Thread: 30-06

Originally Posted by akaroa1

I can see the wisdom in this thread and guess the 30-06 is pretty close to perfect for the task

But I just have to ask ?
Why only one rifle ??
That is tragic !!
More rifles please. Not less

when that SxS bakial in 30/06 comes into your hands.......even better than the .45/70 version thats on trademe for outragous price.

Greetings to you all,
The .30-06 is loaded to slightly lower pressure (50,000 CUP and 59,000 PSI listed in the Hodgdon Data) than the new short fat and even the old belted magnums but in handloads Superformance has given it a new dose of goat glands. Scrolling through the latest H&F wish book I did note that it was not listed as often as some other cartridges but it is still one of the standard chamberings. The latest Handloader had the first pet loads article on the .30-06 that I have seen for some time so it is still all go in the US. Components should never be a problem or factory ammo for that matter.
To be honest I have never owned a .30-06 but did play with the .30-06 AI for a bit. Those that own them love them and they are permanent residents in their gun safes. For a one rifle to do everything there may be ever so slightly better choices but the .30-06 will do the job just as it has for the last 100 plus years.
Regards Grandpamac.

30.06 was the first centrefire rifle I bought around about 1978/80 which I only sold last year. (When I changed to 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser for reduced recoil on my aged shoulder, less noise and ability to supress more effectively).

As stated by the learned forum members, 30.06 is a fantastic, versatile, all round calibre. It will do everything you need it to do from goat to tahr and wapiti.

Way back then I bought factory Winchester 50grn Silver Tip, very good round. My mate got into handloading, which led to a bit of experimenting. We found that the 180grn Nosler Partition produced the best groups (out of a worn barrel!). Higher BC and more brass in contact with the rifling.

You cannot go wrong with 30.06 "BOOM - WHACK!"

Bought my first centerfire in 1978, a 30.30. After I saw my first sambar sold it and bought an M70 30.06 in 1982. I still have it. Unlikely I will ever sell it. Now does light duties with 125gr pills.

All components easy to find and cheap.
Ammo, plentiful and reasonably priced.
Works for anything from foxes to sambar.
Tons of reloading data available.
All the major manufacturers make 30.06.


It's popular for good reason.


Also have a Marlin XL7 in 30.06.

Great cartridge just read the other day it is the number one seller in the US according to die sales. I have owned a number of them and still have one, they will handle everything this country has to offer and more.
There is a book out if I recall right called One man One rifle and that was about a guy who hunted all over with the good old 06.
Can’t go wrong with one of them.

With a handle like mooseman you have to own a 06 cheers the elusive moose

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Great cartridge just read the other day it is the number one seller in the US according to die sales. I have owned a number of them and still have one, they will handle everything this country has to offer and more.
There is a book out if I recall right called One man One rifle and that was about a guy who hunted all over with the good old 06.
Can’t go wrong with one of them.

One man One rifle One Land by JY Jones, Looks like a good read.

Originally Posted by Twodiffs

One man One rifle One Land by JY Jones, Looks like a good read.

Read any Keith Severinsen book and he did the same. 30-06 everywhere.

Originally Posted by Mathias

Read any Keith Severinsen book and he did the same. 30-06 everywhere.

Yep...read his years ago, he was a big 30-06 fan alright, put down huge wild bulls in the bush.

Others have noted the main thing with the .30-06, that with factory loads some rifles produce worse performance than an otherwise equivalent .308 with heavier ammo, harder to buy as there isn't the same 'stars in the eyes' effect that the yanks have for this caliber and we don't get the range of factory options that the overseas types do. Nothing wrong with the caliber at all, it's just not a NZ favorite now meaning the selections of rifles, and then number of options of ammo aren't as much now. In terms of reloading, not such an issue as per.

Now, again as a do anything type caliber great but it won't do anything a 7mm08 or .308 or a .300WSM or anything of those sorts won't do.

All depends on how big of critters you plan on hunting, and how far you can make humane kills. The 6.5X55 has killed more moose in the Scandinavian countries than any other caliber. Modern hunting bullets are way better than some of the cup and core bullets I started out hunting with in the 60's. A bullet with good sectional density in calibers 6.5 and up are capable of killing anything most of us hunt.

An argument for having a 30.06 for your one gun is that you can usually find ammo for it wherever you travel if you leave your ammo at home.
Cheers

30-06....that's a legendary calibre, carries nostalgia in the name alone. You could carry it in the hills of NZ with confidence and never feel under gunned. Give it a go, life's about variety.

The oldies are making a come back. Next thing youll know is someone tried shooting something with the old 303 and it died.....

Are there no haters of the 30-06? This is a very unusually one sided discussion
Need some gun city salespeople to come in and disagree with everyone

Originally Posted by Brad S

Are there no haters of the 30-06? This is a very unusually one sided discussion
Need some gun city salespeople to come in and disagree with everyone

just wait till the 30 06 creedmore comes out.......It will be 50fps faster but so much better