{"id":2160,"date":"2023-08-09T10:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/?p=2160"},"modified":"2024-01-09T11:00:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T16:00:15","slug":"dont-overlook-the-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/dont-overlook-the-06\/","title":{"rendered":"DON\u2019T OVERLOOK THE \u201806"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Boddington<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A writer friend was in black bear camp this past spring, shooting a .30-06. At the sight-in range, younger hunters gathered to admire his rifle. They\u2019d heard of the .30-06<\/a>\u2026insisted they\u2019d never seen one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By about 1930 the .30-06 <\/a><\/em>reigned as America\u2019s most popular hunting cartridge, holding this position for at least 40 years. Times change, but I\u2019m shocked there are grownup hunters who have never seen or given passing consideration to the .30-06<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
46 years after his first safari, Boddington still believes the .30-06 <\/a>is among the best and most versatile choices for Africa\u2019s non-dangerous game. This fine waterbuck was taken in 2019, using a left-hand Ruger M77 with 180-grain Hornady Interlock. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1903 the United States military adopted the Springfield bolt-action rifle, mated with a rimless bottleneck cartridge firing a .30-caliber (.308-inch bullet). Rifle and cartridge were so close to Peter Paul Mauser<\/a>\u2019s designs that Uncle Sam paid Mauser a royalty until WWI. The original 1903 cartridge used a 220-grain round-nose bullet. In 1906 the case was modified slightly, the bullet changed to a lighter spitzer with greatly improved aerodynamics. The new cartridge was called \u201cCaliber .30 US Government Model of 1906.\u201d We soon shortened that to .30-06<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first sporting use of the .30-06 doesn\u2019t seem recorded. Well-known is that Theodore Roosevelt swore by his Springfield<\/a> throughout his epic nine-month 1909 safari. At that time the lever-action was America\u2019s most popular sporting rifle. There were no domestic civilian bolt-actions at all until 1920.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
.30-06 velocities vary considerably among manufacturers. With 165-grain bullet, Hornady\u2019s Superformance load yielded 3016 fps\u2026that\u2019s edging into .300<\/a> magnum velocity. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Savage M20 was America\u2019s first bolt-action sporter, Sort of a mini-Springfield, it was sized for the short .250 and .300 <\/a>Savage cartridges and could not house the .30-06. The first American sporter that could was Remington\u2019s M30 in 1921, based on the big 1917 US Enfield action. Winchester followed in 1925 with the M54, forerunner to the M70 (1936).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortage of commercial rifles didn\u2019t deter the .30-06<\/a>. Surplus US Enfields and Springfields were cheap and available. The supply from both world wars lasted through the Sixties. My own first centerfire, purchased in 1964, was a surplus \u201803 Springfield. I think it cost $39.95. I didn\u2019t hunt with it until years later, but I shot it a lot, and lovingly \u201csporterized\u201d it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
We hear about new cartridges being inherently accurate, but don\u2019t sell the \u201906 short. This lightweight Kimber<\/a> Terminal Ascent produced sub-MOA groups right out of the box with the first load tried, Federal 180-grain Trophy Tip bonded bullet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Starting in 1925, the flatter-shooting, softer-kicking .270<\/a> gave the .30-06 competition but never overtook it. Even Jack O\u2019Connor<\/a>, high priest of the .270, conceded that the .30-06 was more versatile. The first magnum craze of the Fifties and Sixties eroded the .30-06. I bought into that stuff; I had a .264 and a .300 Winchester Magnum before I hunted with a .30-06.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Although she later switched to a .270<\/a>, Donna Boddington did most of her early hunting with a left-hand Ruger M77 .30-06. She used a 180-grain Hornady<\/a> Interlock to drop this excellent Mozambique sable with one shot at sundown. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I read my Roosevelt, and my Hemingway, and my Ruark, so when planning my first African hunt I knew I had to have a .30-06. I trotted down to the PX and bought a Ruger <\/a>M77 and worked up handloads with 180-grain Nosler Partitions. Even though I\u2019d been a confirmed magnum maniac (\u201cmagniac\u201d), I was amazed at how well the .30-06 performed. All ranges, all sizes of plains game. Became, and have remained, a .30-06 fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flood of unbelted magnums at the turn of the millennium gave us new choices. Recent cartridges designed for maximum efficiency (PRCs, Noslers, Westerns) give us more options. Today we have plenty cartridges to choose from. It\u2019s easy to overlook the .30-06.