Am I missing something without a 30.06?
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Couldn't agree more with you, SlamFire.
Don
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Hunting Insurance Policy
Yes, you should get a .30-06. None us can ever know what the future has in mind for us. If personal financial hardship should occur you have a hunting insurance policy. After you have sold all your other hunting rifles to pay the bills, your .30-06 insures you can still do everything very well that those other rifles did for you. It is not just a cliche to say, if you are only going to own one, the ought-six is The One.
Yes, you should get a .30-06. None us can ever know what the future has in mind for us. If personal financial hardship should occur you have a hunting insurance policy. After you have sold all your other hunting rifles to pay the bills, your .30-06 insures you can still do everything very well that those other rifles did for you. It is not just a cliche to say, if you are only going to own one, the ought-six is The One.
It didnt take long to get to 4 pages on this one.
I hunted Texas White Tail for years with a .243. Then a few years ago I got a 6.5Swede. I even play around with a 222. mag. But the farm guns(family of ranchers) have always been 30-06 and 30-30. Pretty much every hog and coyote that could be shot on the ranch has been shot by one of those two guns. I have had problems with the .243 recently and 6.5x55 is worth too much to risk hunting with so this year I decided to get a new rifle that I was willing to beat around. I found a 760 in 30-06 in about 90% condition at a pawn shop. It is a killer. The versatility is unmatched IMHO. I have lots of guns I play around with, but the one I take for killing is the 30-06.
I hunted Texas White Tail for years with a .243. Then a few years ago I got a 6.5Swede. I even play around with a 222. mag. But the farm guns(family of ranchers) have always been 30-06 and 30-30. Pretty much every hog and coyote that could be shot on the ranch has been shot by one of those two guns. I have had problems with the .243 recently and 6.5x55 is worth too much to risk hunting with so this year I decided to get a new rifle that I was willing to beat around. I found a 760 in 30-06 in about 90% condition at a pawn shop. It is a killer. The versatility is unmatched IMHO. I have lots of guns I play around with, but the one I take for killing is the 30-06.
Cocked & Locked
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I've owned in the past .243, 45-70, .300 win. mag. I currently have .30-30, 30-40 Krag, .44 mag, .270, .308, ,.35 Whelen, but I like my .30-06 rifles the best!
For the record I started with a 30-06, used it exclusively for about 40 years and have no complaints. I have several 30-06 rifles that I like too much to get rid of, but I rarely use the old round anymore.
Didn't read the whole thread and maybe others touched on this but the 30-06 is the Jack of all trades, but the master of none. If someone truly wants ONE, and ONLY ONE rifle for big game hunting in North America it is the ONE rifle to buy. That was my rational back in the early 1970's, and I feel I made a good choice at the time.
But if a fellow wants to own 2-3 rifles in different chamberings you can do a little better by going slightly bigger and smaller.
Another thing that has changed in the last 40 years is bullet technology. With todays better bullets there is darn little that a 243 won't kill that a 30-06 used to be needed for. In the 1970's 30-06 was considered middle of the road. Today it is a more powerful round than 90% of American hunters will ever need. And if they NEED something bigger than 7-08 or 308 etc., they really need something a LOT bigger.
As much as I like the round, If advising young hunters today I'd not suggest they buy one.
Didn't read the whole thread and maybe others touched on this but the 30-06 is the Jack of all trades, but the master of none. If someone truly wants ONE, and ONLY ONE rifle for big game hunting in North America it is the ONE rifle to buy. That was my rational back in the early 1970's, and I feel I made a good choice at the time.
But if a fellow wants to own 2-3 rifles in different chamberings you can do a little better by going slightly bigger and smaller.
Another thing that has changed in the last 40 years is bullet technology. With todays better bullets there is darn little that a 243 won't kill that a 30-06 used to be needed for. In the 1970's 30-06 was considered middle of the road. Today it is a more powerful round than 90% of American hunters will ever need. And if they NEED something bigger than 7-08 or 308 etc., they really need something a LOT bigger.
As much as I like the round, If advising young hunters today I'd not suggest they buy one.
d2wing
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I do agree that when you compare 150 gr. factory loads there is little difference. The real difference shows up useing dangerous game loads 180 grains and up and hand loads that use the extra potential of the 30-06. Factory pressure specs are much lower for the 30-06 as already noted. A 30-06 with proper loads and bullets will stay supersonic further and have longer range. A moot point to most but I gotta love the cartridge that means so much to our history. It did win both WWl and WWll and stopped the commie in Korea.
