[Darkcloud]

I only have one hunting rifle, and yes, it's a 30-06, see post #28, but I'm also annoyed by these same things as @Darkcloud. There's room for everyone at the table. Don't tear down other gun models, cartridges, whatever to justify your choices. Don't tell me I picked wrong. We pick the things we pick for all sorts of reasons. My personal favorite reason is "it just makes me smile." Just my opinion. As the saying goes, your mileage my vary.

Well said. I respect your choice of rifle and chambering.

I honestly have no dislike for the 30-06. It is a versatile and capable round. I often make a choice just because it is different. Not to hijack the thread, but I'm really wanting my next hunting bolt-gun to be in 6.8 SPC, mostly because it would make me smile.

 

[northmn]

Well said. I respect your choice of rifle and chambering.

I honestly have no dislike for the 30-06. It is a versatile and capable round. I often make a choice just because it is different. Not to hijack the thread, but I'm really wanting my next hunting bolt-gun to be in 6.8 SPC, mostly because it would make me smile.

Through the years I also experimented with a lot of different cartridges. It was fun. The 270 was O'Connor' s choice and I am old enough to have read his works while he was still alive. Thanks to marketing and magazines that are now based on marketing we have a lot of cartridges to pick from. I shoot the 6.5 Creedmoor at deer as it is plenty of rifle for that purpose. However, my choice goes back to my earlier experiences with the 6.5 Swede and my brother in laws success with his "Swede". I admit the 30 cals were "boring" and did not fit into my experimentation as I knew they would work. The 06 was a bit over powered for my uses. My daughter ahs piled up a few deer with her 300 Savage. which has worked well for her. I shot a few with a 300 Savage. Also a 30-30 and I went through a 243 stage. The 243 I do not like, I had a bad experience with one that appeared to have broken a shoulder and no penetration into the thorax enough to keep the deer down. I admit part of the experience was my own ignorance or whatever in tracking the animal, but I never had issues with the other cartridges I used.
The 30-06 case was based on the 8mm Mauser. The US military was sued by Mauser for that but the suit kind of fizzled due to WWI. I have made 8mm cases very easily out of 06 cases. The 8mm was a good cartridge. I have not used my 8mm since I held it a bit weird to shoot a deer with it and got whopped in the occipital ridge with the scope. Hurt for a about 4 days, Most of us want a selection, like gold clubs for our hunting.

DEP

 

[art6555]

I decided to take the Ol Remington out today and work up some 180 grain Hornady interlocks for elk thus fall. Guess what powder I used Guy? Got to about 57 grains of H4350 and this happened. That’s 6 shots! Boring….. but like boring.

 

[M700]

View attachment 857520

I decided to take the Ol Remington out today and work up some 180 grain Hornady interlocks for elk thus fall. Guess what powder I used Guy? Got to about 57 grains of H4350 and this happened. That’s 6 shots! Boring….. but like boring.

That's pretty doggone sweet!

Best of luck on your elk hunt.

Guy

 

[msharley]

That's pretty doggone sweet!

Best of luck on your elk hunt.

Guy

Hey Guy,

What I like best about the '06?

Stuff what gets shot with the '06................

STAYS SHOT!

From 5' to 500yds.....a man what is accustomed to his rifle....will fill his tags!

Carry on....

Later, Mark

 

[Mavrik]

While my father occasionally brings the 30-30 that he bought for me to hunt with when I was growing up, he's primarily hunted with his left hand Savage 111 30-06 that his father bought for him sometime in the mid 1960s.

It's taken a lot of deer over the years.

 

[HAIRBEAR1]

I went down the path of AI'ing my 30/06 because of the case stretching and I'm no fan of trimming all the time. You don't gain much in the velocity dept. but it has a bit more grunt than the standard round. I've had this rifle for probably 40 years and it's shot it's fair share of pigs and goats plus a few feral dogs, donkey's and horses and a cat or 2.
I'm getting around 2940fps using 61.5gns of AR2209 and it hits like a bomb and not much stands up after this lot hits it.
I use 165gn Game Kings on everything and it was going to Africa with me chasing plains game till where I work started to get rid of staff and I was on the chopping block but they managed to bugger that all up but I had to cancel that trip because I didn't know what was going to happen next.
It was going to go up to North Queensland with me at the end of this month on a pig hunting trip but now thanks to the Chinese flu and border closures that looks like another trip cancelled.

 

[Redfishm1]

The link takes you to an article by me, as well as a video of Gavin and I talking about the 30-06 as a hunting cartridge:

https://ultimatereloader.com/2021/08/23 ... g-results/

Enjoy! Guy

There are more variants of the 06 than any other cartridge. Not weight or loads but AP, incendiary, tracer, dummy, grenade launching, line throwing, etc.

