Memorial to 30-06

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M65Man

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First I want to say thank you to all who served, gave their all, their lives, and especially to their families loss! My grandpa WWl USA, My Dad WWll USMC, My Brother USMC, killed 11/9/67.
And no cartridge has done so much to win freedom and maintain it worldwide as the 30-06! When it was created, we weren't even a superpower, even thought of as people who probably wouldn't fight! But WWl with the 30-06 sure changed all that, and the story only gets greater and even glorious!
And it's still IMHO, King! No doubt, it'll hunt the world, and kill anything in the world, done been proven over and over! The versatility of it to reloaders is 2nd to none. With the right load & bullet, it'll equal the 338's standard loads. Too many North Country guides have seen the Terminal performance on big game to dispute it!
Enough said, most already know it and love it! Took me a long time to really appreciate it myself, but I do love mine.
So to honor it, what's it done, let's see just any old Dandy Hunting Rifle chambered in it, and or rifle and game taken with it. Today, it's earned a Memorial as The Great American Cartridge, and 20220330_102823.jpg to those who used it in our defense & freedom!
Here's mine, a 1975 made Original Tikka LSA 65 made in Finland, before Sako. I do love this rifle now like no other!
 
I grew up reading the caliber wars between Elmer Keith and Jack O’Conner. 06 vs .270.

Keith’s back woodsy style must have connected with me as I’ve never shepherded a .270. But have always had at least one, if not more 06’s under my watch. Truth be told they are both fine calibers.

The fact that the one I prefer and own has a pedigree steeped in US military history is just icing.
 
I grew up reading the caliber wars between Elmer Keith and Jack O’Conner. 06 vs .270..

So did I. For some reason I preferred O'Conner's writings to Keith's. I just didn't cotton to his style. When I ran across my deer hunting gun it happened to be in '06 though. I've never regretted the choice. If the rifle had been in 270 instead I would own a 270 as I wanted that particular rifle.
 
I always thought JOC was a bit pompous and Elmer a bit self aggrandizing. That said, I would probably have enjoyed sitting around a campfire with Keith more.

I would have loved to put that to the test by being in separate camps with both of them.

Some years ago the wife and I came through Salmon on the way back from my mothers house in eastern Washington. While waiting for our food to be delivered to the table I chose to read one of the local real estate booklets. As luck would have it Elmers house was on the market. Think it was going for around $240K. As I was reading about his original reloading notes scribbled on the attic ceiling my wife must have sensed some of my non-verbals I was putting off because she asked about what I was reading.

I was running through my mind how I could make this work. 20% down. Rent it until my master plan fell into place were we moved to Salmon. I never said a thing. Just sat there like a stone. Decided I liked my wife more than that house. Besides, I have reloading manuals I could consult for any heavy .44 Special data should I need it.
 
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My favorite is a Winchester Model 70, pre-war, standard grade in 30-06, 24 inch barrel, made in 1940’s. Stripper clip fed, Lyman 48WJS peep sight, Lyman front sight. M1907 leather sling. Just the right mix of vintage Americana and tribute to our great nation’s armed forces.
South mountain, that's THE RIFLE, pretty much in its entirety, that made the 06 what it is in the woods, just as the 03 Springfield did on the battlefield! I'd sure like to see a pic of that rifle!
 
So did I. For some reason I preferred O'Conner's writings to Keith's. I just didn't cotton to his style. When I ran across my deer hunting gun it happened to be in '06 though. I've never regretted the choice. If the rifle had been in 270 instead I would own a 270 as I wanted that particular rifle.

My family had a subscription to Outdoor Life during my teenage years and Jack's writings were the first things that I read when the magazine hit the mailbox. Jack wrote favorably about cartridges other than the .270 including the -06, 7x57, and .257 Bob among others. At least partially based on what he said, I chose a 30-06 as my first rifle due to its versatility. Never have owned a .270 by the way!
 
Same here, my dad began subscribing to all the Big 3 magazines probably 1969-70, and I read all these plus many more most my life. I was hooked on 30-30 Levers for many years, still am. I finally got me a 30-06, knowing it was king! But I didn't know how really versatile it was until plenty reloading experience. That's when I decided , I got to have a 270, Same reasons as everyone else. Got a used Rem 700 in 270 last year, great shape. Outfitted everything for reloading, had plenty time with it. Now, if not for just keeping it in my collection for my boy later to have, I'd sell it, and at a slight loss. I don't like the rifle much, but especially the caliber! 130-140gr bullets for 200-400 yds, yeah it's great, but that's all it really shines at!
And just my honest opinion from all my years reading, listening, researching this stuff.
I like Keith, Page, and Wooters, but especially Whelen, and really admire and respect him.
O'Connor IMO, just an English teacher, done plenty hunting yeah, good success yeah.
He was a legend in his own mind, plenty other people out there done just as much! What really got me was his kinda negative comments about Whelen long time ago.
Whelen did everything he could for his country, the right reasons, wrote about it best he could, when he could, so his writings I treasure, wish he'd written lot more! He wrote his books, and especially the first, The American Rifle, because of the WW he knew was going to happen, and the importance of the individual man with a rifle! Everything else he wrote after, was to really try to help people enjoy what he knew they could do, if they only would.
He was one amazing man, and the 30-06 was the same and he knew it, blazed new trails over lot the world with it! Quite a team!
The 270, I doubt I'll ever hunt with it!
 
30-06 and .45ACP, big bold American muscle car cartridges that got it done.
All my shooting ranges and hunting is in big mountains, plenty bears, so when I go, it's usually by 4W Honda Foreman. A 45acp is always on my side! They are the All-America Team!
Or one of my M94's, 336 in 30-30, in place of my 06, but the 45acp is never left out!
 
Without our fighting men's sacrifices we would be speaking German, Russian, or Japanese. God bless them all. May they rest in peace.
how could that have happened after the japanese admiral said if we invade the US (pipe dream) there will be a rifle behind every blade of grass. so which is it?
 
Have two , one was my dad's old hunting rifle a 60's Era remington 700 adl. Then the one I bought a remington 700 long range topped with a leupold mark 4 its in my top 3 of favorites
 
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