cartridges above 30-06

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You can Ackleyize a 30--06 just like a 280Rem, or 25-06.

Your 30-06 can be rechambered in the AI specs and should be good for about 100fps. Ammo can be fireformed from commercial 30-06, but would require AI reloading dies. AI'd rifles have longer brass life and improved ballistics usually.
 
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bcshadow
9.3x62 - 286 grain bullets will drop everything including Grizzly / Brown bear with comfortable recoil. Downside is bullets drop like a rock after 250 yards, and while factory loads are made by several manufacturers, e.g. Norma, Federal, Hornady, PRVI, Sellier & Bellot etc, the cost makes it prohibitive for mostr and necessary to get into reloading.

I use my Husqvarna for everything now, from Deer up to Grizzly.
Bolt rifles (new) are available from CZ and possibly others, not sure.
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tikka and sako also do it, the new mausers m12 and the new sauer aswell

I love my argo in the aformentioend calibre, had a moose practiaclly somersault last week with one
 
"Same for 338-06 and 35 Whelen. They shoot heavier bullets, but offer zero advantages over 30-06 when it is loaded with the heavier .30 bullets. They offer very poor long range performance. And while they don't have magnum stamped on them, recoil is comparable to a 300 win mag."

I have to wonder if you've even shot any of the cartridges you've mentioned. For the record, I shoot the 30-06, .300 Win. mag. and the .35 Whelen alond some other more and less powderful. To say the .35's recoil is comperable to the .300 Win. mag. is, well baloney to keep it as civil as I can. My Winchester M70 at 8.5 pounds scoped kick noticably harder than my custom .35 Whelen at 7.5 pounds. I shoot hot loads as both rifles are serious hunting tools. A 225 gr. Barne TSX at 2710 FPS at the muzzle has serious smack down on anything that walks in North America and probably for much African game as well. So does a .300 Win. mag., especially with 200 gr. bullets at 2900 FPS. These are the velocities from my rifles.
I don't know exactly what the OP is looking for with his slightly more powerful than the 06 but I know what my rifles and their loads are capable of.
Funny thing, but a wise old gentleman once said, "The 30-06 is never a mistake." I tend to agree. I've seen where some have reached 2800 FPS with 180 gr. bullets using certain powder in the 06. I've tried reaching that level myself in 6 or 7 different rifles and most won't even reach advertised 2700 FPS. :eek: Come to think of it, most factory loads don't come close. I once did a test shooting Winchester 180 gr. Power Point spitzer ammo in three 30-06 rifles. A 22" barreled Remington M700 BDL, a custom Mauser with 24" barrel and a Ruger #1B with 26" barrel. The Remington did 2610 FPS, the Mauser 2630 FPS and the Ruger did all of 2675 FPS.
Oh and don't call the .35 Whelen a short range gun. I dropped my last elk this last January at 350 yards. Not exactly punkin' ball range. ;)
Paul B.
 
I look at it a different way.

First,do an honest assessment of how far away you can keep your bullets on an 8 or 10 in paper plate.Unless you take a benchrest with you hunting,use positions you are likely to have available while you hunt.

Unless you can hold less than 2 MOA,the 30-06 easily provides all the range you need.

I also suggest you look to your chosen bullet and see what the minimum impact velocity for expansion/terminal performance is.Most are in the ballpark of 2000 fps.

A 180 gr Nosler spritzer at 2750 out of a 30-06 would be there past 400 yds.

Now,if you are shooting at those ranges and you want a clean kill,you had better be able to precisely measure range and wind,then apply that information to sighting correction via range table or ballistic software,reticle,bdc,etc.

Even the magnums do not provide an over 400 yd point blank range.

Once again,staple up a target at a measured 400 yds,shoot however you shoot hunting,and actuall verify what correction you need and how well you can shoot at an honest 400 yds..then decide what you need.
 
Must have been Halloween yesterday since this Zombie thread just popped up then. Just a little over a year old and someone is trying their hand at necromancy to bring this back to life.
 
My first thought is .308. Better ballistics, shorter action, fairly common (plus milsurp). It'll be my next deer rifle.
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my first thought is that this is complete and utter nonsense.
30-06 has higher muzzle velocity, less wind drift, less bullet drop and handles heavy bullets better. there is nothing superior about the 308.
 
Same for 338-06 and 35 Whelen. They shoot heavier bullets, but offer zero advantages over 30-06 when it is loaded with the heavier .30 bullets. They offer very poor long range performance. And while they don't have magnum stamped on them, recoil is comparable to a 300 win mag."

I have to wonder if you've even shot any of the cartridges you've mentioned.
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I have. Sold both the 338-06 and 35 Whelen because they just cost more, and offered sub par performance. There is a reason they never became mainstream. Doesn't mean they don't work. They just don't do the job any better than a heavy .30 cal.


A 200 or 220 gr bullet from a 30-06 will out perfom 35 Whelen and 338-06 easily. It will have less recoil, flatter trajectory, and will out penetrate them. The larger diameter argument is nonsense. After impact the expanded diameter of the bullets will be virtually the same. Fire the same bullets from a 300 magnum and it isn't even close and you get about the same recoil from any of the 300 mags as the 338 or 35 Whelen with heavier bullets are used. When bullets lighter than 200 gr are used in the 338 and 35 calibers the recoil might be comparble to a 30-06/200, but the BC and SD of those bullets are pitiful compared to a 200 gr 30 cal bullet. There have been numerous tests that have proven that the heavy .30's beat everything short of 375 mags.
 
If you want flatter trajectory and 'slightly more power' go with a longer barrel. I am finding powerful load data for 7.62x54R out of a 29'' barrel. I am seeing published loads generating over 3100-3200+ ft-lbs of energy. 180 grain bullets being pushed as fast as 2855fps, 150's over 3100fps, and 123 grain bullets just under 3400fps.
7.62x54R is generally known for being 'in between' the .308 and 30-06 in terms of power. Which means you'll likely get a few more FPS out of a .30-06 with a 30'' pipe.

IMO the .338-06 is only superior if you use 300grain VLD's otherwise the .30-06 will pretty much have an all around advantage, if you're not taking advantage of the high SD high BC of the heavy for caliber 338. 35 whelen is a joke if you want flatter and 'more power.' From what I can tell muzzle energy is equal to the .338-06 and you're shooting roughly equal weight bullets, putting the .35 cal at a disadvantage because of the lower BC and SD bullets.
 
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I have really enjoyed this thread.

I have a 30-06 in remington 700 bdl. It is my hunting rifle. I picked the 30-06 because i felt like it was the best all around.

Sure others are flatter or have more energy but it seems overall it had the best package. I haven't hunted bigger game than deer but it should be enough for everything in North America.
 
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