30-06

[crc4]

I have a 1943 Springfield Garand, all matching with a National Match barrel in excellent condition that I bought in 1975 when they were offered to law enforcement agencies at a special price. I paid $100 and that included the shipping.

It's been the most accurate centerfire rifle I've owned. I have about 2,000 rds of non-corrosive AP ammo left.

I never wanted another 30-06. Eighty years later, it's still the King.

 

[gwpercle]

I've never regretted buying the 1903-A3 Springfield ($59.00 in 1967) for my first hunting rifle ... and leaving it chambered in 30-06 .
Never ever a regret ... factory ammo or reloading for it !
It's still my @1 Rifle to this day !
Gary

 

[venomballistics]

I have a few in the cartridge.
Factory ammo fired through them never left the double digits. It's been nearly all handloads.
Of late, the bulk of my rifle enjoyment has been 5.56 and a 9MM PCC.
The economy of these cartridges has taken considerable workload from the 06, but that's probably a different discussion.
The 06 can carry itself across a wide range of applications.
If you don't cast, start.
A few of my loads are "off the reservation"
The lee 150g flat point is a handy projectile.
Using Blue Dot and a magnum primer to force consistent ignition and velocities, it works out as a sub sonic up to about 1500 FPS. Great range fodder, pest control and small game loads are to be had in this combination.
Same bullet over 4227 ( data from old IMR manuals) was always a good high velocity variant.
Mag primed blue dot loads saw use in cast 180g and 200g as well, performing very well as sub sonics.
Try to stick with flat points if you can. range fodder might not care, but afield, the FP makes a huge difference.
Hornady 110G SP over 3031 is quite the varmint round. The only evidence remaining is greener grass at the crime scene.
upwards from here needs little if any explanation as this is the usual domain of the cartridge as a medium to large game cartridge.

 

[pantannojack]

Throat Erosion

2 pics, first is 1950 m 70 270win; second is 1953 m70 30-06. likely twice the round count on the 270, but some comparison.

This meant to show how the lower pressure of the 30-06 cartridge can give longer bbl life compared to the fad calibers of late.

 

[ChopperGuy]

Why not the "big bears" Actually the .30-06 is completely adequate for all of the various "Brown Bear" varieties which include Polar, Kodiak, Brown and Grizzly. The .30-06 will take care of "American Bison" too.

For all these my first choice of what I own would be the 9x63mm instead of 9.3x62mm because of bullet availability. Hornady has a 250 gr. Spitzer, unfortunately they have discontinued the .358 250 gr. Round-Nose. If you want to shoot cast, molds are available to about 325 gr. from Accurate Molds.

To save the un-initiated the trouble of searching, 9x63mm is .35 Whelen.

I love the 35s, however they have a severe shortage of bullet options. That's why I went to the 9.3 25 years ago or so. Readily available bullets from 232 to 300 grain in 9.3/.366 now. My favorite ones are the 250 Nosler AB and Swift A frame.

Both have served me well on hunting trips throughout Africa, South America and here at home. The accuracy I get with the 250 Nosler is sensational and performance on game has been nothing less than complete.

I like the 232 grain offerings for elk and large deer. Used the 250s for most every variety of plains game in Africa and even a large charging Musk Ox in Greenland.

The large Arctic Griz I shot with the 250 Swift had him doing the bear roll on the first shot. Never left the location he was hit.

Agree the 35 cal is great and I had a 350 Rem Mag for a long time, but the 9.3 just turned out to be a better all around cartridge for me. Heck, I'd not feel under gunned on a Cape Buff with the 9.3x62 and the 300 grain Woodleigh or Swift.

Don't think the buff would know the difference between that 9.3 (.366) and a "legal" 375.

 

[loc n load]

The 30-06 is my favorite CF rifle cartridge.
The 30-06 was the first CF rifle I bought. It was a Winchester 70 and I have hunted with that rifle all over the USA.
I competed with the 06 for 20 years shooting it in M1 Garand’s in service rifle competition.
Last week I took an M1 that I bought in the 90’s, it was one of those that returned from Korea. It is not a pristine show piece, it is the roughest looking M1 I own.
My objective was to zero it for POA/POI at 100 yds. I hung a paper target at 100 yds, put a black 5” scoring disk in the center of the target.
The scoring disk is my second 3 rd group, the first 3 I fired were above the disc. I came down 3 clicks & bingo!
The hole in the center of the disc is for a plug that attaches the scoring disc to a target.
The 80 year old M1 did it’s job. Shot with 70 year old unaided eyes and vintage M2 ball.
Reminded me of why i am so fond of M1 Garlands & the 30-06.

