Calling all .30-06's!

[CH47gunner]

Good enough for Pops, it's good enough for me -
I don't believe there's a better all round cartridge, for North American big game, than the '06.

Sako Finnbear AIII in .30-06 w/ Nikon Monarch 4-12x42AO

 

[mike from st pete]

A Remington and a Springfield in .30'06 and some ammunition.

 

[Rangerpat]

Last week I fell off a ladder and injured my left elbow (ruptured the bursa), separated my collarbone and sprained my neck. Fortunately, I am right handed but I expect, at age 65 next month, I won't be healing as fast as I used to. I may have to give up my 300 mag and 338 mag and opt for a 30-06, for something lighter to carry.

I agree, for a one rifle hunter, you can't beat a 30-06!.

BearBio - Sorry to hear about your injury.
I had a shoulder injury a few years ago and hunted with my .30-'06 using Remington Managed-Recoil ammo, 125 gr. Core-Lokt PSP. It is good ammo out to about 200yards.
I believe they also make it in .300 Rem Ultra Mag.
It will make shooting your rifle less painful.
Hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[Nico Testosteros]

My only .30-'06 is a Remington 721 from 1949. I haven't shot it yet. Now that I think about it I also have a Garand from 1941 I also haven't shot yet. I need to remedy that situation

 

[model70hunter]

I've owned lots of '06's, pre 64 Winchesters, 3 or 4 pre war and a very low number SG pre war, at most 2nd year manufacture. A few post war pre 64's an FN Sears, a Browning and a Sako Forester. The Sako was the gun with which I made my 1st 400 plus shot on game. It was plenty heavy.


I like it but it's number one son is my favorite. I still have 3 pre 64's in it. 1 custom, my dad's old standard and a Lightweight. They and the 30-06's have brought home lots of deer.

 

[bluejeans]

J.c. Higgins Mauser... Shoot 3/4 moa or better ( that's the bes my eyes/scope can see)
Remington 760 pump.

Love the '06!

 

[Brian41]

My first real deer rifle was a Remington 700 BDL in that caliber I bought NIB from a guy for $200.00. I shot my first deer with that gun and many since then. Still have it and several other 700s in different calibers but that one will remain favorite.
I have a Garand as well now and love that one too.

 

[Cyrano]

The 30-06 certainly is one of the finest hunting cartridges but it first made a name for itelf for accuracy and power in military rifles.

My first military rifle is a 1903 Sprigfield, the double heat treat version, very strong and also very slick. It was made in 1922 with a barrel with that date. It's in very fine condition, but unfortunately it was fired with corrosive ammo and not cleaned, so the barrel is not caable of the fine accuracy it once had. Still great fun to shoot, and I have a P. J. O'Hare sight adjuster that will permit precise and repeatable sight settings.

Next are my two Model 1917s; I can't decide which one to sell so I've kept them both. The top is a Remington with the original 1918 five groove barrel. It has the original blued finish and wears a Kerr NoBuckl sling. The lower one is a real mixmaster; a Remington receiver, serial number 1493, with a Winchester bolt and stock and an Eddystone 4-18 barrel. It's marked with the Canadian 'broad arrow C' on the stock and was rebuilt in Canada during WW II. Canada reblued their rebuilds instead of parkerizing them as the US did. It has a British OD sling from World War II. Both have good bores and shoot very well with good loads. Because of the serial number I could wish they had left it alone,, but at that time putting rifles in thands of troops was much more important than future collectability.

 

[Cyrano]

My World War Ii rifles start with a DCM Garand. Wen I got it in the 1980s, President Carter didn't like the DCM program; you had to shoot in competition and then wait about six months for delivery. It was worth it. Mine came partially glass bedded although it has no National Match parts. It also came with the BII which I've never seen before. Needless to say I havent opened the BII container, although I have acquired the correct pieces and installed them on the Garand as I have done for my other US service rifles. The bore is perfect and it shoots pretty well.

The 03-A3 is a Smith-Corona, although it's been rebuilt with a Remington bolt. I've thought of installing a Smith Corona bolt, but the headspace question make me keep the Remington bolt. The two groove barrel is marked SC although they were mde by Hi-Standard. It shoots better than I can hold or see off a bench.

