges I almost always recommend--reliable, effective and sufficiently common to ensure that if ammunition is available, it will include 30-06 Springfield.

 

[c. schutte]

As long as Mr. Deangelo frequents these forums I can never claim to like the 30-06. 8)

Had one and fixed it by turning it into something useful, a 9.3x64! :lol:

 

[salmonchaser]

My first rifle was a Springfield 03-A3 when I was 12. Dang thing was heavy.
My second rifle was a Ruger mdl 77 in 06. At almost 50 years old it's still an MOA shooter. It's most accurate with 150 grain BT and 180 gr. PT.
If I had to choose one, I'd go with the 180 gr. PT.


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[gerry]

Shot my first moose, black bear and blacktail deer with the 30-06 and a left hand Rem 700 BDL I should have kept.......... I also took a mountain goat, a bunch more deer, several more black bears and at least one more moose with that gun and a stainless Savage 116 later on.

 

[Rol_P]

I currently have three 30-06's.. and use 180 grain Partitions or Accubonds. First is a left hand Remington 700 CDL purchased for my first trip to Montana in 2013 for elk and deer. Then I decided that I "needed" a rifle with a three position safety that would lock the bolt closed while hunting. No left hand Model 70 was available so I found Montana Rifle Company made left hand Model 70 clones, so I picked one up. This year I found a very nice Ruger Number 1 in 30-06, which is a very sweet shooter. All three handle the same 180 grain Nosler loads very well and I hope to bloody the Ruger Number 1 this fall. The 180 grain bullets have provided one shot kills on three elk from 45 to 525 yds.

 

[Anonymous]

Although I haven't hunted with the '06 in quite a few years, my journals indicate I've shot more game with the .30'06 than all other cartridges...combined.

Truthfully, I could go back to one for all of my hunting without any reservations whatsoever. The .30-06 and the 180gr bullet at 2700fps is one of the most splendidly boring ballistic combinations ever devised by man.

A good grade '06, a 6x Leupold and a case of Federal Premiums loaded with the 180 Partition and a guy could basically quit thinking about guns and loads and bullets for the rest of his life....but what fun would that be.

 

[Europe]

Although I haven't hunted with the '06 in quite a few years, my journals indicate I've shot more game with the .30'06 than all other cartridges...combined.

Truthfully, I could go back to one for all of my hunting without any reservations whatsoever. The .30-06 and the 180gr bullet at 2700fps is one of the most splendidly boring ballistic combinations ever devised by man.

A good grade '06, a 6x Leupold and a case of Federal Premiums loaded with the 180 Partition and a guy could basically quit thinking about guns and loads and bullets for the rest of his life....but what fun would that be.

this! on all points

killed the most game ( for me )
30-06 and 180 with a 6x and your done
agree with "what fun would that be" up to a point---to each there own, as my husband loved to play with different rifles, calibers, loads, I found my interests were elsewhere. loved to hunt, but it somewhat ended there for me,. Never enjoyed spending time at the reloading bench

 

[EastTNHunter]

Funny, i was just having this conversation with coworkers this morning at work.

When I was a teenager I read a convincing article by one of the Gun Rag writers that stated something along the lines of "the 30-06 is an outdated cartridge that offers little advantage over the.308, and is far inferior to the .300WM. So if you are going to have a long action, the .300WM is the only real choice." Being a young and impressionable .270 Winchester-toting teenager, I adopted this deplorable ideology, and later repeated it to my now-wife's grandfather who used a Rem 760 30-06. He raised his eyebrows and smirked at me without saying a word, and I didn't think about that conversation for years.

He and I grew close and became hunting buddies, and he toted that 30-06 on all of our hunting trips. 10 years ago he passed away and I "inherited " that old rattly 760, which I wanted for the sentimentality, but later really grew to love it due to the caliber, as well. I'm afraid to subject it to too much abuse due to a cracked stock and rattly forearm, but if I treat it right I can get 1" groups with I4350 and 165gr Hornady soft points at around 2800fps. I used it to take several deer, and I always seemed to see bucks when I carried that rifle afield.

I grew fonder and fonder of the ballistics of the caliber and availability of components and ammo, so I purchased a Savage 116 in 30-06 and replaced the flimsy Tupperware stock with a B&C, and it is a tack-driving, deer-killing machine with 165 NABs at 2950fps with RL17. I have never had a deer take another step after shooting it with this setup, and have also always gotten an exit wound.

