A respectful look at an old friend

[FergusonTO35]

My first centerfire rifle was a .30'06 Howa 1500. Very nice rifle that shot well, however it is really overkill for the places I hunt. Not to mention, my bony shoulders didn't appreciate the recoil. I got a .30-30 and never looked back. I did end up rebarrelling the action to .257 Roberts and now it is one of my favorites!

[Bazoo]

The 30-06 looks right. I've owned a couple for short periods. I am not biased from family, friends, or military service. I've done a lot of reading on cartridges of all manner and not just articles in praise. The 30-06 has a certain balance that causes it to be able to perform across the board, that's why it's remained popular all these years.

[samari46]

Probably going to catch heck for this so here goes.Have owned 4 pre'64 match rifles all in 30-06, one 1949 standard in the same caliber and a Sako 75 hunter in '06. Always shot 54.5-55.5 IMR 4350, CCI 250 mag primer and either 168grSMK or 165 Nosler BT. Excellent accuracy in all rifles. Especially the Sako which shoots 1" at 100 yds. Even my "Blue Sky" garand shoots well with LC67 ball and even better with my diminishing supply of LC 67 M72 match. The Sako loves the M72 also. I've yet to get the same accuracy with either REM 700 Sendero or Savage 110FP both in 308. The jury is still out on the 40x in 7.62 nato. Do I like the '06 heck yeah. Not so much the 308. I've 1300 rds through the 700, and 1100 through the savage. All the pre '64s are gone now someone always wanted them more especially when they are waving money. I do have a post '64 Win M70 match rifle in '06 basically unfired. The plan is to stick a Nikon 6.5x20 on it and wring it out. I also have a pre ban Colt Hbar that is very accurate with ww748 and 69 SMK's. And that using mil surp brass. So my nod goes to the 30-06. Frank

[Walks]

I literally grew up on an .06, I remember shooting a M1906 at 5yrs old. The bbl resting on the back of an old kitchen chair, the butt resting against my Father's thigh and my "gunhand arm" over the top of the buttstock.

The 2nd Rifle I ever bought was a 1903A3. At 20yr old, just home from overseas. I've owned at least 3 at any one time ever since. Currently a REM 700, M1903A3, M1917 and an Extremely Gorgeous M1 Garand. An unissued Winchester with all matching parts and a Walnut stock. I was REALLY lucky with the DCM 32yrs ago.

I have had 2 .308 Sporters and 2 M1A's, a 1896 Krag carbine & a Savage 1920 in .300Sav, I still have one of the M1A's.

Anything a .308 can do, a .30-06 can do & more. If I need a lighter gun, a Savage 99 in .300Sav will take care of. If I need smaller lighter then that ? A Trapper in .30-30 will do.

[Texas by God]

What if MacArthur had approved the .276 Pedersen in the Garand? Would the '06 still be king? Things that make you go hmm.....
I've only owned 5 - 30-06's in my life and all I've ever killed with one is a spike elk and a couple of gobblers.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[crankycalico]

Well the 06 is not "depriving" any newer cartridges of the lime light. The new cartridges like the valkarie are all hyped up thing that do one very small thing very well.

06 on the other hand, can drop garden pests to moose with correct loading.

The REAL question you should be asking yourself is,

"if the -06 is soooo outdated as you feel, then why can the new wonder cartridges fail to displace it?"

If you new short magnum is SO **** GOOD, why cant it displace the 30-06? if you ask that question, you wont be finding much ado about the new wonder cartridges.

[Traffer]

I think that you are preaching to the choir. I have heard that same argument at least 3,006 times. Every word true.

[Petrol & Powder]

Once again, I'm am NOT saying the.30-06 is a bad cartridge.

Just asking if the familiarity and entrenched reputation results in the .30-06 being selected over other cartridges?

Do people select the .30-06 without consideration simply because it's the "ought-six" therefore they don't need to consider anything else?

[JSnover]

Do people select the .30-06 without consideration simply because it's the "ought-six" therefore they don't need to consider anything else?

I think a lot of them did because it was all they'd heard, at least when I was growing up. There were three guns in the woods for deer season; 30-30 or 12 gauge for the new/young hunters, 30-06 for the grown-ups.
The '06 had the good fortune of being as good as anyone needed, even if there were better cartridges out there.

[Petrol & Powder]

JSnover, I agree.

I think the 06 is a fine cartridge but I also think that a lot of folks simply select the 06 without giving any other cartridge consideration.

The reasons for that pro- .30-06 bias are numerous: Enormous numbers of surplus military rifles, enormous amounts of inexpensive surplus ammunition, large numbers of former military members that are familiar with the rifles and cartridge, the cartridge is well suited to North American game and a large body of reloading knowledge already established. Then we add the fact that manufacturers recognized the demand are produced large numbers of rifles chambered in .30-06 and the trend fed on itself for several generations.

