Is 30-06 basically a lost cause?

2 or 3 years ago we had a fella show up with his hunting 30-06 and factory ammo at our annual 1000yrd shoot ( 1050yrd actual) here in Burns lake , he shot a 5 shot group at just over 8" that is probably accurate enough for most :)
He has not been back and is probably smarter than most of us and knows when to leave well enough alone :)
 
I have an '06 that is so cosmopolitan in it's load likes that it always surprises me. It shoots 150's, 165/68's, 175's, 180's & 200's all sub MOA. While I don't consider it a rifle to compete with, it sure looks like it would scare some shooters by the groups it shoots. I'll post an Accubond 5-shot group just to show what it is like. Big game just hates this rifle!! Regards, Eagleye.
 
Heck of a shot group :cool: congrats
Best I ever did on paper , was 1.5 inchs at 200 meters, with a ruger 1B single shot. 3 shots. 165gr sierra gameking. Never really worked a load, but I don't know if it had better to offer, will never know, gun sold.
 
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Eagleye said:
I have an '06 that is so cosmopolitan in it's load likes that it always surprises me. It shoots 150's, 165/68's, 175's, 180's & 200's all sub MOA. While I don't consider it a rifle to compete with, it sure looks like it would scare some shooters by the groups it shoots. I'll post an Accubond 5-shot group just to show what it is like. Big game just hates this rifle!! Regards, Eagleye.
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That's great shooting!!

I've always thought of the 06 as one of those inbetween calibers except for hunting. You know when you want a little more than a .308 but dont want to cross into the magnums.

I must admit I was supprised at the group you pulled off there. I may have to rethink my thinking.
 
To the original poster you should have been around growing up in the early 60's. Every gun rag in the business had an article comparing the .308 to the .30-06. You can imagine all the WW11 vets from the US lining up in favour of the '06. Very much like the .45acp vs 9MM debate of a few years ago.

No question the .308 will handle lighter bullets better than the '06 and vica versa. This is mostly due to the rate of twist in the barrels. with the '06 favouring the heavier bullet.

My Husquavarna 30-06 will shoot .480 groups all day long using my Lyman 311291 Cast boolit over 20 gr of 2400 powder. Never bothered to try it with commercial match bullets.

While the '06 gives something up to the magnums out past 300 yards one has to ask how much game is shot at that range? I suspect very little so what you get for your money in going to the magnums is more recoil, expensive ammo and no practical difference in performance if shots are taken 200 yards and under.


Take Care

Bob
 
Eagleye said:
I have an '06 that is so cosmopolitan in it's load likes that it always surprises me. It shoots 150's, 165/68's, 175's, 180's & 200's all sub MOA. While I don't consider it a rifle to compete with, it sure looks like it would scare some shooters by the groups it shoots. I'll post an Accubond 5-shot group just to show what it is like. Big game just hates this rifle!! Regards, Eagleye.
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Nice group!!
 
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30.06 vs .308win

This has been one of the best posts I have looked at with some excellent and amazing replys. The one on the fellow who shot a 8' group at 1000 yards sure must have raised some eyebrows.
From my experiance with 30.06 and .308 is much the same as everyone has said . 308 will group generaly tighter and less recoil etc
But in most 30.06 I have owned and still have some. Model 70 pre 64 1/12 Twist shot very good .500 with 168gr sierra's, the Remingtons 700 & 30s etc I have owned have a 1/10 twist and with 168 .700" would be the best I could get never tryed the bigger bullets which I think will do better in 1/10 twist
I took a Rem 700 action a few years ago down to Harts and they put on a premium stainless 26" 1/12 twist barrel and did there magic on the action.
Well it would shoot as well as my.Rem 700 308 win Hart barrel sub 1/2" groups that I used for hunter class shooting.
With a lot of 4350 powder and 165 gr nosler Partitions for a hunting load it
was just over 3000fps on chrono.you can not achive this with a .308 win
I have friend who might be one of Canada's best ever Palma shooter Alain Marion who I hunt with buy the way if your ever at a shoot take the time to introduce yourself, you will be amazed how fine a gentelman he his and his wealth of knowledge. His Full bore rifle in .308 gets 155 gr with lots of Varget and 30" kreiger barrel to 3000fps
Take a look what a 300win mag does with Federal 165gr Noslers I am not trying to light a flame under the 300win mag followers as I know if they would have handloads better than Federal, but it just shows what a 30.06 is capable of. http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx?act=choose&firearm=1&s1=1
 
I've got a Tikka M658 in 30-06 that I've had for 16 years and just had it modified last year. New strainless barrel heavier and longer with muzzle brake, glass bedding, pillars, and Pacmyr recoil pad. It now weighs 10 lbs nude, then add my Harris bipod, sling,IOR scope and it weighs 14 lbs. After the barrel was broken in, I've done sub MOA groups at 200 yrds lying in the snow. I don't reload, so after lots of research I can down to using the Hornady 165gr SST and Interbond Light Mag. Super accurate and flat shooting with lots of energy.

Rifle1.jpg


And as everyone says, you can't get a more versatile rifle.:D
 
Not only was the -06 Jack O'Connor's favorite hunting cartridge (not the 270, Winchester just paid for his hunting trips) but I have found the 30-06 to be the easiest to please rifles in the gun cabinet. No other chambering seems to shoot so well with just about anything you want to load it with.
 
For shooting at a metal gong this past summer in Saskatchewan, with Pigdog spotting for me for the first three shots from my 30-06 M1 Garand, issue iron sights:

Prone position, 600 yards, 8 hits out of 11 shots, on a 16 x 16 inch metal plate.
 
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MHUNT said:
Not only was the -06 Jack O'Connor's favorite hunting cartridge (not the 270, Winchester just paid for his hunting trips) but I have found the 30-06 to be the easiest to please rifles in the gun cabinet. No other chambering seems to shoot so well with just about anything you want to load it with.
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My father told me thhis about 20 years ago, but there are some that said no.
They however , never knew the man ( My father did).
Cat
 
catnthehatt, I just got off the phone with my hunting buddy (David) who loaned me the Jack O'Connor book where he mentions the -06 as being the better cartridge. David doesn't recall which one of the many books he has loaned me, but it would have been one of O'Connor's later ones.
 
I bought a 30-06 for hunting because everybody I asked told me that it was the single most useful round out there.
But it is a workhorse, not really much of a glamour queen.
I think it is like taking a Clydesdale to a horse race. The thoroughbreads run faster for a while but the Clyde will pull well all day long and drag your wagon at the same time. My $0.02. I made my choice and stick with it.
 
My 1951 Husqvarna 30-06 shoots consistently under MOA. Have an Obermeyer 30-06 Match reamer at Sam Adams Gunsmith which would make an interesting project with a view to maximizing this fine calibre.
 
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