# The All Around 30.06



## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

The crew and I were discussing various calibers and how many US weapons the various calibers were used in...we think the 30.06 is hands down winner.

1903-A3
Maxim-Model 1904
Machine Rifle-Model 1909-known as Benet-Mercie
Colt-Model 1914-Potato Digger
Vickers-Model 1915
Browning-Model 1917
Lewis Gun-Model 1917
Marlin MG-Model 1917/18
M1917 Rifle
BAR-Model 1918
Chauchat Model 1918-possibly the worse POS ever invented
Browning 1917A1-an upgrade of 1917
BAR-Model 1918A2
Browning 1919A4
Browning 1919A6
M1 Garand
Browning M2-aircraft MG
Johnson Rifle-M1941
Johnson Light MG-M1941
Browning M37
And various Remington/Winchester sniper rifles

The .06 can do anything-we only have other calibers because we can and love to screw around wih firearms...


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

I need a .22, too.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

it's AN/M2
M2 isthe 50 cal


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

the 30-06 is possibly the most versatile round ever ,or at least in the USA


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Pops2 said:


> it's AN/M2
> M2 isthe 50 cal


The AN prefix just means Army/Navy...

Leave it to gov't types to call a .30 cal aircraft MG a M2....when we know a M2 is Ma Duece


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

And the 30.06 is also a great "parent" case by necking up or down...
25x.06
6.5x.06-my favorite
270
.334 from the 30s-.33 cal bullet
and probably 2 or 3 more I forgot


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

If you can't kill it with a 30-06.... run!


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

35 wheelen

338-06

or use it to make 8mm Mauser brass


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

zant said:


> The AN prefix just means Army/Navy...
> 
> Leave it to gov't types to call a .30 cal aircraft MG a M2....when we know a M2 is Ma Duece


doesn't matter what it means, the prefix is part of the nomenclature & not using it will confuse some folks especially any army guys here. the Marines are bright enough to figure it out on their own, but man those army guys. :grin:


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> 35 wheelen
> 
> 338-06
> 
> or use it to make 8mm Mauser brass


can also be cut down to make 308 family brass or 45ACP & 45 winmag brass


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

zant said:


> And the 30.06 is also a great "parent" case by necking up or down...
> 25x.06
> 6.5x.06-my favorite
> 270
> ...


I like the 55 grain accelerator.... Cant find them around anymore..


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

TripleD said:


> I like the 55 grain accelerator.... Cant find them around anymore..


not sure they were worth it , you can load a 110gr .308 vmax over varget and get the same velocity as a 64gr bullet from a 22-250


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

Just picked up a new 30-06. 400 yard 3/4 inch grouping with a zeiss and 150 gr.

Yeahhhhhhh.......


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

TripleD said:


> I like the 55 grain accelerator.... Cant find them around anymore..


Ad in Shotgun [email protected]


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

Pops2 said:


> doesn't matter what it means, the prefix is part of the nomenclature & not using it will confuse some folks especially any army guys here. the Marines are bright enough to figure it out on their own, but man those army guys. :grin:


ound: 

Watch it!


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Halfway said:


> Just picked up a new 30-06. 400 yard 3/4 inch grouping with a zeiss and 150 gr.
> 
> Yeahhhhhhh.......


What rifle-rounds...


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

zant said:


> What rifle-rounds...


Federal SP 150 for target.
Federal Triple Shock 165 for hunting.

You?


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

For "target" shooting
.308-175gr HPBT handloads
6.5x.06-130gr Berger VLD or 120gr V-Max handloads


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Halfway said:


> Federal SP 150 for target.
> Federal Triple Shock 165 for hunting.
> 
> You?


If your just shooting deer and your 150gr soft points are that accurate , they will take down any Midwest deer i have ever seen just fine , the fancy bullets just are not needed when hunting deer more to sell the hunter often than kill the deer.


my 06 is still running on old 150gr Winchester soft points left over from the 80s , the deer haven't noticed.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

zant said:


> For "target" shooting
> .308-175gr HPBT handloads
> 6.5x.06-130gr Berger VLD or 120gr V-Max handloads


the 6.5 has always interested me , but i wonder what makes it "fly better" as some people say 

does it really "fly better" or is that a perceived effect of most wild cat or specialty chamberings being built better than the run of the mill 30-06 
many are looking for velocity but it seems a 30-06 can generate greater velocity with less pressure behind a similar weight projectile 

Hodgdon lists loads for 30-06 with a 125 gr sp at 2950-3200fps with a variety of powders 

hodgdon lists loads for 6.5-06 with 120 gr sp at 2700-3100fps but at a much higher pressure 4k to10k higher with more around the 10k difference pushing 60k psi 

the 30-06 with a 125 gr are running around 40-50k and the 6.5-06 is running 50-63k

not sure about you but i am usually looking for lower pressure as it makes my brass last longer as well as having more of a safety margin


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## Halfway (Nov 22, 2010)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> If your just shooting deer and your 150gr soft points are that accurate , they will take down any Midwest deer i have ever seen just fine , the fancy bullets just are not needed when hunting deer more to sell the hunter often than kill the deer.
> 
> 
> my 06 is still running on old 150gr Winchester soft points left over from the 80s , the deer haven't noticed.