I can't blame manufacturers for filling a demand their customers want and I can't say the 06 is a bad cartridge. I do think the 06 enjoys the status of its name. A lot of people continue to select the .30-06 based only on its name. That doesn't mean they are making a bad choice when they select the 06, it just means they didn't consider other possibilities.

[Bent Ramrod]

Colonel Townsend Whelen wrote:

“The .30-06 is never a mistake!”

And Lindy Cooper Wisdom wrote:

“There ain’t a lot of problems a man can’t fix

With $700 and a .30-06.”

To me, this indicates that there’s a distinct possibility that the .308 could be a mistake, and that there may be an occasional problem that one can’t abate with $700 and a .308.

Now, the .270 vs. the .30-06; there’s an argument!

[Petrol & Powder]

Somehow I think Colonel Townsend Whelen may have possessed even MORE pro .30-06 bias than most......

[JSnover]

I believe you're right, it's a cultural thing at least in part. If we were logical creatures the 30-30 would have disappeared long ago.

[rking22]

If we were logical creatures a LOT of cartridges wouldn't exist. Personally all the mid bores (.24 up to .30) hold no interest. Too much easier to cast good 30 caliber bullets and, get them to shoot well. That doesn't mean other folks will not find those same cartridges more useful for their use.Thats why there are a gazillion new cartridges whose only "advantage" is they fit in an AR mag.
When I was shooting hi power the 308 had a slightly better rep for accuracy, but that could be more due to a reduction in recoil over the 06, less fatigue better scores. Later smaller bores began taking the limelight, probably more reduced fatigue effect as well. I tend to pick up a rifle that calls to me, then deal with what it is chambered in. The fact that 06 rifles have been around for so long means there is more chance of finding a nice 06 that speaks to me than a 270. I think a lot of hunters pick their first rifle based on family traditions, what they were raised with. If it works well, why change? You are right ,06 isn't head and shoulders better than any other cartridge. It is plenty good enough for most anything in the hunting field most of us get to chase, for that matter so is the 3030, and 308. What you say about the 06 equally applies to the 45acp, people select it without really comparing, just on reputation. the 223 displaced the 222 due to the "military round" effect, neither match the 22-250. Marketing has convinced a great many people that the 250 Savage is the greatest thing since sliced bread when the bullet is .007 bigger, throated long with a fast twist and sky hi pressure limit, but useless in it's original form. It's all about making money, practicality has only a small play, perception rules. The 06 has a following and name recognition that will be hard to overcome, especially since it really does work. Same as 223 and 45 ACP, they work well enough to satisfy. Everyone is not looking for "the best" (fill in the blank) most are happy with good enough, and the 06 is, it ain't going anywhere.

[tazman]

For most medium to large game here in the USA, there is no single cartridge that is head and shoulders better than another. You have lots of choices, so what are you going to base your choice on?
The average hunter buys an adequate rifle and picks his caliber because the ammunition is available in his location and where he/she will be hunting.
I can't think of another cartridge that is more readily available in the majority of locations than the 30-06.

[LAH]

There were three guns in the woods for deer season; 30-30 or 12 gauge for the new/young hunters, 30-06 for the grown-ups.

Same here. If you were to hunt deer you chose one of the 3. That's why my first was an '06. I never gave it a second thought.

[Hickok]

Just my experience, I never had trouble handloading a 150 gr jacketed bullet to right at 3000 fps in any bolt action 30/06 I owned.

But with the 270 Winchester, I never could get 3100 fps with a 130 gr bullet, at what I thought was safe pressures and long case life and no primer pocket expansion. I was always at 3000 to 3050 fps, using IMR or Hogden 4831. A lot of new powders nowadays, probably not a problem. I've had Model 70 with 24" barrels and still the 3100 fps was pushing it.

I know 50 fps ain't no big thing, but I grew up reading Jack O'Connors and I just thought a .270 had to hit 3100 fps + with a 130 gr bullet. Jack's 4831 powder was older surplus, and I still believe he loaded too hot.

I have chronographed factory 270 ammo from Winchester and Remington with 130 gr bullets in past years, and they seemed to fall together at about 2950fps with 130 slugs.

[Hamish]

With modern powders, the -06 case is too big, the .308 is too small, and the 8mm is just right,,,,,,.

[Peregrine]

With modern powders, the -06 case is too big, the .308 is too small, and the 8mm is just right,,,,,,.

That's a thought provoking take, what are your preferred powders?

[Petrol & Powder]

Notice the purple font.