The do all Spice called the 30-06

[mnrivrat]

They say that varity is the spice of life. If I apply this to the center fire calibers we have today, I feel we may be overspiced .

In 1906 the Springfield army rifle was chambered with a 30 caliber bullet of approxiamted 150 grains in weight. The FPS on this round was approaching 3,000 and of course the 30-06 was born, and is still popular today. Perhaps it can be said that it is the standard by which all other 30 caliber cartridges are compared.

My first rifle was a military surplus 1903 rifle purchased at a surplus store not far from the induction center where I had taken my physical shortly before. The gun was lying in an open wooden case of others just like. Still packed in cosmoline as they had not been issued. A Remington made rifle with two groove rifling as I recall. It was of course cahmbered in 30-06. The sign indicated choice at a price of $25.00 ea.

Apon arriving back home with my new rifle I signed up for the local gun club. The cost was $5.00 and you received 40 rounds of 30-06 ammunition for joining. The club had M1 Garands and 1911 45's on loan from the NRA ? , and they had come with a supply of ammunition. Possibly with CMP affiliation as well.

I shot the 30-06 caliber from then on using it for anything and everything. I expended 500 rounds thru a custom heavy barrel in that chambering during a three day praire dog hunt in South Dakota. I hunted deer, bear and varmits as well. There was nothing on this planet that I feared to hunt with the 30-06 and there still isn't. That included the zombie's I keep hearing about. So, my point is how many catridges could we get read of, and still easily handle the tasks at hand with a 30-06 ?

I think the reality is - most of them.

 

[olafhardtB]

I shoot for fun. The 06kicks too hard and the ammo costs too much for plinking. For the hunting I do the 06 is more than is necessary. I am not selling mine, but it is not my first choice.

 

[1911fan]

Hell, why even keep the 30-06? Everyone knows that it's just a knockoff of the 7.92 x 57 (8mm Mauser). We were already paying the Mauser brothers a royalty on every Springfield made, we just came out the the 30-06 so we didn't have to buy our ammo from them too.

In passing, it should be mentioned that the recoil of the 8mm is not nearly as stout as the 30-06.

ed

 

[CZguy]

I also consider the 30-06 to be the most versatile center fire cartridge around.

And as a hunting cartridge it's my favorite.

 

[Bubba613]

Recoil is largely a function of stock design, not caliber. My Ruger #1 is very comfortable to shoot. And yes, everything from 110gr varmints to 220gr elk, the gun will do everything in N.America.

 

[Sav .250]

Say what you want. Buy what you want, but if you don`t own an "06"
you have really missed the boat! J s/n.

 

[CodaSmog]

I agree! I love my 1952 760 Gamemaster

 

[303tom]

The 06 is NUMERO_UNO !

 

[mortablunt]

Makes me miss my Johnson M1941. Curse you, college academia! Ooh, Petrarch!

 

[-eaux-]

HUGE fan of the ought-six. One day, God willing, when I get set up for rolling my own, I can easily see myself whittling down my CF rifle calibers to .30-'06, .30-30, and .45-70.
A salty ol' fella I know hunts everything from coons to big Texas boars with an '03A3 and a huge array of benchloads. Such a versatile caliber, no surprise it's the classic benchmark for the .30 caliber family.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

303tom: The 06 is NUMERO_UNO !

I find that kind of funny! Thinking about changing your name soon or something?

 

[303tom]

I find that kind of funny! Thinking about changing your name soon or something?

That is in reference to Enfield, the GREATEST bolt action rifle ever.
This is what I meant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-06_Springfield_Wildcat_Cartridges
.303-06 - necked up to accept a .303 bullet - May have originated in markets where, at one time, the .303 bullet was easier to get

 

[Girodin]

There was nothing on this planet that I feared to hunt with the 30-06 and there still isn't.

I have rifles chambered in and like the 30'06. I wouldn't take it to hunt the black death however.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I've got two rifles for hunting 30-30 lever action and 30-06. They also are the rifles I take to the range the most. If I didn't love my 30-30 lever action so much. The 30-06 would be it (plus a 45-70 for really big game).

 

[T Bran]

My grandfather sent me my first centerfire rifle when I turned 16. Remington Gamemaster 760 in 30/06 still my go to gun even though there are many other calibers both larger and smaller in the safe. So yeah I could make do just fine with just a 30/06. I did for a lot of years and many critters have fallen as proof of it's merits.
T

 

[.338Sako]

I have a model 721 Remington(30-06) with the steel butt plate. I called Remington and asked the manufacturer date and the told me between 49' and 51'. Great rifle and very accurate. It was a gift from my Dad. When he was a young man he done some work for another man and his payment was this gun. Now I have it. I shot my first deer with it last fall while with my Dad, cool stuff.

 

[Owen Sparks]

The original round was the .30-03 which was identical except for a slightly longer neck and a 220 grain round nose bullet.