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The .30-06 probably isn\u2019t an ideal mountain cartridge, but it shoots flat enough. Grancel Fitz took his first sheep, a Dall sheep in Alaska, in 1935 with his Griffin & Howe Springfield. 20 years later, he was the first person to take all varieties of North American big game\u2026all with this same .30-06.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Old, but not tired. The .30-06 is a powerhouse. Standard issue for our forces for 50 years, the .30-06 is the most powerful cartridge adopted by a major military. Not as fast as our many magnums, it is not slow. Standard velocity for a 180-grain bullet is 2700 fps. In perspective: The same speed as the 6.5mm Creedmoor<\/a>\u2026with a 140-grain bullet. With 180-grain bullet, the .30-06 offers 28 percent more bullet weight\u2026with .044-inch more frontal area. There is no comparison in hitting power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wife Donna did her early hunting with a Ruger M77 .30-06. Not the same one. I was doing a lot of hunting with a left-hand action M77 .30-06. Also a lefty, she\u2019s shorter, so I took a sliver off the butt and reset the recoil pad so we could both shoot it comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sadly, not all new rifles are chambered to .30-06. This is Chapuis\u2019 new ROLS straight-pull, made in France\u2026with .30-06 among its many chamberings. So far, out of the box accuracy is about one MOA\u2026not unusual for good rifles in .30-06.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s be clear. The .30-06 is not a low-recoil option. Generations of recruits complained about the brutal recoil. They were not wrong. Donna is one of those people who is uniquely impervious to recoil. In general, I don\u2019t recommend the .30-06 for youngsters, for women of smaller stature, or for anyone with aversion to recoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
To this day, the (nominally) 2.5-inch of the .30-06 defines \u201cstandard-length\u201d actions and cartridges. Factory cartridges based on the \u201906 case include, left to right: .30-06, .270 Win, .280 Rem, .25-06, .35 Whelen, .370 Federal, .280 AI. Boddington believes the .30-06 is still the most versatile of all.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The .30-06 is a big gun, needlessly powerful for any deer hunting. It is a far better elk cartridge than deer cartridge! I still have magniac tendencies. I see the medium magnums, typified by the .338 Winchester Magnum<\/a>, as the most ideal elk cartridges. Yes, but the .30-06 is plenty of gun for any elk, especially with today\u2019s great bullets. I\u2019ve taken as many bull elk with the .30-06 as with magnums. None have gone farther, most down in their tracks. Because of heavier bullets with more frontal area, I think the .30-06 is more effective on elk than any of the 7mms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
One of the advantages to the .30-06 is lots of loads\u2026and lots of handload recipes. This Savage 110 .30-06 grouped variously with different loads\u2026and then shot quarter-inch groups (bottom center) with Federal factory with 180-grain Barnes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The .30-06\u2019s strongest suit is versatility<\/em>. Awesome for larger game, such as elk and moose. I still can\u2019t think of anything better for the full run of non-dangerous African game. The .30-06 kicks but lacks the bone-jarring recoil velocity of the fast magnums\u2026and it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Versatility isn\u2019t just about size of animals. Today\u2019s newest cartridges use faster rifling twists with extra-heavy bullets with super aerodynamics. The .30-06\u2019s traditional 1:10 twist stabilizes bullets from 150 to 220 grains. How much versatility do you need? For deer, a 150-grain bullet zips along at 3000 fps. For elk, and for Africa\u2019s variety, I\u2019ve always been a 180-grain bullet guy. I\u2019m not keen on using the .30-06 for big bears, but more grizzlies and brown bears have fallen to the .30-06 than all the rest put together. Old-timers relied on the long, heavy 220-grain slug, which can be loaded to 2550 fps, credible velocity for such weight, offering wonderful penetration. I also don\u2019t recommend the .30-06 for extra-large beasts. However, in the days before minimum legal calibers, the .30-06 with 220-grain<\/a> solids had a great reputation for reliable penetration all the way up to elephant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The .30-06 is probably needlessly powerful for deer\u2026and also dramatically effective. This big Colorado buck was dropped in its tracks by a single 180-grain Fusion bullet from an \u201906 made by Kenny Jarrett.