The 165 are just as accurate. They are for elk. I agree the 150s are sufficient.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

GCP-6.5 bullets have very BC because of the relationship between length of bullet versus diameter.I run 120gr A-Max at 3000fps(H4350),the Bergers at 2950.Sighting in the other day-5 shots in 1 ragged hole at 200yds.All pressure signs are good and I've reloaded my necked up 25x06 cases 9 times so far...my necked down 270 and 30.06 cases 10 times with 1 neck split so far.For long distance(over 500yds)I only use the 25.06 cases as the accuracy seems to be better-unknown why.All 3 of my 6.5s are custom Mausers with very heavy barrels...


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

It's hard to beat a 30-06 . . 

I rekon every high-powered rifle that's ever been made has been compared to the 30-06 . 

what most folks don't know is that the ammo available ' over-the-counter ' for this fine rifle 
must be able to be fired safely in old WW2 guns , that's the Law .. 

The 30-06 rifle cartridge can be loaded to the same lethal potency of a .300 mag , but you got to shoot it in a modern rifle , it'll blow the barrell in an older gun , maybe even burst the breech , and that where people get blinded from a bursted rifle .


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

The '06 is a very good all around cartridge. I've shot most of my meat with an '06., and carry one a fair bit, but have some other things I like a bit more for carry where I live. Carry means carry, not shooting meat. In bolt guns, I like the 35 whelen and 338 win. In levers, I like the 348 and 45-70. 


A 125 gr 30 cal bullet isn't the same thing as a 120 gr 6.5 bullet. The 30 cal bullet is more in the lines of a varmint bullet, not constructed for larger animals or deep penetration. In that weight range the 6.5 bullet will have a much higher ballistic coeficient, and higher sectional desnity, meaning it will hold together better and penetrate deeper than a bullet of lesser sectional density. Just comparing the weight and pressure doesn't tell us much.

The 6.5's have been known for excellent penetration on larger anmals, and very good long distance performance. Just for some comparisons, the 260 (6.5/308) gives similar trajectory at 100 yards as a 300 win mag, (unless using the extra heavy weight specialty bullets) without the recoil, and more energy than a 308 with a similar bullet weight at that range. Doesn't hold up quite as well in the wind as the 300, but the 6.5's are popular with long range shooters.




> ...The 30-06 rifle cartridge can be loaded to the same lethal potency of a .300 mag , but you got to shoot it in a modern rifle , it'll blow the barrell in an older gun , maybe even burst the breech , and that where people get blinded from a bursted rifle .



Not quite sure how you mean this, but the 300 is loaded to a higher chamber pressure than the '06. Not sure how you could equal the performance within safe levels for any gun. The case capacity is larger for the 300, there's no real way to get the same performance within realistic pressure levels in that much smaller case. Whatever pressure level you could call acceptable in the '06, you can still get more performance from a 300 within those same acceptable levels. Thats just physics. Will an '06 kill anything a 300 will? Pretty much so, but not at the same velocities.


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

Malamute said:


> The '06 is a very good all around cartridge. I've shot most of my meat with an '06., and carry one a fair bit, but have some other things I like a bit more for carry where I live. Carry means carry, not shooting meat. In bolt guns, I like the 35 whelen and 338 win. In levers, I like the 348 and 45-70.
> 
> 
> A 125 gr 30 cal bullet isn't the same thing as a 120 gr 6.5 bullet. The 30 cal bullet is more in the lines of a varmint bullet, not constructed for larger animals or deep penetration. In that weight range the 6.5 bullet will have a much higher ballistic coeficient, and higher sectional desnity, meaning it will hold together better and penetrate deeper than a bullet of lesser sectional density. Just comparing the weight and pressure doesn't tell us much.
> ...



Thanks Malamute , great post . . . I refered to 'lethal potency' in my original reply to the thread , and I'll agree that a .300 mag is more gun than a 30-06 , no doubt about it . . what I was getting at is that a person that hand-loads can load a 30-06 to a lot more 'lethal potency' than is found in over-the-counter 30-06 ammunition by reason that the store bought ammo has to be safe to fire in WW2 era guns  

I shoot a scoped 30-30 , and mostly hunt where a 150 yards is a long shot . 

my brother-in-law shoots a scoped 30-06. 

His Dad hunted with a scoped .300 mag . 

