30-06 still King?

Status
Not open for further replies.
fpgt72 said:
90% of the new cartridges exist so they can fit in the only rifle worth having to so many people, the AR.....Take that over rated platform away and have your new stuff would be gone.

Old cartridges have stood the test of time because unlike the new cartridges they are made to do a job, not to fit into a specific rifle.
Click to expand...

True to a point, but I wouldn't sell the "platform" short. I did for years until I began to notice the accuracy these rifles are capable of. I can remember when they first started showing up at NRA cross the course high power matches. At first they were nothing spectacular in the accuracy department and were even not allowed to shoot beyond the 600 yard stage at some matches due to the fear that the trajectory might drop bullets into the target pits. Then, with a simple change in bbl twist, came the heavier bullets, more accurate at longer ranges and the AR came of age. Not the most beautiful rifle on the line, but no trick at all today to get sub MOA accuracy out of them.

Agree the AR15 is limited to length of cartridges that fit the magazine, but then came the AR 10 for mid-length rounds such as 243 and 308. Now as was pointed out above, someone is making an AR lower to handle 30-06 length cartridges. Did not see where the 300 WM was offered but if the action handles the '06, I'm sure someone will alter a magazine for that as well.

I'll be surprised, short of legislative ban, if the AR's aren't here to stay.........at least until (and if) something else better comes along. :rofl:


Regards,
hps
 
Jack Ryan said:
Man you guys worry too much over what someone else wants or does. I don't give a flying flip what is "popular". Over HALF the people in this country are complete idiots. I'd be surprised if half of them could tie a pair of shoes. MOST voters voted for Hillary last election, am I suppose to give any credence to what firearm those morons think is "King"? They buy guns to and ammunition ya know.
Click to expand...

Yeah you got that right as rain..... But, it's a fun post and it lets different generations have a look into what was and what is.. Interesting time capsule for me.
 
fpgt72 said:
90% of the new cartridges exist so they can fit in the only rifle worth having to so many people, the AR.
Click to expand...

300wsm
375 Ruger
6mm Creed
28 Nosler
And of course - all of their cousins...

It sure sounds great when you say something like that on a forum, but it really isn’t true.
 
Casefull said:
There is no reasoning with nostalgia. Facts don't matter. Trends don't matter. Emotions trump reality. No pun intended. The 06 was used by the US in World War I and World War II. That has more to do with its popularity than anything else in my opinion. There's nothing wrong with that round but it has been improved upon by other cartridges since it's introduction.
Click to expand...

And the Korean war. They were surplussed out cheap, so every Joe could have a rifle. There has certainly been some improvement, couple percentage points maybe, but, dead is still dead.
 
One of the reasons for me to like the 30-06, 30-40 Army, 30-30, 303 Savage and others is the long neck. This gives versatility for hand-loading, in particular cast bullets. Yes you can use cast in about anything, but a long neck helps.
Someone was saying that the AR might not be here to stay. I'd have to disagree. Even though I don't currently own one, I'd fight for the right to own one.
 
hps1 said:
True to a point, but I wouldn't sell the "platform" short. I did for years until I began to notice the accuracy these rifles are capable of. I can remember when they first started showing up at NRA cross the course high power matches. At first they were nothing spectacular in the accuracy department and were even not allowed to shoot beyond the 600 yard stage at some matches due to the fear that the trajectory might drop bullets into the target pits. Then, with a simple change in bbl twist, came the heavier bullets, more accurate at longer ranges and the AR came of age. Not the most beautiful rifle on the line, but no trick at all today to get sub MOA accuracy out of them.

Agree the AR15 is limited to length of cartridges that fit the magazine, but then came the AR 10 for mid-length rounds such as 243 and 308. Now as was pointed out above, someone is making an AR lower to handle 30-06 length cartridges. Did not see where the 300 WM was offered but if the action handles the '06, I'm sure someone will alter a magazine for that as well.

I'll be surprised, short of legislative ban, if the AR's aren't here to stay.........at least until (and if) something else better comes along. :rofl:


Regards,
hps
Click to expand...

I have an AR also and like it, I may be missing something but what's the advantage for hunting unless you're trying to wipe out a herd of wild hogs?
 
Paul7 said:
I have an AR also and like it, I may be missing something but what's the advantage for hunting unless you're trying to wipe out a herd of wild hogs?
Click to expand...

Quick follow up shot
I spend most of my spare time nowadays helping control predators and the landowners where I hunt insist that I eliminate any hogs I come across, as well. The availability of a quick followup shot is the main advantage for either task as multiple targets are very common and the action can be very fast.

Ergonomics
Coyotes pick up any movement, and will spook. The AR, with it's pistol grip allows me to sit motionless, using a set of shooting sticks, a low chair and remain in shooting position with elbows resting on knees, for an extremely stable shooting platform from which I've taken many coyotes @ 300 yds and a few beyond. Conventional stocks do not lend themselves to this position.