I found a sporterized Remington 03-A3. The stock had been cut, the front sight removed, the bolt handle turned down and the receiver drilled and tapped for a scope. The barrel has two grooves. It was a perfect base for my 03-A4gery. I hung a Weaver K-10 on it and took it to the range. Although I was shooting good match ammo the accuracy was disappointing. I took it out again with the same results. Then I dug through the trash barrel and came up with a cardboard box. I tore off a strip of cardboard, loosened the rifle guard screws, slid the cardboard between the barrel and forend and tightened her up again. My group shrank to 1 1/4 inches and my eyes bugged. I found an 03-A4 stock, not the right one as the snipers were originally fitted with a half pistol grip stock. I dropped the metal into the stock, tightened it down and it shot as well as in the half stock. For fun I shoot it with the Weaver K-10 in the Redfield mount, but for show I have a post war Weaver 29S that looks like the original Weaver 330 at about 10% of the price.

 

[Cyrano]

Comments on Shooting my 30-06s.

i found, somehwhat to my surprise, that each of my US military rifles liked a different load. I stayed with IMR 4895 powder, the best powder for the M1, but for my bolt rifles, I've been thinking IMR 4064 might be better. Because of all these different loads I got a military cartridge belt for each rifle, when web gear was cheap. I have plenty of stripper clips and M1 chargers, so when a partricular recipe gets low, I just load up another 100 rounds (80 for the M1) and keep on shooting.

1. The 1903 has a distinct preference for the 172 gr military match bullet even over the 168 gr Sierra Match King. I wonder how well it would shoot with the 175 or 190 gr Sierra Match?
2. The 1917s both have their original 5 groove barrels with Enfield rifling which does not like boat tailed bullets for some reason. Both of mine shoot best with 150 gr Sierra soft point hunting bullets with flat bases.
3. The M1 seems to like lighter bullets. The best bullets I've found for it are the flat based 150 gr Prvi Partizan.
4. Both my 03-A3 and 03-A4gery shoot best with the 168 gr Sierra Match King. The latter rifle, with Weaver K10 scope, will keep 10 rounds in 1 1/2 inches. Much of this disperson is lateral, and probably the fault of the shooter. If I could get the lateral dispersion out of the groups, they would be eye-popping.

I seem to be garrulous today.

 

[reddogge]

I have the usual suspects. I had 5 M1s, now down to 4. Traded one for a fine custom recurve bow a couple of years ago. Mine are all WW2 vintage and one has original receive/barrel combo.



A WW2 era Remington 1903.



A Winchester Model of 1917



One of those M1s could shoot except for that one Oooops.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I have the usual suspects. I had 5 M1s, now down to 4. Traded one for a fine custom recurve bow a couple of years ago. Mine are all WW2 vintage and one has original receive/barrel combo.



A WW2 era Remington 1903.



A Winchester Model of 1917



One of those M1s could shoot except for that one Oooops.

Because of that rear sight shroud, weird shaped bolt handle, and stepped pistol grip, I think the 1917 is a homely rifle. But I actually like it because of all these features more than the 1903 (which I have). It's hard to explain but there's just something solid about it. I'm not a fan of the gun cocking when closing the bolt, but if it was good enough for Alvin York.....When I say homely, keep in mind one of my favorite rifles ain't winning any beauty contests. BTW, it uses the '03 stripper clips , too, for .300 Savage...

 

[rwsmith]

If I can get a minute....

If I can get a minute I need to take a picture of my 'Bubbaized' Savage 110 30-06 with a cheap scope. It cost less than $200 many years ago and I didn't want to put any money into it. I sawed off the stock in my garage and put on a recoil pad held in place by a band of duct tape. It's great for a plinker and that's all I need it for so what the heck? I've been shooting super reduced loads in it that are gangs of fun to shoot.

 

[reddogge]

The beauty of the 1917 was its shootability. Ugly but they could flat out shoot.

 

[federali]

My one remaining .30-06 is an FN Mauser deluxe with 24" barrel and a Redfield 2-7X scope. I acquired the rifle around 1962 and it now rests comfortably in my gun safe as I no longer hunt. On a number of occasions with this rifle, I've put three rounds under a nickel on the 100-yard bench.

 

[Ky Cowboy]

I've been wanting to find or build a spoorterized 1903 for sometime. I have always been fond of the 30-06, but after reading Elmer's books, I still have a hankering to build a .338-06 and I can't shake it. The Griffin & Howe, Sedgley, and a few others, they all seem to be the perfect rifle. I never hear of anybody having anything bad to say about them. Elmer had one, Sharpe had one, Skelton had one. I guess I just as well get me one too!! Come on, show me a few more pictures !!!!

