The 30-06

[Jason30-30]

Today i was watching the hunting channel. He was trying to bag a Grizzly with a Savage 110 in 30-06. Not only Did he spot one he took ONE SHOT At 620 YARDS!!! The camera was Way zoomed in but the grizzly dropped instantley and started To roll. I was REALLY impressed With the 30-06.

[x101airborne]

Well, this is my opinion and it smells like what it is worth.....
The 30-06 has taken many griz in the past, but if I spent the money on a hunt, the venerable '06 would probably not be my first choice. And I kinda have a problem with someone who "hunts" at 625 yards. An incredible shot, no doubt, but... not sure if I would call it sporting. And if you hit a bull elephant in the spine, it too will go down. Call it lucky, good, whatever. I wonder if that was the first griz he tried for to make that segment.

[Dan Cash]

I was planing a Kodiak hunt but old age body caught up with me. One of my three -06s would have been my take with gun. Would not be doing any 600 yard grand standing though. Sportiing issues aside, there are too many slip ups possible at that range.

[pistolman44]

I personally wouldn't go hunting for something that could make you their dinner with a 30-06. I would choose a magnum caliber over a .30. But now at my old age I don't hunt anything that would bite back.

[scattershot]

620 yards? Hell, I dunno if I could SEE a bear at that distance. heckofa shot if it's true.

[geargnasher]

Geez. Now every wet-behind-the-ears numbnut with a poorly sighted-in deer rifle and no concept of trajectory is going to think that's a practical shot. Gotta love TV.

Gear

[rmcc]

I may be old school here when I put in my 2 cents worth but here goes:

Hunting is, to me, meeting an animal on its own ground and getting as close as possible to make as quick a killing shot as possible. At 620 yds, there aren't too many calibers out there, that are hunting cartridges, that would have the energy left to cleanly dispatch a bear. There are so many variables at that range, I would not take the shot even if I thought I could make it. Rifles in 30/06 have been killing bears for years. I would probably pick a 338 or 375 but with 220 gr bullets the old 06 would work in the right hands. I don't mean to step on any "long" range shooter's toes but I just don't think it is ethical to try such a stunt!! The animals we hunt deserve more respect than that.

Rich

[MT Gianni]

Time to check the battery on the rangefinder.

[Kraschenbirn]

Haven't seen it, but this sounds like a bit of "Reality Television" to me. While I've never gone after bear, I've taken my share of game and varmits...a fair percentage with an '06...and I don't believe I'd even consider a 600+ yard shot on anything other than paper or steel. Even with a highly efficient bullet launched at 2600 fps you'd be looking at something like a 6-foot bullet drop with terminal velocity down around 1000-1100 fps yielding, maybe, 1000 ft/lbs energy. (thumbnail #s...my hard-copy ballistic charts only go out to 500 yards) Kinda "marginal" IMO.

Bill

[mroliver77]

I love my 06's! Pretty much every game animal on earth has been taken with it. Eskimos also killed polar bear with a .22 Hornet!

Having a serious case of Grizzly fear I believe I would opt for more powerful medicine.

I do believe a 200gr or heavier bullet of a tough design and a max load would do the trick just fine. I really want to cause something that dangerous massive trauma.

I would not shoot at any game animal at 600 yards unless I was desperate for meat. If I cannot keep all my rounds well within a paper plate OFFHAND I believe I have no business taking that shot. That pretty much keeps me under 150 yards. With plenty of practice I could stretch that out some.

Keep in mind I have no dangerous or large game experience so this is just the opinion of a deer/pig varmint hunter.
J

[waksupi]

If he took a shot at a bear at that range he is a slob shooter, I won't dignify him by calling him a hunter, and a coward most likely, afraid to get close enough for an honest shot at the game. If I see someone pull something like that around here, he better have another way home, because I will most likely have burned his truck before he gets back to it.
gotta stop now, board rules will not allow me to tell you what I really think about such lowlife worthless @#$&%)*%_%.

[Doble Troble]

If he took that shot at 620 yds, I hope there was someone else ready within 200 yds armed with something more appropriate.

And even if there was, it should have been the other guy taking the shot.

I agree, reporting this type of irresponsible behavior can produce no good, even if the guy had practiced at just that range for hundreds of rounds...just the fact that it may make it seem that setting everything up just so isn't necessary may make others more willing to take risky shots at game.

[kelbro]

I shoot a lot at 600 and 1K yards. Frequently. Guys, rifles are more than capable at that range of a clean, humane kill. My 308 Savage shoots consistent 5-6" groups at 600. That said, I would not shoot at a game animal at that distance. It's also about as close as I want to be to a grizzly

[randyrat]

Did they show where he hit the Bear? I would think it had to be a spinal shot.

[ilcop22]

There are a number of hunting shows on the Outdoor channel that follow "professional" hunters who routinely take 500+ yard shots, and leave only with the head of their quarry. Hunting for any purpose other than food isn't hunting... It's slaughter. Taking shots at those ranges isn't hunting, either - It's using animals for target practice. If there's no fair chase; if you only want another trophy, you're not a hunter. Period.

*Steps off soapbox

[Lizard333]

There are a number of hunting shows on the Outdoor channel that follow "professional" hunters who routinely take 500+ yard shots, and leave only with the head of their quarry. Hunting for any purpose other than food isn't hunting... It's slaughter. Taking shots at those ranges isn't hunting, either - It's using animals for target practice. If there's no fair chase; if you only want another trophy, you're not a hunter. Period.

*Steps off soapbox

Couldn't agree more. If you are not taking the meat, you are POACHING. I don't believe that God put these animals on the earth to be shot so we could take there heads or antlers.

If you are not going to be eating it, DON'T SHOOT IT!

[stubert]

One of the guys that works for me takes hail mary shots at deer every year, He hunts with a pump shotgun with a turkey scope on it( the one with the circle instead of cross hairs) This year he was lucky enough to get a 4 pointer at 180 yards or so, I will NOT hunt with him, He is so irresponsible that after he shot it, he let it hang for 7 days with the hide on at 50-60 degrees, when he skinned it, the meat had a gray color to it, He says he will eat it anyway.

[pdawg_shooter]

600yds is NOT hunting, it is just shooting. I take a few "long range shots" at game, meaning 2225/250yds. If I cant get closer I dont shoot. I do shoot prairie dogs at 600yds, but with them it is either a miss or a kill.

[felix]

If I were the Honcho for a bunch of hunters at a noted far-out BR range, and our food had been destroyed by bears or wolves or something, I MIGHT then consider the shot when an editable something walked into the area. I would use the most experienced BR guy having available some BR gun at least half-way sighted for the computed range. Even with a likely weak hit, I would assign the trackers/hunters in the crowd to finish the job. This would not be a fun scenario for me, but then you won't see me that far out in the bush/ice/snow anyway. ... felix

[jlchucker]

Couldn't agree more. If you are not taking the meat, you are POACHING. I don't believe that God put these animals on the earth to be shot so we could take there heads or antlers.

If you are not going to be eating it, DON'T SHOOT IT!

That's what Dad and Gramp used to say. I agree.