military 30-06
is the 30-06 used in the military any more and if it is how?
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I don't believe it is in use at all anymore. In fact I'm almost certain. It used to be the primary caliber, used in battle rifles and MG's. We now use the 7.62x51mm in medium MG's and 5.56mm in light MG's and battle rifles.It was replaced by .308 (military designation 7.62x51 if I'm not mistaken)same bullet size, slightly different (but close) ballistics. The advantage is a shorter case, allowing for greater carrying capacity. In theory anyway.
Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my gun.0 -
I believe there may be some limited sniper and competition target shooting use of the .30-06 in the military but as far as I know, there is no official combat use of it in our military anymore since the retirement of the 1903 Springfield, M1 Garand and Browning .30 machine gun. However, the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team still drills with 1903 Springfields and there are some special ceremonial units that use M1 Garands but I doubt any of them carry live rounds for these duties. 0 -
If it were used, I don't think that so much M2 ball would be being dumped through the CMP.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf0 -
Gunzforever,
There is still access to them, but very limited use of them. They play no frontline role within the military. Except for drill and ceremony situations and some shooting competitions they are no longer used within the military.
In my opinion that is a shame, as some configurations of 30-06 ammunition would solve some of the shortcomings we hit into on the field of battle. Specifically the 190 gr. bullet pushed out to 2600 fps. This was a standard loading of Marine snipers during WWII, Korea and Vietnam in their Winchester 70 and M1903A1 sniper rifles. This was effective to 1150 meters(1250 yds). The U.S. Army used the M1C and the M1903A4.
Carlos Hathcock used this cartridge most often in Vietnam. Most of his kills came with a 30-06. His longest documented successful shot with the 30-06 was just over 1500 yards. So as you may perceive, the cartridge is quite capable but overlooked in favor of the .300 Win Mag or the .338 Lapua/windrunner and .50 cal for long distance sniping because they shoot flatter.
We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>0 -
Military use of the .30-06 (.30 US, 7.62 x 63mm) basically ended after the Vietnam war. As others have said, marksmanship and ceremonial uses still exist, but in training and combat it is 5.56x45 or 7.62x51 (and soon 6.8 SPC). Military snipers currently use 7.62x51, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lapua and .50 BMG (although I have heard, more than once, that the 7mm Rem. Mag. has seen limited use with the Armed forces and Secret Service).
Save the seals-club a liberal instead.0 -
If the '06 is being used even in a limited role by the military at this time, I'm not aware of it (but my information is not definitive) . . . but if so, what the devil are they using for ammo? Except for one run of brass for the AMU in 1978, none has been produced since the mid 1960s. I collect US military small arms ammo and have some very interesting prototype / developmental / experimental loadings from the past thirty years . . . I've never seen nor heard of any US military '06 loadings other than the ones noted above.
Hunter375 - during the 1980s the Secret Service had a special chambering (loaded by Federal?) of *a* 7mm Magnum cartridge - it was not the 7mm Remington, but something noticeably heftier. The bullet is the match HP type and all specimens I've seen have a `F C O T B 80' headstamp (Federal Cartridge Office of Training, Beltsville (MD)).
"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)0
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