35534423032_fa4f0d483a.jpg

Regards,
hps
 
Last edited:
mshootnit said:
Apologies if this article has already been referenced:
Outdoor Life, Mar. 2019 :
https://www.outdoorlife.com/30-06-springfield-best-cartridge-big-game-hunting
Click to expand...

That's a good read and it goes to show you there's not as much difference as we sometimes tend to think between these calibers. I still think a 30-06 is awfully hard to beat as a do it all hunting rifle, especially in the western US or even Alaska. My number two in that role would be a 300 mag or 7mm mag but I'd give the 30-06 the edge over either one due to ammo cost and availability. If I lived back east I'd probably lean smaller for my second choice as a do it all big game caliber after the venerable '06. The only real knock on it is the recoil is a little excessive compared to the sexier mid-level calibers but that's a literal non-issue to me in a hunting rifle.
 
" Old cartridges have stood the test of time because unlike the new cartridges they are made to do a job, "

Waste of time discussing a subject with that mindset. Especially throwing a man bun fetish into the mix. Lol
 
Last edited:
earlthegoat2 said:
I tend to think the OP is more referring to hunting rifles so some things to consider:

A lot of hunters use 30-06 and a lot of shooters use all the others. These days, there are more shooters than hunters and shooters generally shoot more than hunters.

I’m a shooter and a hunter and I will say I shoot my non hunting guns a lot more because I have more of them. I don’t have an 06 but I do have a .308 that is semi auto and as such I find I burn through more ammo with it. Not near as many 06 semis out there. Especially rifles made for high volume shooting with 20+ rnd mags. Same for a lot of different cartridges that aren’t 06 such as all the AR cartridges that have become so trendy and the growing number of 6.5CM AR10/LR308 rifles out there.

I would like to think that some other cartridge besides the ones that sell the most rifles and ammo is the one we hold closest to our heart and in that vein it is possible that 30-06 is king.
Click to expand...
That is all I was talking about. Hunting applications only.
 
Not all kings were popular...

OP said (emphasis mine):

In my humble opinion the 06 is still king when it comes to versatility, load ability, components and just an all around cartridge for anything that can be hunted in the USA.
Click to expand...

There's king of sales, king of hype, king of cheap, and... king of the above bolded...
 
357smallbore said:
Go to any hunting camp. 06 will always out number the other calibers.
Click to expand...

Saying it’s so doesn’t make it so. Stats don’t lie - but liars do.

Been to “camps” in a few dozen states as mentioned above, never have found the “.30-06 to outnumber the other calibers” - not in ANY of those states.
 
The .30-06 was in the bottom half of service cartridges when it was introduced, and nothing has changed. It's mediocrity incarnate.

Just for amusement I have a spreadsheet that tracks what's correctly designed and faulty about all the major western bottleneck big game cartridges in common use. There's 59 entries in the spreadsheet. The .30-06 comes in tied for #41 in terms of design quality. It's not the worst ever designed but it's working on it.
 
Llama Bob said:
The .30-06 was in the bottom half of service cartridges when it was introduced, and nothing has changed. It's mediocrity incarnate.

Just for amusement I have a spreadsheet that tracks what's correctly designed and faulty about all the major western bottleneck big game cartridges in common use. There's 59 entries in the spreadsheet. The .30-06 comes in tied for #41 in terms of design quality. It's not the worst ever designed but it's working on it.
Click to expand...

Someone should have explained that to Gen. George S. Patton.....on second thought maybe not, we might have lost WWII if they had. ;)

Regards,
hps
 
Llama Bob said:
The .30-06 was in the bottom half of service cartridges when it was introduced, and nothing has changed. It's mediocrity incarnate.

Just for amusement I have a spreadsheet that tracks what's correctly designed and faulty about all the major western bottleneck big game cartridges in common use. There's 59 entries in the spreadsheet. The .30-06 comes in tied for #41 in terms of design quality. It's not the worst ever designed but it's working on it.
Click to expand...

I guess your scraping bottom of barrel might want to stay there.
 
Llama Bob said:
The .30-06 was in the bottom half of service cartridges when it was introduced, and nothing has changed. It's mediocrity incarnate.

Just for amusement I have a spreadsheet that tracks what's correctly designed and faulty about all the major western bottleneck big game cartridges in common use. There's 59 entries in the spreadsheet. The .30-06 comes in tied for #41 in terms of design quality. It's not the worst ever designed but it's working on it.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on "what's correctly designed" means. Or more to the point, someones opinion of "what's correctly designed" means. You know what they say about opinions, opinions are like *** holes, everybody has one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

357smallbore
  • Locked
243 & 30-06 for all N.A Game?
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
sixgunner455
S
357smallbore
  • Locked
2 calibers than cover 90% of hunting situations
2 3 4
Replies
97
Views
5K
sarduy
sarduy
S
  • Locked
22" or 24" barrel for .30-06
Replies
19
Views
14K
Geno
G
J
  • Locked
30-06 replacement
2 3 4
Replies
82
Views
3K
LeonCarr
L
F
  • Locked
30-.06?
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
RhinoDefense
R
Back
Top