Where do you stop with your /06

[Wildrangeringreen]

With Quality 220gr bullets, and being loaded to peak performance (within specs) for the chambering, .30-06 is capable within reasonable hunting ranges for everything non-DG up to Eland. Do not underestimate it. Those long bullets with controlled expansion SP's at smokeless velocities are devastating. I would want to bring more "smack" to bear on DG; however (something along the lines of a blunt .45-.577 caliber), more for changing the animal's disposition, than actual lethality. The ol' .303 brit with 174gr bullets was/is being used for a lot of game to great success, and the .30-06 is a notably more powerful chambering, if loaded to be. T Roosevelt took it on his 1909 Africa trip, I think that says something about it's capabilities.

the 245gr EOL bullets from Berger look also interesting, but without testing them in medium, not sure I would want to use them on something the size of Eland or Wildebeast

Provided your rifle can take it, you might look at .30-03 type loads with the 220's, just with the improved case of the .30-06

 

[Cervus elaphus]

‘06 is a great cartridge for sure. One of my hunters on my recent group hunt shot 180g Barnes from his and did very well since he can dial for distance.
If a guy is really going to hunt Africa often my advice is to hunt with the .375 as much as possible. Once you have done this and see that you can manage this big gun and that it is rarely too much gun in Africa you will begin to see what I am talking about. Also if you are in a DG area do you really want an ‘06 in your hand?
Getting good with a .375 and hunting often with it just feels good! Try it and see if I am right.
Regards,
Philip

You could say the same about the 404J with a 257gr or 300gr for PG and a 400-450gr for DG. Both calibres are that versatile.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

The ‘06 with 168 TTSX will nicely kill all plains game. Doesn’t slam them the way a 375 or bigger will, and they tend to run a bit, but it kills them just fine.

 

[Labman]

On one of my trips to Namibia I shot three Eland. Two with my .338 win. mag with 225 Gr. Nosler Partitions and one with my .270 Win. using 150 Gr. Nosler Partitions. The one shot with the .270 didn't travel any further, about 35 yds., after the shot then those shot with the .338. Left a blood trail that Stevie Wonder could have followed.

 

[Sabattiboy]

Not telling you any different than a few above, but anything including eland with good ammo and within reasonable range. I used my 30-06 with 168 grain Barnes TTSX bullets to take eight animals total on my first and second hunts in Namibia. Smallest was a springbok, largest included two kudu and a zebra. The zebra was at around 120 yards quartering to me and I broke the leg bone and fully penetrated diagonally through it. It went a couple yards and dropped. I planned to use it for eland on my second hunt, but just didn't find one. I did use a rental 300 WM and 180 grain PMP ammo for my eland later. I have complete confidence the same shot would have worked using my 30-06.

Plenty of outfits have a 30-06 as a rental, so you know they have confidence in it too.

Wondering what bullet loads the PH's would have for a rental 30-06.

 

[Tom Leoni]

Congrats on the SAKO, and I like the way you have it set up with a micrometer rear sight--I assume it's one of those that fits on the rear milled dovetail. Bravo.

As you probably know, in Africa you're bound to run into any of the shootable animals on your list (and probably some that you hadn't even thought about) at any moment. So, although some here may disagree, I see little or no point in bringing more than one load with one bullet. Not to mention that different loads will call for sight adjustments.

So I'd get a nice 180+gr controlled-expansion bullet on top of a good, consistent load and give it no more thought. African plains game dies just like any other animal on Earth, and the chance that one will only present you with a Texas heart shot are slim to none--especially if your PH knows what he's doing (as I presume 99% of the time).

Can't wait to hear how you get along!

 

[Backyardsniper]

I am pondering bullet selection right now. I will likely use either a swift A frame 180 or 200 grain or possibly the partition or accubond. I am running Swift's in my 458 and I think they are excellent bullets and I am with you on the one load set up. I will run one load in that rifle and have DOPE for that load with both the aperture and scope.