I planned to stick with that caliber and rifle for everything until my brother convinced me that I needed a magnum for an upcoming elk hunt. I have tried a very accurate 300 WBY Accuguard that just didn't fit me right (which I sold), and a 338 WM in a Tikka T3 (which I still own), but I've just about come full-circle and decided to stick with my Savage 30-06 using 165 TTSXs or NABs, and use the 338 as my backup rifle. I've looked at ballistics charts and realized that the good ole '06 still has everything that I need to get the job done with a lot less recoil and muzzle blast. The only concern that I have is a quartering-to shoulder shot, and would really appreciate the extra mass and velocity to break it down and get to the vitals.

BTW, I now own 3 different 30-06s and am a true believer in the caliber.

 

[SJB358]

Took my first black bear with my Dads 30-06. Haven't used it since then. I do have one in my safe. Never know when it could see the light of day. It seems to shoot pretty well but I honestly haven't done a ton with it yet.

 

[Anonymous]

One thing to remember, modern .30-06 ammo is better than older loadings by miles and miles.

So, when a gun writer from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s says that the '06 isn't really any better than a .308 and far inferior to the .300WM....he was kinda sorta right. Some 1970s Remington 180s averaged a mere 2500fps over the first chronograph I played with. In fact, Nosler's #1 Manual took some matter of pride in published velocity figures of all kinds of factory loads and pointed out that they rarely achieved the numbers printed on the box.

Premium modern '06 ammo is way closer to the .300WM and WSM than the old stuff ever was. Modern bullets have done nothing but improve on the situation even more. Several of my hunting friends are moving away from the belted mags for cartridges like the '06 and .270 as the performance gap narrows considerably.

 

[elkhunternm]

I have.

Either a 180 or 200 grain Nosler Partition.

 

[Europe]

One thing to remember, modern .30-06 ammo is better than older loadings by miles and miles.

So, when a gun writer from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s says that the '06 isn't really any better than a .308 and far inferior to the .300WM....he was kinda sorta right. Some 1970s Remington 180s averaged a mere 2500fps over the first chronograph I played with. In fact, Nosler's #1 Manual took some matter of pride in published velocity figures of all kinds of factory loads and pointed out that they rarely achieved the numbers printed on the box.

Premium modern '06 ammo is way closer to the .300WM and WSM than the old stuff ever was. Modern bullets have done nothing but improve on the situation even more. Several of my hunting friends are moving away from the belted mags for cartridges like the '06 and .270 as the performance gap narrows considerably.

Hodgeman, I swear I am not stalking you but I seem to get back to the forum right after you make a post. And you make excellent observations, but I know that you know that because your wife probably tells you so three or four times a day

Anyway, I agree with your comments and to stretch that out a bit further, the same can be said of the 300 H & H. With modern powders and bullets this is another grand old caliber, and I personally love the way it feeds so smoothly. I have taken more game over the years with the 30-06 but if I was headed out the door for an Elk hunt today the 300 H&H would go. I might mention that with todays powders and bullets the old 6.5 Swede is also not chopped liver.

 

[mjcmichigan]

I'm carrying a 30.06. Lots of game with 150g, moving to 180 BT and PTs.

Two more things to say
1) fascinated with the approach of all H&H line up. 275 H&H, 300, and 375.
2) my 300 win mag came in. Setting up some break in loads this weekend (model 70 ewe with a GS 3 for eyes)


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[bdbrown66]

I got my first '06 back in the early 90's. It was a custom job on an Oberndorf Mauser action, built for me by my wife's grandfather. It was the last, or one of the last, rifles that he built before he passed away. For this reason, it will remain in the family. It's a good shooter and I've killed a fair number of deer with it over the years. I've got it topped with a Weaver V10 2-10x.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to acquire a 1960's Mannlicher-Schoenhauer MCA from my sister-in-law's father's estate when he passed away. It was his favorite rifle, and he had a bunch. He lived and hunted in Alaska for years, and the rifle has been well-used but not abused. As many of you know, the M-S is a work of art, one of the last of the hand-made "production" rifles. It has the double set triggers, butterknife bolt handle, and is topped by a Pecar 4-10x scope. I've killed two deer with this rifle, including last year's buck.

For my purposes, I've never felt the need to go above a 150gr bullet, either the Sierra GK or one of the Nosler's. My shots are relatively short, and the deer not particularly large, so that bullet weight seems to get the job done without a lot of recoil. If I were going after something larger, I would step up to a 165gr or 180gr Nosler PT/BT/AB and be done with it.

Don't have a pic of the Mauser handy, but here's the M-S.

 

[DrMike]

No question, Mannlicher-Schoenhauer made one of the finest rifles on the market. Should I encounter one--even chambered in a cartridge I don't particularly crave--I will own it. The epitome of the rifleman's art.