I actually deeply appreciate the .308/7.62 because I used it in combat and find no fault with it. It is also a wonderful cartridge and deserves respect. Just don't bad mouth one because you like the other. The 08 is milder and more accurate and nearly as powerful. But the 06 is the king and will do things the 08 won't.
And yes there may be better cartridges but some purposes. But for a do it all, There is only one. Followed closely by it's brother.
I actually deeply appreciate the .308/7.62 because I used it in combat and find no fault with it. It is also a wonderful cartridge and deserves respect. Just don't bad mouth one because you like the other. The 08 is milder and more accurate and nearly as powerful. But the 06 is the king and will do things the 08 won't.
And yes there may be better cartridges but some purposes. But for a do it all, There is only one. Followed closely by it's brother.
Mike1234567
member
THREE rifles? That's easy for me... .223Rem/5.56NATO, .308Win/7.62NATO and .375H&H... PLUS a high-powered .22 caliber pellet rifle.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
No, it's overrated. As stated, it's a jack of all trades and a master of none. There are better deer cartridges that fit into lighter, smaller rifles with less recoil. There are far better choices for larger game. For game that bites back, it shouldn't even be considered.
I'm sorry CraigC,
But the Alaskan Wildlife Department would disagree with you. In this study http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr152.pdf the 30-06 was one of the top performers against brown bears. And a 30-06 isn't adequate for black bear? It won't lay the smack down on cats? Tell us, what is bare minimum for bear or cougar if the 30-06 shouldn't even be considered?
But the Alaskan Wildlife Department would disagree with you. In this study http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr152.pdf the 30-06 was one of the top performers against brown bears. And a 30-06 isn't adequate for black bear? It won't lay the smack down on cats? Tell us, what is bare minimum for bear or cougar if the 30-06 shouldn't even be considered?
Mike1234567
member
So... .30-06 is the "balancing act" for most NA game? 
Cocked & Locked
Member
Yes...lots of good info in that link. 45-70, 300 magnums, 7mm magnums, along with many others...nah, not in the top 4 for big bears.
I also found it interesting about shortened barrels, carry method, etc., etc...all around good read in that link.
I also found it interesting about shortened barrels, carry method, etc., etc...all around good read in that link.
Just look at everything the '06 HAS and IS STILL taking since its inception. Answer: Every big game animal in NA. And many in Africa. It's just that versatile of a cartridge. There is no magical "One for All" cartridge. But if there were, the 30-06 would be a heavily favored contender for that title.
overrated? really?
i think you're the first person that i've ever heard call it that. not your personal choice? fine. not the best cartridge for your particular situation? so be it. but overrated? i think not, and history would disagree with you as well.Bird Dog II
Member
I have to disagree with that statement. I think the .30-06 is absolutely the master for killing deer and similar game. I've owned three and currently own two. I've also owned a 7-08, .308, 7mm WSM, .270, .350 Rem Mag and .30-30. All will get the job done, but the .30-06 does it best all things considered. In central MO where I live, you can hunt in areas where 40 yards is a long shot, or in bottom fields where you can see forever. The .30-06 with a good low variable scope (2x7 or 3x9) is the best tool you can have. I have had to track deer for miles that have been shot with 7 Mags, .257 Weatherbys, .25-06s and .270s. Some of these were good shots where the bullet didn't expand much, the .257 was a splash wound. Never had to track one anchored with the 06. I've taken over 40 deer with the 06 and never lost one. Heck, never had one go more than a few yards! My best friend dropped an antelope with his at 490 yards. Another friend of mine used his with 220s on an angry Alaskan Coastal Bear. More North American Elk have been killed with it since its inception than all other rifle rounds combined. For me, with handloaded 165s, it shines in the woods or the plains. Period!
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LRShooting
Member
Pish Posh. I don't get the hype over 30-06. I understand its a great cartridge, but I think it can sometimes be overrated. There are better alternatives IMHO. Now, I realize there are some extremely die hard 30-06 fans including a couple of my friends, so don't take offense to that previous statement. But really, if you have just one gun, then a 30-06 probably is the way to go depending on intended use. If you have several guns, then a better idea is probably a more varmit based round like 223 or something, a economic deer hunting round like a 308, and maybe a more powerful gun for bigger game or longer distances like a 300 win mag or 338 lapua if you wanna spend some money and knock things over. Its all really just a matter of a opinion though. I suppose itll be unpatriotic to not have a .308 in a few years, along with a 223.