 

[Tex1001]

I haven't messed with any sabots though. That's new stuff.

I've had mostly good luck with sabots, but not in 30-06.
308 is iffy. Mostly successful.
My 30-30s and 303 Savage work best.
The 30-30s are obviously a 2 shot proposition, one in the
chamber and one in the tube. ONLY one in the tube.
300 Savage is still in evaluation. YMMV.

 

[lppd4]

I get great satisfaction out of harvesting a pig or a deer with one of my hand loaded cartridges.

 

[Patrick L]

I used to say a .30-06 would kill anything I could drag out of the woods. Then I learned in 2015 that it will kill things considerably larger than I could drag out of the woods. The deer I shot that fall, well I killed it,
but then it darn near killed me getting it out!!!

 

[skywag]

My Cloward pre-war Win Mod 70...............in 30.06

 

[ruger 22]

I agree with the 30-06 for the one gunner. Way back in the 1960's when I did a fair amount of hunting I had what I considered the dream team---a 22lr; a 257 Weatherby; and a 375 Weatherby which was for only the big bears of Alaska which I actually never got to hunt. Also good were my brother's picks which were 22lr; 270; and 375H&H. Either trio would cover anything on he globe but the Weatherby 257 was the most impressive---it struck like a bolt of lightning and never once did we have to chase after any game.

 

[glenwolde]

RL450! nice.

 

[smithra_66]

For me, 30-06 is the king.

History, performance, availability, it has it all.

Yeah, it's not the biggest, baddest, highest BC, stats monster.

But there is nothing you can't do with it, basically anywhere in the world.

It's the king of all bottlenecked rifle calibers, in my opinion.

 

[Miracle Man]

I have a Rem. 700 in 30-06 bought new in 1986. It's completely unchanged from day 1 factory rifle. Except for a safety lever I broke somehow in a deep clean years ago.

Anywho, that rifle with IMR 4350 will flat out shoot. If I do my part that is. It's killed a lot of paper targets at 100 and 200 yards with very fine groups. And deer, wild hogs, and ground hogs and crows with 110 gr. HP's.

If I were limited to one rifle, it would be my pick and I wouldn't require much thought.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

As for the Garands, best to keep those puppies fed well.

They will burn through some ammo. As for 30-06 Bolt guns. We know what to hunt with and have several options in this regard. Going from a Sako Finnbear to a Belgian Mauser to a Pre war Winchester model 70. And we have a couple of Miroko Browning Winchesters in 30-06 as well. A model 1895 and a High Wall all in 30-06.

 

[LAH]

RL450! nice.

Thank you. I like the simple, all manual operation for some things.

 

[glenwolde]

Thank you. I like the simple, all manual operation for some things.

I converted mine to a 550 frame so I could use the tool heads for caliber changes, but I kept the manual primer feed. I did automate the powder charge but I didn't use the Dillon measure. I mounted a Lee Auto Disk on it. It works for me. Mostly I'm too cheap to pay up for all the Dillon upgrades. They're kind of expensive.

 

[LAH]

I converted mine to a 550 frame so I could use the tool heads for caliber changes, but I kept the manual primer feed. I did automate the powder charge but I didn't use the Dillon measure. I mounted a Lee Auto Disk on it. It works for me. Mostly I'm too cheap to pay up for all the Dillon upgrades. They're kind of expensive.

I have a 550B with the standard features. I love it as many do. The 450 was something I set up for laid back, relaxed loading. Hard to explain but I find joy in it.

 

[scattershot]

I tell people who ask, if you can’t kill it with a 30/06, you probably shouldn’t be shooting at it to begin with.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have a 550B with the standard features. I love it as many do. The 450 was something I set up for laid back, relaxed loading. Hard to explain but I find joy in it.

Not really hard to explain. If I'm having a bad day I will sometimes go the the reloading bench and mess with some cartridges I rarely shoot. (Like the 303 British) Reading different methods and powder and the like and then trying some of it. You kinds get lost in the process and it clears the mind. It's kinda like going fishing lol...

I am with you!