 

[Red Leg]

Congrats on the SAKO, and I like the way you have it set up with a micrometer rear sight--I assume it's one of those that fits on the rear milled dovetail. Bravo.

As you probably know, in Africa you're bound to run into any of the shootable animals on your list (and probably some that you hadn't even thought about) at any moment. So, although some here may disagree, I see little or no point in bringing more than one load with one bullet. Not to mention that different loads will call for sight adjustments.

So I'd get a nice 180+gr controlled-expansion bullet on top of a good, consistent load and give it no more thought. African plains game dies just like any other animal on Earth, and the chance that one will only present you with a Texas heart shot are slim to none--especially if your PH knows what he's doing (as I presume 99% of the time).

Can't wait to hear how you get along!

+1

I am a one rifle guy on all my hunts, and the only time I take a second load is solids for the little guys if I am using a .375. And those solids shoot to the same POI as the the SP. With a 30-06, a 180 or 200 will account for everything, and assuming an A-Frame or something similar, will not do explosive damage to a duiker. For instance, I just returned from Zambia were my .275 (7x57), using the 170 gr Oryx, handled blue duiker (roughly 10 lbs) to a very large Sable (roughly 500lbs). It managed shots from 20 yards (the duiker) to a bit over 200 (Kafue Lechwe). It would not be my first choice for eland, but then again, I would not feel unarmed.

 

[Hunt anything]

I recently took a roan with 180 grain Sako Hammerhead, he was shot at about 40 yards and ran another 40 after the shot and was dead when we got to him. I would have been more comfortable with my 338 but the good old 30-06 did the job ( loaner rifle)

 

[Backyardsniper]

I considered doing the one rifle thing. I have a 375 that I like very much but I also have that 458 and I really like it and as a side to that with the wife going she can't really shoot the 375 and if she does decide to do some shooting the 30/06 will work a lot better for her but I do know it would be a much simpler option to just take the 375. I do love the big boomers though. I have a 460 wby that is a great shooter. I load it down to about Lott level but after doing some range work with it I would have to agree with everyone when it comes to loading in a hurry and capacity, general handling and push feed and such it is not something I want to go into battle with. The old CZ 458 has an appointment with Matrix gunsmithing on the 11th of Oct. to get its feeding issue squared away and she will be ready to roll.

 

[CJW]

I killed 13 animals on my trip early in Sep. with an -06 and 180 gr Accubond's. Shots ranged from appr. 30 to 150 yds on animals from a jackal up to 3 big bull oryx. I only recovered one perfectly mushroomed bullet that now weighs 125 gr. All 3 oryx and one kudu cow held onto the bullets. All the rest were pass throughs. I would use them again, but on animals from oryx on up I think I want to try a 180 gr mono metal like a tsx or a 200 gr bonded or partition for a better chance for 2 holes. That said, all oryx were pretty short shots so on a longer shot maybe they would have gone through? I was going to use 200 gr partition handloads for lack of time took me to a factory option.

 

[meigsbucks]

I used a 180gr Barnes TSX in Namibia and took a zebra and gemsbok along with some smaller PG. All bullets made exit. As this rifle only has a 20” barrel and gets ~2600 fps with this load, it isn’t up to the full potential of the ‘06.
To address your question directly, I think it depends on area and what you’re hunting. IMO, the ‘06, although capable at longer ranges, is a 300 yd rd. With Barnes, Swift’s, Trophy Bonded and bullets of similar construction in the 165-180 gr weights, kudu is where the round tops out as most effective. With the 200+ gr bullets, the ‘06 is adequate for eland. In all cases bullet placement is the most critical aspect. A 165 gr TSX through the heart or lungs will put down any PG.
Hunting in a DG area, the use of a round suitable for that game on PG has a lot of credence.