308 is more "economic" than a 30-06? I would love to see the facts behind that statement. Seeing as how the AR-10 shooters bought all the .308 during the panic. '06 was still available the whole time here. Walmart, Academy, Bass Pro all had 30-06 ammo. 308, 223, 7.62x39, gone.
And why if you had to choose just one, and so many say that one would be the '06, would you not own one? Where exactly are the flaws with the '06? It's not performance. It's been doing that well for 100 years on everything from deer to moose. It's not price. It's not availability. It's not reloading options or capabilities. It's not inherit accuracy issues.
The issue with the 30-06 is 2 things:
1. It's not new.
2. It doesn't have "Magnum" beside it's name.
You don't have to say its the greatest cartridge ever produced. But to deny its abilities is borderline absurd.
And why if you had to choose just one, and so many say that one would be the '06, would you not own one? Where exactly are the flaws with the '06? It's not performance. It's been doing that well for 100 years on everything from deer to moose. It's not price. It's not availability. It's not reloading options or capabilities. It's not inherit accuracy issues.
The issue with the 30-06 is 2 things:
1. It's not new.
2. It doesn't have "Magnum" beside it's name.
You don't have to say its the greatest cartridge ever produced. But to deny its abilities is borderline absurd.
Nom de Forum
Member
I agree with you.
Perhaps we all should consider it "new". With the components we have today we have turned an outstandingly good cartridge from 1906 in to something even better. I'll bet we could fix the "issues" the .30-06 has by getting an ammunition company to bring out some cases with a headstamp change. They could market it as 7.62 Express Magnum Ultra that can be fired in "modern" rifles chambered in .30-06. The kids would love it. Who wouldn't want to shoot 7.62 EMU?
The .30-06 overated? Balderdash!
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savanahsdad
Member
from link in post #85
first off that joke of a report was done by the USDA forest services ,not the Alaskan Wildlife Department , next if you would read it and see how they did there scoring , you would see it is more about bullet choice than it is about caliber or cartridge , I guess to the clowns that did that report expansion means more than penetration , 3X is good expansion 5X not so good as it slows or stops penetration , but to them it is better , weight retention is good anything over 65% is great if you get about 4X on expansion but that comes down to the bullet not the caliber . lets be real the 30-06 is a great round but they list it above all 300mags and forgot to list a 300H&H ? really ? they also list the 444marlin above all 300mags and a 308win is better that a 8mmRem Mag , , like I said that report is a bad joke ! I wouldn't trust any report that list a 357mag as being better for bear than a 41mag, yep ,, look at the bottom of that report under handguns , 357mag is better than a 41mag , it's right there . so it too must be true !
also Note: this report was done in March of 1983 and barrels ran from 18.5 to 26" again what a joke ! it really only shows what crappie bullets the found 31 years ago
first off that joke of a report was done by the USDA forest services ,not the Alaskan Wildlife Department , next if you would read it and see how they did there scoring , you would see it is more about bullet choice than it is about caliber or cartridge , I guess to the clowns that did that report expansion means more than penetration , 3X is good expansion 5X not so good as it slows or stops penetration , but to them it is better , weight retention is good anything over 65% is great if you get about 4X on expansion but that comes down to the bullet not the caliber . lets be real the 30-06 is a great round but they list it above all 300mags and forgot to list a 300H&H ? really ? they also list the 444marlin above all 300mags and a 308win is better that a 8mmRem Mag , , like I said that report is a bad joke ! I wouldn't trust any report that list a 357mag as being better for bear than a 41mag, yep ,, look at the bottom of that report under handguns , 357mag is better than a 41mag , it's right there . so it too must be true !
also Note: this report was done in March of 1983 and barrels ran from 18.5 to 26" again what a joke ! it really only shows what crappie bullets the found 31 years ago
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Can't take credit for that link at all. It was posted by another member on another thread. But it does show the abilities of bullets even 31 years ago. Imagine what the '06 could do today with new custom loads. Would it be my first choice in brown bear territory? Probably not my first choice since I own a 1895 45-70 and I reload. But would/should I feel "under gunned" with my '06 in Alaska? Not a bit. Animals bite back in Oklahoma also. 500-600lb black bears aren't that uncommon. Neither are big cats. And I have personally seen a 407 lb wild boar with 5 1/2" cutters (it killed 2 of my friend's chase dogs and a catch dog). So we have critters here that "bite back".
The 7.62 EMU huh? Lol. Who knows. It might catch on.
The 7.62 EMU huh? Lol. Who knows. It might catch on.
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