30-06 for f-class?

SouthPaw700

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Now, I realize these rounds aren't all that glamorous, but I was researching some of the heavier .30 cal bullets such as 210 VLD and 208 Amax. To me, these seem a little heavy for a .308, which you would obviously need to use for F/TR. But perhaps they could be used in F-Open? The BC's of these heavy bullets are better than the 6.5 bullets, and with the '06, I have seen several peoples range results that shoot them at 2700-2800 fps. I dunno, seems like a decent combo to me, albeit much less ###y than a "tricked-out" 6.5mm or 7mm.

Does anyone have any personal experience with these bullets in the '06?
 
You might find some useful info in articles at The Rifleman's Journal blog, including this one regarding the .30-06.
 
Those bullets work very well, I've tried them and they will provide ideal ballistics, but recoil would be a little more than ideal for an F-class match. I would look into shooting the 155gr Lapua Scenars in the 30-06 for F-class, this would keep recoil down and still provide good ballistics and wind bucking ability. I know guys using the 210's and 208's in 308's for long range tactical matches, so a in a 30-06 they would be that much better. I could only get the 208's to 2650fps but that was in a 22" factory barrel.

I think it would be very cool to have a 30-06 in F-class... it's nice to have something different. My most recent long range rifle project is a 270 winchester.

You may enjoy these links...

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek091.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek098.html
 
Yeah, I think I might give it a try. I have a spare savage long action sitting around, plus Lapua makes 30-06 brass and the selection of .30 cal bullets is great, so at the very least the rifle should be ok :)
 
A bit small in case capacity but will work for accuracy.

you will be shooting in F open so you would be best served to use the highest BC bullet going as fast as possible.

There is a present movement to boomers in 7mm and 30cal. Most are using RSAUM, WSM or similar case volumes. The heavies tend to be used most often.

The improved 30-06 would be right in there with the RSAUM case volume.

Ultimately, accuracy trumps ballistics but if you have have them both, why not.

Personally, I would suggest you build a 308 and shoot FTR. Now you are on an equal footing with anyone and the long action isn't a handicap. Arguably a positive.

Jerry
 
You can just go for 300WM. Same thing but you don't have to worry about pressure.

I shoot 168 gr MK with 300WM TacTikka. The recoil is hard. Don't know how you going to do 200 gr at 2800 fps but I would conside a brake.
 
Yeah, I have an FTR rifle already, nice 308 built on a Swing, shoots great. I just thought it would be fun to try building something that is less common. I thought the 30-06 would be a nice compromise of recoil and velocity, plus Lapua has brass for it. Mostly just want to experiment and see what's possible, plus I have a savage long action that needs a barrel. Just having some fun, trying to stand out in a sea of 6.5 and 7mm rifle builds ;)
 
Personally, I would suggest you build a 308 and shoot FTR. Now you are on an equal footing with anyone and the long action isn't a handicap. Arguably a positive.

Jerry

Jerry why would a long action be a negative for F Class shooting? Are you talking about the potential accuracy loss you get for having a longer receiver or the time it takes to cycle the bolt? I thought most F Class rifles were single shot, so you wouldn't have to worry about the lesser mag capacity, bolt wobble, or extra noise when cycling the action.

I can understand not wanting a long action for hunting or plinking, but this I don't understand. The only people I know that use 270 or .30-06 for hunting are silverbeard fudds, everyone else agrees that the long action is best reserved for magnums. In fact, come to think of it, of all the hunters I know everyone pretty much uses some form of magnum or 30-30 / .303 / 308 / 243 / or 223. Some guys are even using 7.62x39 haha
 
The only functional drawback to a long action is weight. Yeah, long repeater actions may have more flex, but it is still possible to build tack drivers on long actions. Aren't savages long actions?

As to a 30-06.

If you want to have fun with it, by all means. The berger 185's in a 30-06 would be a potent combination.

The issue with F-Open is it has become a freaky kit race with greasy 7mm's leading that race. I've said it before and I will say it again, at long range it is the best shooter that wins. The best shooter using a high BC accurate cartridge and rifle will definitely win, but a good shooter using an accurate but "underdog" bullet, is still a real contender.

There is nothing wrong witht he '06, but there are better ways to do it. If I had some '06 cases and a long action, I'd be tempted to go towards a 270 and use the new Matrix High BC match bullets (Superior to 7mm) or a 280/280AI, which is still a potent 7mm chambering.

Litz wrote and excellent artical on the drawbacks of 30 cal. and it is a good read. Personally, If I were to do a 30 for F-Class, it would be a WSM pr WM. Trust me, you'll never see me use on though...
 
Yeah I hear you on the 300WM, I think that would be a little much for me, even on a 22 lb. rifle. If I was building a serious F-open rifle it would be a 7 mm, but for now, I am just trying out some stuff and having fun. F/TR is my main focus for now to learn wind reading etc. and it's wonderful fun. 270 cal is also a cool idea, I forgot that matrix makes bullets in that caliber, also a possibility :)
 
A 30-06 target gun, how novel! Lol. If you look back a few decades, there was a time when the 30-06 was on the line for a lot of matches. With the advent of some of the new high BC bullets, and more efficient powders, a 30-06 should work quite well, actually. I prefer the AI version, but even the regular cartridge would be a lot of fun. I say build it, get a faster twist barrel and use some the heavy high BC 30 bullets. - dan
 
Jerry why would a long action be a negative for F Class shooting?