 

[msharley]

There are more variants of the 06 than any other cartridge. Not weight or loads but AP, incendiary, tracer, dummy, grenade launching, line throwing, etc.

22-'06! SCREAMER!

 

[HAIRBEAR1]

22-'06! SCREAMER!

And lets not forget the .270, 338/06, 25/06 and a few other cases that have come off the 30/06 case.

 

[memtb]

And lets not forget the .270, 338/06, 25/06 and a few other cases that have come off the 30/06 case.

One of the oldest and maybe the “bestest”🤪 .....the 35 Whelen!

Let us not forget, with cast bullet, light loads......the “aught 6” makes a great squirrel rifle! I guess that makes it pretty versatile! memtb

 

[Mike Britton]

I like the 06. I own 2 of them. And, if told I could only take one from the safe, it would probably be my 1958 Savage 110L. I believe the 06 is possibly the most versatile of all the .30's.

But living in North Texas, where the white tails are dog sized, and not having much chance to do more these days than punch paper, I don't need the recoil. Even my #4 SMLE sporter doesn't water my eyes like my 06's do.

I have had 5 eye surgeries, and really worry about retina detachment. I tore the retina in my left (shooting) eye and after 3 surgeries managed to save it. But I really don't want to press my luck just to punch paper. If I were feeding my family, it might be a different story.
When I get the funds, my Savage 110L will become a 6mm varmint/target rifle.

 

[M700]

I like the 06. I own 2 of them. And, if told I could only take one from the safe, it would probably be my 1958 Savage 110L. I believe the 06 is possibly the most versatile of all the .30's.

But living in North Texas, where the white tails are dog sized, and not having much chance to do more these days than punch paper, I don't need the recoil. Even my #4 SMLE sporter doesn't water my eyes like my 06's do.

I have had 5 eye surgeries, and really worry about retina detachment. I tore the retina in my left (shooting) eye and after 3 surgeries managed to save it. But I really don't want to press my luck just to punch paper. If I were feeding my family, it might be a different story.
When I get the funds, my Savage 110L will become a 6mm varmint/target rifle.

Ya, the 30-06 is a great cartridge, but for medium game and punching holes in paper, there are a lot of excellent alternatives that shoot great and kick an awful lot less!

Regards, Guy

 

[Magwa45]

View attachment 856874

Is that how you display your rifles? Looks like a high quality museum spread.

 

[Magwa45]

I enjoy loading for the 30-06 almost as much as I enjoy shooting it!

Sure am looking forward to hunting mule deer this October!

Best of luck to all of you with your 30-06 rifles!

Regards, Guy

That's a very cool reloading press! What type is it? I still use an old Lee Turret Press. But I am getting a new Hornady Lock-N-Load powder measure.

 

[HILL COUNTRY SHOOTER]

Is that how you display your rifles? Looks like a high quality museum spread.

no, I just built the back board to take photo's of all my long guns so they would all have the same back ground
I keep them in gun safes in order to reduce theft, I wish I could display them without out fear of being stolen, that would be nice

 

[M700]

That's a very cool reloading press! What type is it? I still use an old Lee Turret Press. But I am getting a new Hornady Lock-N-Load powder measure.

That's the old Lyman T-Mag turret press. I really enjoy using it, but Lyman has discontinued it, and has replaced it with the larger All American 8 turret press. I've used the All American 8 extensively and like it very much as well.

Regards, Guy

 

[Nanook]

I own two bolt action 30-06, both are made by FN. One is a factory engraved 1952 Commercial Deluxe. The other is a 2015 Mod 70, stainless/featherweight in wood. I use the Mod 70 for sheep hunting, mostly. The new flat shooting 30-06 ammo out now, is awesome.

 

[Magwa45]

I own two bolt action 30-06, both are made by FN. One is a factory engraved 1952 Commercial Deluxe. The other is a 2015 Mod 70, stainless/featherweight in wood. I use the Mod 70 for sheep hunting, mostly. The new flat shooting 30-06 ammo out now, is awesome.

I'd like to get a Featherweight. I have a pushfeed M70 with a MacMillan stock to dress it up. It's a good shooter, but I really like Featherweights.

 

[Oletimer]

I have a Ruger No.1 B in 30'06 that I shot the barrel out of years ago and it now wears a custom barrel from Blackstar Industries.
Not much more to say about the 30'06 than what has been said above. It just plain works for just about anything in North America, and either factory ammo or reloading supplies are usually available. There is a reason this cartridge still survives after more than a century. With the modern propellants available today this cartridge can approach what used to be .300 WM velocities.
H-4350 and 165 bullets are my favorite. I have also loaded 125-130gr bullets with faster burning powders with amazing results on varmints. Very versatile cartridge.
Lots of cartridges out there, got a few of them myself, but like137898 said above, the 30'06 still makes me smile...