Is there anything better than 30-06?
- Thread starter BoogieMan
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Different times, different perceptions. Consider just the options with a 30 cal, 150grn hunting bullet.
In 1894 the 30-30 was considered the best all around. In early the 1900s the 30-06 was hot, in the 1920s the 300 Savage gained popularity, and then in the 50's the .308 was the hot ticket, just to name a few.
All push 30 cal, 150grn bullets at varying velocities from 2,300fps to 3,000fps. In their heyday, each was used on deer to large, dangerous game.
Some have more heavy bullet capability, some have lighter, more compact platforms, some have heavier recoil. Some are better at short brush hunting and some excel at long range performance. Pick your poison to suit your needs and wants.
In 1894 the 30-30 was considered the best all around. In early the 1900s the 30-06 was hot, in the 1920s the 300 Savage gained popularity, and then in the 50's the .308 was the hot ticket, just to name a few.
All push 30 cal, 150grn bullets at varying velocities from 2,300fps to 3,000fps. In their heyday, each was used on deer to large, dangerous game.
Some have more heavy bullet capability, some have lighter, more compact platforms, some have heavier recoil. Some are better at short brush hunting and some excel at long range performance. Pick your poison to suit your needs and wants.
Gunplummer
New member
I have owned a few, but never really cared for them. As already mentioned, there is nothing really special about them except for one thing. CHEAP AMMO. CHEAP BRASS. That is why the 30.06 became popular. I always used it as a standard because of the length of the cartridge. Once you move up to that length, it cuts out a lot of actions that it can be chambered in.
If you handload, .30-06 is extremely versatile. You can load it from ~110 grain varmint bullets up to 220 grain round nose for large game.
If you don't handload, there is really very little advantage over .308, all you will probably find on the shelves of your local big box store are going to be 150 and 180 grain hunting bullets, and in those the .30-06 is only about 100 FPS faster at either weight.
Then again, if you do handload, there are other rounds out there that can do everything the .30-06 can do. I am partial to 6.5-06 myself, but you are not going to find that ammo on the shelf anywhere.
If you don't handload, there is really very little advantage over .308, all you will probably find on the shelves of your local big box store are going to be 150 and 180 grain hunting bullets, and in those the .30-06 is only about 100 FPS faster at either weight.
Then again, if you do handload, there are other rounds out there that can do everything the .30-06 can do. I am partial to 6.5-06 myself, but you are not going to find that ammo on the shelf anywhere.
buckhorn_cortez
New member
Hmmm...well, I have a 30-338 so it can't be "overrated" since "magnum" isn't part of the caliber / cartridge description...
Just lucky on that one I guess...
I am now annoyed, I clearly put Nuff Said! 
Clearly that is not being honored:
Ok, if that's what it takes:
(I will unleash emoto cons) 
Of course there are better, want to plink, can't beat 22LR
Want to kill Varmints at 300 yds, nothing beats the 222.
You want to take an elephant or dangerous game down (Cape Buff), 458 Win Mag, 416 Jeffries etc
You want to do it all, 30-06 is the one. Not your first choice for casual plinking (though there are cast lead rounds that do that nicely) but you can do it. You sure are not going to use a 458 WM for plinking, or varmint, or deer, or moose or Elk or black bear (fine for a Brown Bear)
So I say its the kind of the mountain. 30 cal rules the world and you can use all those choices in a 30-06. No other cartridge has that option.
Clearly that is not being honored:
Ok, if that's what it takes:
(I will unleash emoto cons) Of course there are better, want to plink, can't beat 22LR
Want to kill Varmints at 300 yds, nothing beats the 222.
You want to take an elephant or dangerous game down (Cape Buff), 458 Win Mag, 416 Jeffries etc
You want to do it all, 30-06 is the one. Not your first choice for casual plinking (though there are cast lead rounds that do that nicely) but you can do it. You sure are not going to use a 458 WM for plinking, or varmint, or deer, or moose or Elk or black bear (fine for a Brown Bear)
So I say its the kind of the mountain. 30 cal rules the world and you can use all those choices in a 30-06. No other cartridge has that option.
"For me, there's a lot of better cartridges. I have no use for it, in fact, and will likely never own one."
I was sorely tempted to make a comment but decided not to.:roll eyes: Very rare for me. I'm one of those people who buy guns but sell reluctantly, therefore have way more than I'll never need. I can think of only a few I would keep should I decide to "dump stuff". Wanna bet which ones would sell first? The 30-06s. No doubt in my mind. I hunt with various cartridges, the 7x57, .270 Win., .280 Rem. and .35 Whelen usually but on every hunt, the back up rifle is a 30-06. Only had to use it once on an elk hunt and guess what? The elk died with one shot. The scope on the .280 turned toes up at the range the day before the hunt and I'm in New Mexico near the Colorado border. No time to buy and replace the scope. The 06 did it's job for me like it always does.
What's not to like.
Paul B.
I was sorely tempted to make a comment but decided not to.
:roll eyes: Very rare for me. I'm one of those people who buy guns but sell reluctantly, therefore have way more than I'll never need. I can think of only a few I would keep should I decide to "dump stuff". Wanna bet which ones would sell first? The 30-06s. No doubt in my mind. I hunt with various cartridges, the 7x57, .270 Win., .280 Rem. and .35 Whelen usually but on every hunt, the back up rifle is a 30-06. Only had to use it once on an elk hunt and guess what? The elk died with one shot. The scope on the .280 turned toes up at the range the day before the hunt and I'm in New Mexico near the Colorado border. No time to buy and replace the scope. The 06 did it's job for me like it always does.What's not to like.
Paul B.
