A Return to the 30-06

[ShadeTree]

I have 4. I've had up to 6 at one time. Down to 2 real good shooters, and a M98 that maintains strong deer accuracy and a Rem 7600 that shoots as well as can be expected so far with just iron sights. Hard for me to not have a couple good 30-06's around.

Easy enough to find good accuracy using them downloaded as a souped up 300 savage, or at 308 levels, or at full tilt 30-06 level. Its prominence through all these years makes it easy to find in both rifles and supplies. I have several thousand once fired factory brass mostly Remington that the majority was given to me or else I bought dirt cheap over the last 8 yrs or so. 30 caliber bullets have all along been the easiest and cheapest to come by overall even during the most severe shortages. It was and is a great cartridge to have in your lineup for many reasons!

 

[Johnly]

If the 30-06 factory ammo was loaded to the same pressure as 270 ammo, there would be less 300 magnum rifles sold.
With RL-17 and H4350 I can crack 2800 fps with a 180 gr. bullet out of a 22" barrel.

 

[Rexford L]

I have such a variety of rifles and reloading material, and no need to justify the reason why, you can't have too much right? Anyways, looking down the line up (243, 257 Bee, 6.5 PRC, 300 Win Mag, 300 RUM, 35 Whelen and dads old 30-06 in a clean Belgian BAR, I just wanted a nice, light walking rifle with decent hitting power and happened upon a New Savage 110 Ultralite in 30-06. Hmmmm has the nice proof research barrel and it was on sale. It came home, and looking at the old brass and stuff, I started new, 100 rounds of Lapua Brass, 100 168 grain LRABs, Fed 210GM primers, and some Staball 6.5 Powder. Why not.....and added a new neck sizing die from Redding and viola! Load worked up hit 2900 fps, and with some overall length adjustment hit a very nice 1/2" group if I do my part. The rifle is light, easy to carry, comes with multiple cheek pieces, and the Accutrigger. Staball 6.5 though, what a nice powder that seems readily available in Alberta.

I just bought the identical rifle because I didn't have a 30-06 and "needed" one. I put a Leupold VX-3HD in 3.5-10x 44 on it. I haven't fired it yet but will take it and the new Nosler M48 in 26 Nosler to the range soon and get them both sighted in.

 

[RL338]

With RL-17 and H4350 I can crack 2800 fps with a 180 gr. bullet out of a 22" barrel.

RL17 does wake up the 30-06. I have a nice hunting load with 150gr TTSX running 3080s.

 

[salmonchaser]

I read this post a couple of days ago and decided to take my 06 out to see how she was doing. I’ve had her since I was 13, I‘m 67,
5 shot groups, 150 grain Ballistic tips; 2950 fps; 52.5 gr 4064; Upper right is kind of an interesting group; 180 grain Partitions, 61.5 gr. Rl 22; 2850fps.
I’ve hunted from Alaska to Mexico with that rifle; Bears, Moose, Caribou, two species of elk, three species of deer. God knows what else.

 

[preacher]

My Son in Law inherited his grandpa's "Sears" Model 98 in 30-06. His grandpa came from Yougoslavia, fought the Nazis with Marshal Tito. He immigrated here right after the war. My SIL had the trigger adjusted to 3#, had the stock bedded/floated and replaced the fogged up old Redfield with a newer one. I then worked up a load for it with the 168 TTSX and H4350. 58gr put them clustered together (about .65"! ) for five shots, I almost couldn't believe it!....and I'm the one who shot it, lol. I can remember many surplus rifles sporterized for public growing up. I want to say ( I don't have the rifle with me now, sorry) that it is a VZ-24? Am I saying that right?

 

[Alaska]

I will always have a couple of 30-06 …….my fist Browning BAR grade 2 that I bought in 1973 and my second a Win 70 XTR I bought in 1979. Still have them both and continue to use IMR 4350 @ 56.0 with 165gr . Love the 30-06 I have used mine from North Carolina to Alaska.

 

[flyingagg]

I will always have a couple of 30-06 …….my fist Browning BAR grade 2 that I bought in 1973 and my second a Win 70 XTR I bought in 1979. Still have them both and continue to use IMR 4350 @ 56.0 with 165gr . Love the 30-06 I have used mine from North Carolina to Alaska.

I semi retired mine, though my youngest daughter still hunts with it. I need another one, cause I am saving this one.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Used my 30-06 a lot earlier in life now semi-retired it to every couple of years. Wouldn't want to be without one though. Dan.

 

[RL338]

Upper right is kind of an interesting group; 180 grain Partitions, 61.5 gr. Rl 22; 2850fps.

Playing tic tac toe? I like the bottom left

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I will always have a couple of 30-06 …….my fist Browning BAR grade 2 that I bought in 1973 and my second a Win 70 XTR I bought in 1979. Still have them both and continue to use IMR 4350 @ 56.0 with 165gr . Love the 30-06 I have used mine from North Carolina to Alaska.

That’s my “go-to” load as well. 56 grains of IMR4350 and a 165 grain bullet, though I tend to prefer the 165 grain AccuBond!