 

[jimbo728]

Love .30 Cal M1. Best shot was a one shot hit on a steel ram at 500yds. An August 1942 Garand. When I fired my friend was spotting and yelled hit! I said " youve got to be ******* me" he told me to look in the spotting scope, it`s still swinging.
I knew the drop at 500, went up 5 clicks and it worked.
Great rifle, great cartridge.
Jim

 

[inspcalahan]

I absolutely love the .30-06 and is always my "go to" caliber when I can't decide what other caliber/rifle option to take on a hunt.

Here's my oldest and my newest together. Remington 03 CMP gun and an HCAR (modern day BAR). There's a sprinkling of Garands, M70s and even a Colt Light Rifle all in .30-06 that share the house with these two. That HCAR has really won me over. Shoots like an .06, but recoils less than a .308 and plenty accurate.

 

[Richard Simmons]

All my M1917 and M1 Garands are gone. I do still have my Remington 03A3 and Large Marge to feed.

I hate to admit it but she and I don't go out as much as we used to. She's a big girl and likes to eat a lot.

 

[TXbug]

1947 Winchester Model 70, transition, with 2 3/4x Unertl scope

 

[Eaglestroker]

When I first started eying a 30-06 a friend with a Garand for sale came shooting with us.



After her first 'ding' she looked at me and nicely asked me to buy it. Now we have a couple more.




I'd really like a nice bolt action in the caliber but haven't gotten to that point yet.

 

[keithherrington]

By far, my favorite cartridge...

Two Mausers in 30'06: The top is an Argy 1909 customized with a Kreiger barrel, Clifton stock, Whitworth bottom metal and Dakota Model 70 bolt shroud; the bottom is a DWM Mauser parts gun with an FN commercial Mauser barrel, Dakota Model 70 bolt shroud, Bell and Carlson Carbolite stock with Blackburn bottom metal. Both routinely shoot sub-MOA.



Model 1917 built by Miltech, with a Parker Hale 5B rear sight. This gun is in the same configuration as the ones used in the 1918 National Matches.



Remington 700 Match rifle. Schneider barrel, McMillan Baker Special stock, Weaver T-24 scope. Action completely blueprinted with a fitted oversized Tubb bolt.





Keith

 

[fyimo]

I have had several rifles in 30-06 and I really like the cartridge along with the 270 and 25-06 that were made with this cartridge. My first 30-06 was a Remington 740 that my Dad gave me and it has since died because of it wearing out from my son Antelope hunting with it. he would crawl a long way getting into position to shoot and the rifle was getting a lot dirt in the action and when he fired that accelerated the wear inside the action. My second 30-06 was a Sako that I bought and hunted for a few years and then I sent the barreled action to E.R Shaw and had it barreled in 338 Win mag and they modified the bolt face.

I now had two 30-06 rifles and one is an H&R 300 Ultra rifle with a commercial FN action and the other is a custom Mauser. I also reload my ammo and I really like the 165 grain boat tail for Mule Deer and Elk and I use IMR 4350 powder in those reloads.

H&R 300 Ultra Rifle

Custom Mauser.

 

[30-30remchester]

1947 Winchester Model 70, transition, with 2 3/4x Unertl scope

Great look old classic outfit. Love those transitional and pre war model 70's.

 

[rwsmith]

You're not just...

You just can not find a more versatile caliber . Even if you don't reload you can find a load for almost anything you might want to use a rifle for. I have a Garand,03A3,and the first new rifle I ever bought an early 70's Ruger Model 77 that has taken at least 100 deer over many years

You aren't just whistling Dixie. With SR 4759 I can push a 115 lead bullet to about 1500 fps or lower if I want.

 

[Miami_JBT]

 

[whitecoyote]

I picked up a nice Remington 700 "Classic" recently for $400.00 out the door.
I added a Game Reaper scope ring/base, and a Leupold VX3 2.5x8.
The rifle has scratches, dings, and dents but shoots wonderfully!

 

[whitecoyote]

I recently acquired this Cooper rifle. The stock is Turkish Walnut. Everything on the rifle is perfect.
Just picked up a Leupold VX3 3.5x10, and Talley rings & bases.

 

[JohnRippert]

The only '06 I shoot is M2 ball.

CMP Garands

'03A3

Columbian Mauser

Also have a 1903 that I cannot find a pic of.


Took a pic of the 1903

 

[Kframerbluvr]

Yup. Have three of them. Winchester "Westerner" M70 bolt gun from 1982 that my bride bought me for my birthday the first year we were married, a 1941 DCM Winchester Garand I got in '89, and a Savage 110 from the '70's that I gave a co-worker fifty bucks for about six years ago. Hundreds of loaded and clipped M2 rounds and hunting ammo. What else does a fella need?