A respectful look at an old friend

[trails4u]

Interesting topic....and of course, as many questions are there are answers. For me, when I was choosing to replace my primary hunting rifle just a few years ago, I thought about it quite a bit and went with the -06. I was buying a Tikka...it's as expensive a hunting rifle as I've ever owned, and will likely be the last I ever buy for that purpose, and they make them in just about anything you could dream of. So much temptation, but given my thought process, I went with what I thought could do everything I'd ever ask it to do, something I knew I could always find ammo for (thinking TEOTWAWKI), and something for which I already had the learning curve imbedded. I've always shot it, always loaded for it, so I know the ballistics (internal and external) so I knew I could get it up to full potential quickly and efficiently. So, yeah...maybe I took the easy way out because it's what I know and what I'm familiar with....but I also know it will always work, for anything I need it to do.

[woodbutcher]

Most interesting thread.Thanks for posting.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[JSnover]

Seems unlikely that a deer hit with a '06 will be dead right there or in a jump or two, but lots of former enemies survived torso shots. To what would you attribute their survival? SP for the deer vs. FMJ for the enemies? I think it's worthy of note that most of the US Military's last few rounds of experiments aimed at adopting a new rifle have trended toward a larger caliber.

A very good point. For a human or an animal, if you want it to fall down Right Now and not get back up, shot placement is first, followed by proper bullet selection and it may well be that the recent trend towards longer, fatter, heavier bullets (which I support) is a reaction to the disappointing results with the smaller, lighter ones. I do respect the .223 and the guys who hunt deer with them, I just respect the 30-06 a lot more.
That said, the '06 has to abide by the laws of physics and FMJ Spitzer bullets aren't the best choice for soft targets, regardless of their size.
My rule of thumb is to go heavy-for-caliber for "live targets" and if it can't be made heavy enough to get the job done, go bigger and heavier. Hopefully the brainiacs who design these things for the DoD will give up on squeezing every possible ft/lb out of those .22 caliber 'battle rifles.' Projectile weight went from 55 grains to 77 (still varmint class if you axe me) and the troops are still wishing they had more. Seems like the Ballistic Whiz Kids are finally coming around.

[Static line]

SOME of us take a bigger insult from her treason against the United States, particularly in WAR TIME. Particularly when her treason constituted SHOOTING at American aircraft from inside an ENEMY military installation.

I think she is better known as visiting at a POW camp and when several of the POW's passed her papers to give to their families,she turned the papers into the CO of the POW camp and he had them all killed.Thanks to her.I served two tours there and I seen what they wrote in the Stars and Stripes and all the talk afterwards.And the 5.56 sucked.Hard to kill a doped up VC, you might need all 20 rounds.I was an Automatic Rifleman on my first tour so I had to smoke that M-16 to full RPM's.On the 2nd tour,I was a Sniper and the M-14 with scope was my baby.Now there is a hell of a rifle/cartridge combo.

[Hickok]

"Why a 30/06 ?"

"Why not?"...……….

And that is all I have to say about that!

[truckjohn]

I hunt thick brushy woods where you seldom ever get a shot past 50 yards. Have I hunted this with the '06 - absolutely, and it gets the job done.

But I really find myself liking lighter and more compact guns. So when I am in thick stuff - I find myself heavily favoring stuff like the 30-30, 7.62x39, 44 mag, and 357 mag. Nice short Marlin lever guns and my CZ527 don't snag in the brush as bad and they weigh a couple pounds less - which is nice when you have to tote it all in and out with you.

When I hunt out over a larger field where an average shot may push 200 yards - sure, the '06 gets the nod...

[LAH]

"Why a 30/06 ?"

"Why not?"...……….

And that is all I have to say about that!

But you're a hillbilly like me & don't know any better.

[FergusonTO35]

[Drm50]

My first deer rifle was a Rem M8/35cal. at about 12yrs old. They were cheap in 62, there were all kind of the rifles that are collector items now on the used market. They were just used old guns back then. The first year I
didn't get my deer. I wanted a Rem 742 in 3006 just like all the older guys had. It took me a few more years to
get one. After I got it I hated the rifle not the 3006. In the terrialn we hunted the 3006 was no advantage for 100 yd deer hunting. I don't think anyone bought 3006s because the military used them. A 30/06 was just the cartridge that was more or less the standard. That was in the days every guy didn't own a dozen rifles and the
3006 can handle just about everything in North America. The 308 is no slouch either until you get into the heavier bullets. And 5.56, it's not one of my favorites but take war stories with a grain of salt about taking 20
rds to bring a man down. I can believe it if you miss 19 times. I've seen many that were made sick to death with
one. But I could be wrong I wasn't a sniper or Seal either.

[Static line]

My first deer rifle was a Rem M8/35cal. at about 12yrs old. They were cheap in 62, there were all kind of the rifles that are collector items now on the used market. They were just used old guns back then. The first year I
didn't get my deer. I wanted a Rem 742 in 3006 just like all the older guys had. It took me a few more years to
get one. After I got it I hated the rifle not the 3006. In the terrialn we hunted the 3006 was no advantage for 100 yd deer hunting. I don't think anyone bought 3006s because the military used them. A 30/06 was just the cartridge that was more or less the standard. That was in the days every guy didn't own a dozen rifles and the
3006 can handle just about everything in North America. The 308 is no slouch either until you get into the heavier bullets. And 5.56, it's not one of my favorites but take war stories with a grain of salt about taking 20
rds to bring a man down. I can believe it if you miss 19 times. I've seen many that were made sick to death with
one. But I could be wrong I wasn't a sniper or Seal either.

You are welcome to your opinion,but you lack the experience that maybe I had.I am just showing my dissatisfaction for the 5.56 as a military round.Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't but most of it were spray and pray situations when only short yards apart and true,a lot of missing is going on but still.......
Love the 35 Rem.That's my wife's favorite cartridge in her JM Marlin.
Good dig by the way.

[ulav8r]

My cousin told about being on patrol when a tiger chased a chicken out of the brush and crossed the open area they were in. Most of the patrol fired quite a few rounds and the tiger was still running. My cousin dropped to one knee and killed the tiger with one shot from his M16.

[Static line]

My cousin told about being on patrol when a tiger chased a chicken out of the brush and crossed the open area they were in. Most of the patrol fired quite a few rounds and the tiger was still running. My cousin dropped to one knee and killed the tiger with one shot from his M16.

Lol,sounds like a good man to have around.In my two tours over there,I never seen a Tiger but heard they were there.We did have some 6 foot long dragon lizards run through our positions one day while waiting for the choppers that scared the heebeegeebees out of me.I thought the Kamoto Dragon was on the island of Kamoto,evidently,he has cousins in the Nam too and then you have some things that just run or slitter across your back as you sleep on the ground and can't shoot at.God it's good to be home.