I remember going hunting with them , first week of deer season , they was all sort of shooting all during the day , sounded like a war going on . . 

anyway , all the nimrods finally ran out of ammo , the woods quieted down , and then I heard my brother in law shoot , ( he got a nice forked horn ) ...

then , about an hour later , his Dad shot that .300 Winchester Magnum . . 

now , you a hunting man , so you know that most times , the birds will stop calling for a few seconds after a shot from a rifle , and then go right back to singing . 

I'm telling you , when that .300 Mag went off , and the sound echoed across the hills & hollows , the birds stopped singing , the bugs stopped calling , and the squirells ran to their nests ... It was a powerful sound , you didn't just hear it , you could feel it in the air . 

yep , that .300 Mag is a whole lot of gun . .


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

Indeed they are. What the extra velocity mostly buys you is trajectory. Up close though, the higher velocity of the 300 tends to bloodshot more meat. As a longer range gun, the 300 has its place. If I want more power, I step up in bore diameter/buller weight. The 250 gr 338 has about identical trajectory as the 180 gr '06, but hits harder and penetrates deeper. It also doesn't tend to bloodshot meat as bad as the higher velocity 300, depending on the bullet used in both.

I dont push the '06 hard, its good as is, and as you said, premium grade bullets help in game performance. I've been impressed with the regular Remington Cor-loct 180's though. I shot a deer at about 250 yards on a straight away shot, the bullet hit it beside the tail. I found it in the neck, about 3 feet of penetration, and it held together pretty well. More bullet than needed for deer, but sometimes one should carry for they _may_ run into, not what they're looking for. Wasn't much bloodshot either.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Have to agree with you Malmute on the CoreLocs...I handload "old fashion" corelocs and powerpoints for deer in my .308...They drop dead even if the bullets are'nt the lateset and greatest design.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

I enjoy downloading mine to subsonic velocities with cast bullets. Recoils about like a 22 but is tossing a slug 4 times heavier. Great for casual target practice or dispatching a butcher animal/ varmint ect. Lets me get trigger time on my 30-06 on the cheap and without rattling the neighbors windows.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

I like light loads also. I do round balls in the 30-30 for grouse and small game, no idea what the velocity is, but I use 3 grs Unique. They are about as loud as the 22 standard vel (not high vel). I also load a 120 gr cast at about 1200 fps for small game. Makes more noise, but very pleasnat to shoot. Would like to make similar loads for the '06, and perhaps a 1200 fps load with 110 gr 30 carbine jacketed bullets for fun and small game.


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## mitchell3006 (Apr 1, 2010)

Halfway said:


> Just picked up a new 30-06. 400 yard 3/4 inch grouping with a zeiss and 150 gr.
> 
> Yeahhhhhhh.......


That's awful impressive.:shrug:


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> i wonder *what makes it "fly better"* as some people say


Higher Ballistic Coefficients in any comparable weight range

Ballistic Coefficient


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Higher Ballistic Coefficients in any comparable weight range
> 
> Ballistic Coefficient



Bear , I think that sometimes it's just a matter of individual preferance , they's been a lot of game taken with a .22 or a .22 mag , but I'd never take a 300 yard shot with one , would rather have a 30-06 .. 

a man I know hunts with a .243 , he puts meat in the freezer every year . most times , he kills with a neck shot , cuts the spine , the deer drops in its tracks . 

another man I know hunts with a .338 , his game generally travels 50 yards . 

I think the .243 is a better choice , you can re-load a .243 in the field with a Lee Loader , can't do that with a .338 ...


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Bear , I think that sometimes it's just a matter of* individual preferance *


LOL
There's a lot of that involved too.

Reality is most of the cartridges overlap in capabilities, and most have WAY more power than *needed* for many of the things for which they are used

The most important factor is BULLET PLACEMENT


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## AR Aaron (May 26, 2010)

Calhoon said:


> Bear , I think that sometimes it's just a matter of individual preferance , they's been a lot of game taken with a .22 or a .22 mag , but I'd never take a 300 yard shot with one , would rather have a 30-06 ..
> 
> a man I know hunts with a .243 , he puts meat in the freezer every year . most times , he kills with a neck shot , cuts the spine , the deer drops in its tracks .
> 
> ...


I can't think of a case I would ever want to take reloading parts into the field. Maybe if you had a hunting lodge or something maybe, but I am picturing my normal hunting outings. Rain, snow, campfires, wood burning stove in the tent. More rain and snow. You get the picture. I have several Lee Handloaders, they are nice situational reloaders, but I will take my regular press any day over them.

I have a 338. Two of them to be more specific. Are they overkill for deer? Yes? and No. Why two? One is a 338 win mag for elk, and the other is a 338 Federal (308 Cartridge necked up to .338). 

As to original post, yeah 30.06 hard to beat. Hunting, killing and other various tasks for a rifle. But 30.06 for best all around gun? really depends on purpose in the sense are we talking hunting or just killing? two leg or 4 leg critters?

Agree to both accounts as to preference and shot placement.


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