 

[Backyardsniper]

That is good info. My rifle is a 21" barrel.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I killed 13 animals on my trip early in Sep. with an -06 and 180 gr Accubond's. Shots ranged from appr. 30 to 150 yds on animals from a jackal up to 3 big bull oryx. I only recovered one perfectly mushroomed bullet that now weighs 125 gr. All 3 oryx and one kudu cow held onto the bullets. All the rest were pass throughs. I would use them again, but on animals from oryx on up I think I want to try a 180 gr mono metal like a tsx or a 200 gr bonded or partition for a better chance for 2 holes. That said, all oryx were pretty short shots so on a longer shot maybe they would have gone through? I was going to use 200 gr partition handloads for lack of time took me to a factory option.

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@CJW
That's exactly the same performance I got with the Accubonds in the Whelen. I only recovered one and that was a frontal shot on a kudu. My picture is almost identical to yours.
Bob

 

[CJW]

@CJW
That's exactly the same performance I got with the Accubonds in the Whelen. I only recovered one and that was a frontal shot on a kudu. My picture is almost identical to yours.
Bob

Yeah it's difficult to argue with a bullet that fully penetrates, holds together well while shedding just enough shrapnel and opens up from .308" to .635".

Do you know how much your recovered bullet weighs? I really had no idea what to expect but I figure that 1/3 weight shedding while giving a nice mushroom is pretty acceptable. I never saw the internal damage but I have to think that the 55 gr lost did a ton of internal damage. Even with that, the last animal I shot was a kudu cow. It was a perfect quartering away lung shot with two holes that bled massively and she still went 100 yds uphill and over a cattle fence. Amazingly tough creatures.

 

[Tanks]

Hemingway took a Rhino with an '06 at over 200 yards in his book "Green Hills of Africa". So, I guess almost no limit if one is a dead shot.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yeah it's difficult to argue with a bullet that fully penetrates, holds together well while shedding just enough shrapnel and opens up from .308" to .635".

Do you know how much your recovered bullet weighs? I really had no idea what to expect but I figure that 1/3 weight shedding while giving a nice mushroom is pretty acceptable. I never saw the internal damage but I have to think that the 55 gr lost did a ton of internal damage. Even with that, the last animal I shot was a kudu cow. It was a perfect quartering away lung shot with two holes that bled massively and she still went 100 yds uphill and over a cattle fence. Amazingly tough creatures.

@CJW
Recovered weight was around 175 grains of the initial 225gn. It penetrated around 5 foot of kudu bull and was found in the rear ham.
Bob

 

[Elton]

Ok i am late to this post as i had to limit my time on here due to the fact that I end up reading more and more and start losing track of reality and work.

My 2cents on the matter.

30-06 is perfectly suited for ALL PG in Africa. I can say that as i live here. What is really odd is reading the comments that the 06 will work on Eland but would rather up the gun?? Then again to the fact that DG is roaming around and you want your 375+.

I guess i should mention that for years(before the legal restrictions) Leopard was shot with 303 brit by local farmers. On this note, my hunt earlier the year i went with the OLD 303 as well (reletive heave projectile at lower speeds does less meat damage as we hunt for meat). On this particular farm there were also leapard and no i did not have a PH with backup rifle. Just me in the bush with n outdated 303. I Strongly believe that the 06 would do just fine SHOULD you be attacked by a leapard or lion. Unless its a buff you are good. I am not sure if its just the fact that us South Africans are a little crazy or that they don't make the USA folks like they use to(tong in cheek) but please don't be scared for the DG with your 06 and PH with his back up Rifle.

Eland is big, don't get me wrong, but again where you shoot is more important than what you shoot.

Now getting back to the "wanting to shoot the big stuff WITH the big stuff" if you are out for PG and your 06 and you happen to bump into what you are looking for with the big stuff, your PH will know where you are and where they are going and then you can formulate a plan to get them the next day. And i promise that will be an epic day's hunting as opposed to bump and shoot.

Again just my 2cents.

 

[clockwork_7mm_gator]

This is probably a stupid question (but alas, it's me): are there still nations that outlaw 30-06 use because it was/is a former military cartridge?

 

[CJW]

This is probably a stupid question (but alas, it's me): are there still nations that outlaw 30-06 use because it was/is a former military cartridge?

I want to say I heard that France does which is just ridiculous.