 

[Chris-bob]

The .30-06 is a great caliber, but definitely not a one gun kills all. Around here, I prefer a 45-70 for brush hunting and would never consider a .30-06 unless there was at least someone else nearby with a much larger caliber with me. Sure, I could probably take a large brownie with it, but with knowing how dangerous they are and having a hunting buddy with part of his butt cheek in ones tummy because his buddy didn't have a backup rifle with enough umph...

But yes, the .30-06 is perfect for anything you might find in the lower 48.

 

[saturno_v]

The .30-06 is a great caliber, but definitely not a one gun kills all. Around here, I prefer a 45-70 for brush hunting and would never consider a .30-06 unless there was at least someone else nearby with a much larger caliber with me. Sure, I could probably take a large brownie with it, but with knowing how dangerous they are and having a hunting buddy with part of his butt cheek in ones tummy because his buddy didn't have a backup rifle with enough umph...

But yes, the .30-06 is perfect for anything you might find in the lower 48.

I feel confident enough that I could bet the 30-06 has taken more grizzlies than any big boomer combined.....if you cannot take a big brownie (yes including the coastal ones) with an 06 you should not hunt and stay at home...

 

[Powderman]

I know I'll get this wrong, but I remember reading a line somewhere (I think it's lyrics from a song) that say "Ain't too much a man can't fix, with two hundred dollars and a thirty-aught six."

What can you do with a .30-06? What can't you do with it? Loaded with light bullets and a pistol powder (I use 12 grains of Unique under a 110 grain carbine bullet) you have an almost gallery load that you can shoot all day long. With 150 grain FMJ, you duplicate the military loadings. A good 165 grain softpoint will put paid to any deer in range; same for elk with 180 grain bullets.

You can use 200 grain heavyweights or solids for bigger or even dangerous game with proper placement.

How accurate can the cartridge be? If it were possible, you could ask Carlos Hathcock, who used a Winchester Model 70 chambered in the cartridge in Vietnam. Or, you could ask the shooters at Camp Perry that shoot long range--800, 900, and 1000 yards--where a man came to the firing line with an as-issued Springfield and commenced to shoot so well that he set a range record; was allowed to purchase the rifle he shot with and had the match named after him!

For all around calibers, one that will get almost any job done--and done well--the .30-06 fills the bill nicely.

 

[RhinoDefense]

The 06kicks too hard and the ammo costs too much for plinking. For the hunting I do the 06 is more than is necessary. I am not selling mine, but it is not my first choice.

For most shooters, that's it right there.

I also consider the 30-06 to be the most versatile center fire cartridge around.

Take a look at the .375 H&H.

But as stated previously, the .30-'06 is just "catch up" to the 8mm Mauser.

Using modern 8mm Mauser ammunition it will outperform the .30-'06 across the board.

 

[Zombiphobia]

'06 doesn't do ALL. It can't take small game cleanly... and I mean without destroying it.

 

[ojibweindian]

For most shooters, that's it right there.

Take a look at the .375 H&H.

But as stated previously, the .30-'06 is just "catch up" to the 8mm Mauser.

Using modern 8mm Mauser ammunition it will outperform the .30-'06 across the board.

The 8x57 will hold its own against the '06 with 180 grain, or lighter, bullets from the perspective of velocity and KE. The '06 has a roughly 100 fps advantage at bullet weights of 200 grains and above. Also, BCs and SDs are better, generally, with comparable weights in the 0.308" and 0.323" bore diameters.

In short, the .30-06 is, in no way, playing "catch-up" to the 8x57.

 

[Gtscotty]

Using modern 8mm Mauser ammunition it will outperform the .30-'06 across the board.

What modern ammunition is this? From loads available on Nosler's website, Hogdon's website, Barnes website and and Lyman's manual, I'm having a hard time finding 8mm loads that approach 30-06 performance with similar bullet weights, much less beat it across the board. This is pretty much exactly what we would expect though, because while the 8x57's expansion ratio is slightly higher than that of the '06 it has 5 grains less powder capacity... nothing about those numbers suggests superior ballistics to the '06.

If I remember correctly, when the Germans came out with the Spitzer bullet design, they pretty much caught the rest of the world with their pants down in last century's ballistic game. The fact that we had to scramble to get a new bullet design in our case doesn't really say anything about the merits of the current case-bullet combo... at all.

All this said, the 8mm is a fine round...for shooting out of old military mausers, or sporterized mausers... For any modern rifle purchase, I'd take one of the many other rounds that are ballistically equal to or better than the 8mm, including the 30-06.

 

[Brian Williams]

Sorry, but I think the 7mm-08 is my do all cartridge. I don't care for long actions and I do not hunt grizz or other large dangerous game. I would rather have a nice soft shooting very accurate and with a flat trajectory. If a 6.5x55 will take moose, I am sure that being able to shoot and make the right shot placement my 7mm-08 will do everything I want it to just as well.

The -06 is a good round but there are others that will do better and if I have multiple rifles it will not include an 06. I will probably have a 223, 243, 7mm-08 and a 358 win.