30-06 - The calibre to love or hate?

Originally Posted by Stretch

I guess that make's me a northeast Wisconsin hick Well if the shoe fits...

You are not the only one!

The 30-06 is the most boring caliber ever created. Shoot an animal with it and only one thing happens: the animal dies.

The 30.06 is a very good & sensible cartridge. It has nothing to prove. Its popularity & record speaks for itself. It is often bagged by people who have never owned or used one. It is to the rest of world what the 375 is to Africa. A lot of 270 fans bag the ought-six which is silly because there is bugger all difference between them. My Winchester Model 70 sporter (FN) is a beautiful rifle that spits out 150gr SSTs @ over 3100 fps with RL17. It shoots flat enough for mountain hunting & hits hard enough for anything that an 06 should be used on. I can't determine any difference in killing power between the 30.06 & the 7mm Magnum out to 300 odd yards, & I have used a 7mm Weatherby more than any other with the possible exception of my 300 Weatherby. My response to those who don't own a 30.06 is "Why not"?

The 30-06 is a fantastic rifle for both beginers and seasoned hunters alike and is the caliber that I picked for my wife on her first PG hunt on the East Cape and it preformed Flawlessly.

06 well thats a great round if you cant shoot past 300 meters. I do, have, and have a room full of trophys killed well beyond the 06's limited range.

Originally Posted by BARTFRNCS

06 well thats a great round if you cant shoot past 300 meters. I do, have, and have a room full of trophys killed well beyond the 06's limited range.

Stir, stir, stir...

They asked for it sest!

Originally Posted by BARTFRNCS

06 well thats a great round if you cant shoot past 300 meters. I do, have, and have a room full of trophys killed well beyond the 06's limited range.

UhOh...

and we were playing so good...

I believe I will step away from the computer now.

Originally Posted by BARTFRNCS

They asked for it sest!

Sorry BART, I can't resist, (welcome back by the way) , your Carlos Hathcock used a military issue model 70 (M40) in what caliber? That's right all, the 30-06...Some of his confirmed kills were well beyond 300 yrds. He is the exception to the rule because at the time he was being paid to shoot. Plus his life depended on his knowledge of the rifle, just saying that if one put's the time and effort into it (at ranges that us mere mortals would call ethical) the 06' is a devistateing/effective round.

Well the reality is that the 06 and 308 the ballistic equal of the 06 up to 165 gr bullet wieght are being replaced by the 300win mag for sniping which says one thing velocity and range are more important than 1000's of campfire cumbyaw memories.

Maybe military, I don't know. I still keep in contact with quite a few of my LEO buddies and a few are on the tac team, locally they are still limited to 100 yrds (to prevent civilian injury/casulties) and every one of them use the 308. I remember this though, in military sniping back in the day (again, don't know if is still so) the sniper was allowed a 10% civilian casualty rate.

Back to the topic at hand though, If you know your rifles effective range (and yours) regardless of caliber then you and your rifle will be devastating. The 30-06 is a great round and at the M1 shoots I have been to, some of these guys are very consistant at 600m and beyond. Practice, practice, practice to become precise.

At those competitions arent the targets 30 inches or more at 600 yards? Not the same as a 8x12 inch vital triangle target. My 12yo son pulls a gruop at 100 that would result in head shots at that range anyone can do it.

Yes you are correct, but then, it's an open sight competition, which says something in itself.

The 10 ring at 600 yards is 12" in diameter in High Power matches.

In the words of Phil Shoemaker "Anyone who claims the 30-06 is ineffective has either not tried one, or is unwittingly commenting on their own marksmanship"

Originally Posted by 35bore

Sorry BART, I can't resist, (welcome back by the way) , your Carlos Hathcock used a military issue model 70 (M40) in what caliber? That's right all, the 30-06...Some of his confirmed kills were well beyond 300 yrds. He is the exception to the rule because at the time he was being paid to shoot. Plus his life depended on his knowledge of the rifle, just saying that if one put's the time and effort into it (at ranges that us mere mortals would call ethical) the 06' is a devistateing/effective round.

In the interest of accurate reporting, the M40 is the Remington .308 Win.

Originally Posted by sestoppelman

In the interest of accurate reporting, the M40 is the Remington .308 Win.

You're right sest, the 4 is right under the 7 on my keyboard. Must have missed.

As a hunter I practice out to 300meters twice a week. I know that 99% of rifle shooters dont practice this much. I know the limitations of the 30 06 and wont accept that much limitation. Hunting a 2000.00$ animal with a limited caliber is foolhardy.

There is nothing wrong with the 30.06. It is probably the most sensible cartridge in the world. The same could be said of the 9.3x62 & the 375 H&H. Those that bag the .06 obviously don't own one.