Do you need more power than a 30-06?

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For North American hunts these three cartridges have slain stacks of big games across the many decades:

- 300 Savage
- .308
- 30-06

Jack
 
Do I need more power than a 30-06? No. Do I even need the power of a 30-06? No. But that doesn't mean I don't have one. I mean I want one of those .50 BMG sniper rifles, can't think of a thing I could reasonably use it for, but I want one.
 
"There ain't much that a man can't fix
With three hundred dollars and a 30-06"
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You are showing your age, there, arch.

I heard it near the end of the 20th century as "Seven Hundred Dollars and a Thirty Aught Six" ....... but that's inflation for ya ....... It'd be "Seventeen Hundred Dollars and a Thirty Aught Six" these days, I guess .......
 
A 30-06 will do anything and everything but then we always have those braggers that got something bigger than everyone else.
 
I have used the 06 for everything from groundhogs to deer. It is versatile. Have shot everything from Rem Accelerator to 220 gr softnose. Preference is the 165gr Federal premium with the Nosler ballistic tip.
 
I am there with all the other 30-06 lovers.
Plenty of power for anything on the continent.
Plus versatility. All the other so-called 'deer calibers' are nothing more than marketing gimmiks.
 
Aw, c'mon, now, Rifleman. The users of that older cartridge, the thutty-thutty, look upon that Johnny-come-lately ought-six as just a marketing gimmick.

:D:D:D
 
On the contrary, there are times that the only ammo/components on the shelves are oddball stuff- there were a couple of months at our local Megaboxoutdoor store where there wer no bullets in .223 .308 or .22lr, but plenty in .284", .311" and .204" ...... lots of .327 ammo, but not .357 ..... and they never have run out of 7.62x38r ......

Consequently, I hold onto the odd caliber guns I have accumulated: If they have bullets, I likely have a firearm I can load them for...... there is much to be said for "diversifying".
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BUT there is a flip side to this too. When the wierd and wild ammo and parts are out of stock they are a long long time coming back on the shelf but your plain vanilla cartridges are the first to be put in production and be re stocked.
 
and in addition to the above when bartering your more often going to find a box or two of 30-06 over say 25 WSSM or 240 weatherby
 
Lately I've been intrigued with the .338-06. I like the larger diameter bullet for a bigger exit hole in elk that can be harder to kill. If the numbers in the reloading books are accurate, the .338-06 propels a 200g bullet at about the same speed as a 165g from a .30-06.

I don't know if I'll get a .338-06 but I do know I won't get rid of my .30-06 to get one...

Tony
 
Years ago, my brother and I worked one summer for USDA Forest Service in western Montana. Grizzley country. We worked as timber cruisers, that's the name for timber estimators that go into remote back country to calculate board feet of lumber within a given acreage. This data is used for timber sales. Anyway, we had to qualify with a Remington pump action 30-06 rifle loaded with 220 grain soft tip ammo. The course of fire was (open sights) two quick shots at a pie plate at 50 yards. No rifle rest at all could be used.
The Forest Service disqualified at least one third of the applicants within our group including all the women. Recoil was stout but manageable.

We never had any encounters with grizzlies that summer.

30-06 recoils more than my liking which is why I often hunt with a .308 carbine. But many hunters are not bothered by 30-06 recoil. This cartridge has been proven all over the planet wherever game is hunted. 30-06 is a keeper!

Jack
 
the only time you need a magnum is if you are going for long range shooting and need something with a flatter trajectory or if you don't have the hunting skills to take game with something else, in which case a few hundred rounds of 30-06 may be better in the long run, for both the shooter and the game.
 
There are a bunch of cartridges to chose from for any size game. They all work fine. Just pick one you like and go shoot something.
 
I love my '06 and hope to take a black bear with it this fall. Its a great deer rifle as well. Even does great on varmints/yotes. And I agree its enough gun for nearly anything in North America. I must say though, I haven't felt nowhere near the recoil with my '06 that some of the others posting in this thread have

Yea I really like my .25-06 :D
 
Still thinking about it......

Jimbo86, you posted:
Since when does "need" justify anything?

Think about that.
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Perhaps you could elaborate on your posting. I think it went over my head. I know that need has always been a better justification than desire. But somehow I didn't get this one. Probably 'cuz I don't own a 30-'06?:confused: Pathfinder
 
30/06

got 1st 30/06 when i was 18 for a christmas present from zarer,s dept. store. remington 747 auto. they paid 170.00 new in box. first time went to 3 lakes huntin shot hog running, gutted him with the shot. didnt spoil the meat then did it the 2nd time. there is nothing in the u.s. that a 30/06 wont take.
 
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