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it\u2019s also not the best choice for mountain game. As with deer, .30-caliber bullet weight and power aren\u2019t essential for sheep and goats. I\u2019ve taken both with the .30-06, but I\u2019ve usually chosen cartridges that shoot flatter. Not because I needed them, but because they seemed a better \u201cfit.\u201d Once you get to the point where you must either hold over or start dialing your turret for range, trajectory is just a number. Know the number and you can solve the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve done a lot of 1000-yard shooting on steel with various .30-06 rifles and loads\u2026as have long-range competitors for 120 years. Once you start adjusting, a few more clicks is a matter of knowing how many. I\u2019m not an extreme range shooter on game. If I were, then there are better tools. However, because that\u2019s what I was carrying\u2014and because I knew the trajectory\u2014I\u2019ve made some of my longer shots in the field with the .30-06.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Boddington believes the .30-06 is a wonderful elk cartridge\u2026and better for elk than deer. This bull dropped in its tracks to a single 180-grain Barnes TSX at about 150 yards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many of our newer cartridges offer great versatility on game, at varying levels of recoil, and are often touted for accuracy. Cartridge design matters, but rifle, barrel, and ammo are more important. It\u2019s an article of faith that the .308, with its shorter, more efficient case, is more accurate. Maybe, but the margin is slim. I\u2019ve rarely seen accuracy problems in a .30-06 rifle. With higher velocity, the .30-06 is more powerful, thus more versatile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So many choices, so many conflicting and confusing cartridges. Here\u2019s one good reason why the .30-06 may be worth your consideration. Availability. Everybody loads .30-06. It is no longer our most popular centerfire\u2026but it\u2019s still in the top handful. There are hundreds of factory loads, from all manufacturers, throughout the world\u2026offered with just about any bullet you can think of. No, these days, we can\u2019t get them all. But the .30-06 is not a one-company wonder, as new cartridges must be until they catch on. For handloaders, we have a century of loading data to fall back on. Can\u2019t get this powder or that bullet? Plenty of choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Willem van Dyk, trackers, and Boddington with a big fringe-eared oryx, taken in Kenya in 1977 on Boddington\u2019s first African hunt. This was the first time Boddington hunted with the .30-06; impressive performance made him a lifelong fan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just yesterday, I went to the range with a new Chapuis ROLS, a fine, state-of-the-art straight-pull rifle. Made in France\u2026chambered to .30-06. Finding the best load for this rifle is still a work in progress, but the loads I grabbed randomly from my garage grouped within one MOA. That\u2019s performance I expect\u2014and usually get\u2014from a good .30-06. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all great new rifles are chambered in .30-06. I suppose that\u2019s a sign of the times. Explains why some younger folks consider it a curiosity. For sure, it\u2019s not as sexy as the hot new numbers. It\u2019s still an accurate, powerful, and versatile choice. And the .30-06 is still out there, hundreds of loads, jillions of rifles\u2026of all vintages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Craig Boddington A writer friend was in black bear camp this past spring, shooting a .30-06. At the sight-in range, younger hunters gathered to admire his rifle. They\u2019d heard of the .30-06\u2026insisted they\u2019d never seen one. By about 1930 the .30-06 reigned as America\u2019s most popular hunting cartridge, holding this position for at least … Continue reading “DON\u2019T OVERLOOK THE \u201806”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[127,261,244,197,144,8,19,32,61,128,39,34,200],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/30-06-teddy.jpg?fit=768%2C923&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2160"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2186,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160\/revisions\/2186"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}