 

[Teknys]

I'm still crying in my beer over a Sako 30-06 Finbear Deluxe in 30-06 that I sold about 15 years ago. Oh what I would do to undo that....awesome rifle, awesome cartridge

The only 30-06 I owned was a Sako Finnbear. That was probably 40 years ago. I owned it for two seasons. Last one I had. I still miss that gun. I have a few 30 cal but not in a 30-06. Don't know why......

 

[DrMike]

The only 30-06 I owned was a Sako Finnbear. That was probably 40 years ago. I owned it for two seasons. Last one I had. I still miss that gun. I have a few 30 cal but not in a 30-06. Don't know why......

This deficit can be remedied.

 

[Double Dropper]

Soooo the Savage Ultralite with the Proof barrel, has been excellent. StaBall 6.5 (59.0 grs) Lapua brass and Fed210GM primers along with 168 grain Nosler ABLRs has shown to produce nice sub one inch groups easily! The ballistics are impressive as well with some serious long range energy.

 

[JD338]

Soooo the Savage Ultralite with the Proof barrel, has been excellent. StaBall 6.5 (59.0 grs) Lapua brass and Fed210GM primers along with 168 grain Nosler ABLRs has shown to produce nice sub one inch groups easily! The ballistics are impressive as well with some serious long range energy.

You will like the on game performance with the 168 ABLR. I shot 3 crop damage deer this past summer with my M21 308 Win using the 168 ABLR at 2820 fps and they all hit the dirt, DRT.

JD338

 

[RL338]

Soooo the Savage Ultralite with the Proof barrel, has been excellent. StaBall 6.5 (59.0 grs) Lapua brass and Fed210GM primers along with 168 grain Nosler ABLRs has shown to produce nice sub one inch groups easily! The ballistics are impressive as well with some serious long range energy.

Nice touch with the Proof barrel.

 

[TXbaldhunter]

A great cartridge it is.I have four rifles chambered in the 30-06 in my safes.The ability of this cartridge is amazing.You can load it with a wide range of fast powders,slow powders,lightweight bullets,heavy weight bullets,just a superior cartridge design created over a 100yrs ago.

 

[Blkram]

I took my first moose (cow) with a 30-06 in an older Springfield rifle in 1989. Used the Winchester 180gr Power Point ammo
Haven't shot anything else with one (at least not that I have recorded) since. I do want to say that there may have been a black bear and a deer taken with one that did not get recorded in my early adulthood.
I will freely admit that the 30-06 is a very capable and versatile cartridge. As demonstrated in the book One Man, One Rifle, One Land; it will do it all in North America.
And it is great to know that this venerable cartridge will live on in the hands of many who have used and admired it, and are passing that tradition on to their kids and grandchildren, and introducing it to new hunter too!

I got turned off of it because of all the arguing between my father and uncle as to which was the better rifle - 30-06 or 270 Win.
I turned to the 280 to get something a little different and never really turned back. Although I did end up with a lh Rem 700 LSS that I also shot moose with, along with mountain goat, mule deer and a caribou, while I owned it. I had planned to rebarrel it to the 280 but didn't get around to it. Finally found a LH Rem 700 XCR in 30-06 and a RH Rem 700 CDL SF in 280 Rem and did a barrel swap and then sold the 30-06.
I also had acquired a beautiful, unfired LH Sako L691 FS Carbine in 30-06, and as it was the only factory LH rifle I had ever seen with a full length stock, I bought it. It was very heavy and I never did shoot it, and sold it to acquire something else. I now have a factory LH Steyr Mannlicher Model M in 270 Win that is much lighter and will be a joy to carry in the timber hunting. It shoots the Federal 136 gr Terminal Ascent bullet at 2792 fps out of its 20" barrel, into sub-MOA groups.

At this time, due to the versatility and capability of the variety of cartridges in my battery, I do not feel compelled to own a 30-06, so haven't really looked at one, although there are a number of nice LH rifles for sale out there. (always looking at the lefties!)

 

[TackDriver284]

A great cartridge it is.I have four rifles chambered in the 30-06 in my safes.The ability of this cartridge is amazing.You can load it with a wide range of fast powders,slow powders,lightweight bullets,heavy weight bullets,just a superior cartridge design created over a 100yrs ago.

This is what I'm missing in my arsenal. A 30-06 AI is nice!

 

[PJGunner]

"
That’s my “go-to” load as well. 56 grains of IMR4350 and a 165 grain bullet, though I tend to prefer the 165 grain AccuBond!"

That's what I use in one of my 30-06s. I run 56.0 gr. W760, 165 gr. AccuBond, Winchester brass and standard primer for something a bit over 2800 +FPS. I don't remember the actual velocity and am too darn lazy to look it up. It's the only load I use in that rifle as the twist is too slow for anything heavier. It was thought to be 1 in 12" but apparently it's even slower. I've use that rifle as a back up on more that one elk hunt and a few years back the scope failed on my .35 Whelen. I looked and , "Where in hell did the cross hairs go?" S the 06 beame the primary rilfe. I put the 165 gr. AB right behind the shoulder of a big fat cow elk and she weny maybe 30 yards and dropped. She was gone when we got to her. Never found the bullet and as far as we could tell there was no exit. Oh well. Been using that rifle as back up to the bigger tuff ever since. FWIW, that .35 Whelen isn't all that bad with recoil but it has a tendency to eat scopes. Three so far. Go figure.
Paul B.