Bayoubulldog
New member
My first real rifle was a 30-06, and my current go to hunting rifle is a 30-06. IMHO it's an American mainstay. I find its recoil to be mild shooting 150 gr. hunting loads. Accuracy is good in my rifle. I get dang near free brass for reloading. The bullet selection is awesome. And it's a 30 cal bullet!
I'm still looking for a good caliber to add to the stable, but my 30-06 isn't going anywhere!
Long live the king.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I'm still looking for a good caliber to add to the stable, but my 30-06 isn't going anywhere!
Long live the king.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I am always on the lookout for a .30 06 bargain, why because they are easy to sell. I currently don't own one but have nothing against them. My father a WWII vet thought the world of firearms design, ended with the 06 then he ended up with a 7 Mag and the ol 06 took a back seat for a while. I don't know if the .30 06 is perfect for anything but it is certainly capable of most everything needed, it just isn't my thing.
I would say that's a fair statement for someone not into 06s.
Still can't list an overall cartridge that is more versatile with huge range of powders and bullets that work for it and are readily available let alone ammo.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think its the only cartridge, I own a 308, I like it (and plan on a 7.5 x 57 Swiss build which will be fun as it uses, gasp, same powders 30-06 does).
I like the 308 for Target work, it would do just fine on most game. If you really want to stretch a cartridge out, the 308 is not it, a lot of its top loads are compressed seriously. I will take a 30-06 any day with a Brown Bear to deal with.
You can take 30-06 with something like R17 and get 150 fps or a bit better out of it. I remember when people would blow out shoulders for an AI to get a realistic (maybe) 50 fps out of it.
300 WM has nothing over it these days.
And if you had to limit yourself to one gun, 30-06 certainly sweeps the table.
And I think that puts it in the right perspective.
If You Were Limited to One Gun? What cartridge would you choose.
Still can't list an overall cartridge that is more versatile with huge range of powders and bullets that work for it and are readily available let alone ammo.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think its the only cartridge, I own a 308, I like it (and plan on a 7.5 x 57 Swiss build which will be fun as it uses, gasp, same powders 30-06 does).
I like the 308 for Target work, it would do just fine on most game. If you really want to stretch a cartridge out, the 308 is not it, a lot of its top loads are compressed seriously. I will take a 30-06 any day with a Brown Bear to deal with.
You can take 30-06 with something like R17 and get 150 fps or a bit better out of it. I remember when people would blow out shoulders for an AI to get a realistic (maybe) 50 fps out of it.
300 WM has nothing over it these days.
And if you had to limit yourself to one gun, 30-06 certainly sweeps the table.
And I think that puts it in the right perspective.
If You Were Limited to One Gun? What cartridge would you choose.
Deaf Smith
New member
With superperformance powder the 30-06 becomes a true .300 Winchester magnum and will take anything in the North American Continent and everything else except maybe Cape Buffalo. With 3031 powder and 170 grain flat nose 30/30 slugs it becomes a mild kicking 30/30. 125 gr spire points and you have a varmit gun. With 100 grain plinker bullets and Unique powder you have a squirrel gun!
Yes, the '06 is one versital round.
Deaf
Yes, the '06 is one versital round.
Deaf
Gunplummer
New member
The "Does everything" gun is really a lame argument. How about only one gun with no scope? I have quite a few open sighted guns and I would not want to be constantly adjusting the sights when I change bullets and loads. That was one of the big sales pitches for reloading years ago. In theory, it sounds great, in reality it sucks.
WVMountaineer
New member
The '06 is the best one caliber do all there is. No question about it regardless of says different.
With factory loads pushing the 48,000 pounds of pressure, suitable for old actions, the round comes severely handicapped unless you tart loading it to the pressure potential. With the right powders, you can push so close to 300 mag velocity's and power, there is no difference once you put them in the same length barrels. When loading a heavier bullet, that is where they really become Ballistically efficient. The thing is, most don't load that heavy as it is severe over kill for most anything. And, the '06 starts thumping the shooter with anything over 165 grain bullets loaded hot.
Every one that doesn't really like the '06 states that newer powders and bullets makes the smaller bore calibers more efficient at some tasks. I won't argue there. But, the new stuff makes the '06 better too. It just boils down to do you want a bigger gun to do the same thing a smaller gun can do. And, some people don't.
I like and own a lot of calibers of center fire rifle's. I like the '06. It is my favorite one gun do all. Actually, it is every ones favorite one gun to do all if they are being honest with themselves. The beauty is most of us don't have to make it our sole choice. I'm glad it is that way. I really am. But, it doesn't change the reality that if you could only have one and had to be versatile, the '06 is the best choice God Bless
With factory loads pushing the 48,000 pounds of pressure, suitable for old actions, the round comes severely handicapped unless you tart loading it to the pressure potential. With the right powders, you can push so close to 300 mag velocity's and power, there is no difference once you put them in the same length barrels. When loading a heavier bullet, that is where they really become Ballistically efficient. The thing is, most don't load that heavy as it is severe over kill for most anything. And, the '06 starts thumping the shooter with anything over 165 grain bullets loaded hot.
Every one that doesn't really like the '06 states that newer powders and bullets makes the smaller bore calibers more efficient at some tasks. I won't argue there. But, the new stuff makes the '06 better too. It just boils down to do you want a bigger gun to do the same thing a smaller gun can do. And, some people don't.
I like and own a lot of calibers of center fire rifle's. I like the '06. It is my favorite one gun do all. Actually, it is every ones favorite one gun to do all if they are being honest with themselves. The beauty is most of us don't have to make it our sole choice. I'm glad it is that way. I really am. But, it doesn't change the reality that if you could only have one and had to be versatile, the '06 is the best choice God Bless
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