30-06--outdated?
I'm not a centerfire guy, but after looking through the calibers available today, a question came up in my mind. Back in the 60's (am I dating myself,here?), I seem to remember that the 30-06 was regarded as the best all-round caliber to own. It came in a wide range of bullet weights and powder loads, so you could use the lighter loads for varmint hunting and the heavier loads for game as big as moose. Just wondered how that cartridge stacks up in today's center fire market.
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Let's see...still the most common chambering for a rifle in North America...still capable of taking down any game in North America...still popular with the folks using Garands for CMP matches...yeah, I'd say it's still the best all-around rifle caliber in North America. 0 -
I agree with mpolans 100%. There may be some faster or flatter shooting rounds available today, but that dosen't make the 30-06 outdated. It still is an excellent choice for any game in North America. It is the round that majority of my rifles are chambered in, and is what I do all my hunting with. 0 -
I'd ask myself, self what are you going to shot at 90% of the time. If that answer comes back small game that would not be my choice, but rather a 22-250, 204, or 6mm would be better. If I were hunting deer or elk the 270 is the better choice and then if it's grizzly or moose a 30-06 or the 300win mag or 338., the weapon of my choice. "That's why they make encores, if you can afford only one primary gun or in my case fill the house up. 0 -
Still a great round. Knockdown power that does not kick like a mule (300 win mag or better anybody), shoots flat, chamber in just about any action you can imagine...and then some.
I don't agree with featheredcoyote.....a 270 is a little light for deer in the western states. Largest deer I shot....325 pounder...yes..you read that right.0 -
the 30-06 is only 100 years old. It is just reaching its teen years. There is no single centerfire rifle caliber that has the following and devotion of the 30-06, for very good reasons. 0 -
I Maintain that the versitile 30-06 is the Best cartridge ever invented...Just look into a SIERRA Bullets Reloading Manual, and check out how many differant bullets can be loaded.....its mind boggling.............
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
The .30-06 is the best all-around and most versatile rifle cartride ever designed and used in the world. It has been used successfully in every part of the world for every type of game including (during wars) the human kind.
Many of the cartridges we see today may better the .30-06 in some niche application, but these are specialty cartridges and we see a lot of them these days. For example, the .22-250 is the most popular varmint cartride in the US. It has a flatter trajectory, has more velocity, and a huge dump of energy when it impacts its target compared to the .30-06.
However it must be considered that the .30-06 with light bullets really does a good job on the same varmints. It just isn't as specialized. Now here is the real point, while the .30-06 may not be as hot of a number for varmints as the .22-250, the .30-06 will hold it own against the .22-250 and would you consider taking the .22-250 on a hunt for elk or moose or bear? I think not. It can't be done because the .22-250 isn't as versatile as the .30-06. That goes for the large calibers as well. Do you think you can shoot a .470 Capstick as effecitively as the .30-06?
And that is the strength of the .30-06. It may not be the fastest or flattest shooting, and it may not launch the heaviest bullet at a blistering velocity and churn up tons of energy, but it will go anywhere, anytime, anyplace and do the job effectively and efficiently. There are few cartridges out there that can do so many things under so many varied conditions that the .30-06 will always be popular.
Regards,
Heavyiron[8D]
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix0 -
And there's another important thing to consider - the availability of ammo. I don't mean just the milsurp that we buy and use here, but that you can buy 06 ammo in just about every country on this earth. Maybe not France. They're wierd there.
Noli Illegitimi Carborundum0 -
Does anything and everything asked of it...and then some.
And when you couple it with the best rifle ever invented, the M1 Garand..WOW !!!! [8D]
What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Deut 4:70 -
If I were limited to one factory rifle, I'd pick a modern bolt action chambered in standard 30-06. This is a great choice. First, 30 caliber has a huge choice of excellent bullets - more than any other caliber. Moreover, you can get superb 30-06 factory ammunition loaded with lightweight bullets for varmints (e.g., 125 grain) or light-magnum ammunition for big game (e.g., Hornady loaded with 165 grain SST moving at 3015 fps). The latter is a flat shooting load with more than adequate energy to drop anything on the planet - that is, with a well-placed shot.
If you reload the 30-06 at pressures to which the .270 or many magnums are loaded, the 30-06 becomes a very flat shooting varmint rifle or a magnum with ~ 3000 fps velocities achievable with 180 grain bullets. Much of the published loading data you find for the 30-06 is very conservative. Why? It's because of liability issues related to the many sub-standard guns chambered in 30-06.0 -
Why would you need anything else??
I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.0
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