.30-06 ability

The .30-06 has enough power for all North American game animals, although it is adequate for grizzly bears, I'd personally want something with a little more punch when confronting a big grizzly. The .30-06 certainly has enough power for elk and moose.
 
I've shot moose, carabou, antelope and car engines with the 30-06.
Click to expand...
I assume a combo hunt like this was with an outfitter guide service. I have never been lucky enough to see a car engine in the wild during hunting season. I envy you sir. :D
 
Grissly upclose?

The closer your dangerous quarry the better the 30-06 (or whatever) becomes. Accurate shooting is easier. Guys wait for a charging lion to come to 20 yds (the damn thing swings from side to side in its low lope and you are likely to put your .460 Weatherby projectile in between the shoulder blade and ribcage, which will do nothing to his determination to bite you).

Rather put your .308 softnose 220 gr soft recoil nicely into his throat at 20 yds, kneeling on one knee to have your rifle at his level.

Having said that, we used to have a well known hunter and gun writer around here who hunted lion with a .458. The farmer on whose land he was invited to cull a pesky cattle eater asked him - in amazement at the size of the cartridge: "Why do you use a .458 for lion? It is not an elephant!", to which uncle Vladimir Steyn answered: "Because, young man, there still is not an .854 on the market!"
 
In North America, if the .30-06 won't put it down, it probably has Kenworth on its side.:eek:
Even then, with the right shot placement and bullet....:p
Seriously, if the .30-06 won't end it, you probably shouldn't have been messin' with it in the first place.
Just my $0.02
 
I know several Inupiat Natives (Eskimos) who have used a .30-06 to take Polar Bear, even though the Magnum rifles or the 12 Gauge with slugs are preferred. It's great for Caribou, and yes, it'll drop a Moose...eventually.
 
I think that the key to the ability of the 30-06 to take larger game such as moose and elk lies in the bullet selection. In a perfect world, we shoot our quarry behind the sholder and take out the boiler room. The world is not perfect. With no experience shooting moose and elk, I would still rather take something with more authority if I get the chance to hunt either of these species. I have three 30-06 rifles and love them and they have served me well on whitetails and one muley buck but if the terrain called for a possible long shot I'd rather have one of the 300 magnums, 325WSM. 8mmRem Mag, or even a 338Win Mag. If the range would most likely be short I'd feel real good with my 30-06 loaded with a 180 or 200 grain Nosler Partitions. If I was hunting in grizzly bear country:eek: I would opt for the bigger calibers. Of course it goes without saying that the key is to do a lot of practice, know your rifle well, use proper bullets, don't take bad shots, and the beast will fall!:)
 
I assume a combo hunt like this was with an outfitter guide service. I have never been lucky enough to see a car engine in the wild during hunting season. I envy you sir.
Click to expand...

Different hunts. :D On the car engine hunt, I was the guide. I was tasked with picking up some people who had knocked over a National Guard armory. The crew they gave me were all armed with hadnguns. When the stop turned into a firefight, I dropped back to my car and picked up my hunting rifle (03A3) That stopped that nonsense fairly quickly.

Pops
 
The 30/06 is enough for everything everywhere. Not IDEAL for rabbits or Cape Buffalo but sufficient. For most of what passes for "big game" on this earth the 06 is a wise and excellent choice.
 
Not only that it is good for anything in the US at least - it comes for use in such atractive packages -

AWINCHESTER95-1.jpg


WFP71GR-XSSIGHTS.jpg


Winchester 95 30-06 Hi Grade

:D
 
Being so sick of the " My xxx Mag shoots so much farther and flatter then your 30-06 " rubbish!!! I did some reseach and found that when you compare bullet to bullet The two most popular Magnums( 7mm Rem and 300 Win) don't out do the old 30-06 AT ALL!!! And here is the proof.
Hornady Lgt Mag 180gr 30-06 Load MV 2900 FPS
Hornady Heavy Mag 180gr 300 Win Mag load MV 3100 FPS
Hornady Max Reload 175 gr 7mm Rem Mag load MV 2850 FPS
As far as versitility and power the 30-06 Holds up too the popular mags pretty well and the only Magnum That really does out do it by more is the mighty 300 Rem UM with 3400 FPS MV with a 180 Gr bullet. So to really gain advantage over the Old 30-06 you have to double your powder charge lenghten the barrel out to 26 in raise the wgt of your rifle and almost double your recoil and oh yes go to a longer action. I think I'll stick with my Good Old Win FW 30-06 that I have relied on now for over 20 yrs. BTW OJ that is one purty rifle. Is it an original Win or a Repro??? Either way it looks Good!!!
JMHO
Jim
 
The hotties...

People like a big kick and a loud bang; and each one to his own. Never mind that when hunting you wonder why you can not hear the wounded animal fleeing through the bush.... unless the hunter believes Magnums do not wound!

The newest motivation for magnum rifles is that you can take your gemsbok at 500 yards plus (one hears of 700 yards shots) out in the Kalahari - that is if you can read the wind and mirage accurately.

Do your research into the velocity and energy left in the 300 WM or 7mm Rem M projectile at 600 yards. What has become of that "hard-hitting" Magnum?

Your 30-30 does better at 200! So, just plan your approach and stalk better, and your bullet shall strike truer too.
 
If a person can calmly and accurately place a shot well enough to hit a target the size of a grapefruit,and if they are at a reasonable range,()like the typical 100 yds or less of real hunting,and if a person has the self dicipline to say"No,not yet,things aren't quite right"
With the proper bullet, a cartridge like the .257 Roberts will make it through the ribs and into the heart lungs of darn near all lower 48 critters.
For elk,I carry a bigger rifle,but I have a high degree of confidence I could take an elk with my .257 and a 120 gr Nosler partition.
I am not trying to sell anyone a .257,I'm saying the 30-06 ,used the same way,will certainly get the job done.
 
I think the 200gr/2600fps .30-06 in Africa is dandy for
all plains game, except for perhaps bad angles on eland.

This was my second summer there with my Win 70 Classic,
using 200gr TSX and A-Frames. Great performance.
Longest shot was 300yds on an ostrich. Shepherd scope
made that easy.

In 2006 I used a .308/180gr/2600fps for everything, including
two wildebeest. It did fine, but the .30-06 edge is noticeable
and worth it, IMO.

If the 200gr .30-06 somehow is adequate, then go .338.
I like the .338-06 for its efficiency, but a .338 Win is more practical.

Boston

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