500gr .30-06?

[CaesarI]

So I'm re-reading Cooper's To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth and in my 1998 re-issue of this book on pg 227 in the chapter "Africa Ciao!" he remarks:

For my money the 30-06 is still king--backed by a sound heavy (500 grains +) if you attempt dangerous game.

Now... I've never heard of a 500gr .30 caliber bullet... nor do I know how one would fit such a thing into a .30-06 case and have room for more powder than a 9mm... but maybe I don't get out much.

My question then is: am I correct in assuming this is a typo, and it was meant to be "200 grains +" ?

-Morgan

 

[wanderinwalker]

I may be wrong, but I believe that Col. Cooper is refering to having a back-up rifle/rifleman with a big-bore throwing a 500+ grain bullet. NOT a 500+gr bullet in an '06 case.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

He means backed up by a rifle shooting 500gr+ bullets!

 

[uglygun]

Seems like if it were a lead core bullet it would be so long that it would require an insanely tight twist.


200-240grn bullet seems more likely, unless there's some oddball tungsten core non-expanding critter killer bullet out there I don't know about.

 

[444]

He is talking about hunting with a guide/professional hunter who is carrying his own LARGE bore rifle in case you blow it.

I personally wouldn't choose the '06 as a dangerous game rifle, but Jeff has much more hunting experience than I do.

 

[CaesarI]

Thanks

That makes a WHOLE lot more sense.

-Morgan

 

[444]

By the way, he says, "backed by a sound heavy"
He is talking about a large bore rifle, not a medium bore, not a small bore, but a HEAVY.

 

[Mike Irwin]

In Africa parlance normally anything .450 and above is in the heavy range.

I forget where I read it, it may have been Capstick, but the .416 Rigby, one of the most popular and probably the best African round in a magazine rifle, was considered to be a medium bore...