There is no handicap. If you dig around in other precision sites or mag, some disciplines will only use the shortest action they can. They feel shorter actions can offer some accuracy benefit.

Personally, I have used all types and they all shoot the same.

For an F Open rifle, I used LA's and they worked great. For these heavy rigs hoisting long barrels, the long actions is actually stronger and more solid as there is more action to support that barrel.

Obtunded, the standard Savage SA would be considered a Med action in the Rem world. It is the longest SA on the market making it ideal for all those long "short" cartridges favored in F OPen these days.

Given its length, it ends up being lighter then a true LA.

I think a 270 with Matrix bullets would be a potent contender.

Jerry
 
I got into LR shooting with my 06 because thats all I had and my funds would not allow a target only gun at the time. This particular rifle(sako 75) is abnormally acurate for a sporter hunting rifle. I have mounted a mkIV 4.5-14x50 on it. It regularly shoots 0.5moa @ 100 and shoot sub moa @1000(sometimes 0.5 when I do my part). I have come to be quite fond of this rifle. I shoot berger 185 VLDs over 54.2gr of VIT N550 and get mv of 2820fps. Unfortunatly after 4200 rnds down the tube, the days of accuracy are behind this rifle(100 thou of throat errosion). I have decided to build a semi custom around this action and yes its going to be another 30-06. I have enjoyed the 06. Recoil is tollerable, Barrel life is good, and it has proven to be accurate.
 
The Matrix bullets in .277" are a winner.... although the BC on the 165's is coming out to around .650 and the 175's don't seem too much higher in the testing I've done so far. My load for the 165's is running 2850fps in a 28" (1:9 twist) barrel. It's impressive when I'm matching my 7wsm in 1000yd wind drift! I would highly recommend the 270 for an "odd ball" long range setup when matched with these bullets.
 
Firstly those big heavy .30 cal bullets are *not* "too heavy" for a .308. From a ballistics performance point of view, bigger is better. (yes there are diminishing returns, and there are other considerations and tradeoffs too; but, still, a Berger 210VLD in a .308 will outperform a Berger 185BT in a .308).

You could certainly build a very good and accurate .30-06 target rifle but I think it would be a largely misdirected effort. It will have too much recoil and not enough ballistic performance. If you want a competitive F/Open rifle, you really need to go all-out and not make any compromises; while the bullets you are considering are topnotch performance-wise, the .30-06 is simply too small to drive them fast enough in order to be competitive with what the other top F-Open shooters will be using (high performance 6.5mm and 7mm rifles).

I think it would be better to shoot F/TR with the best bullets you can get (.223 or .308), or to shoot F/Open with the best cartridge/bullet combination you can get. Don't pick a compromise.
 
Jerry why would a long action be a negative for F Class shooting? Are you talking about the potential accuracy loss you get for having a longer receiver or the time it takes to cycle the bolt? I thought most F Class rifles were single shot, so you wouldn't have to worry about the lesser mag capacity, bolt wobble, or extra noise when cycling the action.

I can understand not wanting a long action for hunting or plinking, but this I don't understand. The only people I know that use 270 or .30-06 for hunting are silverbeard fudds, everyone else agrees that the long action is best reserved for magnums. In fact, come to think of it, of all the hunters I know everyone pretty much uses some form of magnum or 30-30 / .303 / 308 / 243 / or 223. Some guys are even using 7.62x39 haha

I've never thought of myself as a fudd, I own all kinds of firearms including 7mm RM, but alas the beard does get a little more grey each year. Still more black in it for now. I started off with a .303 and 30-30 and progressed up to '06. Not wanting to get in a pissing match but I guess you must not know many hunters.
 
I've never thought of myself as a fudd, I own all kinds of firearms including 7mm RM, but alas the beard does get a little more grey each year. Still more black in it for now. I started off with a .303 and 30-30 and progressed up to '06. Not wanting to get in a pissing match but I guess you must not know many hunters.

I'm definitely a fudd, but I'm ok with it. Age and wisdom, hoss, age and wisdom. - dan

X3 Not old, no beard, also secure in my manhood with my 30-06.
 
SouthPaw: I shoot a 300 SAUM in 'F' class shooting 210 Bergers at about the same velocity that a 30-06 AI would drive them. The recoil is comfortable shooting prone and not a problem. This combination is very competitive with a 284 Win driving 180's and the heavy 30 bullets seem to hang in there in the wind very well. However, in my rifle, the 300 SAUM brass is very soft and I have been thinking of building a 30-06 AI because I can buy hard Lapua brass. Is this combination better than a high BC 7mm? No, I don't think so but it is very close and I wouldn't consider it a compromise. The velocities between a match rifle in 30-06AI and a 284 Win are a wash but you can always move up to a 7mm short mag for slightly better performance at the expense of the barrel. The barrel life really drops off using the 7mm short mags. If you have a good driver, I don't think he would notice the difference in scores and the tend in the US "seems" to favour the 210's over the 284's. If you like 30 caliber like I do, then take a real hard look at the 30-06 or 30-06AI and shoot 210's. RNBR is right though, the trends worldwide is to be using F-TR cartridges. Steve
 
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